As you can see, I haven't been sewing as much in the past few years as I used to. I was completely sewing-obsessed before. Sewing was something that helped me de-stress, relax, and have fun. It felt like putting a puzzle together, and I love puzzles as well.
However, in 2022, so much happened in my life that by the end of that year, I noticed my sewing mojo was no longer there. Don't get me wrong—I still love sewing. It's just that whenever I would sit down to sew, something felt different, and I struggled to enjoy it the way I once did.
Since I still love sewing and it has been one of my favorite and longest-lasting hobbies, I wanted to bring that joy back. So, as soon as I had the opportunity to choose from one of the many beautiful and cheerful fabrics available, I grabbed it.
The fabric I selected for this project is 4 meters of Minerva Exclusive Spanish Steps 100% Cotton Jersey Stretch Knit POD. As you can see, the colors and print are simply something that brings a smile to my face. As soon as I finished this dress, I wore it on a date night with my husband. It made me incredibly happy when several ladies passing by stopped to compliment it.
This jersey fabric has stretch in both directions—20% lengthwise and 40% widthwise. It is a medium-weight fabric, making it perfect for dresses, t-shirts, pajamas, lingerie, and skirts.
As always, I don't like to skip the pre-wash and drying process. For me, that's a must 99% of the time. Only on rare occasions do I skip it, and to be honest, as I write this, I can't even remember why I did in those instances, but I know I have.
In this case, the fabric was pre-washed and dried, and I'm happy to report that I didn't notice any shrinkage. I use the regular settings on both my washer and dryer, if that matters to anyone.
There were a few visible wrinkles once the fabric was dry, but that was probably because I left it in the dryer overnight. The next morning, when I took it out, I simply ironed the wrinkles away.
The next step was selecting a pattern, as I already had a few options waiting for the fabric to be ready. This time, I went with a tried-and-true favorite: Simplicity 1800, View C, in a size 12. However, due to the fabric's generous stretch, I probably could have gone with a size 10.
Because of the print placement, I had to make sure all of the pattern pieces were positioned correctly. In the past, when I was rushing or not paying full attention, I ended up cutting fabric with the print upside down. This time, I took my time and made sure everything was placed correctly because I wanted to have enough fabric for this dress.
I made only two changes to the pattern:
Change #1 – View C features a neck strap that ties in the back. I changed it to shoulder straps because I'm not a big fan of dresses or tops that tie around the neck. If I can avoid that style, I will.
Change #2 – I shortened the dress by 3 inches. Since I am 5 feet 5 inches tall, the original length felt a bit too long for me.
Everything else was sewn exactly as the pattern instructed. This dress is very easy to make. The fabric was easy to cut, and I used a ballpoint needle for sewing.
The pictures don't do the print justice. The colors are vibrant and cheerful, and I love that I used this fabric to create a simple yet very cute dress that can be worn almost anywhere.
Thank you for reading, and happy sewing!
xoxox Tanja
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