The Great Pattern Hack Wrap Up {and Challenge}

What a wonderful past two weeks.  I’m sort of heartbroken that The Great Pattern Hack has come to an end but so thrilled with all that came out of it. Look at all these amazing pattern hacks! I’m mean, really.  It is incredible.

So many ideas for how to tweak a pattern came out of this series, it blows my mind! Of course, the pattern hacking was the whole point but the artistry of everything is also positively stunning.

This, my friends is why we sew.  Because making beautiful things that fit into our vision, our style and our lifestyle isn’t something you buy off the shelf. It’s something that means so much more when it is shaped with our hands.  I’m still a little stunned that I was able to co-host this series with Michael Miller Fabrics.  I feel so grateful to them for running with this idea in such a big way.  I feel so incredible lucky and so indebted to all of the amazing bloggers who pattern hacked their way to a seriously impressive collection!  Not to mention the pattern designers who generously gave us use of their patterns!

Along those lines, here is everything from the top, left to right:  Kait turned an Anna Blouse into a dress; Jess transformed BurdaStyle shorts into a skort and made a tiger sundress from a Simple Simon & co pattern; Jane served up a patriotic trio and shortened a Burdastyle jumpsuit, turned the Josephine dress into a romper, and a Charlie tunic into a tank; and I tweaked a Marigold Dress into a top and mashed it with an Alder Skirt for a Dress.  Rachael added a double-hem to the LOL Swing Top and Tamara widened the legs on a Burdastyle romper.  Celina re-styled the Twisted Trousers; Sanae transformed the Southport Dress into a strappy top and romper; Delia added a button closure to a Sunki Dress; and Erin turned a Senna Tote into a laptop carrier. Betsey took the sleeves off a Gathered Top and Tunic ; Laura turned a Portside Duffle into the perfect hospital bag; Kristin added pockets to the Antalya dress; and Celina romper-ized the Sunki Dress.

Whew!  It’s a lot of goodness.  And, everyone of these stunning creations was made in the spirit of “Hmm..I wonder what happens if I try this.”  You’ve already heard me pontificate on the virtue of the hack.  I think the experimentation, the trial and error, the creativity…it might seem small but it’s a bold move and it fuels the fire.  It feeds the desire to make things!

Now that I said all that, I’m turning the tables and making it YOUR TURN! Michael Miller has launched an exciting Great Pattern Hack Challenge!

Honestly.  I think you should stop what you are doing right now and enter this challenge.  The details are all up on the Michael Miller blog, Making It Fun.   I don’t want to give away too much but there is a boatload of fabric and patterns up for grabs….AND A SEWING MACHINE!  I KNOW! It’s wild.  And, I’m not going to promise anything but I have incredibly good luck when it comes to winning sewing machines (I’ve won every time I’ve entered to win them.  For real. It’s a little weird.).  So, head over, investigate, sew and WIN! I’m hoping some of my good luck will rub off.