(Hehehe – I’m a four-headed Myrtle beast! And yes, making this collage did make me giggle…)
My first Myrtle took more-then-average effort to fit, so once I had the pattern working I knew I needed to make more to make the effort seem worthwhile ! One for me, and one for my sister. Can you guess which is which?
Actually, that’s unfair… my sister does wear lots of great colours, I’ve just somehow fallen into the habit of making more of her workwear black and white. Sorry, Anne! I’ll look for colours from your palette next time! 😉
In the mean time, THIS!
My sister and I are lucky to be very close to the same size – it’s part of why I like sewing for her so much. I usually just add a bit of length and width for the bust to my own TNTs. In this next pic, you can see how there’s a bit of extra ease in the bodice.
Now, before you think I’m a good sister for sewing this… it is a) partly in thanks to her for promising to knit me a sweater this year and b) not the dress I’m actually supposed to make her! I got as far as muslining a BHL Anna for her in knit, but for absolutely no reason I just haven’t sewn the final version. Must get on that… before her Christmas party. Ok, I’ve got time!
For my own Myrtle I used this lovely ITY knit from Fabric.com. You might remember from my review video that I loved it so much I bought 5m… so I’m happy to say that I’ve got plenty left for another project!
I used the Comino Cap skirt for both dresses again instead of the Myrtle skirt… and for this version I put the seam in centre from and back to try to get a chevron effect. In the end, I think a half-circle skirt would have given a better effect… this really isn’t very noticeable at all, and does make the drape of the skirt hang oddly in front. I’ve thought about cutting the skirt off and reattaching it with the seams at the side, but I just can’t be bothered!
As with so many things that I’ve sewn this summer, this is been sitting unworn (honestly, sitting on the bedroom floor in a pile of other clean laundry…) I think it’ll be good work wear, but it hasn’t tempted me during the holidays.
I did wear my first Myrtle to a friend’s wedding, and the ITY was perfect for a rainy outdoor wedding! (Don’t worry, there was a tent, but plenty of dodging through the rain, too…)
It was a pretty cold day, so I layered it with the silk scarf my sis (yup, that same one!) made me for my own wedding. I’d like to think it brought good luck to another wedding too!
When you make something new, do you wear it the next day with glee? Or do you tend to hang it up (ok, throw it on the floor) and ignore it for a while? I do both… though currently more of the latter!
Crafting A Rainbow 
Love that striped floral – gorgeous! I tend to wear mine a lot at first – I’m guilty of love at first stitch.
Loving the cowl neck – we all know I love a bit of draping!
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Hehehe – yes, no surprise that you would live this dress! 🙂 I like the cowl too… I’m going to have to find a good camisole to wear underneath if I want to wear it to work though! Bend over and all too much is revealed! 😉
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LOVING the new blog layout!! And of course your Myrtles. 🙂
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Thank you, lovely lady! I’m enjoying the change of scenery too! 🙂
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Awww…love that last picture with your honey. These dresses look great and it’s so nice that you and your sis can share talents with each other! I am in the midst of making a knit wrap dress and I find myself wondering how you would approach this or that aspect of it, as I sew. Wish I had the Queen of Knits living next door to come over for a coffee and to pick her brain for these projects!!
If I really love a make, I will wear it pretty steady at first and then I lose interest and am on to the next… of course I always have a few favorites that I go back to regularly.
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Thanks Margo! I’m looking forward to seeing you knit wrap dress… I’m feeling like making a few of those for fall, too! The answer to “How would Gillian do this?” is always the same: the fastest and easiest way possible! 🙂
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This looks so great on you! I bet your sister will love hers, too! It’s seriously gorgeous!
I usually can’t wait to wear something new- I have to force myself to wait until I’ve at least done the photo shoot (although I couldn’t even manage that on my most recent project… I wore it all over before I could make the time to take pictures!).
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Am I seriously the only one who regularly leaves just-finished garments in the sewing room to marinate for a while before I wear them? Maybe it’s because all my projects are quick one-session things.. and by the end of one session, I’m cracky and tired and ready to take a break! 🙂
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Hahaha! It’s probably cause it takes me longer to finish garments so I’m dying to actually wear them by the time I’m done!
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I do both – wearing the moment it’s off the machine and stuffing it in the wardrobe. It all depends how much effort/pain has been involved!
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Now i’m curious! Do you wear the hard-earned ones right away, or ignore them a while to get over the pain of creating them?
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I LOVE your next versions – particularly the floral. This is a terrific TNT for you.
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Ha – who would have thought a pattern I didn’t much like and hated working with initially would have become a favourite? But somehow it has…
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Oh, I tend to wear the next day with total glee! LOL! These Myrtles look terrific – the rosey striped one is so you 🙂
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Thanks, Sarah! It really is me in fabric form. Now why haven’t I felt inspired to wear it?
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That striped floral is delicious! I love it! Your sister is lucky and how great you guys are such a similar size. If that was the case with my sister, I’d make her tons of things (at least that’s what I tell myself).
I do a bit of both – sometimes I can hardly wait to get my newest make on (ahem! Alder shirtdress) and sometimes they just hang in my closet. It’s like sometimes when you cook a really big meal that takes a long time, by the time it’s ready, you’ve just been smelling it and tasting it too long and you wish you could just order pizza – or am I the only one this happens too?
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Hahaha – I can’t say I’ve ever had that feeling.. but my husband well knows that even if I start off enjoying cooking, 2 min before everything finished I’ll be come a raging b****. Having to have everything come together at the same moment stresses me out! 🙂
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Funny, I really like the effect with the stripes on the skirt. I could see there was something different going on there but wasn’t quite sure what. They’re both lovely dresses. I like your photos too, you look so happy!
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Thank you! There’s nothing better than a closetful of knit dresses that you can crawl into (well, one at a time!) on an early morning before work!
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Oh, I for sure wear my make the next day if possible! It’s torture to see it hanging up when I want to be wearing it.
It’s so cool that you and your sis are both so talented in different areas!
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Thank you! It is especially fun to have another blogger in the family, because then I seem less crazy for devoting so much time to this! 🙂
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this shape is really great on you! love both fabrics!
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Thanks Lisa! It was fun to sew two dresses at once – it really did make things feel faster!
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I can’t wait to wear the things I have made, but I always make myself post them first. It’s SOOO painful to wait!
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Hehe – At least that is good motivation to take pics and blog pronto! 😉
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Your happy fabric has turned into a happy dress! I’m glad the Myrtle has worked out for you, too, I think it’s a really great look.
Most of the time my new makes hang on the back of my bedroom door for a while before I get around to wearing them – it’s supposed to remind me to get around to taking photos, but I think it’s ended up as the “wardrobe integration zone”. Once they have had their first wear, into the closet they go.
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I can just picture the Disney animated version of your new clothes getting to know your older ones, finding common ground by dancing together in the moonlight while you sleep!
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Both dresses look fabulous on you. You wear red so darn well!
I totally can’t wait to wear something. I often am wearing my outfit the day I take photos for my blog. So as I’m pictured is how I look for the day.
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That’s really nice. I’m rarely actually dressed for the day when I take pics… Which does rather feel like cheating! Mostly it’s because I tend to take pics in the evening and one weekends, and then nothing can stop me from putting my pjs back on once I’m done pics! 😛
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The only thing better than flowers and stripes is flowers ON stripes! Love this print and the colourway is one of my favourites! And gish-golly, your smile lights up the room girl!
Sometimes I have to wear what I’ve made RIGHT away! And all the time, LOL.
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Aww, thanks! I love stripe/floral combos – I don’t know why they are so hard to find!
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Ooh, those are both very cute! You’re such a good sister. 🙂 After seeing your pretty Myrtles, I’m very tempted to copy you once more and make one with my new wildly patterned jersey fabrics. 😉
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You would like this pattern, once you get the fit sorted!
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Yeah baby, get your money’s worth out of that pattern. Fun fabric choices as ever.
I usually wear what I made out to food shop the next week. Look at me GIANT grocery workers! LOL
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Hahaha – nothing like being overdressed and fabulous when everyone else in in sweats!
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Love your two dresses ! My favorite is the stripey one.
I usually wear what I’ve sewn the same day (that’s when i’m sew a dress because I need a new one to go to work/go out with my hubby…) or the next day after I sew it and the day I take the pic.
Bur sometimes, when i’m not to satisfied with what I’ve sewn, I put in my closet for somes times. And usually when I try it again, i like it much more.
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Thank you! 🙂
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I love that striped floral dress, the fabric is so great. My mum and I have an arrangement where she knits for me and I sew for her. I have just been on holiday to stay with them and exchanged a lovely yellow cardigan for a tunic top. On my return I was greeted with some floral ITY knit that I completely forgot that I ordered and was completely inspired by your floral knits!
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Hi Gillian – you indicated on your first Myrtle that you self lined the back just like the front. I think that is a great idea and I’ve altered the back pattern to one large piece like the front – i can’t figure out how to put the shoulder seams together. Could you provide a little direction about how you did this? I love your website and have been lurking for a long time 🙂
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Ahh – I did the back differently, I think. Min was two separate version of the back piece. First, sew the two back together at the neckline. Next, put the raw shoulder edges of the front and back together and sew. Does that make sense? There might be other ways to do it too?
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