Papercut Patterns Meridian Dress

The Meridian dress is a beautiful pattern and I'm so pleased I finally made one! It's not a difficult project to sew, but I wouldn't recommend it for absolute beginners. I used a lovely enzyme washed linen for my dress - it's a difficult colour to describe as it seems to change in different lights, but it's a sort of lilac/mushroom shade of grey. The Papercut instructions were very easy to follow and well-explained and I cut out and finished my dress over several evenings. I made a size 'XS' (which looks like a size 3 in the updated version) and I didn't make any alterations. You can read more details and see more photos of my dress in my latest blog post, which you can find here.

I made this dress especially for a wedding, I was looking for something simple with sleeves and an easy length that could be worn again. The meridian ticked all those boxes! My version was in a lovely drapey lyocell which gave it a fancy feel which still being fairly easy to sew with. It's a bit of a strange pattern because the waist ties grow out of the bodice front like strange long boob holders but when its complete it really does look great! I only struggled with one bit of the pattern - joining the bodice with the skirt - I think I must have clipped a bit too far so take your time and pay attention with it. I also found it to be a bit roomy (not an issue but worth having a look at the finished measurements chart) and took about an 1inch in on the skirt. Would 100% make another - maybe in a linen for a wondering summer dress.

This dress was so fabulous to make and very easy! I ran into a few minor bumps on the way but I explain this and many other things in my blog post! I also have a Youtube video about this make!! The link to my blog is below and it has links to my instagram and youtube channel! There are other blog posts on my website as well!
https://www.dailysewjourner.com/blog/meridian-dress

Pattern: Meridian Wrap Dress from Papercut Patterns
Fabric: cotton handstamped block print from Fibers to Fabric on Etsy

Difficulty: confident beginner – skills include adding in a zipper, inset sleeves, pleats, and lining a bodice. This is a good pattern to start out learning pleats or the sleeves! With a patterned fabric, these small details are quite forgiving. Start to finish was about 3-4 hours.

Changes: I chose the short sleeve, knee length option! I wanted a more summer-y dress given the Texas heat and humidity, and felt that the fabric fit better for this look. I think if you chose a heavier weight fabric or a jersey, it would like great in the longer sleeves! I may make the midi-length eventually, but I generally like to show more leg. The only change I made was instead of adding in the keyhole back, I did a full zipper – there was no specific reason for this other than not wanting to sew on a button! I do think that this is a such a delicate detail to add, so I will definitely consider doing this in the future. I would probably add pockets the next time as well!

Thoughts: I was a little skeptical during the sewing process – the ties look so silly when you’re making it that I was absolutely convinced I had messed something up during the process. I love the look of having a wrap dress with a full coverage bodice, making it perfect for more modest events! I definitely think using different fabrics could totally change the look of the dress. Overall, this is an incredibly versatile pattern and I certainly see myself making several versions of this dress in the future ?

More photos on the blog!: https://danicadoesit.com/2019/02/19/meridian-wrap-dress-oh-sew-versatile/