Love Notions Clearwater Summer Essentials | Pattern Review PLUS Removable Cup Tutorial

[@kerrymcilwaine]

My small criticism of the pattern is that the full bust version (which is what I need) isn’t ‘full’ enough. I’d recommend trying gutterman’s Maraflex thread for any of the sewing that you do on a sewing machine, in fact it’s great thread for any stretch fabric sewing as it won’t pop. Really enjoy all your vlogs x

[@ErinSews]

Good to know! I'll pin this comment so that other people who need the full bust option have a heads up. I have eloflex but haven't been gold enough to try it after failing at it once lol. Do you hand wind the bobbin? Also, have you tried eloflex? Maybe it just isn't as good of a product as Maraflex and I need to switch brands.

[@kerrymcilwaine]

@@ErinSews maraflex thread looks just like normal thread and you just use it like any other thread but it has some flex build in so you can sew jersey knits etc with a straight stitch and it won’t pop, it’s really handy.

[@ZeldaSews]

Hi, Erin, your garments look wonderful. I love seeing all those out there have done this pattern because it does look great on everyone. Have a great week.

[@ErinSews]

The design is great and very functional. I got a random compliment on my blue dress yesterday! I just wish the instructions had more to offer

[@susanbhatt3128]

Your honest and thorough review of this pattern inspired me to subscribe to your channel Erin. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos

[@ErinSews]

Welcome aboard! I always aim to give fair and honest reviews. We're investing our money in these patterns and I want people to be able to make as educated of a decision as possible when purchasing.

[@Heyreneesews]

Excellent video. You should be a tester. Their testers missed all you pointed out.

[@ErinSews]

I'm so glad you found the video useful! I'm not personally interested in testing right now but it would be interesting to be part of the process! From what I've heard about testing in general (I'm not sure if it's the same for LN), it's a lot of fast turnaround times, no compensation except a free pattern, and basically functioning as PR/customer service on the company's social media accounts. That's a lot of output for a free pattern that will probably be ~$7 during a release sale! I guarantee that all of the testers were as thorough as possible, but it sounds like they were each assigned different garments to sew and that might be why the instructions don't feel very cohesive. Plus the fast turnaround times would add a LOT of pressure.

[@michelle.z]

Hi Erin! Thank you for such a thoughtful and detailed review! You explained the problem areas that you noticed very well and I’m sure this video will greatly help less experienced sewists. I love the look of the dress and am so glad you got everything to work out in the end! Your tutorial was wonderful and it shows you will be a great sewing teacher 😊

[@ErinSews]

Thank you! I always struggle to know if I’ve explained things clearly or not so it’s good to hear that the video is helpful! It’s definitely a good, simple dress and fills a want I had in my wardrobe! Thank you for your encouragement and kindness ☺️

[@vnlindsay]

I felt the same way about this pattern. I had to look at a ton of videos on YT and it took me forever to get the bathing suit done! Anyway you gave a honest and thoughtful review.

[@ErinSews]

I feel validated that you felt the same way! It's such a simple make that it's frustrating to be held back by the instructions or have to do a lot of research outside of the pattern to figure out how to do things. I'm SO thankful that I had sewn a bunch of activewear right before I made this.

[@makeitjoyful]

I love the two Clearwater dresses you made! I wasn't actually excited about the pattern, but yours looks so cute! Thank you for explaining how to put elastic and line it up properly in shoulder seams etc. I had stopped putting elastic in the shoulder seams because I couldn't figure out how to do it where it wasn't hanging over and looked horrible. Thank you for your tips! Sorry about the inconsistencies in the pattern instructions. The spelling mistakes would bug me too. I have several patterns from love notions, and they are all fabulous. I've never seen any mistakes in them. Maybe you are right about things getting lost because it's such an involved pattern grouping. Thank you for sharing!

[@ErinSews]

It definitely isn't the snazziest pattern but the dress is really functional so I'll take it I guess, lol. The elastic in the seams is something that really needs to be explained thoroughly in patterns because I don't think it's very intuitive. Thankfully, the Made for Mermaids pattern I sewed recently had an entire page dedicated to the concept.

[@makeitjoyful]

@@ErinSews did you make the tinsley? I've been looking at that one

[@ErinSews]

I haven’t but I feel like a lot of people have been making it lately! Dizzy quilt and sews, Hoosier handmade, and sew Carole have all made it over the past few months if I remember correctly, with varying success.

[@susanbhatt3128]

I agree totally with your opinion on the instructions for this pattern, they are not clear enough for a confident beginner (which is what I am), and the illustrations are not great either. I was surprised, as I have sewn other Love Notions patterns and the instructions were excellent. It’s almost as if these ones were rushed through.

[@ErinSews]

Yes, I had the same impression of it being rushed. I think there was just so much in this pattern that it needed to go through more rounds of testing, or the testers needed to be given more time. I've heard that testing (not specifically for LN but just for most companies in general) involves VERY fast turnaround times.

[@LaraSchiffbauer]

Thanks for the very thorough review! Your thoughts are so put together and help me to make some informed decisions regarding pattern choices! All your active wear looks great on you! Looking forward to more activewear videos!

[@ErinSews]

Thanks Lara! Apparently that's all I sew now 😂

[@dizzyquiltsandsews]

Great pattern review! I made the shorts and I had no problem. I got started on the tankini and I’m going to be honest, I’m really not having a lot of fun with it. 😂 Your info was extremely helpful though. 💞

[@ErinSews]

Ugh, I'm sorry! Hopefully you end up liking the result at least. I think one reason my swimsuit was so fun was some of the design features, well and the really fun fabric....

[@lynnshepard7485]

Thanks for all the information, Erin. Although I have this pattern, I’m going to get some “regular” bathing suits under my belt before trying this one. I’m starting with a SeamWork swim suit, I really hope the @LoveNotions will update the instructions soon! 😘

[@kgflcreations]

Hi Erin, thanks for the shoutout 😊. I love your dress and shorts, such a cute outfit 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. I need to try other swimwear patterns to compare with Ln🙌🏼🙌🏼. Thank you for another great video 💕💕💕💕

[@ErinSews]

I really recommend Styla if you like any of their designs. Other people also put their recommendations in the comments of my swimsuit video and they run the gamut from full coverage, to minimal so they're definitely worth looking at!

[@susanbhatt3128]

I’ve just sent an email to Love Notions (I didn’t mention your review), expressing my opinion and asking for a sew along

[@ErinSews]

Hopefully they'll have an opportunity to put out a thorough sew along or revised instructions.

[@Avotts]

You exhaust just seeing what you are up to. Dont burn out.

[@ErinSews]

I've had a lot of solo time over the past few weeks, but you're totally right to warn about burn out! Thankfully I'm still excited about everything, but I've started to mix in some other crafts and hobbies again to force myself to slow down on garment sewing

[@ChristineSewsALot]

Love the dress! I like you and if I am e exercising or just hanging out - why not be cute?!

[@ErinSews]

Exactly!!

[@Yorkygirl59]

I get so annoyed with some of these indie patterns. I don't know how the testers don't spot these errors. Or do they just make the item and as long as they manage it, it can't be a problem. I would be reporting every error I found. I have just purchased this pattern so I hope I can figure it out!

[@ErinSews]

It is definitely annoying, especially from the PDF only companies that theoretically don't have any cost per pattern beyond development. From what I've heard, turn around times for testers are usually really short, so maybe that model of operations needs to be considered so that people can have more time to really go through the pattern, instead of just sewing it up to see if it works. Also, a longer timeline would give them an opportunity to incorporate more of the feedback. Someone HAD to have noticed the misspellings...I would hope.