A review of the Bakerloo blouse and dress sewing pattern by Nina Lee London

When the Bakerloo blouse and dress sewing pattern was released in November 2020, I was convinced that it wasn’t a pattern for me.  With its oversized collar and balloon sleeves, it is a real statement piece.  I felt like I wouldn’t be able to pull it off and that it would wear me.

However, after seeing some gorgeous versions on instagram (check out the hashtags #bakerlooblouse and #bakerloodress for lots of sewspiration!) I decided I would like to push myself out of my comfort zone and give it a try.

So I put the Bakerloo pattern on my Make Nine 2021 list.  (This is a list of 9 patterns I plan to sew in 2021. I have filmed a YouTube vlog talking all about my  #makenine2021 plans – click here if you’d like to have a watch.)  And I got browsing for fabric.

In this post I am talking mostly about my experiences of sewing the dress version of the Bakerloo pattern.  I have also made a blouse version in a beautiful Liberty tana lawn from Minerva (photo below).  I have filmed a separate vlog talking all about my blouse version – click here if you would like to watch.

What I can tell you is that I am now a total convert to this pattern.  I really love it!  It is fun, sassy and it lends itself to lots of hacking and creative fabric choices.

The pattern

The Bakerloo pattern has a blouse and a dress option.  Both versions feature an oversized collar with a ruffle around the edge and balloon sleeves (with two length options), which are finished with an elasticated ruffle cuff.   The pattern has a button and keyhole closure at the back.  The dress version features a gathered skirt and in-seam pockets.

Fabric choice

Nina Lee recommends light to medium-weight woven fabrics for this pattern, which have enough body to create the collar but not too much bulk to gather into the collar ruffle.  Examples given are cotton lawn, poplin, fine needlecord and chambray, or silk dupion for a fancy version.

Here is my version of the Bakerloo dress.  I made my version in a lovely babycord from Minerva (link to fabric here).  I chose the ‘royal blue’ colourway as I know it is a colour that suits me. 

I love corduroy of all types.  I have several corduroy skirts (made in chunkier wale corduroy) as well as a couple of corduroy pinafores.  I have wanted to add a corduroy dress to my wardrobe for a while, and the Bakerloo seemed like a fun pattern to use.

The babycord I used is fine and soft, however I think it still would have been a little too bulky for the collar frill.  I wanted to use a contrasting fabric for the frill anyway to make the dress pop.  So I chose some very pretty white broderie anglaise lace trim from Minerva (click for link here).  I think it adds a really cute touch to the dress. 

A note on the lace trim: it was about 1cm shallower than the frill should be according to the frill pattern piece.  I therefore kept my gathering stitches very close to the raw edge of the lace trim to make sure there was enough of the trim on show when I sewed it into the collar.  I also sewed the trim in place about 0.5cm in from the edge of the collar, again to make sure there was enough trim visible. 

Sizing

Nina Lee has produced the Bakerloo blouse and dress pattern in two size ranges: size 6-20 and size 16-28.  The size 6-20 range is drafted for a B-cup whilst the size 16-28 range is drafted with both B-cup and D-cup options.  Both size ranges are available to purchase as pdf and paper patterns, which is fantastic.  (I usually opt for the paper version of Nina Lee patterns, as I really love Nina’s London inspired artwork on the pattern envelope.)

My measurements are 32-26-36.  This put me as a size 6 bust and size 8 waist and hips.  I have previously found Nina Lee patterns to be fairly fitted in sizing.  It is not a pattern brand I would choose to size down on.  I therefore traced the pattern out with a size 6 bust, grading out to size 8 at the waist and hips.  I am happy with this sizing and I feel it is just right for me.

Adjustments

I did make a few adjustments to the pattern to make my dress version as follows:

1) Bodice – I lengthened the bodice of the dress by 1.5 cm.  I found the bust darts sit in the right place for me but I do have a long torso and I’m glad I did make that adjustment as the bodice now sits just about my natural waist.

2) Sleeves – I narrowed the sleeves considerably, as I also did with my blouse version.  I felt that the combination of oversized collar and balloon sleeves would be too much for me.  I really wanted to keep the collar detail so decided to slim down the sleeves.  To narrow the sleeves, I adjusted the pattern pieces until the sleeve lines almost ran parallel to each other (instead of ballooning out to the cuff).  I then needed to flatten out the cuff edge of the pattern piece accordingly, to eliminate the balloon shaping at the bottom.

3) Armscye – I made a sleeve toile for this pattern, in order to check that my slimmed down sleeve pattern piece would work ok.  I found the armscye to be a little snug on me on this toile.  So I increased the size of it by lowering the armscye seamline on the bodice piece by 1.5cm.  I then widened the top of the sleeve pattern piece accordingly so it would fit this revised armscye.

4) Skirt – I shortened the skirt by about 3 inches.  This is just personal preference.  This is a dress I’ll be wearing mostly in winter with thick tights so I felt it could take a shorter length.

5) Waist ties – I added waist ties to my dress to cinch the dress in and give it a more fitted look.  I cut two waist ties with dimensions of approximately 80cm x 6 cm and sewed them with a 1 cm seam allowance.

Construction

Nina Lee does not specify the skill level for the Bakerloo pattern as far as I can see.   I would say it is a pattern you should only take on if you already have some sewing experience under your belt.  There are some very fiddly bits in the construction, particularly around the sewing of the frill into the collar and attaching the neckline bias binding. 

Other than those fiddly bits, the pattern comes together nicely.  I like Nina Lee pattern instructions a lot. They include a good amount of detail and the pictures are nice and clear.  The pattern includes darts and a rouleau loop but these are explained very clearly in the pattern instructions.  And the ruffle sleeve cuffs are deceptively straightforward to sew.

This pattern isn’t a speedy sew as there are some fine details and quite a few steps.  It is worth taking its time over to ensure a good finish, especially when it comes to the ruffle collar.

Summary

The Bakerloo blouse and dress pattern is a great pattern if you’d like to add a statement piece to your wardrobe.  You can have a lot of fun with this pattern, for example by choosing bold fabrics and different trims for the ruffle on the collar.  It is a more involved sew and is more suited to sewers who have some experience, as there are some fiddly bits in the construction. 

Overall I am a total convert and I can’t wait until I can wear my versions out!