Pattern Review: Love Notions Breckenridge

Pattern Stats: Breckenridge Henley

Pattern designer: Love Notions Patterns

Pattern level: 3/10

Time start to finish: 1.5 hours

Suggested fabrics: Knit fabrics 

My fabrics: Rib knit, hacci and pointelle all from Mily Mae Fabrics

Options: Shirt, tunic or dress; Included FBA pattern pieces; short, roll tab or long cuff sleeve

Size Range: XS-5X

File Types Available: US Paper, A4, A0 and projector 

Notions needed: 3-5 1/4" or 3/8" buttons; scrap of knit fusible interfacing

Price: $12 regular price

Happy New Year! While last year I had a lot of blog goals, this year my goal is just to keep publishing blog posts about whatever I want. So to kick off the new year, I'm reviewing one of my favorite patterns for 2020. Why now? Well when I tested this pattern, I was testing 8 other patterns simultaneously. Now that I've backed off testing for a bit, I want to give this pattern all the love it deserves. Plus Love Notions is kicking off a 30% off site wide sale January 4th-8th so you need to know more about this pattern! So without further ado...

Meet the Love Notions Breckenridge Henley! 

While this isn't the first henley I've made, it is by far the quickest one! I've never been happier with a placket. I had zero issues with construction following the tutorial. If you are a visual person, there's a YouTube video on the placket construction too. I did use both my sewing machine and serger for construction. 

What's unique about the Breckenridge is the v-shaped henley placket design. Plus, see those buttons? They don't require buttonholes unless you really want to be an overachiever. 

The fit is fitted through the bust and semi-fitted through the waist and hips. The pattern instructions recommend sizing down if between sizes and that's what I did. This is the shirt length which hits at about hip length with a slight curved hem. This version is made with a rib knit and reminds me of the thermal Henleys I used to wear when I was younger but with a more flattering fit. 

I was going through my scrap bin and found this hacci scrap that was the perfect piece for my next Breckenridge. Hacci is a sweater knit that is usually soft but doesn't have quite as much stretch as rib knit. While it worked, next time I think I'd consider sizing up when between sizes or grading out for the waist a bit more. 

 

I was worried that the hacci wouldn't have enough stretch for the recovery needed on the placket so paired it with black cotton lycra. I'm really happy with that decision since the contrast helps the placket pop. Let's talk the placket real quick. It's constructed with one long neckband piece that's attached to the neckline then sewn together at the bottom. I find the finishing very clean and quick. It took me longer to sew on the buttons than constructing the placket. 

If I really love a pattern, I envision hacking it. This hack was inspired by a top I saw on Jane.com (below). I immediately knew I wanted to add a bishop sleeve to the Breckenridge. I did just that but took it further by making a YouTube video on how you can do the hack too. 

Image from Jane.com

This Breckenridge I opted for the tunic length so that I can wear it with leggings. It lands long enough to cover my booty. The fabric here is a petite cheetah pointelle. Pointelle is a newer fabric to me. It's unique texture adds dimension without being sheer. It features ribs and pinholes that allow the fabric to breath really well. This version I've paired the pointelle print with solid brushed polyester, similar to my inspiration. 

I really love the billow look the bishop sleeves add to this cheetah print Breckenridge. For this hack, I used a slice and spread method to increase the sleeve width. I only needed to modify one pattern piece so it went pretty quickly. Then I ran gathering stitches along the bottom of the sleeve and attached the cuff. The full details can be found in the YouTube video linked above. 

Buttons... While the line drawings for the Breckenridge feature 5 buttons, you can really do whatever configuration you'd like. I'm a lover of symmetry so chose to not attach the buttons further up the placket on one side. I did finally try out my button foot for my Bernina to attach the buttons. If you have one of these feet, it's so fun to use and attaches the buttons much quicker. Since the buttons are fixed to not be functional, check your button foot to see if you can adjust it for fixed buttons. Mine allowed me to slide up a part which adjusted the foot to not add extra thread length for the button to function.

The one option I haven't shown is the sleeves. I only sewed up the long cuff or hacked bishop sleeves. There's also short or rolled tab lengths. I'm a seasonal sewist and since the Breckenridge was released in the fall, I was into making them to wear through the winter months. 

Now that I've given you so much info and photos about the Breckenridge, let's talk my honest opinion. This was the most satisfying pattern I made in 2020. I felt so proud of myself for those plackets, was thrilled with the fit and have continually worn these garments. I'm highly recommending this pattern to anyone who wants to try it. It wasn't a style I gravitated towards normally but I'm so glad I gave it a try. Next up, I'm planning one in some buffalo plaid! 

Now don't miss out on the Breckenridge or any of the other well drafted Love Notions patterns while they are 30% off. This is the only site wide sale they are offering for the next 6 months so now's the time to shop! If you have questions or need pattern recommendations, comment or message me on Facebook or Instagram. 

Happy Sewing!

Katie

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