In our next ambassador post we welcome a new Ambassador, Monica, who has made a modified version of the Merchant & Mills Edie in the gorgeous soft Peppered Cotton: Ink.  We are crushing so hard on Monica's style and her outfit for us in dreamy. Over to Monica:

Hello! I am very excited to be writing my first blog post (ever), and for the lovely Backstitch team nonetheless! For this make, I wanted to sew something that felt a bit indulgent for me; something not necessarily needed in my wardrobe but will bring joy! One of my absolute favourite things to wear in warm weather is a big, oversized dress, and given that it’s still summer, my plans were set. I had this idea for a big sleeve, big skirt dress but couldn’t find the exact pattern I had in mind so decided to modify a pattern with some of the elements I was looking for. I typically wear lots of neutral colours but decided to challenge myself and go for a colour that still feels like me but adds more variety to my wardrobe. Here’s a breakdown on all the bits and bobs that went into this dress; from the pattern mods to style notes, and everything in between.

Pattern: I decided to start with the Edie top/dress by Merchant & Mills as a base, as I love the simplicity of the bodice and the statement sleeves. I did play with the neckline in this make but love the simplicity of this neckline as drafted in the pattern too. Overall, I found the construction and pattern instructions to be clear and concise, which I always appreciate!

Fabric: The pattern calls for a light to mid-weight woven fabric. I decided to go for a cotton which has a bit more structure so that the sleeves and skirt would hold its shape more. I almost always sew neutral colours but wanted to challenge myself to sew with a bit more colour for this dress. In the end I chose this beautiful blue colour which somehow looks like a cross between a cobalt and true denim. The fabric itself is quite interesting as it has both dark and light threads woven together, which gives it a bit more depth which really helps give more dimension to oversized makes I find.  I ended up sewing this dress out of 4m of fabric, using almost every last piece!

Pattern notes (and mods): I made quite a few mods to this pattern and am going to try to list out everything here as best as I can. To start, I modified the main pattern by shortening the bodice and sleeve pieces to fit my size. I shortened the sleeves by 8 cm and front and back pieces by 12cm. I then removed the shaping on the bodice side seams by straightening them out. The next mod I made was to the neckline. In the original pattern, there is a back neck tie which I decided to remove as I usually wear my hair down and knew it would be covered up most of the time! I decided to add a front ‘slit’ by adding 2cm on each side of the centre front, sewing it up and top stitching flat to make this slit. I then had to shorten the neck binding piece to finish of the top edge and am happy with how it turned out, love its simplicity! At this point I still hadn’t made up my mind on the kind of skirt I wanted so the decision was made purely based on how much fabric I had left. The one detail I knew I really wanted was some sort of waist tie to compliment the ties on the sleeves. For the skirt, I went for two tiers, the first is about knee-length and the second is a bit shorter, falling just below midi length. The final step was to make a waist tie which is as long as it could be with the fabric I had left, just long enough to wrap it around twice. Two little waist loops were sewn to the side seam to hold the tie without being too noticeable. Phew! Lots of steps here but I am super happy with the outcome of all these mods.

Fit: My only fit goals for this make were to make sure the sleeves weren’t too long and that I could wear it without the waist tie for more causal looks too. I find the waist tie changes the whole vibe, but I am a fan of both versions!

Overall, I am really happy with this dress. There were points where I wasn’t so sure it would suit me or my typical style but am happy I persevered. This definitely feels like a dress I’ll wear over and over for many summers to come.

Pattern: Merchant & Mills Edie
Fabric: Peppered Cotton in Ink
Size: Monica Measures: Bust – 76cm, Waist – 57cm, Hip – 84cm; She sewed a size 6
Adjustments: Modified to a dress version
Notes on construction: Simple construction to pattern’s instructions. Small hand sewn waist tie loops at side seams.
Notes on future makes: Play with the waistline, currently sits a tiny bit lower than natural waist.

About Monica:
Monica is a sewist living in London. She has been sewing for most of her life and enjoys the process as much as the garments she makes.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/slowrituals.studio/