Minerva recently released a brand new line of exclusive prints, and as a Minerva Ambassador, I had the opportunity to get my hands on them a little early and start sewing them up! You guys know I love a fun print, especially a floral, so as you might guess, I was so excited. The new exclusive line of prints has something for everyone, I think – I had a hard time narrowing my own selection, and although I was very fortunate to get to work with my three favorite prints from the first release, there were many others I would’ve been thrilled to sew with! There were also some that didn’t fit my personal style palette but still featured beautiful prints and colors – so really, go check them out. You’re bound to love something!
I knew this would be the one I sewed up first. Right away, I planned to sew this into a fun strappy tank to wear as this hot summer continues on. It may be quite obvious, but dresses are really my go-to garment. I’m most drawn to long, flowy dresses most days – I love maxi lengths, ruffles, strappy details and fun back features. While dresses will always be my favorites, my family and I have been spending a lot of time on our electric bikes this summer! At least once a weekend we load the kids up in the bike trailers and head downtown for brunch or to the community pool to soak up the sun. I look forward to this activity all week long, and when it finally arrives, I typically find myself reaching for some tank and shorts combination rather than a dress. As the summer has worn on, I’ve recognized that I wish I had a few more handmade tanks to add to my rotation. So when I started thinking up what I’d make with this fabric, I decided quickly on the Romy Top by Tessuti Patterns.
Though the Romy Tank has caught my eye for a while, this was my first time trying it out. It is a straightforward sew with some interesting construction around the neckline / underarm areas that allows a really nice, clean finish. I made a mistake when attaching my main and facings at the front and back neckline, somehow twisting the pieces, and I spent probably half of the time I spent on this top overall unpicking the stitching (and understitching!!) to correct this little hiccup – unpicking black thread on black fabric is the WORST! Note to self – be careful on this step next time!
In order to use things I already had on hand, I had to detour slightly from the pattern instructions with regard to interfacing – the interfacing I used is maybe a little more stiff than I’d recommend for the facing pieces, and I didn’t have any tear-away interfacing so my neckline holds its shape slightly better than probably intended by the designers, but none of this is an issue for me when wearing the garment! My only other deviation from the original design is that I chopped about 5 inches off the bottom of the top! Looking in the mirror at the almost-finished top, I decided that the pants and shorts I planned to wear the top with would pair best with a slightly cropped silhouette. So I grabbed my rotary cutter, did a quick chop, and here we are!
The viscose challis that Minerva has chosen for their exclusive line is really great quality. Viscose challis is a favorite of mine – the cool hand, the drape, and the swoosh factor are top notch in my books! I’ve had the opportunity over time to work with some great viscose challis substrates, and this one holds its own. The colors are beautiful and saturated, the fabric is sturdy yet flowy, and it was great to work with. I’m impressed with this fabric – thank goodness, since I’ve got some more coming my way! I’m really looking forward to more! This particular print caught my eye thanks to those beautiful colors – the bright blue and mustard yellow in particular play so wonderfully together, and I love that this fabric doesn’t feel like it belongs in one specific season over another. It is currently serving me well in the summer, but I’m looking forward to the idea that I can layer it with a cardigan in cooler months and not feel like I’m wearing a summer-specific floral!
If you haven’t had the chance, go check out the new Minerva Exclusive line. I can’t wait to show you which other prints I’ve chosen to sew up next!
Top: handmade by me
Pattern: Tessuti Patterns – Romy Top
Fabric: Minerva Exclusive – Blossoming Floral Viscose Challis
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Prym Sewing Machine Needles
Gutermann Sew All Polyester Sewing Thread
Thanks for reading my thoughts on this pattern! The pattern and fabric used for this post were both kindly gifted to me by Minerva as part of their Brand Ambassador program, with my agreement to post about my experience with each on their website. All words and opinions expressed throughout this post 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
