The April review

Hello and welcome to our monthly review blog post!

Sorry this one is a bit late, got distracted with all the bank holidays, still  not sure what day it is!

Each month we will be trying patterns from different independent pattern companies and working with different fabrics we stock here in the shop. We will make them up on our work bench, so you can see the finished garment sample. We have found having the samples made up in the shop really helps people decide on a pattern, so if you can’t pop in and browse the rails, hopefully this will help you decide.

We always make the garments up in our current fabric ranges so they match the season and this month we have chosen the lovely bright fabrics by Ruby Star and patterns from Liberty. The windows look bright and cheery, even on rainy spring days.

This months Patterns used are:

The Zina Wrap skirt from @liberty fabrics  £18.50

The Bella tea dress from @liberty fabrics  £18.50

The  Mabel tiered dress from @liberty fabrics £18.50

The Zina Wrap skirt from @libertyfabrics £18.50

The Zina wrap skirt pattern is a simple beginners pattern.

This pattern has lots of options, Short, long, and with a ‘flounce’ edge.Sized from 6 to 22, but we always recommend you go by your measurements rather than dress size. Dress sizes vary so much between designers and none of us really fit in the same box do we? There are no zips or buttons. Great for beginners.

I had been looking forward to making a wrap skirt but hadn’t found a pattern that worked well. This one is really simple and makes a lovely style skirt. Its instructions allow for it to be well finished on the inside too. The only fiddly bit was making the button hole to thread the tie through. This was made easier with the buttonhole foot on my machine.

The lovely soft cotton “reverie’ Fabric by @Ruby star was perfect for this pattern (£18 per metre).  This would also be fabulous in our new rayons or linens that have just arrived.

The pattern is printed on a fine traditional patternweight paper. This can be fiddly as the paper tears easily. If you want to use it more than once, then maybe  trace the Pattern onto thicker paper to begin with. The instructions are set out in a traditional format with line drawings. It’s made in an apron style, sewing the panels together to make almost a semicircle. The fit was true to size , so the fabric requirement was spot on, with very little wastage. 1.5cm seam allowance included

A Lovely pattern to get started with and one to make over and over again, a wardrobe staple.

Level Beginner

Sizes  – 6-14 or 14-22

Total Cost £66.45

Buy here:

Pattern £18.50

Fabric £45.00 (2.5m)

Interfacing 80p (20cm)

Thread £2.15

The Bella Tea dress from @liberty fabrics £18.50

The Bella tea dress is a gorgeous vintage style dress. Based on the tea dresses of the 30s/40s it has a beautiful round collar and a puff sleeve. The pleating on the front adds delicate detail. This pattern is more for intermediate sewers who have done some garment making in the past.

This pattern has a couple of variations but I went with the traditional option B  Sized from 6 to 22, but as before, we always recommend you go by your measurements rather than dress size.

The lovely soft cotton “daffodil’ Fabric by @Ruby star was perfect for this pattern (£18 per metre).  This would also be fabulous in a Liberty Lawn or maybe in our new rayons and crepes.

As above, The pattern is printed on a fine traditional pattern weight paper. This can be fiddly as the paper tears easily. If you want to use it more than once, then maybe  trace the Pattern onto thicker paper to begin with. The instructions are set out in a traditional format with line drawings.  The fit was true to size , so the fabric requirement was good, with very little wastage. There are a lot of pieces so make sure you mark the pieces well with numbers, darts and notches. 1.5cm seam allowance included. It has a side zip. The opening at the neck is closed with a hook and eye but you could use a button and loop. I also added the ribbon bow detail.

Level – Intermediate

Total Cost £85.95

Buy here:

Pattern £18.50

Fabric £61.20 (3.4m)

Zip £2.50

Thread £2.15

interfacing £1.60 (40cm)

The mable tiered dress by @liberty fabrics £18.50

The beautiful dress pattern is  for ages 6m to 4 years and suitable for beginners.

The flutter sleeves  and tiered skirt make it suitable in light weight fabrics, like lawn, linen or cotton. I chose a beautiful floral liberty fabric  for this one to complement our adult outfits for the window. This sample is age 3-4 years. The dress has a couple of options, with ruffles, elasticated sleeve or sleeveless. There is also a coordinating hat in the pattern. There is a zip.

A very simple pattern to make with good quality pattern paper and multi sized. It has photos to help you follow the instructions. The only tricky bit is probably adding the zip and the bias binding. Binding can be a bit fiddly, just take your time.

A really pretty little dress.

Level Beginner

Total Cost £54.75

Buy here:

Pattern £18.50

fabric £31.20 (1.2 metre)

Bias Binding 40p (1.m)

Thread £2.15

Zip £2.50

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Hopefully these will have inspired you to have a go at one our patterns. If you still feel nervous why not book onto one of our workshops with Anna. Never used a sewing machine before but want to learn, book our beginners workshops. Just need a little help on specific project then maybe a 1-1 session would be better for you. Just take a look at our workshop pages with upcoming dates. You can book online or in store.

If you have made up one of the patterns, drop us an email with your review and we would love to see pictures! Info@milliemoonshop.co.uk

Happy sewing
Rachel and Becki x