Reintroducing the Iris Pleated Tee and Ella Skirt! We're so excited to add two more sewing patterns to our full 28-56 (83cm-153cm / 30.5-60.5" hip) size range! We've also added projector files to both patterns!
If you've bought either the Iris or Ella in the past, you'll get an email with the updated files for free.
And if you're just meeting Iris or Ella, we'll give you the full introduction, or you could head on over to the shop to snap up Iris or Ella for 20% off this week. Or take 25% off the pair of patterns by grabbing the limited-time bundle deal - no codes needed!
The Iris tee is one of our most popular patterns, and we've received many lovely messages praising her details! Iris is a classic semi-fitted tee that can be made casual or dressed up for something a bit more special. It features soft waist shaping through the sides. Iris comes with a classic crew neckline, but she's also compatible with our Scoop Neckline Expansion! If you like to keep it simple, make yours with the unpleated short or three quarter sleeve. For something a little more interesting, there are pattern pieces for cleverly intersecting pleats!
As striking as these sleeve pleats are, they're surprisingly simple to sew and our fully-illustrated instructions will guide you through from first snip to final hem. The Iris pleated tee was designed for light to medium weight knit fabrics. Emphasise the sculptural details of the pleats in a double knit, or let them drape in a slinky viscose. Or simply sew a classic tee with plain sleeves in a classic cotton t-shirting!
The Ella skirt is made in sheer silk georgette with a woven check. The Iris tee is made in Eucalyptus/Cotton blend jersey.
With her high-low hem and ruffle tier, Ella is our favourite flouncy A-line skirt. She's a gathered skirt that comes in three lengths and is the perfect skirt to take you through the seasons. We don't underestimate the importance of good pockets, and Ella has three options for prime pocket customisation! You can choose between two styles of patch pockets as a cool, casual detail, or you can go for streamlined in-seam pockets.
Our new photos show off the flowy potential of the skirt in this luxurious silk georgette. We are putting together some in-depth blog posts looking at all the techniques used to sew this lovely sheer fabric with a lining, so look forward to all those details.
This make also has a slightly "hacked" ruffle which exposes the top of the ruffle to show it off, so we'll also chat about that!
The Ella skirt sits high at the natural waist and closes with an invisible zipper and hook and bar. Beginners will find this a great pattern to advance their skills, with detailed instructions for each step. Explore expert finishing techniques and construction methods - all made easy with our detailed sewing instructions, which we've had some lovely compliments on. Ella is the skirt pattern I wish I'd had when I was a beginner sewer! Stable, medium weight fabrics are the easiest option to sew, and will give nice volume to the gathers. Floaty rayons or silks may take more attention to sew up, but will drape beautifully.
It's in my DNA as a patternmaker that my attention to detail demands these wee tweaks. The changes aren't hugely significant, but are worth mentioning. Other than that, the updates are all focused around the extra sizes, with charts, layplans and materials added, as well as the sizes now being split into two files for your convenience.
The Iris update has added some tweaks to the neckline and neck band.
If you already have the Ella skirt printed out, do not worry. Nothing has changed with the pattern pieces other than extra sizes being added.
We have fixed one error in the instruction booklet: In the waistband sewing step, the amount to cut off the waistband has been corrected, from 1.5cm (5/8") to 2.5cm (1").
We are super excited about our glam new photos, but we still have love for our original photos. In case you're looking for more Iris and Ella inspiration, here we have four more Ella skirts, including two paired with a plain white Iris tee! (The other tops shown are our free Vera top).
While we take lots of care with our written instructions, we know that video just works best for some sewists. That's why we've got some extra resources for sewing the Iris Pleated Tee and the Ella Skirt. If you're curious how the Iris sleeve comes together, check out this video! Everyone has their own method for inserting an invisible zip. Here we break down the process of our favourite method, dropping a couple helpful hints along the way!
This update was a long time coming, and we're so excited it's finally here! It is part of our mission to improve the sizing and accessibility of our pattern catalogue and we are very proud. We hope you appreciate it, and as always, we can't wait to see what you make! Don't forget to tag us and use the hashtags #fmnIris and #fmnElla. Happy sewing!
