Pattern Review: Colette Patterns Myrtle Dress

As with the previous two Colette pattern releases, the Myrtle dress is designed for knits and ranges from XS to 3XL. I am so happy to finally be able to simply stitch up a pattern without having to do a significant amount of mind bending math and grading.

The pattern has a few lovely design features. Most notable is the wide draped neckline and shoulder tabs. My version was made with a lovely floral knit fabric I snagged from Girl Charlee during their 40% off sale over the July 4th holiday.

Things I liked about the pattern:

• It comes in my size range!
• The bodice draping was interesting. The front bodice piece is very long and actually drapes onto itself to become self lined.
• Button tab shoulders

Things I struggled with and modified:

• The waistband just did not work for me. The instructions state to fold down part of the bodice to create a casing but the result was NOT pretty. I ended up taking that out then simply zigzag stitching a piece of elastic to the seam where the bodice and skirt came together. The result was not perfect but looked better than my first attempt.
• The bodice ended up being a bit short. Next time I will add 2 inches to the bodice length so the dress sits closer to my natural waist. I must note that I am pretty short waisted so for others the bodice may need to be lengthened even more.
• Overall length of the skirt. I added about 4 inches which is a common modification for me on Colette patterns. I’m almost 5’8″ and don’t typically wear dresses above my knees. This is my personal preference and I want to be able to wear them to work.
• I started with the pockets but thought they added to much bulk at the hips so later took them out and simply stitched up the sides.

Overall I really like how the dress came out. It is comfortable and can easily be dressed up or down depending upon what shoes and cardi I wear. There is definitely another Myrtle in my future!

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