Tag Archives: maaidesign

Fern Dress

Featuring Linen from Maaidesign Artist Collection

Maai Design have launched the third drop of their Artist Collection; this time featuring Gabriela Larios and Alison Willoughby. For the collaboration, I was offered three meters of fabric of my choice. I decided on the Strawberry Poem in Linen by Gabriela Larios. I thought it would be the perfect match for the By Galia Patterns Fern Dress which needs a lightweight to medium woven fabric with soft drape.

Strawberry Poem by Gabriela Laros

The Fern Dress is a classic dress design featuring round neck and a gathered skirt. It’s loose fitting which is adjustable with waistline ties that can be tied front and back or on the sides. Galia has included so many options with this dress. It’s something that can be sewn in so many ways and each version could be different. I decided to sew the half-length puff sleeves with elasticated hem. I went with the button closure in the back. Best of all, there are pockets!

Fern Dress Details

There is something about Galia’s patterns that makes you feel so good. The fit description is so accurate. With my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips, I sewed the size 10. My waist measurements do fall between the size 10 and size 12 but I decided not to grade as there is a lot of ease in the pattern (looking at the finished measurements). The dress is midi length which I did not have to adjust for my height of 167cm. I love how the dress falls below my knees at mid-calf.

By Galia Fern Dress

Linen is so easy to sew with. I always start by washing and ironing my fabric. I love to line dry my fabric but throw it in the dryer at your own risk, the care instructions do not recommend it. The fabric is quite broad at 140cm but it’s important to note that the pattern does not go all the way to the end. The Fern Dress pattern used most of the fabric which was a relief. 

The fabric is 150g/m2 (5oz) which sits at the top end of lightweight and bottom end of medium weight. I used a universal 90/14 gage sewing needle which worked well for the fabric. I finished the seams on an overlocker without any issues. The skirt needed quite a bit of gathering and again, there were no issues doing this with the linen. 

Sewing By Galia’s patterns is such a pleasure with her detailed instructions. I feel that as a home sewist, I really appreciate the extra details that Galia puts into her pattern instructions. For example, she instructs double stitching under the arm. The first time I sewed By Galia patterns, the illustrations were hand drawn but for the Fern Dress she has chosen to use photographs which also work well. I only have a black and white printer and I’m not great at following written instructions on the computer while I sew so I printed the instructions but when needed, I referred to the photos as needed on the computer.

It was wonderful to sew this dress. I didn’t make a toile because I felt so confident in Galia’s fitting notes. It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with Maai Design because they consistently curate the most beautiful designs to marry to the best quality fabric. They also allow creativity and choice in the collaboration which means that I will wear my dress for many more years to come. I’ve been a faithful subscriber to Maai Design since I started sewing and I’ve never been disappointed. Sewing with good fabric is an investment. Cut that good fabric and enjoy it!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Milenda Dress featuring Johanna Ralph collection from MaaiDesign

Maaidesign is launching a new fabric brand called Johanna Ralph* and I was super excited to receive a preview of the Silent Bloom print. It’s a beautiful abstract graphic married with elegance. I chose to preview the linen, but the print comes in other substrates. When this luxurious linen arrived, quite a few patterns sprang to mind. I settled on the Milenda Dress because I thought that the linen would feature the linen beautifully. Linen is great for items needing structure.

Silent Bloom – Johanna Ralph Collection

I tried making this dress about five years ago. I had just started sewing and I loved the look of the dress. Even though the pattern advises that it’s for intermediate level sewist, I jumped in and tried to sew it. I used a double gauze and instantly started making mistakes like not adding the pattern pieces to make the right length, I confused the pleat construction, I didn’t attach the bias binding or the pockets the right way. However, despite all that, I was super proud, and the Milenda Dress has ended up being a dress I’ve reached for repeatedly.

The Milenda is a classic shift dress that can be pulled over the head. The design these features pleats in the front and back which release into a skirt. These pleats are a clever feature and really help to shape the dress in a flattering way.

So happy with my pleats this time!

When this beautiful 100% linen fabric arrived from Maaidesign, I knew I had to make the Milenda Dress again. I started by giving it a cold wash and then a cool dry in my dryer. I then changed my machine needle to a universal 90/12 gage needle. Linen does wrinkle so a good press is essential before sewing. I don’t mind the wrinkles once it’s sewn but it’s good to iron it to make sure the pattern pieces remain accurate.

For my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hip, I made the size M. No modifications were needed. I was so happy that I could follow the instructions to the tee! I guess I am making progress with my sewing. On a little side note, the Tessuti instructions are excellent, but the pictures are photographed not illustrated so it’s easier to follow the instruction on the computer. Everything is logical and the construction is excellent.

Don’t you love a dress with pockets? I loved how these pockets were constructed because they sit to the front. Also, the pockets are at the perfect level and are properly deep.

Tessutti Milenda Dress

When I photographed the dress, I realised that the fabric is slightly gauzy and sheer. It’s still perfectly modest without needing lining. The linen is very lightweight; from memory it’s under 5 oz or 150 gsm and had a generous width of 150cm. I can’t wait to wear the dress when the weather starts to warm up. Linen is just so comfortable in summer. Looking at the Johanna Ralph collection, I think it’s going to be a hit with those bold, abstract prints.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

*Full Disclosure: The fabric was provided for preview and Instagram content. No blog post was required but I share everything on my blog and love documenting all my makes. All opinions remain my own.