Hello friends,

I’m so excited to share my Mornington linen dress with you. As you might’ve already heard, this is one of 8 patterns from Kennis’s book Sew Beautiful: Make Stylish Handmade Clothing with Simple Stitch-and-Wear Patterns. The book is now available for preorder on Amazon here and will be released on Dec 8, 2020.

The book includes 8 beautiful and versatile patterns that will help you create garments that can be worn through the year. I found the designs to be thoughtful and beginner friendly and I love that they can all be mixed and matched to make outfits that can take you from warm weather to cold weather. Some patterns are for woven fabrics while others are for knits. Here’s a quick look at the line drawings of the pattern included in the book. With all the blouse and dress versions as well as variation in the style of joggers and skirt, there’s a total of 18 options that you can make. All the patterns come in sizes that range from 00 to 20 (bust size 46”/117 cm and hip size 48”/122 cm).

Every one of these patterns is beautiful, versatile and well designed. I tested a couple but ended up making most of these patterns and can tell you that the patterns are not just beautifully drafted and illustrated, but they also have thorough instructions on how to alter length or blend between sizes so you can achieve the best fit. It includes everything you will ever need to know about how to make well fitting garments for yourself. Another thing that I really like is that all patterns include finished garment measurements so you can choose a size based on your own preference.

The Mornington dress comes in both dress and blouse versions along with sleeveless and a flared sleeve version. It’s a pull on dress with no fastenings or darts required. It is finished with a full lining without the need for facings or bias finishes. I love that it’s a quick sew with a neat finish both inside and outside.  

For my dress, I chose a linen blend from Joann fabrics. It is soft and drapes well. I made a size 0 at the bust, graded to 2 at the waist and shortened by 1” for my height. The dress has enough ease that you can pull it over your head and the ties at the waist add shape and definition to the waist.

My summery linen version is soft and comfortable and perfect for warm days. I’ve worn this dress and washed it multiple times over the past year and like many other patterns designed by Kennis, is now a wardrobe staple. Kennis is also the founder and designer of Itch to stitch Designs, an independent sewing pattern company with high-quality digital sewing patterns. I have been sewing with her patterns for years now and love her attention to detail and excellent drafting.

The book Sew Beautiful: Make Stylish Handmade Clothing with Simple Stitch-and-Wear Patterns is available in both printed soft-cover version as well as a digital Kindle version for pre-order on Amazon here.

Happy Sewing!!!