10% off PDF patterns until April 20th!

If you’re following us on Instagram, you might be aware that Ping has just had her first baby, and Sandra is about to have her second!

Given the changes in our personal lives, we plan to go digital-only this year, and focus on releasing PDF patterns in 2020, with paper versions available in 2021. Crestwood, Elwynn, and Faron patterns are still available for shipping! However, we are restricting shipping to the US only at this time, partially due to the pandemic. ⁠

We also hit a disappointing road bump with the first pattern we had hoped to release. As an indie pattern company, we couldn't release a design we hated, and we ended up scrapping it almost entirely. We're still working on our second planned release, but with our "interns", Amelia and Neil, now at home and needing full attention, progress has been slower than we would like. We are super excited about that one though, and can't wait to get it out to you!⁠

For now, we'd like to offer a 10% discount on all PDF pattern purchases! Enter the code APRIL10 before 11:59pm PST on April 20th, 2020!

Hello 2020!

Happy new year! 🎉

It's a new decade, and we're so excited for everything we have planned for 2020! One new thing we'll be implementing this year is a tweak to our size charts.

During our first year, we released all our patterns in two size ranges, and we thought it would work best to have continuous sizing, with the smaller range as 0-12 (D-cup), and then the larger range being 14-26 (DD-cup) with no overlap. As we've grown, we've received feedback and realized there's some confusion about which range to get, if one is slightly in between the two ranges.

For our 2020 pattern releases, the 14-26 (DD-cup) range will be staying the same, but we’ve done some re-drafting and have shifted our smaller size range to 2-14 (D-cup), with very slight differences in body measurements between the two size 14s.

Check out our revamped size chart for the full details!

Crestwood // fabric ideas

We have our eye on a variety of fabrics/prints/color-blocking combinations for our Crestwood skirts and wanted to share some of our favorites!

We are huge fans of Ruby Star Society and this combination is no exception.

You can find the unicorn print cotton here and the contrast fabric here.

There’s something about herringbone that screams “cozy” and “fall”.

This one has cozy in the name.

How gorgeous is this floral print?? We could totally see this brightening up a dreary fall day. You can find this rayon print here.

If you’re not one for prints, texture can be a great way to add more subtle interest.

A Crestwood skirt in this crinkle cotton would be super cute with a sheer blouse on top and some cute boots.

We tried not to make the entire list Ruby Star Society fabrics but struggled a bit. Here’s another spicy color-blocking combination for fall. Main fabric can be found here, and contrasting fabric here.

For a more structured skirt, these cotton twills in jewel tones would be perfect over sweater tights on a rainy day. You can find these colors here and here.

Crestwood // tester roundup!

We had such a great group of pattern testers this round, and we’re so excited to share their garment with you!

Click on the images to enlarge. You can also hover over each image to see each tester’s blog/Instagram.

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Genya

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Virginia

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Rhani

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Meagan

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Lilly

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Kten

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Kristi

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Chloe S

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Michelle

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Ilani

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Vivienne

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Brigid

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Yeechi

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Deborah

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Ruth

Thank you again to all of our amazing testers!!

If you’re interested in testing for us in the future, please send us an email at hello@figandneedle.com and we’ll add you to the list and reach out when it’s time for our next round of pattern testing!

S + P

Meet Crestwood

We’re so excited to introduce our latest pattern: the Crestwood skirt!

The Crestwood skirt hits just above the knee, and features two large front pockets and a back zip. View A has a scalloped hem and scalloped pocket detail, with a straight waistband. View B has a straight hem, straight pocket detail, and notched waistband. Drafted for woven fabrics.

We’ve had so much fun mixing and matching design details, and trying out a variety of fabrics! Sew one up in a nice wool for the perfect fall skirt. Or try one in linen for a more breezy, summery look. The skirt panels and angled seams are also perfect for experimenting with stripes and color-blocking!

Huge thank you to our lovely photographer, Rachel Lucus!

PDF patterns are currently available in our shop! Printed paper patterns are available for pre-order.

We’ve got some fun posts coming up on the blog soon so look out for those! Also to celebrate launch week, get 10% off your purchase when you use the code FN10. (Ends 10/23 at 11:59pm PST.)

Please share your makes on Instagram with the tags #FNcrestwood. We’re excited to see what you come up with!

S + P

Faron Hack // Side Zip

Today we’re sharing a fun and super easy way to switch up your Faron for a slightly different effect. Sandra whipped up a Faron that is cut on the fold at the front (eliminating the center front seam), and has an invisible zipper at the side, rather than an separating zipper along the front, all with just one small pattern change!

The Hack:

1. Trace a copy of your center front pattern piece (#1) and front facing pattern piece (#5).

2. On each piece, trim 5/8” from the edge of the center front (CF).

3. Both of these pieces should be cut on the fold of the fabric. All other pieces can be cut as normal.

Construction Tips:

1. Sew the princess seams as instructed, but skip sewing the center back (CB) seam. After sewing the shoulder seams, finish the sewn edges, but then skip the zipper installation and go straight to attaching the facings. The back seam and both side seams should not be sewn at this point.

2. When turning the facing right side out, lay the garment flat, but instead of reaching between the back jumper and back facing, reach up through the front of the garment and pull the back pieces through.

3. Pin and sew the center back seam, and then the right side seam, once the facing has been understitched.

4. On the left side of the garment, attach an invisible zipper from the left underarm seam to the hip. Sew the left side seam from hem to where the invisible zipper stops.

5. Tuck zipper end in under facing, and hand stitch facing to zipper.

Sandra made this side-zip hacked Faron in a Rifle Paper Co rayon fabric. She took 3” out of the torso (she’s 5’1” and claims she has no torso to speak of), graded from a 16 in the bust to 18 in the waist and hips, and did a square shoulder adjustment. Paired with a lightweight button up or a t-shirt, or even worn on its own, this is a great combination for warmer weather!

(Is it spring yet?)

What Faron hacks are on your list to try?

S + P

Elwynn // fabric ideas

Today we wanted to share some fabric inspiration for sewing your very own Elwynn blouses! We tried a bunch of different fabrics and textures to experiment, and below are some of our favorites and some on our wishlist.

Rayon challis

Rayon challis is so nice and drapey, but is super prone to wrinkling and shifting, so you might want to starch it or otherwise stabilize it when cutting.

You can find this fabric here.

Double gauze

Double gauze is basically two layers of gauze woven together to form a super soft and breathable fabric. Garments have a little more structure, but in a way where you’re basically wearing a cloud.

You can find this striped floral fabric here.

Cotton lawn

Cotton is always nice; it’s stable, easy to cut, easy to sew, readily available, and easy to care for. Cotton lawn has all those qualities and is lighter weight than quilting cotton.

You can find this fabric here.

Crepe

Crepe is an awesome option for an Elwynn with nice drape that typically won’t wrinkle much, if at all!

You can find this fabric here.

Lace

We love any opportunity to include a sheer yoke! Use lace on the yoke with a solid on the bodice, or use lace for the whole thing and wear a tank top underneath. The options are endless.

You can find this fabric here.

What fabrics are you thinking of for your Elwynns?

Don’t forget to tag your makes with #FNelwynn so we can see what you’ve made!

S + P

Faron // fabric ideas

We had so much fun choosing fabrics for our Faron samples, and wanted to share some of the fabrics we used, and a couple still on our list to sew up!

Wool

Is there anything more luscious than an amazing piece of wool? We like to steam-shrink with an iron before cutting out the pieces, but make sure you test a swatch first!

Find this fabric here (414 - grey & natural herringbone).

Corduroy

We love corduroy for the Faron jumper! Just make sure to remember it has nap and you may need to deviate from the cutting instructions to ensure all pieces are cut in the right direction!

Find this fabric here.

Linen

Linen would be a great fabric to sew a Faron for summer. It’s breathable, easy to clean, and has amazing drape. A linen Faron would be so cute over a summery tee or tank top.

Find this fabric here.

Ponte

We love the idea of a Faron with slightly more give. You’ll want to find a fairly stable medium to heavy weight ponte, and you might even size down a bit for less ease.

Find this fabric here.

Denim

A denim Faron is definitely on our sewing list. We recommend using something similar to the weight you’d want for jeans to ensure enough body in the garment. Also, depending on the wash, you may have to pre-wash a couple times to get all the extra dye out!

Find this fabric here.

What fabrics are you planning to use for your Farons?

Don’t forget — 10% off your entire purchase ends tomorrow night 2/12 at 11:59pm PST!

S + P

*Note: these are not affiliate links! Just fabrics we liked :)

Elwynn + Faron // tester roundup!

We were so lucky to have an amazing group of pattern testers, and we want to share some of the gorgeous garments they made!

Click on the images to enlarge. You can also hover over each image to see each tester’s blog/Instagram.

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Samantha

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Renee

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Chloe

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Lauren

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Rhani

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Lorene

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Meg

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Thank you again to all of our amazing testers!!

If you’re interested in testing for us in the future, please send us an email at hello@figandneedle.com and we’ll add you to the list and reach out when it’s time for our next round of pattern testing!

S + P

Meet Elwynn and Faron

Launch day is here and we’re so excited to finally share our first two patterns!!! ….Introducing the Faron jumper dress and the Elwynn blouse!

ELWYNN

The Elwynn keyhole blouse is a yoked blouse with bust darts, a back keyhole, and capped sleeves.

View A has a Peter Pan collar and a tie closure. View B has a button and loop closure.

Our favorite Elwynn tops are sewn with drapey lightweight fabrics. You can also use a crisper fabric for a more structured look. The Elwynn is so easy to throw on over a pair of leggings or jeans, or to dress up with a cute skirt. You can sew it all in the same fabric, or have fun with color-blocking.

FARON

The Faron jumper is a sleeveless overdress with a scooped front neckline and low back, front and back princess seams, an a-line skirt, and a separating zipper opening in the front.

Faron is designed to be worn over other garments, such as blouses and t-shirts. (Or Elwynn.)

Faron works best with heavier weight fabrics and is such an easy dress to wear! Throw it on over a t-shirt or a cute blouse and you’re good to go. We made ours out of wool and corduroy — super warm for winter, and easy to accessorize with cute boots and scarves.

We’ll be posting fabric inspiration and pattern hacks on the blog soon so look out for those! Also to celebrate launch week, get 10% off your purchase when you buy both patterns! Use the code FN10. (Ends 2/12 at 11:59pm PST.)

Please share your makes on Instagram with the tags #FNfaron and #FNelwynn!

S + P

Patterns: a starting point

At Fig + Needle, we feel that size really is just a number. It’s a place to start so we have an idea of which one to cut out and how much fabric we need. Size charts vary from company to company because there is no single standard size. And that’s not even getting into RTW sizing!

We’ve talked about size before because this is a topic very near to our hearts. We’ve been following the recent online discussions about extended sizes (see our Instagram post here), and are so pleased that other members of the indie sewing community are considering extending their size ranges! One amazing resource we recommend to pattern makers and sewists alike is the Curvy Sewing Collective. Their guides are so helpful, and we referenced the CSC often as we developed our size chart.

Our patterns are developed using two completely separate slopers: a size 8 drafted with a D cup, and a size 20 drafted with a DD cup. From there, we’re able to grade each sloper three sizes up and three sizes down, resulting in a 0-12 range and a 14-26 range, with fourteen sizes in total. We sewed endless samples and made countless tweaks before we were happy with our slopers.

From there, we draft actual patterns! Having two size ranges means twice the amount of work for a single pattern. We sew lots of samples and make many adjustments to each pattern to make sure we’re keeping the proportions and visual effects consistent. Considering the amount of time and work it takes to draft and test each design in two size ranges, we hope to release 3-5 patterns each year. 

The goal is not to make something that would fit literally everyone, but rather to create a product that is closer to the current average body, that hopefully cuts down the amount of alterations and fit adjustments it takes to sew something that fits you. That includes us! Ping typically has to add 1-2” to the torso, add 1-2” to the sleeve length, and usually rotates sleeves about 1/2” forward. Sandra usually has to square the shoulders, grade between two sizes, and shorten the torso by 3". 

Regardless of what size you are, you’ll likely have to make some alterations to any commercial pattern in order to fit your own unique shape.

What are the most common alterations you have to do to make a pattern fit? Let us know in the comments!

S + P

Launch date: February 6th!

HI GUYS!

Just popping in to announce that we have ourselves a launch date! Our patterns will officially be available for sale starting FEBRUARY 6TH.

Now excuse us while we go faint from excitement.

S + P