After those actual cheetah print Lander Shorts I made over the summer last year, I was fully on board the animal print trend – in both the classic, spotted sense, as well as the prints of actual animals version! So when this fabric popped up in a Minerva Makers call out, I was fully on board.
I was looking for something simple, comfortable, and casual that would really show off the fun print of this fabric, and chose to go with the Mandy Boat Tee… But hacked into a dress by adding 10” to the length!
This was a very simple sew, which required a little less than 2 yards of the fabric! I’ve still got some left over, so I’ve got plans for a cute leopard headband as soon as I remember to grab the scraps out of the scrap bucket – WHY is this so hard? I’ve recently recognized that if I actually want to make anything out of the scraps, it has to happen right away. If I want to keep growing my scrap pile, then planning something for the elusive “later” is definitely the way to go!
The Mandy Boat Tee pattern is definitely a wardrobe staple (my other version HERE remains possibly my favorite / most worn me-made ever), and is certainly worth adding to your pattern collection – especially because it is free! Click on over to the Minerva Blog Post here to see a few more pictures and read all the details about this dress. This fabric was lovely to work with, and this dress remains a comfy and cute piece in my closet, even after a year!
(PS – I hope this is obvious, but these pictures are not recent! These were taken at our city Wine Festival last autumn. We have missed these types of events a LOT this year, and are looking forward to hopefully being able to participate again next year!)
Top: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Cotton Jersey Knit Fabric Cream
Pattern: Tessuti Fabrics – Mandy Boat Tee
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
Oh it’s terrific! I’ve realized this past year that a wild-enough print actually functions as a neutral – it’s beautiful as a dress and I could also see the top version going with EVERYTHING. ?