Meet Tova. It’s a dress and top pattern from Wiksten. I bought the pattern on line, printed it out, taped it together, and made this in about 3 hours.
I loved not working with that crappy tissue paper. I loved being about to download the pattern and start on it immediately (though truth be told, I did not start immediately… I just like the theory).
I especially liked that the instructions had photos. (I’m not an inexperienced sewer, but I think instructions in the conventional patterns you get at the fabric store are rather obtuse). The instructions were clear, the sewing was simple, and the photos made things even more so.
Flush with success from the first Tova, I made another one. This one looks a bit like a muu-muu on me. The floral was better in theory than in practice. It’s a rayon twill vs. the chambray so it’s looks bigger though it’s not. Maybe it’ll be better with a belt. I like the chambray one better, but I’m really a solids kind of person anyway. 
If you’re going to make Tova for yourself – A few tips:
- Have lots of Scotch Tape on hand to tape the pattern together.
- Trim off one side of the unprinted margin on the pattern pages so the pieces meet up nicely.
- Don’t let the instructions to serge the seams dismay or distract you from making this. I have a serger, but I’m sort of scared by it and don’t haul it out much – zigzagging to finish off and check fraying on seams is just fine.
- Staple or put your instructions in a binder. And/or number the pages. It would have been helpful for the instructions to have page numbers on them. The actual instructions have numbers, but before I got smart and put the instructions in a binder and also numbered the pages, I scrambled them up a few times.
piecedgoods 
Patterns on line! Right on! It seems so obvious, now that I see it. This gives me new hope for the efficacy of the Internet!
Patterns on line! Right on! It seems so obvious, now that I see it. This gives me new hope for the efficacy of the Internet!
I love this! Sewing clothes has been in the back of my mind for a long time. Maybe I’ll give it a try soon.
Great pattern handling tops and great Tovas, I especially like the Chambray- I would wear that all the time!
Thanks! I like the chambray best too!
Photos are a nice addition to sewing instructions.
Thank you for this post, I’m just about to cut out the pieces and was wondering what to do about the margins, you have been very helpful 🙂
hi, I wish to sew myseft a tovas butI am not abe to buy the pattern online since I live in Viet Nam. Could you be so kind to share me your pattern via email? My email is maytrang_bienxanh@yahoo.com.vn. Thank you so much
Sorry, I can’t send you the pattern via email. It’s copyrighted by the person that developed the pattern. Maybe you can write her? Good luck!