Ikatee Sakura
I’ve not tried Ikatee before – ‘French sewing patterns for kids’. I suppose i had a few objectives:
- Find a pattern that would enable me to use up some left over fabric, that would fit aged 4 and upwards.
- Find something that didn’t look like any pattern that i already own.
- Includes long sleeves.
- Available as a PDF as i wanted to use it straight away. (I’m still prepared to tolerate messing about with A4 PDFs for kids patterns)
- As a bonus, find something that could be decorated with trimming or similar.
Now Oliver and S is my usual ‘go to’ pattern brand for kids clothes, but having failed to satisfy the above requirements, i took a look at Ikatee.
The Sakura covers age 3 to 12 and includes a blouse or dress, and long or short sleeves.
As usual the pattern comes as half pattern pieces, but the layout requires almost every part to be cut as a mirrored piece i.e. whole, not half. So i traced everything on the fold of the tissue to create a set of whole pieces. And then made the best use of my left over fabric, so ignoring the recommended layout! Whole pieces helped. The seam allowance is only 6mm, which is narrow, especially when you need to finish on an overlocker, which is barely 6mm wide. So i added 4mm to each seam as i cut, so giving me 1cm seam allowance. It’s a loose fit, and i don’t have the child present to try anything on for fit, so the 4mm is within my margin for error, i think!
I don’t always follow pattern instructions! Having read through these instructions, which are translated from French, not very well in places, i thought i’d better try to follow them. I found that some of the pictures weren’t very clear, but the diagrams generally helped. I’d alter how its made in two respects:
- Apply the 2 cm interfacing to the back bodice at the start, noting that it needs to be placed a few mm inside the edge of the fabric. Most patterns apply interfacing at the beginning.
- Perhaps more critically, I’d make the buttonholes before stitching across the bottom of the back bodice and joining it to the skirt. Luckily i spotted this one at the right time, otherwise the buttonholes would have been fiddly. Sewing the buttons can wait until the end.
I thought that the right angle join between the bodice and sleeve might be a bit ugly, but it wasn’t. Even stitching the sleeve and side seam in a ‘straight’ line was perfectly achievable.
So Littl’un has a bonus long sleeved dress for the winter, and actually i really like this pattern, as it seems to be quite versatile. I’ve used up some lovely trimming that i bought on a whim, ages ago, from Guthrie Ghani, and i am already looking for some left over fabric and trimmings that i could use for a short sleeve blouse version.
You may notice that i trimmed both the front and back. I trimmed them separately, at stage 1, as per instructions, but i think that next time i will stitch the shoulder seams first, and then add any trimming across the shoulder seams.
Sometime soon i hope to finish the original garment, which created left over fabric, and used a pattern that i already own! As with Lockdown 1, I’m waiting for something to come in the post. Then i will tell you about the fabric, which is quite special, and about the item i am waiting for in the post. Exciting eh?
One Week, One Pattern
Me Made May 2016
Me Made May 2015
Simplicity Competition
Sew Over it Patterns
all my own work by ann 