Here’s my outfit from the Minerva pop up shop; part of the Minerva 25th Birthday Bash! If you attended, you may have seen me doing demos of the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker and giving talks on how to match patterns with fabric types. I was a little hoarse by the end of the day! (BTS Photos at the end)
A reminder that this is the drawstring waist dress Butterick 6806 which has a lovely notch neckline, tiered skirt and curved hem option and nice chest patch pockets, this time made in Minerva Exclusive Petal Eclipse viscose challis.
For my second version of B6806, I didn’t change that much. This is view A, but with some of the same adjustments: First the neckline was rounded off to lose the notch. Then the skirt hem was levelled off. The sleeves are the new part I’m really pleased with as they make the perfect Autumn/Winter dress: A dramatic shape gathered into an elasticated hem.
I also kept my “drawstring” hack… (The naughty secret of B6806 is that it’s an elastic waist with a tie sewn to the front to give the illusion of a drawstring. I prefer a real drawstring as elastic wiggles and rides up. So I used a grosgrain ribbon and sewed two small buttonholes either side of the centre front. I created the channel as per the sewing instructions, with the buttonholes perfectly inside the channel stitching line. Easy peasy. Once threaded through, the dress cinches easily and looks cute!)
The Minerva Exclusive Viscose is a perfect partner for this design. Big bold florals on a bright happy blue viscose challis. It has faded a little in the wash but is still a strong blue colour, again perfect for grey days. And all of my sewing tips for twill fabric at the end of the previous pattern review, work for viscose challis so take a peek if you need some extra support!
What a fabulous colour choice and material. I love it! A very attractive looking dress, and as you say, perfect for brightening your day when the weather is grey.