So good I made it twice – Colette Moneta

I often post something I have made and talk about what I might do next time I make it, but then it seems that despite good intentions I don’t get to the ‘next time’ because there is always something new and shiny to try.

When I have made something more than once I often prefer the second version. Probably because I have already worked out the tricky bits and can try to do things better the next time round – or at least avoid the stupid mistakes which result from not reading the instructions properly! There are quite a few things that I made last year which I am planning to revisit – either because I want to do some more work on the fit – my Belladone needs adjustments around the shoulders and neckline for example or because I just really love it and want more versions – Skater Princess!

Since I got my overlocker I have been sewing a lot with knits and after various t-shirts I have moved on to a dress. As I am in a revisiting frame of mind I decided to make another Colette Moneta. I was really pleased with my first Moneta and this is quite a straightforward project.

My first Moneta is made out of a stable viscose jersey and my latest version has more drape. I am still getting to grips with the huge differences between knit fabrics. This one is from the Abakhan ‘t-shirt fabric’ bins and is a more stretchy and drapey viscose knit – it seems to have good recovery but I will only know for sure after I have worn it for a while. It is a lovely teal kind of blue. When I bought it I was convinced it was thick enough for a dress, then part way through sewing I worried that it would be too clingy around my lumps and bumps. It seems to be OK, but the pictures do show a little more cling than I would like and probably a slightly heavier fabric would have been better. One day I hope to know this more clearly when I buy fabric rather than sewing and hoping for the best. I think it is definitely one of the problems with buying knits online unless you know exactly what you are getting.

I cut a medium for the bust and shoulders and graded out to a large for the waist and skirt. I used the very longest length for the skirt pieces and took a small hem of less than an inch (I am 5’7″). I added a small amount of height to the neckline at the back as I find that I can’t tell the difference between back and front on my first version. I probably could have added a bit more as I still can’t really see the difference. I wish I had remembered to widen the shoulder seams a bit as I find the neckline slightly too wide (next time – definitely!)

I sewed most of this on my overlocker and as a result it was very quick to make. I used a twin needle on the neckline and the hems of the sleeves and the skirt.

I attached the clear elastic to the waistline using my sewing machine as I couldn’t imagine holding the elastic stretched out at the same time as using the overlocker. This time I used the three-step zigzag stitch to attach the clear elastic, to hold it down more securely. I sewed the skirt to the bodice using the sewing machine but then I neatened the seam with the overlocker when I was finished as the elastic looked rather messy and the overlock stitch helps to cover the elastic.

I think the gathers ended up fairly even – I found I had relaxed the tension on the elastic a bit in places and had to re-sew. This is a slightly nerve-racking way of gathering but gives me a better finish than when I try to do it myself with gathering stitches.

This was a perfect ‘next step’ project for me and my overlocker – it makes most of the construction super quick but is a little bit more involved than a t-shirt! I am still in love with the super neat seam finishes (but not rushing to change my thread colours).

So – is anyone else sewing repeats at the moment? I feel as if i want to consolidate my skills and work on improving results with patterns I know I will like (until I get distracted by the shiny again of course).