RP Pattern Review - Felt Food!

Plated Sandwich

Click here to look at the pattern on their website.

As one of my first projects that I finally got to make as a first time RB Ambassador, I was really looking forward to it. I started with the Plated Sandwich, and found this to be a good size overall (especially for my son who turned 1!). The "chips" may be a bit small for kids who still put things in their mouth though, so either they need to be bigger, or omitted until your child is old enough not to stuff their face with them...

It didn't take me too long to do by hand, but for an experienced seamstress with a good serger (like the Babylock Evolution) you could just serge most of the flat pieces around, after you do the embroidery details, with a blanket stitch. This would save a bit more time if it happened to be a gift for someone. I would also change some of the suggested stitching options (like the whip stitch) to a blanket stitch, only because it does look neater around the edges. If you're a beginner though, the whip stitch is great, because you'll be able to hone those hand sewing skills with little frustration.

I'd give this portion of the pattern a 8/10.

Custard Tartlet with Fruit

The second set of patterns was for a "Custard Tartlet and Fruit". I honestly didn't find this pattern as fun, because everything was very small, and finicky. While I've learned to appreciate and enjoy hand sewing, I found that I really wished this pattern was bigger like the Plated Sandwich proportions.

Due to the size of the fruit pieces, unless I stitched everything onto the Custard Tart, I would not be comfortable giving this to a child below the age of 3. If the fruit slices were exaggerated a bit in size closer to the Plated Sandwich patterns, this wouldn't be a problem.

Something I noticed, is that some of the pieces you're working with are so small, you lose the details, and you don't get to really see these adorable felt foods. Everything is small and detailed, which if you're into small and cute felt things, this is perfect for you! I think if you added little expressions, this would make for an adorable gift! If you aren't though, you may find yourself wanting to use thicker strands of embroidery floss so you don't have to squint to see the details.

As this is also a beginner pattern, the size may frustrate someone who is learning to hold something together while sewing with a needle. I know that most kids between 8-13 years of age are very competent, but they struggle with small things. The Plated Sandwich is perfect for them in terms of size, but then it's a huge learning curve once you get to the fruit. As for an adult, we are sometimes looking for something easy and relaxing, as opposed to having to use our glasses, and really concentrate on how to hold the pieces together, not to mention trying to stuff them when you have big fingers...

I would give this pattern a 7/10.

My take away from this pattern is that it does have a lot of creative potential in terms of how people choose to sew this project, and that makes it fun! In terms of the design and proportions, depending on your intended target market, it may need some adjustments. It's a cute project, perfect for a rainy day with a mug of tea, and a good show to watch. I would encourage an adventurous beginner to try it out!

If you decide to make this pattern, let me know your thoughts! I'd love to see your work too!

Happy sewing!

Monaco

#monacoelitedesigns #feltfood #rebeccapage #patternreview