I wonder whether there is an interest in creating a “Library of Pattern Critiques” (or some other name) that could be populated by all Forum readers after working with certain patterns. There must be a number of amateur sewers, frustrated and eventually discouraged after struggeling with patterns of which they had high expectations, who would benefit from it.

I have recently returned to sewing, am self-taught, particular but no expert by a long shot. As I am a baby boomer size 10-12 in ready-to-wear (but a 14/16 in patterns) I believe I cannot be alone in feeling that today’s fashion is ignoring the mature woman who looks ridiculous in those short and sleeveless dresses. Not wanting to spend $1000+ in a speciality store that might have had something suitable for an afternoon wedding I chose a Vintage Vogue pattern that could have been absolutely lovely if, if, if.   IF I WERE an experienced seamstress I would likely have realized the pitfalls upfront, but I made a muslin (with a number of necessary adjustments) and was quite thrilled, then created the dress from dupioni silk and spent about a week longer than anticipated making corrections because the silk, even though listed as a recommended fabric, was not really doing justice to the pattern or vice-versa. There were several other issues which would be part of the “critique”.

Would the Forum editors be good enough to comment?