Can you believe that I sewed this dress back in August 2019 and I am only just now getting it posted? Whoops. However, this would be a beautiful dress to wear to a nice Thanksgiving dinner, so it worked out alright. Still seasonally appropriate!
When I picked out this fabric, I pictured this dress immediately. I’d sewn another version of the Ellie & Mac True Beauty Dress in the past, using the maxi length and short sleeve options. I had a ¾-length sleeve, midi length version in mind for a wedding in the fall, and the print of this fabric was going to be perfect.
I was a bit surprised once the fabric arrived to me – it is listed as a textured jersey knit, but it feels quite a bit like a textured scuba. It is thicker, holds its shape similarly to scuba, and has a really interesting almost basket-weave-esque texture to it. I tried so many times as I was sewing this dress to catch a cut edge of the fabric on camera, to show off the neat texture, but I could just never get an accurate shot.
Despite the unexpected thick, textured nature of this fabric, I was still able to make this pattern work. Luckily, the skirt piece is only lightly gathered – I think if there’d been much more gathering, it would’ve weighed the waist of the dress down in an unflattering way over time!
I got this dress finished just in time for a quick anniversary trip in Austin in August, so of course I wore it out on our anniversary date! However, I quickly realized that the ¼” elastic I’d chosen to use around the neck / shoulder line was just a little too flimsy for what I wanted! We enjoyed dinner and a walk around town, and as soon as we got home this dress went right back up to the sewing room to be unpicked and re-elasticated. The thicker elastic does a great deal for the silhouette, and I’m so glad I chose to change it up instead of leaving it as it was. It’s made me feel much happier with the garment as a whole!
More details about this cool fabric and dress can be found on the Minerva Blog! I’m so happy to finally be sharing this one with you!
Dress: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Lady McElroy – Gentle Harmonie Golden Lady Textured Jersey Knit in Gold
Pattern: Ellie & Mac – True Beauty Dress
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Though the fabric used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Minerva, all words and opinions expressed are my own, as always! Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
