I sewed this dress toward the end of summer 2019… It has been shared through Minerva for some time, but I’m not sure how it never made its way to the blog! I write my blog posts in real time so that I can be sure to capture all of my relevant thoughts on the fabric and pattern that I’m working with, so fair warning that some of the information here is outdated… For instance, since writing this, AK Patterns is no more! With that being said, I’ve left all the text below intact, as written back in August or September of 2019! I’m excited to finally be sharing this here today!
There are some things that you make to fill a need in your wardrobe, that are going to get worn all the time. Some of the most beautiful things I’ve made have been for special events, and get worn very rarely. But this right here, this is why I sew. This project yielded a dress with a lovely, chic silhouette that makes me feel like a “grown-up,” yet is covered in fun, silly jellyfish. Seriously – tell me where you’re going to find a chic jellyfish dress at a ready to wear store. I’m willing to bet you won’t…. And if you do, it’s going to be pricey!
I had the pleasure of working with this awesome fabric that was gifted to me by Minerva. It is a cotton gauze, and quite honestly isn’t quite what I expected it to be! I think I was expecting something more plush and drapey, along the lines of double gauze… Except single? Haha. But this lovely fabric is in fact more similar to a nice cotton lawn. It was lovely and easy to work with, takes a press well, and overall just does what I want it to do! This was a quick and easy sew, thanks to both the fabric and the pattern.
The Meg Dress is one of the newer patterns released by Athina of AK Patterns. It was inspired by and named after one of my favorite sewists (https://www.megmadesewing.com/) and is really a great dress. It’s a fairly simple sew – one front and one back, with a neckline facing and optional tie belt. It came together quickly and easily, and I think it offers a really lovely shape despite its simplicity. This is a pattern that makes a statement, especially in a bold and fun novelty print, but would also be a fantastic option for a sewist new to garment-making.
There are more details on this make over on the Minerva Blog! I hope you’ll check it out there, and maybe even pick up some of this great fabric! I’ve used my affiliate link below, and I’d appreciate it so much if you clicked through from there to order!
Dress: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva Crafts – Rico Double Cotton Gauze Fabric Multicoloured
Pattern: AK Patterns – Meg Dress (unfortunately, Athina Kakou is no longer producing her patterns! 🙁 another popular style with a similar silhouette is the Wiksten Shift Dress)
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Madam Sew 32-piece Presser Foot Set
Schmetz Universal Machine Needles – Size 70/10
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Though the fabric used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Minerva, all words and opinions expressed are my own, as always! Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
