When Named announced their second book, “Building the Pattern”, I was immediately charmed. I tend to collect beautiful pattern books, and I got to say that the imagery of this Scandinavian brand is stunning. I had already bought their previous book, “Breaking the Pattern”, but those patterns were a bit too out there for me and I have to admit that I haven’t sewn any of them yet. This second opus is focused on wardrobe creation and it contains much more wearable patterns.
I pre-ordered the book on Amazon US as soon as the first pictures were unveiled, and I was surprised to receive it several weeks in advance even though the official release date had been postponed in the meantime. Flipping through the book confirmed I had made the right call, as I fell in love with the asymmetrical wrap dress version of the Sorja pattern. I did not have enough fabric in my stash, and most of all didn’t have the motivation to embark on such a tedious project in shifty rayon, so I opted to make a top version as a muslin, with the added bonus of allowing me to use some of my fabric scraps. For reference, I sewed a size 4 (92 cm bust) as my measurements increased slightly during lockdown.
This eye-catching fabric is Telio’s “Faces” rayon challis in Mauve Blush, a remnant from the Passiflore shirt which ended up in Eléonore’s closet. I had already made several projects in this fabric base and it is a real pleasure to work with. The pattern itself is very quick and easy to sew, the only tricky point being the adjustable straps. This was my first time sewing this kind of straps and I must say that the explanations in the book are quite minimal on this point (especially the zoomed out photos) so they are not necessarily straightforward to make. Having said that, I really like the result and I think that from now on I will make all my spaghetti straps adjustable because they are so practical.
In terms of fit, I feel like the darts are a bit high (especially worn without a bra) but it’s also that I’m not sure how high the straps are supposed to be adjusted. As they are now the armholes are pretty low, but since it’s a loose top and meant to be worn in summer I don’t mind too much (and it shows of the tip of my new tattoo as a bonus!).
I like the end result a lot, even if the silhouette is so wide it’s way out of my comfort zone. It does showcase the fabric particularly well though! I just need to lower the darts a bit and I should be good to go, now I just have to start the dress once I find my way back to my sewing room. I have already purchased the fabric (a fairly subtle leaf-print rayon) and can’t wait to sew it!
The faces are such a fun print, and you did a great job avoiding any unfortunate pattern placement with your remnant. How does the Sorja compare to the Pensée camisole? Would you mix and match any techniques or elements from the two patterns, or sew them each as-is for different wardrobe needs?
I’d say they’re pretty different, Sorja has a more casual vibe and Pensée a more dressed-up feel. Lately I’ve been more into Sorja (making a second one right now) but I might steal the adjustable straps detail to add it to Pensée next time I make one.