Are you as obsessed with our new Marnie blouse and dress sewing pattern as we are?
Aside from the dreamy design, one of the great things about this pattern is that it pairs well with many of the fabrics you probably already have in your stash - hooray! Think cotton lawn, poplin, double gauze, seersucker, viscose (rayon), and more.
If you're after some style inspiration and fabric ideas to create your Marnie, read on...
Mad about floral minis
Everybody needs a ditsy floral mini dress in their lives and they are HOT this season. With so much inspiration on the high street for this style right now, as I'm writing this I'm itching to finish my own floral Marnie mini dress that's watching me from the corner of the office...
Ditsy florals in lightweight fabrics with drape are ideal for Marnie. Think viscose, crepe and rayon types. Let your fabric do the talking with simple style lines, or opt for contrasting but complimentary prints to make a statement of the gorgeous features with one print for the main body but the shoulder and neck ruffles in a different print - swoon!
Embroidery
Did you see Tilly's embroidered Indigo dream dress recently? It's filled our heads with hand-stitched dreams and the front yoke on Marnie is the perfect spot for a bit of stitching! I've been eyeing this wildflowers embroidery kit for some time, perfect for embroidery newbies looking for some gorgeous floral options.
To make your embroidery pop, opt for a solid coloured fabric as your Marnie base...
Solid shades to show off those tucks
While prints do work with the tucks, using a solid colour fabric will really show off Marnie's exquisite undulating detail on the front yoke and sleeves. It's a slow sewing process to savour, so make the tucks sing in one colour.
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To make the tucks easier to sew, we recommend choosing a lightweight woven fabric which presses well, such as cotton lawn, voile, poplin, Swiss dot, seersucker, double gauze or chambray.
Broderie Anglaise
For Marnie without the tuck details, textured and cut-out fabrics, such as eyelet and broderie anglaise, would make for the dreamiest blouse. Even better if your fabric has a scalloped hem detail to make a feature of. Try cutting your shoulder ruffles out to use the scalloped hem edge.
Bold graphic prints
If you're making the version without tucks, how about going for a large modern abstract print to make a truly show-stopping Marnie? You could even lengthen it to a midi or maxi dress for a full-on statement.
Checks
There are some gorgeous gingham fabrics popping up in fabric shops at the moment, and we reckon they are perfect for an Autumnal Marnie. On one of our model samples, we made a feature of the yoke by cutting the gingham on the bias - i.e. at a 45 degree angle - to create some directional contrast.
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Denim
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If you want to keep it simple and classic, denim is always a good look. For the version with tucks, pick a chambray so they don't end up too bulky and so they will press nicely. For the version without tucks, you could also go with a relatively light-weight denim to ensure the fabric will gather nicely.
We hope this has got you itching to get on and pick a fabric to make your Marnie! For more Marnie sewing inspiration, make sure you check out our dedicated Instagram hashtag where makers have already started sharing their gorgeous Marnie creations...
#SewingMarnie
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Author: Abi Dyson
