Colette Moneta

I am on a roll with Colette and Seamwork patterns. Here is another classi Colette pattern, the Moneta Dress. Just like the Myrtle dress, it was well received by the sewing community. And again, not being one to follow trends, I just made my first version!

I used a chili red cotton spandex knit from girlcharlee.com. I love cotton spandex. It has a nice drape, not too light or too heavy. It rebounds quickly, no saggy knees or booties. I sewed this entirely by my serger, using a 3 thread seam. I used my coverstitch on the neckline, sleeve and bottom hems. 

The neckline is simply folded to the inside and stitched in place. Knits can tend to be a little fiddly so to help stabilize the neckline, I fused 1/4 inch webbing to the neckline before folding over. This worked like a charm and gave a nice, smooth result .

I made this in about 2 hours. I did cheat and leave the pockets off to quicken the process. 

I love this dress! The bodice is just the right length. If it were any shorter this might turn into a maternity or frumpy look. As is, it is more like a ballerina look, which I love! I wore this to my business-casual office the first time. I can definitely see making more. 

~Jenny

Colette Myrtle

Thank you for your sweet replies on my last post! I'm going to keep the blog going for now and hope to post more faithfully.  

I was a member of Seamwork when it first started out. I let it lapse for a few years and resumed a subscription this year. I'm so glad I did! I've discovered that all the original Colette patterns are available to subscribers, you don't have to buy them separately.  This is the Colette Myrtle dress. It was all the rage when it first came out. I'm not one to jump on new pattern bandwagon so I've sewed my first one now. 

I used a magenta  cotton spandex blend from Girl Charlee. I love Girl Charlee for their great prices and quality knits. This is the perfect weight for this dress, not too heavy and a nice drape. 

I sewed all of the dress using my serger and cover stitch machine. This made it quick and easy. I like the elastic casing construction. Most patterns would have you sew a seperate strip of fabric or bias tape to create the casing but this one is made using the bodice and skirt seams. 

I'm a 16 according to the size chart but find that the 14 works better for me for this brand. I did take the bodice sides in approx 0.5 inches on each side for a better bust fit. 

I love the end dress! It is so comfortable to wear yet looks dressed up enough for the office. I could see making another one in black for a LBD. 

~Jenny