Single Pattern Contest Administrator Kevin Roche writes:
Greetings! The Single Pattern Contest has been a tradition at Norwescon for nearly a decade, but the competition has a much longer history in costume/cosplay fandom. As the person who invented the contest (for Costume-Con 12 in 1994), I’m thrilled to have been asked to introduce it to the larger Worldcon audience.
What is the Single Pattern Contest?
The concept is fairly simple:
- The contest coordinator selects one or two readily available sewing patterns that lend themselves to embellishment or modification and then announces those patterns well in advance of the event (e.g., Seattle Worldcon 2025).
- Contestants each select one of the patterns and make up the garment, embellishing and/or modifying the design as their artistic vision suggests.
- Judging takes place at a time and place as part of the hosting event program*.
- Results are announced with a mixture of hoopla and panache*.
* The current plan is that judging and photography of entries will take place as a regular program item the day before the masquerade, and the photographs will be shown during the judging interval (half-time) at the masquerade. There is no on-stage component to this competition, so if you suffer from stage fright, worry not!
Pattern Options for the Seattle Worldcon 2025 Single Pattern Contest
So, here we are, at Step Number 1:
Rather than zero in on two specific commercial patterns, my assistant Debbie and I have selected two garment styles we think are in keeping with this Worldcon’s retrofuturism:
- a vintage-style bowling shirt,
- and a 1960s-style slip or sheath dress.
In some years, a pattern selected for a single pattern contest has gone out of print or been difficult to locate, so we think specifying a garment style rather than specific pattern number will avoid that difficulty. Fear not, however; we have compiled a list of suggested patterns for each garment. We will admit to a favorite for each, which is indicated in bold with an asterisk, but any pattern in keeping with the basic lines of these garments will qualify.
Bowling Shirt
- McCall’s M7206* (available as PDF)
- Simplicity S9279 (available as PDF)
- Simplicity S9157
- Vogue V1622 (unisex)
- McCall’s M8459 (available as PDF)
- McCall’s M6972 (available as PDF)
1960s-Style Dresses
- McCall’s M8466* (available as PDF)
- Simplicity S9848 (available as PDF)
- Butterick B6990 (available as PDF)
- McCall’s M8402 (available as PDF)
- Simplicity S1609 (available as PDF)
Complete rules for the contest will be published on the Seattle Worldcon 2025 website and in a future newsletter. We look forward to seeing your creations!
Kevin Roche, SPC Coordinator
Debbie Bretschneider, Assistant