Merchant & Mills Edie Top and Dress

Like everyone says it's all about the sleeves! This is a simple dress that can easily styled up or down. I used a polyester viscose check which is really cosy and warm. The pattern as usual from M & M is well designed and instructions easy to follow. I added patch pockets and a tie belt as it felt a bit too wide on its own plus a tuck halfway down the sleeves which helps with the weight of the voluminous sleeves especially in a thicker fabric. Can't recommend it enough as a great transitional dress to wear with boots.

I saw this pattern and immediately thought this would make a basic white tee but but better look. I wanted a pattern for my wardrobe that I could use again and again as a wardrobe staple and I might have just found it in The Edie.

It’s quite a boxy fit for the bodice but the sleeves are where it gets interesting. I opted for a linen that had a bit of structure as to hold the shape well. Using a solid colour does this to real justice but this could look amazing in a patterned fabric.

I’ve paired my top with some basic blue jeans but I’m thinking it could look great under a pair of dungarees or a denim dungaree dress.

As a slight heads up, this top does come up quite short. I prefer this length but if you want it a tad longer, you might need to work out the measurements before purchasing your fabric.

All in all, I’m really impressed with this pattern and I’ll definitely be making it again.

What a perfect pattern. It works perfectly, as always with M&M patterns it is well drafted and the instructions are crystal clear. A joy to make.

The only suggestion is the back opening bias could be a little wider.

The dress pattern pieces and the top pattern pieces are distinct, so you can make both without  impacting making the other.

Despite giving me Gilead vibes I really like this pattern.
I usually shorten most , if not all, my makes, not sure what happened but I completely forgot to do that with this one.

The shape is really lovely and despite the simplicity of the dress, the sleeves really make the dress come to life.
For the sleeves I opted for the ties, but there’s also the options of having the elastic if you prefer or if you think the ties might get in the way!

I made a size 8, no modifications.
The fabric i used is hemp / organic cotton it’s a beautiful cloth and it works really well for this dress as it’s not stop drapey and I think you need a fabric with some structure to really show the dress.

This is an intermediate pattern but I think a beginner can also successfully tackle this pattern as the instructions, although, minimal are easy to follow. Definitely recommend.

We have used this pattern to create beautiful wardrobe staples, we have made both the top, paired with jeans or a skirt, and a gorgeous linen fabric dress version.

The beauty of this pattern is the sleeves and they are such a statement. There was a little bit of pattern hacking involved as the pattern calls for making and threading a tie through the cuff to create the ballon sleeve - however we choose to create an elastic cuff using elastic. But we think it results in a great looking sleeve.

There were a couple of other changes that were made which you can read on our blog.

www.missmaudesewing.co.nz/blogs/miss-maude-musings-1/its-all-about-the-sleeve-edie-dress-top