Love layering? You’ll love Etta!

A review of Merchant & Mills Etta Dress

Reviewed by LouiseFoldLine on 25th October, 2022

I am always on the hunt for pieces that can be worn across the seasons, and when the Merchant and Mills Etta Dress launched, I just knew I had to make it! I started off making a toile of the dress as a peplum blouse to see how the project came together and test the fit.

Fit

I was between sizes and decided to go for the smaller size as I could see from the finished measurements that the ease was quite generous and I was happy I did. I slightly shortened the bodice and lowered the back neck and took a bit out after making my toile, but I think it still needs some tweaking if I make it again. The skirt is very full, which was something that drew me to this pattern, but if you aren’t so keen on a full skirt you might want to take some out of the width.

Instructions

I must admit this was my first time actually making a Merchant and Mills pattern (rather than wanting to make one) and I found the instructions were pretty thorough. Some of the terminology was a little different to what I’ve come across, but it was easy enough to follow. My tip is to make sure you mark your pieces with the wrong side as it can get a little confusing with left and right when making a wrap… something I always struggle with!

Supplies

I visited the Merchant and Mills shop in the summer (and yes, it’s every bit as good as you might hope it would be) and picked my fabric out there. I used an Indian checked cotton for the outer and a lovely cotton voile for the lining. I fully lined the garment as the cotton was a tad sheer and I wanted it to be warm enough to wear in the autumn, and I’m so glad I did. You do need quite a lot of fabric for this pattern as the skirt is very full, but in my opinion, it’s totally worth it.

I will definitely make Etta again. I think it would be great in denim or plain black cotton to go with lots.