Hey guys! Sia pattern launches today, and I couldn't be more excited. I think what makes this pattern so special is all the doubt, fear, frustration, and setbacks that I had to overcome to get here. Now that Sia is here, I want to share a little background on my experience learning pattern making and how Sia came to life.
First off, let's start with the name Sia. No, it is not short for Marcia. That's cute, but not why I picked the name. Sia was a name that came to mind after I finally finished the pattern. I once read that the name Sia meant Victory; Wisdom and I thought it was so fitting! There was definitely the feeling of Victory after I finally started to understand Adobe Illustrator. Things started clicking, and there were these small victories along the way all leading up to the completion of this pattern. And lord knows I was seeking wisdom the whole entire time. 😄
My biggest hurdle was learning Illustrator. Ive always drafted my patterns on paper, and that's what was easiest for me. But in order to create a PDF file to share with others, I had to learn how to digitize my paper pattern.
I had no knowledge of what I was doing or what all the little symbols in Illustrator were for. I relied heavily on Youtube, moving from tutorial to tutorial for knowledge and playing around with the Illustrator tools til I mastered them. And honestly, Im still learning!
I could have probably paid for a class or had the pattern made for me. Besides, its only a small fortune right!?😊 I guess in true DIY fashion, I just knew I could figure it out myself and who has the time for classes with three kids, sports, and all my other projects and day to day mom activities? Just sayin!
I went through several designs over the last year or s0 before deciding on this final design. Some were a little more intricate than others. I was a bit overly ambitious at first. I decided to keep the lines simple but flattering til I got the hang of things. Yet still I wanted to create a pattern with style versatility. For Sia I drew inspiration from the corsets and corset belts that I love so much. I had been making them all the time and loving the process so I decided to add it in my design.
The Sia features a corset style bodice with optional boning. It has an A-line skirt that pretty much flatters any figure. It has a front zipper which is a go to closure for me. I don't like to fiddle with a bunch of buttons and I'm always loosing them after a few washes. Besides, there is just something bad-ass about a front zipper! ❤️🙌🏽
The dress does have pockets that Ive added to the front seam panel which is a little unexpecting.
Also, a cool feature to play around with. Finished it off by adding a belt for the dress views of this pattern. After making the dress several times, I felt like it was kind of plain without it, so I added this feature towards the end.
One thing I have in mind when I design is how many ways I can modify the pattern. Thats just how my mind works. I can't just settle for the one design, I want to be able to have a variety. I knew when I created Sia that I wanted the option to colorblock so I brought the panels down into the skirt. I have so many ideas for modifying this pattern and I can't wait to get into them. This pattern would also take you through the Fall. You can layer under and on top, and it would be perfect in leather, corduroy, wool blends and heavy denims. This pattern is truly what you make it. I believe Sia could be the quintessential base pattern for many beautiful pieces.
At the end of the day Sia was a labor of love and passion and well worth the effort. Im so happy to share her with you all. 💞
Thanks to all who helped me through the process by answering questions, sharing their knowledge, time, and materials.
If you want to give the Sia pattern a go you can pick it up here on my site! I will be sharing all my hacks and modifications to Sia so be sure to follow on Instagram, subscribe here to receive all the updates.
Happy Sewing!
