Even if I love my tomboy jeans/sweatshirt/sneakers outfits most of the time, I do enjoy dressing a (teeny tiny) bit more like a woman every once in a while, but I will not compromise on the issue of comfort! I don’t like feeling restricted in my clothes, nor do I like being cold (that’s a real issue most of the year around here) or not knowing what to do with my hands.
Therefore, the specs for the MILA and Mini-MILA dresses were as follows: I wanted them comfortable, warm, somewhat feminine, bearing pockets and, of course, easy and quick to sew.
For comfort, I designed this dress to be sewn in a cotton or synthetic stretchy fleece and to be worn over a tee-shirt. I’ve included a 6cm (2 ½ inch) ease at the chest, and a little more at the waist and hips (exact ease given in tutorials), which results in a fitted but not tight dress.
For warmth, I included a turtle neck option, a hood option as well as ribbing cuffed wrists to avoid any draught. That being said, you can absolutely use a thinner knit fabric to make a spring or summer dress! In that regard, I've included a few useful tips to pick the adequate size, depending on the fabric you’ll be using and the fit you’re aiming for.
For femineity, the dress is slim fitted and has a flared skirt. I also included an overlapped collar option which will bring a more formal and less sportswear style to the dress.
For pockets, the pattern offers a kangaroo pocket option, round side pockets finished with ribbing option, and a chest pocket option (surely this won’t tell me what to do with my hands, but it’s a bonus!).
All versions of the dress are super easy to sew, but for extreme simplicity, go for the crew neck, simple hem sleeves and forget about the pockets, and your dress will be assembled in only 10 seams (hems included)! In any case, the MILA and Mini-MILA patterns are perfectly suited for hard core beginners.
Mini-MILA for children includes sizes 2 to 16 years (this last size will fit a women French size 38 – US size 6 – UK size 10, pretty convenient for those moms on the smaller side!). To sew it, you will need from 0.60 to 2.90 meters (depending on options, size and fabric width) of stretchy fleece (elasticity > 40%), 0 to 15 cm of knit ribbing and possibly a cord.
The adult version, MILA, covers French sizes 34 to 54 (US size 2 to 18 – UK size 6 to 22) and will also allow you to play with the height of the side pockets and lengths (dress length/tunique length, short or long sleeves). The yardage varies from 1.15 to 3.40 meters.
Leave a comment to let me know what you think! Ready, set, SEW!
