Friday 9 January 2015

Completed: Maroon Colette Moneta Dress

Finally, a finished project! I hope you’re not getting sick of seeing Moneta dresses, because I’m certainly not sick of making them! This is the first thing (besides underwear) that I sewed once reunited with my sewing machine in Vancouver. It felt very strange to be sewing again after such a long break, so I wanted to make something quick and easy that I’d made before. This is actually my fourth - I made a third one during the summer and never got around to blogging about it.


I made this dress out of the maroon cotton jersey that I bought from a by-the-pound bin at Stretch-Tex in Montreal. It’s lightweight but not sheer, and it has some spandex, so it’s perfect for the Moneta. I bought this and some printed sweater knit for only $5, so this dress cost about $2.50 to make!


I wasn’t sure I would have enough fabric for a collar or pockets since I only had 1.5 metres, but with a creative cutting layout, I managed to get both. I’m really glad, because the collar is my favourite part, and I do like to have pockets, even though knit pockets aren’t the most practical. I don’t use them much in my other knit dresses, but they’re nice to have when I just need to carry my phone or some lip balm around!


I shortened the bodice another ¼” from my last version, and I think the waist finally hits at the right spot! In total, I raised it 1½”I also raised the pockets 1”, same as with my last version, which puts them at a better spot for me.


This went together very quickly, since I sewed the entire thing except for the hems on my serger. This was my first time making the ¾ sleeve variation (although they’re really more like ½” sleeves), and I found that the sleeves were a little big, so I took the in ¾”. I really like the length, though! I find it very flattering to have them hit around the waist when the waist is defined like in this dress.


I also shortened this 1” when I hemmed it, because it’s more of a wintery colour and I’ll be wearing it with boots. A longer dress doesn’t look bad with these boots, but once I’m back in Montreal, I’ll be wearing winter boots, which I find look better with a slightly shorter skirt.


For the hems, I used my usual technique of serging the edge, pressing up the hem with Stitch Witchery, and using a twin ballpoint needle with a walking foot. The Stitch Witchery takes more time, but I find that it makes such a big difference!


The only part of constructing this dress that still gives me a bit of trouble is gathering the skirt. I find that I need to cut my elastic a little (usually 10 cm) shorter than the waistline, because it stretches as you sew it, as I discovered in my first version. The instructions have you use ¼” clear elastic, but I found that quite a bit of it got cut off when I attached the skirt. I tried 3/8” elastic, which worked better, but still got cut off in places, since the zigzag stitch that I attach it with pulls the edges in and makes it narrower. I tried using a straight stich in my last version, but it didn’t lie flat. This time, I used ½” elastic, but I had the same problem with the zigzag stitch pulling in the edges quite a bit, and it made a bit of a ridge. Next time, I might try the 3/8” elastic again, but attach it with my serger instead, and just not cut anything off – I think this might help the elastic lay flat.


Anyways, I really love this dress! It was enough to really get me back into sewing, and I made plenty more when I was home. I like it with a belt, but it looks good without as well. I'll probably wear it more often without, since it's easier to wear a sweater over. I’ve already worn it lots, and I think I might have a new favourite dress!

Dress: Me-made (Colette Moneta)

Belt: bought at a craft market
Tights: Hue
Boots: Steve Madden

14 comments:

  1. Very nice dress and a beautiful collar! And I like the colour a lot, it is one of my favorite colours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! This is one of my favourite colours to wear, too.

      Delete
  2. oh Wow!! Probably my favorite Moneta dress ever! ;) It's stunning and I totally love the color!
    And I agree with you : this collar is just wonderful...
    Great job, I can't wait to see your next projects!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So glad to see you sewing and blogging again, especially with such a beautiful dress. It was fun to hear about your shopping excursions in Montreal too -- makes me really miss the availability of fabric choices in a small town!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks - it's good to be back to blogging! And yes, I didn't even realize what I was missing until I went shopping for the first time here.

      Delete
  4. Really lovely and what a bargain. I agree about the collar, I think it makes the dress. A slow about the elastic, you need three hands to carry out that process. I also tried gathering by machine and that didn't work either! Good to have you back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I will figure out the best way to gather with the elastic, eventually...

      Delete
  5. Great dress, I love how it sits! good to see you back in action.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's really pretty on you! I love half-length sleeves too... most of the shirts I make for myself have that length. Love the collar!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I was surprised by how much I like them, because I've always either made short sleeves or 3/4 length sleeves, but I do like the 1/2 length.

      Delete
  7. You absolutely look stunning in that dress, I love the colour and the collar is definitely spot-on, and the belt makes it really completed.
    You are very talented!

    ReplyDelete