I keep my fabric stash on top of a small wardrobe in our bedroom. A few years ago, I rationalised the stash and sorted it into a couple of plastic tubs (plus one bag…) after getting sick of it overflowing and looking a mess (plus being paranoid about moths getting to the fabric). Since then, I’ve either been sewing from my stash, or I’ve bought fabric and sewn it up straight away, so that it never makes it to the stash in the first place. The stash hasn’t gone down too much, but it is still confined to the tubs, so I’d call that a success.
I knew this fabric had been sat in that stash for a particularly long time. I asked Phil to buy me this fabric from Merchant and Mills for either my birthday or Christmas, and requested it with the intention of making this pattern, the Merchant and Mills Ellis dress. I asked Phil if he still had the order email, and we found that he had ordered it ten years ago this month!
I sewed the Ellis variation of the pattern, which should have sleeves, but found the fit at the shoulders far too wide (and, from memory, the sleeves quite narrow) so decided to simply remove the sleeves and finish the armholes with a facing instead. I sewed a size 12 and it does feel a bit oversized generally, while being quite fitted at the neckline. Luckily, as this dress is so simple and breezy, any fit issues are fairly irrelevant and I’ve been getting quite a bit of wear out of it.
I’m very glad to have finally put this fabric and pattern to use, and have pulled another fabric Phil gifted me (more recently this time) out of the stash ready to cut out while I’m on a roll.
