Feature Friday: Wildflower Designs
With an imaginative blend of historical and modern sensibilities, as well as a strong emphasis on practical, wearable garments, the patterns from Wildflower Designs are perfect for both your history-bounding fantasies and your everyday life!
Founder Melanie spoke about her creative process and the inspiration behind this charming pattern line:
“Sometimes a design will come to mind as a mixture of a practical solution to a hole in my wardrobe, but mainly to fulfill the ideal outfit of whatever scenario I have in my head—I am definitely a bit of a daydreamer.
“I have always been attracted to aesthetic things, I love admiring the designs and little details on historical buildings, the shapes and whimsy of plants and flowers in nature, historical and vintage fashion designs…so being able to design, create, and wear what I imagine in my head is a way for me to live that daydream. My inspiration usually comes from vintage patterns, historical style, and Cottagecore—which is something that has always existed to me, but now thanks to the internet it now has a name!”
She went on to explain how each pattern goes from creative spark to fully realized design:
“I would definitely say my process is a mix of both creative and technical, which is great because I get to use both sides of my brain. I will start by drawing out my idea several times until the design is right, and I have figured out how the general shape of the pattern pieces will look. From there I will digitally flat pattern draft the pattern by altering my base size pattern block on Adobe Illustrator, then I will print and sew the toile, and make adjustments—sometimes this takes several times to get right. Once the base size pattern is good then I will proceed with drafting the same style on the plus size block. Once that is completed, I will get it tested and adjusted before grading all the sizes. If it is a simple design, I will grade the different sizes myself, but depending on the complexity of the garment I will sometimes outsource to a professional. After the pattern is completely graded, the instructions and digital files are created, then I have every size tested before selling the final pattern.”
The company currently has two main patterns and an add-on in their line, all of which would mix and match beautifully to create a small capsule wardrobe.
Their first pattern, the Coquelicot Skirt, is a swishy, adjustable wrap skirt with huge 18th century inspired pockets. It has a vintage silhouette, but all the practical features you want in a modern garment.
To make it even more versatile, there is also a Pinafore and Apron Expansion for the Coquelicot pattern, turning it either into a cute pinafore dress or a charming apron for gardening or cooking.
To celebrate the 2 year anniversary of the Coquelicot Skirt and the 1 year anniversary of the Pinafore and Apron Expansion, both patterns are on sale for 30% off until Saturday May 6 11:59pm GMT-7. No code required.
Finally, the company’s latest pattern, the Liseron Dress and Blouse, makes a great companion to the Coquelicot skirt.
The dress or blouse has a full, gathered body and sleeves, with lacing ties that wrap around to create a variety of shapes. The ties also make the garment incredibly adjustable, perfect when your size goes up or down.
All three patterns come in two size ranges, 00–16 and 14–34, and both are included in the PDF file along with print-at-home, copyshop, and projector files. The patterns also include detailed instructions in both English and French.
You can find all of Wildflower Design’s patterns on their website, www.wildflowerdesignpatterns.com, and you can follow them on social media on Facebook and Instagram @wildflower_design, where they feature customer makes and other inspiring creations.