Hi, meet my new favorite dress! I actually made this for myself back for my birthday in August, but figured despite being a little bit summery, now was a great time to share it here on my blog – it is pink and Valentine’s-y!
I received this beautiful, vibrant linen viscose from Minerva back in either late February or early March 2020, just before life screeched to a halt and we all sheltered in place. I had originally planned to make a Closet Core Patterns Cielo Top out of this fabric, thinking that it would be something bright and colorful that would feel like “me” in my normal life but would also work well with a pair of cute pants at work. But as things developed, and I opted for scrubs rather than my “real” clothes when working at the hospital, I set this aside on the shelf and figured I’d return to it when I wanted ”work clothes” again someday, or if inspiration hit for something else.
Then, the new FibreMood patterns were released, and I fell in love with the Mindy Dress. If you guys are familiar with me, you might know that I am all about bright, bold prints usually. I love bright colors and big florals and bold novelty prints, but I’ve been trying to build a few solids into my wardrobe this year. As I started to look through my fabrics to decide what I might want to use to sew up a Mindy Dress, this linen caught my eye… And I knew the Cielo Top would have to wait!
This dress turned out to be everything I didn’t know I needed. I was originally drawn to the big statement sleeves, because I love the way they drape in the non-elasticated version. I haven’t worn many square necklines like this in the past, but I am a huge fan after trying out this pattern. I really like the way it looks on me! The skirt is not as big and poofy as I might normally gravitate towards (I love a big gathered fit and flare type of silhouette!), but I am so happy with it. The whole thing offers a slight nod to the 90s for me, and in true 90s fashion, it paired SO well with these cute sneakers.
When I chose this fabric, I was simply in love with the color. I’d imagined that due to the linen / viscose combination, it might be a little lighter and flowier than a standard linen. However, when it arrived, I was surprised at the fabric’s heft. This linen would absolutely be appropriate as a bottomweight, and would be a super fun pair of Winslow Culottes if someone wanted to go that route! I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for a strappier dress without as much support at the top, as I fear the weight of the dress may distort the shape of something with less structure in the bodice over time. I still think this would’ve been a lovely Cielo top, as well – maybe I’ll end up grabbing another cut of this to try that out!
As I mentioned above, there is less fabric gathered into the weight of the skirt than some of my more standard silhouette choices. This was actually a HUGE benefit in regards to this fabric. I had a very difficult time gathering the fabric, even though I used three (!!!) lines of gathering stitches. The fabric is thick, for one thing, and linen does like to fray – this made for some very sore, red hands after finally getting through the slow work of creating these slight gathers. If you’re trying to choose a pattern to pair with this fabric, I’d recommend one with darts or pleats rather than gathered! That being said… I don’t regret my choice one bit!
Despite the “heftiness” of the fabric, as I noted previously, this dress is an easy breezy summer choice. Despite what may seem to be longer sleeves and more fabric than would be ideal in 100’F Texas heat, this dress was absolutely wonderful to wear even on the sunniest of afternoons. It is breezy and breathable, and makes me feel both very comfy and very chic when I’m wearing it outside.
Dress: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Fuschia Washed Linen Viscose
Pattern: Fibre Mood – Mindy Dress
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Universal 70/30 Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Thanks for reading my thoughts on this pattern! The fabric used for this post was provided to me by Minerva in exchange for photos of my finished garments posted on their website. The Mindy Dress Pattern by Fibre Mood Patterns was purchased by me. All words and opinions expressed throughout this post 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
