My September Minerva make – The Megan dress
Wow, September came around quickly, didn’t it?! This month for my Minerva Crafts Blogger Network project I chose some gorgeous Michael Miller fabric, and used a pattern from Tilly’s book ‘Love at First Stitch’ – the Megan dress pattern.
The Megan dress
I’m still not friends with gathered skirts, and have been trying other styles recently that feel more practical. The Megan pattern reminds me in some ways of the Colette Peony pattern, and I wear my Peony dresses a lot because I really like the shape. Like the Peony, the Megan is a simple, relaxed fit design, easy to sew, and not too fabric-hungry. I needed just under 2.5m for this dress.
This might have been the last warm day of 2015. It was a little windy though!!
The fabric is gorgeous. Michael Miller fabrics are really good quality fabrics that stand the test of time. The print is really pretty and unusual, and I love the navy background with the really bright colours of all the birds. The design is called ‘Flock’ and it’s a poplin. It also comes with a white background.
Megan dress – back view
I was a bit hesitant about trying another of Tilly’s patterns after my fitting nightmare with the Francoise dress, but to my relief, this dress required no major alterations. The one thing I’m not happy with is the sleeves. The pattern calls for pretty tight gathering around the sleeve head, resulting in quite a puffed out shoulder. Next time I make this dress, I will almost certainly be using a different sleeve pattern. I much prefer a flat sleeve head!
Megan dress on the dummy
The dress isn’t lined, so when I wear it with tights I wear a slip underneath. It would be pretty simple to line – but unlined dresses are cheaper and faster to make, and sometimes you just need a quick and dirty project!
Concealed zip
I’ve been wearing this dress a lot since I made it and I’ve had a lot of compliments. I wasn’t sure about the fit at first as it’s quite loose, but the dress is a good shape so it hangs nicely. Also it’s a winner because it can be accessorized with so many different colours! The short sleeves means it goes well with a cardigan, so I’ll be able to wear it through the rest of autumn and some of the milder days of winter, too.
New dress squee!
As always, many thanks to Minerva for sending me the fabric and the zip for this project. Opinions are, always have been, and always will be, my own!
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Love this one! Great print; bright but will also go into autumn. The fit looks just perfect. Personally I’m guilty of trying to fit a dress too well when one with a little ease looks just as good and is much more comfortable to wear!
I think we’ve all been guilty of doing that! It does depend on the style of the dress. The Megan works well a little looser.
Really love this one, the fabric is gorgeous. I’ve been pondering a new Megan for quite a while now and you’ve inspired me to get on with it!
Great! Leave me a link when you blog about it ☺
Beautiful!
Thank you. It’s the fabric that makes this dress stand out.
Love it! Although it does make me slightly sad that you chopped a few birds’ heads off when you put the zip in, haha 😉
Hahaha! No regrets! 😀
Ooh it is lovely. Such great fabric, I can imagine you will get a lot of wear out of this dress.
The fabric is great. I’ve already worn it a lot!
Lovely print and perfect for all seasons. It will look fab with some bright coloured tights and long boots, such a cute fabric! 🙂
I need to get some more coloured tights, especially as the pink ones in the photo got a hole in them the next time I wore them! 😕
Absolutely love the fabric! The Megan Dress is amazing – I’ve made two and you have just inspired me to make a third! 🙂
Oh, great! I think I’ll definitely be making another one at some point!
I love it!! Love the MM fabric, perfect for the coming months!! I have the Megan on my to do list!! I just finished the francoise, also in bird fabric!! I’d love to know what you think http://ditsy-tulip.com/tilly-and-the-buttons-francoise-dress/ 🌷🌷🌷
Your Françoise dress is lovely! Very striking fabric – it works really well! Looking forward to seeing your Megan dress!
Lovely, that fabric is great. A really cheerful print to cheer up the gloomier days ahead.
It’s a great print. I love Michael Miller fabrics.
This fabric is stunning!! I was also going to say that I loved the sleeves haha!
Hahaha! I’m getting used to them but next time I’ll definitely try a different sleeve pattern. But thank you!
Love your Megan dress. I want to add flat-head sleeves to my next Megan but not sure how to do this. Do you have any advice?
I think when I make my next one I’m going to use a sleeve from a different pattern. It should be fairly easy to match up – sleeve blocks all start the same way so providing the sleeve pattern size is right you shouldn’t have any problems!
Thank you! I’ve cut out my Megan so off now to hunt for a flat-heaf sleeve pattern that matches. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Ooh yes, please do!
I really love this dress!! The fabric is gorgeous and suits the style perfectly. I’ve just never got around to making a Megan, other patterns keep pushing to the front of my queue but I feel a sudden urgency now after seeing yours!! I love your pink sandals by the way!
Thank you. Hope your Megan dress turns out well!