Back in March, Made by Jack’s Mum rebranded as Waves and Wild. As part of the rebrand, they launched a ton of patterns for AUD $3 each. One of the ones I picked up was the adult Heydays. Now, this is a pattern that I’ve seen made so many times but always looked incredibly daunting. The ones I’ve seen on the Waves and Wild Facebook group always look amazing, but they also look like they take a LOT of work. Over the May bank holiday, I had three days free so decided to give them a go. Rather than make them out of woven, like the pattern suggests, I made them out of a gorgeous octopus cotton jersey that I purchased from Blue Moth Fabrics. The main reason for this is that I wanted them to be suitable for maternity use.
What I Loved
- The new Waves and Wild patterns are trimless and very easy to put together.
- Despite requiring a lot of work, the instructions are very clear and easy to follow. A clear diagram is included for each step.
- Layers are available in the PDF file so you only need to print your size. A size chart is also included to help you determine this.
- The Waves and Wild version of this pattern comes with a print at home copy, an A0 copy for copy-shop printing, and a projector pattern.
- If you have any problems with the pattern, the Waves and Wild Facebook group is a great place to get advice.
- There are five pockets to add – add them all or a selection of your choosing!
- If you don’t want to do button holes, you can make the Heyday dungarees with loop fastenings instead. These are great as they don’t need undoing when you need a wee.
- The end result is amazing and so comfy – I genuinely think you’d pay around £100 to buy these in the shops.
What Wasn’t So Great
- The amount of top stitching required for this is insane. Top stitching looks great when finished but it’s one of my least favourite things to do.
- I missed my overlocker – sewing machine sewing is slow.
Pattern Tips
- It is possible to make this pattern in a stretch fabric rather than a woven. As you can see from my picture, however, the end result is quite baggy and I would advise sizing down.
Final Verdict
The Waves and Wild Heydays are not something I’d want to make on a regular basis. However, they are ridiculously comfy and look incredible when complete. I imagine that my octopus pair will be one of my favourite clothing items towards the end of my pregnancy and look forward to seeing whether they will last the full nine months. I would personally say that this is pattern is suitable for intermediate sewists, or very determined beginners.
The Waves and Wild Ladies Heydays pattern advises using a medium weight woven fabric such as linen, corduroy or denim. The PDF can be purchased from the Waves and Wild website for AUD $12.00, and there is a matching child’s pattern too. The ladies pattern is available in size XXS to 5XL.
