This fabric – it really speaks for itself, doesn’t it? It’s bold, it’s colourful, it’s beautiful. It combines two of my favourite things – gingham and tulips. It’s also beautifully soft and behaves well going through the feed dogs. In many ways the print is quintessentially summer but I will wear this all year round (cotton jersey is perfect for that) and I have chosen a pattern that will let me do just that: Colette Patterns’ Moneta Dress. This pattern is a unicorn for many sewists because when Colette moved their pattern library across to Seamwork, Moneta was one of 4 patterns that didn’t make the move due to designer copyright issues. I was very lucky and had a friend who gifted me the pattern. It really is a shame that it is no longer in print because I think everyone should have Moneta dresses in their wardrobe. Saying that, I can recommend a couple of other patterns that would give you a similar look: Ellie and Mac’s Dashing Dress and Sew Over Its recent release, the Esma Dress.

 

Jersey dresses really are a wardrobe basic; they are not only simple to sew, they’re really comfortable to wear.  Moneta is a straightforward pattern and like the alternatives I have mentioned above, it is perfect for anyone who is new to sewing with stretch fabrics; so, if you come across anyone de-stashing the pattern, pick it up. It is one of those patterns that quickly becomes a staple in your wardrobe; it’s hard not to fall in love with a pattern that is as comfortable as it is elegant, isn’t it?

When cutting this fabric, I did spend a little more time cutting because of the lines. I wanted to make sure that any straight lines followed the gingham so I did not cut on the fold as I usually would; instead, as I would have done with a stripe, I laid the pattern piece on the fabric and traced around it with chalk before flipping the pattern on the reverse and tracing around it again. If you’re new to sewing with stretch fabrics, I’d use a plain fabric so you don’t need to worry too much about this – unless you’re a patient sewist who appreciates half the work is in the prep and it wouldn’t bother you much.

One of the questions people always ask me is if I use an overlocker when sewing with jersey and the answer is ‘no’. I do own an overlocker, but I prefer to sew stretch fabrics with my sewing machine. I love the satisfaction of ‘slow sewing’ but I also love the precision that comes with using the sewing machine. It is also easier to sew the skirt with pockets on a regular sewing machine than it would be with the overlocker.

Thank you to Minerva for another beautiful, high quality fabric to sew with. This dress is going to get a lot of wear.

 

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