Pattern mashing is one of the best ways to make the most of your patterns — and to get exactly what you want! A few pieces of the Love Notions pattern collection were designed to be interchangeable: The Sybil Skirt, Margot Peplum and Tessa Sheath all work together beautifully! Help me welcome Marta to the blog and check out her fabulous Sybil and Tessa pattern mash ups — I know they will inspire you to create the wardrobe of your dreams!
Tessa Sheath and Sybil Skirt: A Mash Made in Heaven
Hi Everyone!
This is Marta from @the.pickle.and.the.banana on Instagram. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy! I’m really excited to be here to show you how to mash two of my favourite Love Notions patterns; the Tessa Sheath Dress (affiliate links), and the Sybil Illusion Skirt.
Sybil and Tessa: Perfect for Mashing
I love both of these patterns a lot and find myself using them over and over. On their own they are amazing. But when you mash them together….magic! Best of all the Sybil is on sale today for only $5! This is a fantastic deal. The pattern is usually $14 (and well worth the full price with 6 completely different views) — so snag it up now!
I didn’t use the pleated version in my mashup but here is a picture of one I made a few months ago. The pleats are WAY easier than I thought they would be.
Sybil Pleated Skirt
My Pattern Mashing Philosophy
Before I get started, there’s something you should know about me. I sew the same way I cook, with no plan or forethought. I am not an exact person. If I mess something up I just try to figure out a way to fix it. With cooking, this often includes adding cheese, bacon, or hot sauce. Or, more often than not, all three. So when I went to mash these patterns, I just went for it and hoped it would work. (Spoiler alert: IT DID!). So that’s the process I’m going to take you through. I’m sure there are more exact ways of doing what I did. If you know them, and use them, please share! I’d love to hear about other methods and learn something new.
How to Mash Tessa Sheath and Sybil Skirt
Pick Your Options
The first thing you need to do is decided what options from both patterns you are going to use. For my floral dress I decided on the scoop neck for the top, and the swing skirt for the bottom. The back for the Tessa is usually cut in two pieces, mirror image, but I just did it on the fold since I am only using the top portion.
Decide on Bodice Length
The next part can be a little tricky, and it going to be different for everyone. Depending on your height and body type you will need to decide where you want the bodice to end and the skirt to begin, and how long you want each piece to be. As you can see, I cut my bodice about half an inch below the waist marking, and added an inch to that. Make sure to make the same adjustment for both the front and back pieces.
Decide on Skirt Length and Height
Then you will need to do the same thing for the skirt. I added about 4 inches to the length of the skirt. Remember that it’s easier to cut some off than it is to add some!
Continue with Original Pattern Directions
Once your pieces are all cut out just follow the pattern instructions for each separately. Then, I suggest basting the bodice to the skirt in case you don’t like the length or where the waist hits. Once you are happy with everything serge or sew it properly, and you’re all done!
Don’t forget that the Sybil Skirt comes with POCKETS! Obviously I had to add them to my dress 😉
Another Pattern Mash!
Sybil Pencil Skirt and Tessa Sheath with Yoke
Another way to mash the two patterns is to create a whole new piece and take out the waist seam. For this mash I decided to use the yoke piece on the Tessa Sheath Dress and the pencil skirt option from the Sybil Skirt.
Decide on Placement
Again, I just eyeballed where I wanted the pencil skirt to start. I layed the skirt pattern on top of my dress pattern.
Cut the New Pattern
Then I used an old rotary cutter to cut the paper around it and create a new piece.
After that, you just follow the instructions for the Tessa, and you’re all done!
So Many Looks with a Pattern Mashup
With just these two patterns you can achieve so many different looks, from sweet, to edgy, to date night, to work wear.
Wanna make some just like mine?
All of the fabric comes from Libelle Sewing in Canada (they ship internationally).
Floral Dress is 280 GSM Custom Cotton Lycra https://www.libellesewing.com/product-page/libelle-s-garden-periwinkle
Black Dress is Ponte https://www.libellesewing.com/product-page/ponte-black
Faux Leather for yoke https://www.libellesewing.com/product-page/stretch-leather
Pleated Skirt https://www.libellesewing.com/product-page/you-ve-got-time
And don’t forget those patterns! You can get the Tessa Sheath Dress and the Sybil Illusion Skirt on sale today.
Show Me Your Pattern Mash!
I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial and I can’t wait to see what combination you choose! If you make one of your own, or have any questions at all, please head over to the Love Notions Facebook group and give me a tag @Marta Gloger. I’d love to see, and I’m happy to answer any questions.
Happy stitching everyone!
xoxo Marta
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