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Welcome to the Myrtle Sewalong

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Welcome to the Myrtle sewalong!

In this sewalong, we’ll be going step by step through the process of sewing a Myrtle dress.

Myrtle is an elegant, figure-skimming dress with a cowl neckline. Version 1 has a hemline that falls just below the knee, and Version 2 features cute button shoulder tabs with an above-the-knee hemline. And one of the neatest things about this pattern is that it can be made in both knits and wovens!

If you’re a little shaky on working with knits, that’s ok. We’ll go over some techniques for working with knit fabrics both with and without a serger. The sewalong will focus on sewing with a knit, but will also include instructions for each step if you’re using a woven.

With a bit of a Greek goddess vibe, Myrtle is just as comfortable on a breezy summer day as she is on a glamorous night out. So get ready to channel your inner goddess and join us in making a Myrtle!

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Your teacher

I’m Devon, a sewing teacher living in Nashville by way of Los Angeles and rural Ohio. I’ve been sewing my whole life and have shared this obsession with others by teaching at places like Sew LA, The Fabric Studio and the Craftcation Conference. You can read about my sewing projects and similar exploits on my website Miss Make.

How it works

Our sewalongs are simple. We’ll publish a series of posts detailing each step in the process of fitting and sewing your pattern. You can sew along with us, ask questions, and share your techniques and advice with others.

Feel free to leave comments here on the blog, or join our Sewalongs Facebook group to post thoughts, questions, and photos. We try our best to answer as many questions as possible, but encourage you to jump in and help each other out as well.

What’s covered

Tomorrow we’ll get started by going over what fabric and supplies you’ll need for your Myrtle. You’ll have two weeks to get your shopping done before the actual sewing gets underway.

A week from today, we’ll go over some sewing basics and discuss fitting and cutting. We’ll also detail the whole process of doing full and small bust adjustments.

Then a week after that on August 18th, we’ll get started with the sewing. We’ll work through the dress through the rest of that week, with the final sewing post being the following Monday.

Then you’ll have a week to get all your Myrtles finished and into the Colette Flickr group before we highlight some of them in a parade post.

The Myrtle Sewalong

  1. Welcome to the Myrtle Sewalong (35 Comments)
  2. Gather Fabric and Supplies (52 Comments)
  3. Fitting and Cutting (38 Comments)
  4. Full Bust Adjustment (28 Comments)
  5. Small Bust Adjustment (44 Comments)
  6. Sew Shoulder Tabs & Hem Back Bodice (18 Comments)
  7. Sew Bodice Shoulder, Side and Armhole Seams (5 Comments)
  8. Assemble & Attach Skirt (9 Comments)
  9. Install Elastic, Hem & Finish (25 Comments)
  10. Your Finished Myrtles! (15 Comments)

Comments

I am so glad you will be covering a small bust adjustment. I’ve just finished sewing up the Myrtle in a woven fabric and although I like it and can see myself wearing it a lot, I would love to try it again with a SBA, just couldn’t work out how to go about it!

glad to help!

Naheema

This will be my first sewalong. Can’t wait to get started.

woohoo! welcome :]

I have already made the Myrtle and, although I am pleased with it, I did have to do something tricksy with the shoulders to make it fit me properly. This is because, I have realised, I need to make dresses in a smaller size (the size of my ‘high bust’) and then do an FBA. So I’ll be looking forward to that section of the sewalong.

Rachael

Wow!!!
This is so cool.

Youna

Bonjour,
Je suis une couturière française qui adore vos patrons. Mon seul souci est la traduction !
J’attends vos explications avec impatience. Si elles étaient également en français ce serait vraiment très bien ! ;)
A bientôt pour la suite !

Je voudrais pouvoir parler français!

Coralie | stitch-n-smile.com

Salut Youna,

Je parle aussi français! L’anglais n’est pas du tout un problème pour moi donc n’hésite pas si tu as des questions de traduction!

Sara

For some reason, I no longer get the sewalong posts in my Feedly. This post, for instance, didn’t show up. I’d prefer to follow along via RSS feed – can you guys check to see that your feed is working properly?

Looking forward to sewing along.

thanks for the heads up!

Hi Sara, sorry for the trouble. I checked out our feed and it looks ok on this end. You might try removing the feed from Feedly and adding it again.

The URL for our RSS feed is http://feeds.colettemedia.com/sewalongs

Hope this helps!

Nadia

Is there any way Myrtle can be adapted to have sleeves? All I can think of is yummy cowly merino goodness but in Scotland sleeves are a must!

We won’t be covering that in the sewalong but I think with a little experimentation it’s definitely doable.

Amy

I would love to know how to put sleeves on this beautiful dress, that would mane it perfect for work.

Sara

Oooh, yes – another vote here for a hack to add sleeves…

Jo

Beyond thrilled to be joining this sew-along. I’ve recently started sewing and have made only simple items – this will be my first dress, first knit fabric. Scary! I’m reassured by the ‘beginner’ rating.

Another vote for a version with sleeves. There aren’t many weeks of the year in the UK when sleeveless is comfortable, and I will feel bad about making a pretty dress and then smothering it with a cardigan!

Welcome! You can do it!!

Rosy

I’d love to sew along with you. Are you going to do the knit or woven version? I really want to do the woven one please!!

I’ll be making a knit version but for each post I’ll describe what, if anything, would be different in a woven.

Pat

Looking forward to making the dress. I usually look better in two pieces, blouse and skirt, however everyone seems pretty happy with this. So I am anxious to know what supplies are needed to get started. Thanks

You could always use a different color for the skirt pieces, which would mimic a skirt-blouse combo.

Leslie

I am so excited my pattern just arrived.

Sharon

I am so looking forward to doing this sew a long. It has been quite a few years since I have done much sewing that was more than making curtains or covering pillows!

Rozy

This will be my first sew along and my first time with knits too! So excited!

Karyl rapport

Hi Devon, I really miss you and am so happy to be taking a class with you again (even though it’s via the Internet and not in person). I think you are a very good teacher so I know I will learn a lot. Looking forward to it, Karyl

Aw Karyl! Hi! I miss you too, glad you can join in the sewalong :]

Laura

Hi Devon,
I’m really looking forward to the sewalong. I’ve made a couple of knit dresses so I would consider myself and ambitious beginner!. My plan is to make the skirt and bodice pieces in different colours, to mimic separates. Could you give me an idea of fabric requirements to make the Myrtle in this way?

I’d say a yard and a half for the skirt and a yard and a quarter for the top should be good, if it’s 60″ wide.

Laura

Thanks for the reply and the info, Devon. I have great hopes for this dress!

Carolrawinia | August5th

I plan to make the Myrtle in a woven fabric and am looking forward to working through adjustments for a big bust. I start with the pattern on the basis of my high bust measurement (based on the Vogue Pattern Book advice) and then enlarge the bust. I like to see how others do it so I can refine my technique.

Coralie | stitch-n-smile.com

Hi everyone!
I’m so excited to join this sewalong! This is going to be my first one and my first Colette pattern (although surely not the last!).
I won’t really start it properly before the 18th because I’m getting married the 16th and still need to finish the dress (talk about pressure!)
But I plan to follow you guys and catch up as soon as I can. Can’t wait to get started! :-)
Oh and also, for those of you interested, I’ll blog on my progress on http://www.stitch-n-smile.com
So happy to sew along you guys and can’t wait to wear this dress! :-D

Devon | missmake.com

Oh boy good luck on the wedding dress!