The other day, I had a friend who has recently started learning how to sew ask me, “how easy is Very Easy Vogue?” to which I said, “no idea, let me find out”. Vogue sewing patterns are notorious for being a little bit more complicated with many details and much finesse needed to finish a garment to their standard. For those just learning how to sew, Vogue patterns can be very intimidating and often quite expensive, which can be a little off putting. To counter this idea, Vogue has a subcategory of sewing patterns known as ‘Very Easy Vogue’ but the question still stands, how easy actually is ‘Very Easy Vogue’? I know I could Google this question and find reviews for some of these ‘very easy’ patterns but I always like to do my own research so let’s see how easy ‘very easy Vogue’ patterns actually are.

There are heaps of patterns under Vogue’s ‘Very Easy Vogue’ subcategory which gives us a lot to choose from. If you sew, every now and then, you will be gifted a pile of random sewing items from a family member or friend who just wants to get rid of stuff and its usually some patterns and fabric pieces. In one such gift, I stumbled upon Very Easy Vogue 9100 which is a relatively new pattern release and one that’s quite classic and versatile. Vogue 9100 is a dress pattern which is sleeveless and has a close-fitting, lined bodice with princess seams. The skirt on the pattern is described as a ‘dirndl skirt’ but it’s really just a basic gathered skirt with side pockets, narrow hem and a back zipper. The dress is decorated with topstitching which I’m not sure if I will use yet.This pattern is also unique in that you can adjust the pattern to your cup size for a better fit which I’m excited to try out. It’s a very simple dress and reminds me of this iconic pattern so it’s a nice way to test a similar pattern and see the difference. I’m very excited to test this pattern and even more so to try it out with a very unique fabric.

By now, the whole world knows that the Barbie movie has just been released in cinemas which has resulted in an onslaught of Barbie pink merch and collaborations everywhere. Much to my delight, I was gifted a few meters of Barbie fabric from a friend who found it on a recent trip to her local Spotlight store so now I think it’s only polite to combine Very Easy Vogue V9100 and this very fun Barbie print. I have four meters of this Barbie print cotton fabric and think the print is a lot of fun as it features retro Barbie illustrations with some fun bright colours. I think that combined with the style of this pattern and fabric, the dress should come out being very Barbie inspired and if time permits, I can try to wear this dress to see the film which I’m very excited for.

Sew, let’s get started. The first thing I needed to do was cut out all my pattern pieces. As the fabric pattern is quite large, I wanted to be quite strategic when it came to deciding where to put my pattern pieces. With a pattern such as this one, I didn’t want an awkward barbie face or something that looked mildly frightening. Due to the curve of the princess seams on the bodice, getting the pattern placement right, or at least, in a good spot, was quite a challenge but I’m happy with how it turned out. This pattern had only a couple of pattern pieces to it so it was pretty simple to cut out. This pattern also required lining so I used some plain pink cotton that I had in my stash as I was getting bored of using my normal cheap white nylon lining.

With all my pieces together, it was time to start sewing. I began by adding some stay stitches to the sides of the bodice centre front panel to add strength and stability. This stitch also aids when it comes to sewing the princess seams which was my next step. Princess seams can be a little fiddly but this pattern in particular was really simple to sew. This pattern can be compared to Butterick 6453/Simplicity 9291 from Gertie and personally, I found the princess seams in this pattern easier to sew which is a huge plus. Vogue 9100 has multiple bodice cup size options to aid in a better fit for each individual. For my version, I sewed the c-cup and I am so impressed with how it came together but more on this later. With my princess seams together I now moved away from the steps the pattern wanted me to follow.

Vogue 9100 asks you to sew the side and back panels to the front pieces before sewing up the shoulder straps which will be done via hand sewing a slip stitch. I personally really don’t like this method of completing a bodice as my hand sewing skills are not very good and I never like the finish when I attempt something like this. To change the pattern to something I feel more comfortable in, I didn’t attach the back to the front via the sides but through the shoulders instead. This is the method I find most patterns use and after sewing the lining to the front along the neckline and underarms, you simply flip the bodice inside out. This however, turning the bodice inside out, was very difficult to do. As soon as I started trying to flip my bodice inside out, I realised that there was a huge reason the pattern asked for the slip stitch shoulder method.

The shoulder straps on this pattern are really thin which makes turning the bodice inside out really difficult because there was a lot of fabric to pass through a very small space. It required the use of chopsticks, pencils and a long pair of tweezers. I did get it eventually but it was a challenge and a little bit terrifying that I would rip or damage my dress. Once I finally got my bodice right side out, I just had to sew the side seams together before the bodice was done. If you are planning on sewing this pattern, it’s up to you if you want to sew the shoulder us using a slip stitch, or if you want to sew the shoulders together and flip the bodice inside out with great difficulty. Dealers choice. Once you decide your method, your bodice is basically complete.

Moving onto the skirt, I deviated from the skirt pattern pieces the pattern provided and used my own rectangle skirt gathering method. Using the provided pieces would have resulted in a skirt that wasn’t so full but because I like the vintage look, I prefer creating a skirt my own way. My skirt is made up of three panels the width of the fabric and 27 inches long. These pieces are then sewn together along the sides to create one really large rectangle. Before I gather my skirt, I lay it flat on the floor and make markings at the quarter points (there should be three markings in total; first quarter, the centre of the skirt, and the third quarter). This pattern had pockets so I am now ready to add them to my skirt.

To do so, I cut a slit along the first and third quarter mark and sew my pocket pieces to both sides of the slit. With the pockets attached, I iron them so they are inside the skirt and then sew along the side seam and along the edge of the pocket. This attaches the pockets to the skirt and closes up all the side seams all nice and clean. It’s worth noting that you can add an extra row of stitches along the bottom curve of the pocket if you want a little extra strength and support. With pockets attached, it’s time to gather the skirt.

I use the dental floss gathering method which means pulling out a long piece of dental floss, and sewing a wide zig zag stitch over the top of the floss along the top edge of the skirt. This method is quick and really easy so it’s great for beginners. Once the top edge of the skirt has the floss sandwitched under the zig zag stitch, you just push the fabric along the floss and it’ll gather and the beauty of the floss is that its easy to slide the fabrics along it till your happy with the spacing of your gathers.

To attach the skirt to the bodice I start by matching the centre skirt mark I made earlier (see? I said it would come in handy for later) with the centre of the bodice. I then shuffle the gathers until the quarter points all match up and I’m happy with the spacing between my gathers. Once the skirt is pinned to the bodice, I sew it together and use my overlocker to bind all the edges of the dress to clean it up a little bit. We are now on the home stretch with the last things to do being sewing in a zip, sewing down the back seam and hemming the skirt. Once all that’s done it’s a final press and my Very Easy Vogue V9100 is complete.

Very Easy Vogue V9100 is a lovely pattern. It is designed and fitted so well and I love how customisable it is with the multiple cup size options for the bodice. This resulted in such a well fitting bodice that I really love the fit of. The shoulder straps also have a slight curve to them so they sit really well on me. Looking at my new Barbie dress, I do notice that there is a slight pucker along the princess seams on one side but I know how to fix that so I’ll do that at a later date.

This is a fantastic dress pattern and I already want to sew it again and although it’s a pain, I will still stick to my preferred bodice method despite how difficult it is to turn inside out. This dress is cute, fun and I am hoping for some warmer weather so I can wear it more. At the time of posting this, I still haven’t seen the Barbie movie (I’ve just been too busy) but when I do eventually go, I will definitely be wearing this dress.

Sometimes I hear on various sewing groups I’m apart of that people get sick of staring at their fabric choice during the sewing process. This was certainly not the case with this dress; despite how loud this fabric pattern was, I still loved working with it and seeing the completed garment. I am tempted to get a different Barbie fabric for a similar project but personally don’t know how much wear I’ll get out of another Barbie dress especially once the world is over it’s Barbie phase. For now this garment is enough and a lot of fun but I know one Barbie dress is enough.

When it comes to answering the question, ‘How easy is Very Easy Vogue?’, in terms of V9100, I would say it actually is very easy. Compared to other Vogue patterns that I’ve tried, this one is certainly a good starting point to anyone wanting to sew something from Vogue. This pattern is also really versatile as you can add your own personal elements to it. Although I deviated from the patterns steps, my dress is still a good representation of the final outcome and I couldn’t be happier. I would definitely recommend this pattern to others and I personally will be sewing it again at a later date.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.