The Great Pattern Review
Atira's Fashions
#11 - Marhvash's Turkish-Arab Vests
Jennifer Dyer - Recommended (despite the sleeves!)
I used this pattern to outfit my dance troupe members. The vest itself looks beautiful and is easy to fit to all shapes and sizes. The shoulder seams don't match up so well, I matched the sleeve edge and re-cut the neck edge to smooth out the seam and it turned out fine. The sleeve options however don't work so well for dancers, there's just not enough room at the top of the arm. Even on the full sleeve version with the open seam down the length of the arm I had to re-set and even re-cut the sleeves several times because there wasn't enough allowance for movement across the top of the shoulder! I ended up sewing up the seam and splitting the 'armpit' because the fabric I chose didn't have enough drape to make it hang right. The version with the split armpit I had to make the split larger than the pattern suggested. I wish I'd measured the sleeve length before I got too far along--mine ended up a wee bit short. Without the sleeves it's an easy project, and very easy to make reversible (with our without seam-binding).
#12 - Suzanna's Swirl Skirt
Teresa Csorba - Recommended
Disappointing pattern: It's one piece of paper. For eight bucks. But it goes together well and looks good. Altering length will be difficult for beginners, and it takes a long time to cut out, but it swirls very well.
#13 - Najla's Accent Skirt
Donna Hearth - Recommended
I found the Accent Skirt easy to make and it fit well on my size 12/14 figure. Over-turning the waistband can be tricky but, it can be done if you do plenty of pinning and ironing.
#15 - Hathaya's Harem Pants
Teresa Csorba - Not Recommended
Easy pattern with clear directions, but the final product came out HUGE. If you really want 32 inches of fabric flopping around your ankle, go for it. Otherwise, narrow the leg way down before cutting. It is also designed for the ankle elastic to ride on the calf, which is uncomfortable. Decide if you want the bell-shaped bottom enough to have elastic around your calf tight enough prevent the fabric slipping down while you're dancing.
#22 - Al-Zahra's Ghawazee Coat
Christine James -
Highly Recommended
Editor's Note: The 'Best Pattern Review' Award goes to Christine for this review: "Everything fit. It was fine; then I had a glass of wine." She is wearing the coat in the photo to the left.
Loren Dearborn -
Highly Recommended
It was easy. She is wearing the coat in the photo in the center.
Sally Norton -
Highly Recommended
I cut my coat longer and raised the neckline. I left the coat open so the skirt showed in the center front. The adjustments were easy. It fits well and is very attractive. Sally's is on the right.
Lynn McClelland - Highly Recommended
The pattern is great. It's easy and looks great on. I was able to alter it very easily and avoid that open underarm seam that makes a great deal of sense for dancers and none for the rest of us. I just scooped out the underarm of the pattern a little. Highly recommended.
#25 - Phaedra's Egyptian Caftan
Sally Norton - Highly Recommended
Very simple pattern. Easy to adapt to science fiction/fantasy as well as ethnic. Very comfortable. Good pattern for a ceremonial robe. Ideal for a beginner.
#26 - Etiya's Etek
Teresa Csorba - Not Recommended
This pattern runs ridiculously small. I made the short coat and made it two sizes larger than I needed (on principle, out of cheap fabric first) and it still didn't close across my chest. I gave this baby away to someone much smaller than me. Also, the collar is attatched in a needlessly fussy and sloppy-looking manner. There is no facing and it comes out looking lumpy. It is also difficult to attatch all the way to the ends and doesn't match up quite right. I will use another collar pattern next time I try this. Sleeves also came out much wider than shown in the illustration.
#35 - Ibrahim's Cepken
Jennifer Dyer - Recommended
Easy!!! I made the vest version and it turned out really nice.
#36 - Hanida's and Habhi's Headdresses
Eris Weaver - Not Recommended
I felt a bit ripped off when I opened this pattern. The envelope promises about thirteen different headdresses but, only has patterns for four of them. The directions do give good cultural and historical information and drawings of many headdresses and turbans. The instructions for wrapping a turban are not extensive. Save your money. Don't buy this one.