One of my favorite things about sewing is pattern testing.  I love watching the process as the designers perfect each pattern and the fun environment a group of testers creates.  I’ve made so many great relationships with designers and other testers that I can’t help but sign up when the call comes.

One of my favorite designers to test for is Tami at Love Notions patterns.  She is so thorough in her testing process and sews right along with her testers- often sewing dozens of prototypes herself.  Her dedication and style make her so cool to work with.  Her latest pattern release is no exception.  The Olympia Dress releases today, March 28th, and will be a hit for sure!

One of my go-to fabrics for pattern testing is Ponte de Roma.  I love how stable it is, making it great to work with but it also drapes beautifully too!  For this dress I used this gorgeous Teal Designer Midweight Ponte and it was perfect!

Cali carries the biggest variety of colors of ponte I’ve seen.  Just head over to the Ponte de Roma section of the shop and be prepared to load up your cart.  I’ve used a handful of different colors and always like to have some on hand.  It’s such a versatile fabric that is perfect for tops, think peplums and cardigans; bottoms like the Sabrina Slims, and dresses like this one and the Tessa Sheath Dress.  I love that it’s thick enough that it glides over lumps and bumps instead of clinging to them but still breathable and stretchy.

There are multiple options with this dress- maxi and knee lengths and a variety of sleeve options.  The real beauty of this dress is the shawl collar.  I love the sophistication it adds!  During testing I couldn’t help but notice this design element popping up in my Pinterest feed and on my favorite television shows too!  Any seamstress knows we’re always looking for inspiration, right?!

This dress also features pockets that are part of the skirt pattern- how easy is that?!! I think pockets are a necessity and add them whenever I can.

Can I give a shout out to the hubby?  One of the worst parts of blogging and pattern testing is taking pictures which is why I usually opt for backyard/remote shoots most of the time.  My husband used to be big into photography back in his single days and I’ve since stolen his camera and equipment.  For this shoot he was the perfect photographer though- smoothing my dress, fixing my hair- you know, all those things you don’t think about until you load the pics and notice half of them are ruined because your hem is flipped up or your hair is a disaster!  All those pattern tester/blogger husbands don’t get enough credit!

What are your favorite ponte de roma projects?  Any patterns I need to check out?  I really don’t think I could ever have too much ponte in my wardrobe!