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A Nautical Moneta

Hello there, friends!

nautical moneta 1

Yep! It’s another Moneta!  My favorite knit dress pattern!  I certainly can’t get enough of this pattern as this is the 5th Moneta I’ve made for myself.  It’s basically my go-to pattern for a quick, comfy dress.

[source: Colette Patterns]

This one went together pretty quickly as I’ve made this pattern several times now.  The first two Moneta’s I made I used regular elastic as they were out of clear elastic at my local store.  I can tell you that the clear elastic is much better for this dress than regular elastic (like knit) as it keeps the waistline where it’s supposed to be.  That’s what I figured that it would do and that’s what it does.  My last three Moneta’s are made in the proper manner and I really do notice a difference.

nautical moneta dressform collage

The fabric I used is an anchor print cotton/lycra jersey knit by Robert Kaufman that I purchased from Fabric.com. I’ve been wanting a white dress for quite a while and actually have five white/ivory fabrics in my stash waiting to be made into dresses.  So this is my first foray into white territory.  I was a bit afraid of getting it dirty, especially as I was eating Afghan kabob the day I wore this dress out for it’s debut.  It didn’t get dirty and made me more confident about wearing my future white dresses.

nautical moneta 2

When pondering the prospect of making this dress, I had thought about lining it, but I just felt a bit lazy about it, so I didn’t.  This jersey is lightweight, but a bit thicker than others in it’s category.  I’m wearing nude undergarments in these photos and couldn’t see anything, but I decided to put on a slip when I went out in this so that I didn’t feel self-conscious about showing off my skivvies.

nautical moneta 3

Admittedly, my hem is a bit wonky.  I still consider myself a knit newbie and I think that perhaps I stretched the fabric a bit when I was sewing it. I’m thinking that either stay tape or wonder tape would help with keeping the hem less wobbly.

nautical moneta back

I put stay tape on the pocket seams and think that helped a great bit with any potential sagging.  Although, I’ve never had this problem with any of my previous jersey dresses.

nautical moneta 4

This was my first time using the Laguna cotton jersey from Robert Kaufman and I really like it.  This fabric was washed again after I wore it and it still looks the same as the day I got it.  That makes me feel very confident about buying more Robert Kaufman knits in the future.  The last Moneta I made for myself out of a cotton jersey from Girl Charlee, faded so badly after the first wash that it unfortunately got relegated to a house dress.  Girl Charlee did give me a refund credit for that fabric (in which I bought a pink/white floral modal cotton jersey), but I doubt I will be purchasing from there again.  I’ve had better luck with higher quality knits and all of the other knits I’ve purchased from other stores — Harts Fabrics, Britex Fabrics, Fabric Mart, and Fabric.com — did not have that problem.

nautical accessories collage

I really love this dress and definitely see it as a staple.  I can’t wait to make another Moneta!  I know it may be boring, but I love to make quick and easy dresses, especially when I’m in the midst of working on formal wear — a cocktail dress and a formal gown — which I’m doing at the moment.  I wanted something new to wear this past weekend and a few hours later I had a dress! Yay!  You can’t get much better than that. 🙂

nautical moneta 5

Happy Sewing!

  • Dress:  Colette Moneta in Robert Kaufman Anchor print Laguna cotton jersey knit, made by me
  • Shoes:  Swedish Hasbeens Haga
  • Purse:  Ross (no label)
  • Belt:  Amazon
  • Earrings:  Bauble Bar

Comments

  1. A quick question: where did you get your dress form, and is it close to your measurements or do you just use it for pictures and not fitting as well?

  2. I am glad you recommended the Robert Kaufman Laguna knits…I like beefier knits for dresses as I think they skim the body better but have trouble finding them. I always look for “medium weight” and 8 oz or more. I have bought a good bit from girl Charlee and I find that if I stick with those requirements the knits are thick enough. I have not had an issue with fading yet either. I buy most of my fabrics from Fabric.com but I have been looking at Harts recently. I buy everything online since I live at least an hour from any fabric store that sells anything other than quilting cotton.

  4. I’m also terrified of making white clothes, as I’m 100% sure they’ll end up grey or covered in tomato sauce after a week.

    I really should make another Moneta, though – my last two are worn a LOT and are soooo comfortable, and as you said very quick to whip up!

    • I think I’m getting over my fear of the white. I’ll just be cautious when wearing it! Definitely make some more Monetas! Quick and easy and then you have another dress! I need some more knits!

  6. I love this. Seriously considering flying stateside tomorrow to steal it after I have headed to fabric.com to get myself some of that awesome fabric!

    • Thanks! I think it has to do with the belt and the color/print. It doesn’t look as gathered as my other Monetas, but is the same size and made in the same way. So I’m guessing that it’s an optical illusion.

  15. This dress works great with your hair color and skin tone, and those pops of red…it is just perfection.

    Knit stay tape in the hem and at the shoulder seams is always a must for me in all my knit dresses and tunics. But…I didn’t think your hem looked too wonky.

    • Thanks, Alicia! 🙂 I’ve put stay tape in the shoulder seams of knit shirts, and I think I should definitely put it in future knit dresses. I think ironing does quite a bit to make a hem look better! lol

  16. So cute! Especially with the red accents and the border collie 🙂 For most of my life I’ve stayed away from white thinking that I’ll get it filthy, but a couple years ago it occurred to me that I don’t typically spill things all over myself. Now white is one of my favorites! I’ve only had one accident involving tea, and a touch of oxi clean solved that one. White is nothing to be afraid of!

    • Thanks, Kelly! Yes, I’ve felt the same way about white! I did try to be careful whilst wearing this and not sit down anywhere dirty or spill things on myself. But, like you said, we rarely spill anything anyway, so why worry? I surely won’t be wearing a white dress when cleaning anything though! lol

  17. I love this and it looks amazing on you! I’m definitely a Kaufmann fan and really wish I could get my hands on some without paying crazy shipping prices to Canada.
    I love how you accessorized this outfit, too! The pops of red look amazing and the photobombing doggie is the best. 😉

    • Thanks, Andie! I don’t understand Canadian shipping prices as it often costs more for me to mail something over the border than it does to send something to the UK or AU/NZ. Makes no sense to me! I’m hoping that you guys can get some online retailers up there to give you what you want! 🙂

  19. You look wonderful! And the shoes! They make me smile, I love those shoes! I’m really wanting a Moneta, they look great on so many women. I just need more coverage up top. I guess I’m going to have to get brave, sew my first knit, then figure out my first hack. I have a horrible poly fabric that I bought for $1 per yard to learn about knits, and you’ve inspired my to take the plunge.

    • Thanks, Lara! I have seen a few people change the neckline, so it shouldn’t be too hard to raise it up. That’s a good idea for cold weather to do that! You’ll do great at sewing this dress! The instructions are wonderful and with the right tools it goes pretty seamlessly.

  20. I’ve made the Moneta many times too. For flawless hems there are two products that work well. Fusible Hem Tape is from The Sewing Workshop and Pamela’s Patterns recommends Knit Stay Tape from Sewkeys. Both products are a soft tricot that can be serged onto your hem edge then turned up. My knit hems are ripple free. These are “never fail” products, imho.

    • Thank you for the advice! I’ll definitely need to pick up those supplies before I make my next one. I was figuring that’s what it needed and good to know that there’s a different tape for knits.

  21. Beautiful as always, I love the moneta pattern, it’s just so comfortable, I think you can tell from photographs that everyone feels good in it! Can’t wait to see what’s next xx

  22. Tanya, you look absolutely stunning in this! And I love your whole outfit. As you might have noticed the Moneta is my new favorite pattern 🙂 It’s just so versatile, and the bodice is so easy to pair with other skirt versions. I think I might copy you on this, I want a nautical Moneta of my own!
    XX,
    Naomi

    • Thanks, Naomi! Yes, you are the Queen of the Moneta in my book! I haven’t paired it with any other skirt patterns yet as I like this slightly gathered skirt. Perhaps I will be more experimental with it someday and try a different skirt or one of the many bodice options. I love the 3/4 sleeve more than the others and how you can dress it up or down. 🙂

  27. This looks fantastic on you! You can definitely pull off white. And I love Kaufmann Laguna jersey too – I made my brother’s Thread Theory shirt with it and it sewed up beautifully

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Mrs. Hughes: A retro inspired, vintage garment sewing and plus-size dressmaking blog by Tanya Maile Hughes.