This week on the blog we decided to test the super popular Wilder Gown + Top from Friday Pattern Company. This pattern has been on our must-sew list for a while now! An ethereal floaty silhouette, the Wilder has us dreaming of lounging in the shade on sunny Southern Hemisphere days or layering up with boots and merino and a cosy hat in cooler weather. Kindly worn by Jessie (above left) and Briar (above right) from our HQ team.
Pattern Review
Friday Pattern Company Wilder Gown + Top
The Wilder Gown is a loose, flowy, tiered dress that can be sewn up in a bunch of different ways! It features raglan sleeves and ties at the neck. The pattern can be made as a top or dress, long or short-sleeved, with one skirt tier or two. We love how easy it is to customize your own version!
We made the top with long sleeves for Jessie in size 2X, using 1.5m of our Line Print Viscose (147cm wide). After fitting the top on Jessie, we decided to shorten the sleeve length by 8cm for a more casual feel. For Briar, we made up the XS size gown with short sleeves, using 2m of Liberty of London Bloomsbury Crinkle Chiffon - Dulwich Park / A (126cm wide).
Seam allowances for all versions of this pattern are 5/8" (1.5cm). The pattern instructions advise when sewing the body and sleeve pieces together to join these with your plain sewer first, trim back the seam then finish each side of the seam (open seam construction style) with your overlocker or zig-zag stitch, we decided it was neater and less fiddly to overlock (or zig-zag stitch) the seams together on the gown instead of finishing them separately as the pattern instructions recommend. We found the finishing of the seams to be the trickiest part of the construction, especially if you choose to sew with floatier fabrics as you have to be careful not to catch the body of the garment with the overlocker. For the Top version, we followed the instructions completely and followed the open seam construction method as this fabric was easier to maneuver and you weren't able to see the seams as the fabric is opaque.
Another tip when sewing the gown is to sew all the sleeve seams on the sewing machine before heading to the overlocker, to save switching between machines (the instructions advise to sew one seam, then finish it on the overlocker before going to the next seam). We also waited until the very end to insert the tie so it didn’t get in the way when attaching the skirt!
We love how Friday Pattern Company has added tips and words of encouragement to these pattern instructions! The Wilder pattern is rated as beginner level which we agree with, so long as you choose a stable fabric to work with if you are a beginner level sewist!
Did you know that Friday Pattern Company donate 5% of all proceeds from their patterns to a rotating collection of the top-ranked charities in the world? Each pattern benefits a different charity - for info on which charities they donate to, click here.
By making a purchase of the Wilder Gown Pattern you are supporting RAICES, a nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Read more on their website.
Fabric Recommendations
Line Print Viscose - White & Liberty of London Bloomsbury Crinkle Chiffon - Dulwich Park / A
Friday Pattern Company suggest drapey, woven fabrics for the Wilder pattern. We love the look of lightweight, semi-transparent fabric for this pattern! Billowing and romantic silks are perfect for our summer months in the Southern Hemisphere, cooling, breezy and soft to wear. Plus they’re ideal for layering over tights and merino for cooler weather!
See our fabric suggestions below:
Silk Crepe De Chine - Soft Blue, Silk Check Crinkle Chiffon - Green, Liberty of London Bloomsbury Crinkle Chiffon - Solsetur / A, Liberty of London Bloomsbury Crinkle Chiffon - Wilmslow Berry / A, Liberty of London Bloomsbury Crinkle Chiffon - Sophie Jane / B, Silk Yoryu - Fern & Vintage Check Silk - Green.
What a beautiful silhouette this pattern gives! We can see why the Wilder is so popular; it’s a relatively simple make with options galore and would be a lovely addition to any #memade wardrobe. Share your creations with us on Instagram by tagging @wearethefabricstore or using #thefabricstore