"Pattern Review" a grumble

[sewingj]

When I have found a pattern I like the look of I usually check it out on Pattern Review - I am mainly interested to know if the garment comes up surprisingly big or small and if there are any tricky instructions.
What drives me mad is when a reviewer has hacked the pattern so much that it bears no resemblance to the original.  I admit I am not a competent hacker myself and I admire those who can - but when I am looking at a particular patten I want to know about that pattern, not someone else`s version of it.
This morning I was checking out a particular dress, the reviewer says:
"Personally I made my own version and I can`t comment on the instructions as I never looked at them"

Another reviewer for a jacket whose main design feature is that it is asymmetrical informed me that they didn`t like asymmetrical jackets so had changed it completely".

[doesntworkonwood]

I kind of agree with you. When I'm looking at a pattern to buy, I want to know exactly what I'm getting. People make so many alterations understandably, but it makes it hard to get a realistic idea of who the pattern is for and how it would fit.

I don't think people shouldn't make changes and hack a pattern, but it stops your review being an actual review of the product.

[Manuela]

Guilty as charged, I am one of those reviewers. However, I always list all the changes I made to a pattern and why.
When I actually do read/follow the instructions, I comment on them in detail. Sometimes I only like an element or two of a pattern, and I have the tendency to make it my own. That said, my approach also shows all kind of possibilities of a pattern.

[mudcat]

I don't do a lot of reviews on PR but when I do I try to mention the instructions even if I don't use them.  The big 4 (or whatever we're calling them these days) still have what I consider dated instructions. I look at them primarily as an order of construction and use my preferred techniques.

Personally, I find many of the reviews useless because they're simple yes/no answers to the questions without any details and/or they try to direct me to their blog.  No thanks.

I'm primarily interested in knowing how the reviewer chose their size and how close it was to the sizing instructions of the pattern company.  Nearly all pattern lines run large for me and flat pattern measuring is only helpful to a degree.  I also want to know if there were any pattern drafting issues to be on the look out for.

[WildAtlanticWay]

@sewingj  thank you for posting this thread.
I’d not heard of Pattern Review and I’d been looking at a New Look pattern online and wondered how it fitted together and if the instructions are clear so I’ve now looked at it on Pattern Review.
Unfortunately, it does seem that most of the reviewers ‘do their own thing’ so I’m still unsure if it’s going to be straightforward enough to follow but I think I’ll have a go anyway.

I know that if I get stuck, one of you lovely peeps will no doubt be able to explain what to do in straightforward English that I can understand. 

My sewing class has now finished (only 8 weeks) so I’m back faffing about on my own again. 

[Surest1tch]

I have to confess to not reading the instructions, I've found 9 times out of 10 they are misleading and too long winded

[Kad]

My main gripe regarding reviews on Pattern Review are those that state " self-drafted" or " no pattern used" ! These are no earthly use to me or, I suspect, anyone else. There's little point reviewing a pattern that nobody else has access to.

[Holly Berry]

I mainly use the pattern reviews when I’ve read the instructions and found them difficult to follow. I’m not interested whether it’s true to size as I adjust to fit me anyway, but really for work arounds.

I do follow instructions for sequence, and if it’s a process I’ve not done before or for a long time.

[Kwaaked]

I don't review because I was so put off by the threads complaining about what not to do, what to do...just struck me as why bother.  There are a few who have laundry lists of how a review is to be written and it's just blah.

Saying that, I rarely read instructions because I don't have to.  I cut off the seam allowances, walk the pattern
(checking draft), fix it and then maybe look over the instructions to see the order they have it listed as.  When I have reviewed a pattern or been asked by a friend, I do read through them for errors, but I don't always use them.  Biggest caveat to this is that I pattern test for a company and I do follow and read those instructions even if I generally do it different because it is part of what I am checking.

However: I have books that I learned from that answers anything I forgot or need to know.  All else, I check you tube or the web, usually what I find is easier and better to understand then the pattern instructions.  There are exceptions to this, of course, Connie Crawford branded patterns by Butterick and Simplicity's Sewing for Dummies and Learn to Sew series.  So when I say I don't use the instructions, it's not because they are necessarily bad, it is because I am too lazy to bother with them.

On the self drafted, if they give details, then it can be useful.  I am making a dress for my daughter that I drafted and reviewing it for her (which I'm not going to actually do, mind) could offer tips on how to work around some fitting issues for a plus sized child.  Or make an easy gathered skirt.  Or show that it's not hard to make a simple retro dress.  So there is some use to the reviews of self drafted, but only if the writer is willing to give a lot of details on how they got from an idea to the end product.

[datcat23]

I have a grumble with Pattern Review ..... not with the sewists doing reviews, but with the functionality of the review area.

I will often want to get an idea of a design, by looking at lots of different items .... say a skirt. or pants.  So I go to pattern review, I choose search, and change the category to skirts and then click on the search button. Or I will put "dress" in the search bar, choosing reviews as the filter.  It doesn't matter what I do, I just get the latest reviews, regardless of which category its in.  Its infuriating, and usually leads to me abandoning the site for a while out of pique. 

[Efemera]

The only grumble I have is the photographs are really bad...it maybe because I’m using an iPad but they’re often distorted, far too small or sideways.

[Gernella]

I generally just go for the pattern and though sometimes you get a good version of the pattern on Pattern Review, what I am really looking for is problems encountered. What went/could go wrong etc.  Sometimes following the blog link is helpful as well.   I've been a few times looking for machine reviews.

May be if it is updated it might turn out a bit like Sew Today.  I don't pay to it because I wouldn't really get the benefit but there must be a fair amount going into the pot to keep it going.  I suppose they think if it  aint broke don't try fixing it.

[jen]

I’ve done several reviews of patterns I drafted. This aspect had been discussed on PR more than once, some people like to read/see self drafts. As far as commercial patterns are concerned, the information I would most like is almost never available. It would be good to know how much ease is in the pattern, but to get an idea about that you need to know the reviewer’s measurements, as well as the size they made up and what fitting changes they made. I don’t usually follow instructions, and though I’ve tried to look them over to comment on them, it’s arduous. If you can sew, it’s hard to put yourself in the position of someone relying on instructions. I haven’t reviewed for some time now. Frankly, it’s hard to find time to sew, trying to please increasingly picky readers of reviews, getting good photos, blathering on about the alterations I may have done, checking the instructions, it becomes a chore. I’m aware that this is a bit selfish, because looking at other’s makes is useful and I like to see how patterns turn out in different fabrics and on different figures, so it would be fair to chip in from time to time.

[Margarita]

I guess I think of the pattern reviews as a tool that is sometimes helpful. I generally only sew from the "Big 4/5/6/7" so reading reviews of indies or self-drafted isn't always useful to me, BUT I'm glad all those reviews are there because you never know where inspiration may come from and what you might possibly learn from a review. Sometimes the photos are just so inspiring and you can see what is possible.

As far as what people include in their reviews, I've decided that it's a personal decision. Not everybody wants to put their personal measurements out there. It is an "open to the world" website after all. I do wish people would say what size they used. Some people like their clothes to be tighter fitting, some looser fitting, but if you know what size they used you can sort of figure out if you are close to their size what size you should use. I guess. Who knows. Anybody that takes the time to share their project with pictures is a superstar as far as I'm concerned.

[sewmuchmore]

I have recently been looking at reviews for the patterns I have in mind, purely for sizing issues. However what I find is that people just put "made my usual size", which is about as helpful as a   
And are people honest? or is it me? I have been looking at Style Arc reviews for the Italia Dress. Every one says it is true to size! Well I made "my usual size" and it was way too small, went up 2 sizes and it was still too small so that was 2 for the charity bag and the pattern is now in the recycling.