Seamwork has released some gorgeous patterns over the last few months and one of my favorites is Meg. This romantic, A-line dress is absolutely perfect. I sewed my Meg with the bonus puff sleeves, but the flutter sleeves are pretty cute too. As far as fabric, can you think of a better pairing than Meg and gingham? I couldn’t! I used the Minerva Core Range 1/8 inch check gingham fabric in red. I added pockets, shortened the suggested length for the arm elastics and that was it! The directions were pretty straightforward, and the fabric sewed gorgeously. I love it and have already worn it out.
Meg was released in June and it’s a lovely spring and summer dress pattern. With two sleeve options and two waist options, it’s easy to mix and match based on your preference. I chose version 1, which has two lines of elastic at the waist. I can totally see this pattern being altered to make a busty barmaid costume. <Saves idea for Halloween>. For the most part, the instructions were easy to follow, but I had a bit of confusion while sewing the split neckline. After a bit of troubleshooting, I fixed it, but next time I’ll probably sew less than the instructions recommend for this section. While pocket pieces aren’t included in the pattern, the instructions link to an easy lesson on drafting your own pocket pieces. Since Meg has side seams, adding in-seam pockets is a breeze. One tip I suggest is waiting until the end to insert the elastic pieces. If you follow the instructions, you’ll add the elastic as you move from section to section. My personal preference is to wait until the end though.
Now for the fabric! At first, I thought the 1/8 inch check would be too small to really show up as gingham, but after working with the fabric and wearing the final garment, I think the size of the checks are great! The fabric is light and breezy, but because of the smaller check, the fabric is opaque, so you don’t have to worry about layering. The fabric laundered wonderfully, and the colors didn’t bleed. This is so important when washing red and white fabrics. There’s a huge difference between crisp red and white gingham and muddy pink fabric. Instead of using ribbon or twill tape for the neckline, I used scrap fabric to make into matching bias tape. I used the tape as cording for the neckline and I love the look.
All in all, Meg is a great beginner dress pattern to use for all your cottagecore fantasies. Because any light to medium weight woven fabric works for this pattern, the design possibilities are endless. I also think it would be easy to lengthen the bonus sleeves for a cool weather option. Can you imagine a full-length version with billowing sleeves and layers of pastel chiffon? So gorgeous! <Saves idea for when I own a castle>.
