The 2018 Marfy Catalogue appears to be the counterpart to the 2017 Evergreen catalogue – covering dresses, outerwear (jackets and coats) and evening dresses. After being really very taken with the 2017 Evergreen Catalogue (aka – The Separates Bible), I was looking forward to seeing it.
The first things that stood out for me – is Marfy 6048!
I was absolutely thrilled to see this pattern in there because it’s almost a carbon copy of Marfy 2005 (below), from the 2009 catalogue. I emailed Marfy to try and buy this pattern sometime in 2012 or 2013 – and they no longer had any left in my size. So I don’t even have to really think – I’ll absolutely be getting this pattern!
The other standout pattern for me, is this dress – Marfy 6179. A really next level evening dress, IMPO. “Dress with loose rayed draping on the back and panel originating from it. See through effect on yoke and bodice”. Wow.
I recognised quite a few patterns throughout the catalogue – a quick tally up, and I actually have 11 patterns from this catalogue already! Some with slight differences, like Marfy 6080 – almost identical to my Marfy 9814 jacket from this years Couture Sewing School (which is finished all but for the lining, which I’ve yet to start work on!), minus the flounce at the sleeve, and this time with a button placket, rather than joining with hooks and eyes like mine does. I do really like that standup collar though :)
Another similar-but-different pattern is Marfy 6038, which has a shawl collar instead of the stepped collar that Marfy 3635, from the 2015/2016 catalogue:
My guess is that as a point of difference – this Evergreen catalogue has what looks like new-to-me patterns as well as many of their past popular patterns, which have been graded into a larger range of sizes. This hypothesis is further supported when I came across Marfy 6175 (which I also already have) – as it’s also been Marfy 9921, as pictured in the back of the catalogues for as long as I can remember:
But moving on, here are some of my favourites!
Marfy 6107 – ‘Semi fitted coat with wide collar to be worn fastened in a funnel-style or opened, to be made with or without a belt. Recommended in velour or boiled wool”. Between this beauty and 6048 above, I’m really feeling the want-to-sew-a-coat thing…
Marfy 6123 (and 6029, the dress next to it) is one of the free patterns that comes with the catalogue, and I really like it! “This single breasted, semi-fitted jacket has a loose collar that is turned up at the back, redingote cuts, it can be made with or without triangular lace inserts”. It has a very similar collar to the jacket I made as part of my Vogue Suit, which I really like wearing:
I saw Marfy 6096 and immediately thought of Solange’s wedding dress, even though there are some pretty significant difference (dress, coat, eh), and there is that fabulous standup collar again!
Lets be completely impractial and skip to my favourite evening gowns, hey?
Marfy 6268 totally makes me swoon. This dress has a “lifted up waist and its skirt is wide, cut on the bias and without seams on the side”. Dreamy. Somebody please invite me to a ball, asap.
As for Marfy 6380, I love the train at the back, and the lace placement. It’s also the kind of dress I’d be very keen to take an inside peak at – I’d imagine some kind of supporting structure would be worked into this beauty:
There is also a few beautiful cheongsam inspired dresses, like Marfy 6231. “This dress has an oriental flare. It has a strip collar, skirt with side slit and short cap sleeves. Suggested fabrics are printed silk and shantung”.
In fact, there is a broad range of dresses that take inspiration from a variety of different cultures and decades. I was born in the first half of the 80s, so didn’t live the fashions of that era and don’t have the negative connotations as a result – but Marfy 6239 is clearly pulled from then! I can’t ever see myself having reason to make such a frock, but it sure looks like it would be fun to wear!!
There is also some great shirt dresses, like Marfy 6254 (on the left) and Marfy 6253 (centre and right), which I would class as a quintessential American style silhouette.
Marfy 6235 takes me on a bit of a trip down memory lane – in my early 20s I had a much loved Alice McCall party dress that was just like this, but with a slightly more tulip-shaped skirt. And a lot shorter. Knowing that this is a style I loved wearing and had many fond memories of makes me very tempted by this one…
On the other end of the spectrum, Marfy 6258 I find myself drawn to, but because bizarrely it’s the kind of thing I see myself wearing when I’m middle-aged. Do you ever come across patterns you love but would only wear when you were older/younger?
Marfy 6160 is just LOVE. Actually I have one already that is strikingly similar, but I still want this one pretty bad. That gathered panel joining up into the underbust dart is just so beautiful, and I think this would work better for me than the one I have (Marfy 3647) because it would provide a little more surety in terms of bust coverage – I’ve found in the past that wrap tops like this that join at the side seam end up really low cut as the fabric wraps around and under the bust. Having the gathering end up closer to the centre front would perhaps allow a slightly higher neckline? Perhaps I’m just trying to convince myself to purchase an almost identical pattern… but, it’s working ;)
Marfy 6180 – how fun is this? I love everything about it – the bateau neckline, the flounce at the sleeves, the pegged skirt, the slight hi-lo hem, everything. I don’t believe I’ve quite the proportions to pull this off – there’s a bit too much going on – but that can’t stop a gal from a good ol’ daydream.
Marfy 6182 – to me this is the ultimate Melbourne Cup style kinda dress. Maybe it’s the big hat tipping me off, but I’m always a sucker for ruching/pleats at the neckline like this.
Marfy 6305 – this to me reads like an interpreted version of Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress, and I’m really liking it. “This elegant dress has a shawl collar, a draped skirt and 3/4 length set in sleeves”. Interestingly, the recommended fabrics are are sateen and crepe de chine, but I’m sure it could be translated well in a stable knit as well.
Well, these are my picks. My thoughts on this catalogue? I enjoyed it. After the 2017 Evergreen catalogue which was a bit of a peak experience for me – I’m a separates girl through and through – it was always going to be hard to match but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This catalogue has a really broad range of styles of dresses – many of which I haven’t really shown here because they’re not what I’m drawn to. As I already have 11 patterns in my collection from this catalogue, I probably won’t buy as many as I usually would – although I’m beyond positively thrilled that the coat pattern I thought was lost to me is back on the table! That said, if you haven’t dipped your toes in this pond yet and are keen to try, this is probably as good a catalogue as any to start, as it seems to have so many of the best sellers and popular styles that have stuck over the years. I’m obviously quite happily biased though – seeing as these days I predominately sew Marfy – more often than not they just work for me, and I’m not going to chance a winning formula any time soon :)
poppykettle 
That coat is fantastic, you should definitely sew that up! I like some Marfy patterns and the design details are often very good, particularly on the tailored pieces. I find that a lot of the dresses look very matronly – kind of mother of the bride, or sort of 80’s styles. Their fashion drawings don’t really help me, I would prefer just technical drawings for the patterns. What do you think?
Oh I absolutely will be – it’s a winner. I would tend to agree with you there, it’s always so much better to see it on a real person. I suspect the reason they do the sketches over technical drawings is that perhaps they were originally aiming at people who would go into a fabric shop to have garments made up for them? I’ve been into a few fabric shops here that have upstairs for their dressmakers, and they always have Marfy catalogues for clients to look at. I’m wondering if the perception is that people who don’t sew, would struggle with technical drawings? I’m so used to the sketches now I haven’t really thought much of it…but yes – a good technical drawing would never go astray!
Wonderful selections, all of them. I am, however, very partial to that coat. Oh my, it is just such a great example of a dressmaker coat. It is so reminiscent of some Vogue coat patterns from the 1960s and early ’70s (maybe that is why I love it so much??) Also, that 6182 dress with the over-the-shoulder extension is gorgeous. Don’t you wish we all had lots of tony parties to attend so we would have a bonafide reason to make these beauties? (Hah – we will make them anyway!)
It’s fabulous, isn’t it? Yes, I can see the resemblance to the vintage patterns, it really is the kind of style that transcends the ages. I can very much see you sewing up the 6182 dress – never mind not having anywhere to wear it to, we can deal with that once we’ve finished sewing! I think that’s half the reason friends of mine have been organising events like ‘Frocktails’ – for the opportunity to wear the more fancy frocks!
She fabulous designs here. I bought 2016 catalogue but didn’t then and don’t now feel quite up to Marfy. One day!
“You’ll never never know, if you never never go” as they say ;) They’re mostly not so difficult as everyone makes out – give it a shot, you might surprise yourself!
Marfy designers are wonderful! Such Italian elegance.
You tempted me with such gorgeous selections but then I go to the website and 46Euro to post the thing, crikey, did I pay that for the 2017 catalogue? 11 patterns shoud keep you busy – enjoy.
Thank you so much for the peek at the latest book! Love so many of those patterns, and the coat is so awesome!
No worries Kathy, thank you :)
How the heck do you buy them!? I really like 6253.
That coat is beautiful
It’s gorgeous, isn’t it! If they’re on their website (marfy.it) then you can order them there just like you would off any other website – if they’re not (which is more often the case) – you can drop them an email about your order, which is what I usually do :)
More gorgeous Marfy designs! I’ve already tagged a few as must-have’s.
Reblogged this on sketchuniverse and commented:
👚👠👜👗 WELL SISTERS! AS WE CAN SEE: SKETCHING IS FASHION 😄