My latest Minerva brand ambassador project is this version of the Lyra Dress by Tilly & the Buttons. I made this in the beautiful Minerva Exclusive Modal Challis fabric in the Ditsy Flowers print and it’s exactly the kind of fabric I love sewing with. The drape is soft and floaty, which works perfectly for the relaxed silhouette of the Lyra dress, and the modal challis feels lovely against the skin. The print is full of colourful florals on a dark background, making it easy to wear through spring, summer and even into autumn with tights and boots.

The Lyra pattern is designed as an easy-fitting, relaxed shirt dress with a gathered skirt and optional waist tie. I decided to size down for this version because the style already has quite a loose fit, and I’m really pleased I did. It still has that effortless, comfortable feel but with a little more shape through the bodice. I decided not to make the waist tie and instead added a belt to give a bit more waist definition. The modal challis was a joy to work with. It’s really soft but doesn’t stretch or shift when cutting out or sewing. I finished the seams with my overlocker to make them neat but the fabric doesn’t actually fray very much.

I wore this dress to work today and had quite a few compliments. Someone even asked where I bought it and it was so lovely to say “I made it”!

The fabric was gifted to me as part of the Minerva brand ambassador programme.

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