This relaxed dress has been a long time coming. I missed the boat last summer, so I jumped in early this year.
Matchy Matchy Sewing Club is easily my favourite indie pattern brand. You may have already picked up on that given I have made almost all of their patterns to date.
Therefore, it made sense to kick off the year with another one of their patterns, this time the relaxed and boxy Skipper Dress. This dress has been a long time coming. I missed the boat last summer, so I jumped in early this year, inspired by the lovely sunny weather we have been treated to recently here in Munich.
So, here is my experience with this easy going dress pattern.
A wrap-up of this review
The makers: Matchy Matchy Sewing Club
Matchy Matchy Sewing Club was founded by self taught sewists Amy and Theresa, who turned their passion into a thriving indie pattern brand.
In January 2022, they released their first pattern, the Champagne Field Dress. Since then, they've expanded their offering to include a curated fabric selection and an impressive array of sewing patterns. But Matchy Matchy is more than just patterns and fabrics. They provide an online space where fellow sewists can connect, share ideas, and exchange invaluable tips.
What I think sets Matchy Matchy apart are their designs. They are minimal but smart. With strategically placed panel lines, their patterns give you the creative license to add your individual spin by mixing and matching colours and fabrics (also a great excuse to use up those smaller pieces of fabric you may have in your stash). Rarely will two Matchy Matchy garments be the same!
You can take a look at their fabric and pattern offering on their website (linked above). Also, check them out on social @matchymatchysewingclub for more inspiration.
The pattern
Design
The Skipper Top and Dress pattern includes three views, which differ in length.
View A: a slightly cropped top designed to hit between the belly button and high hip.
View B: a mini dress with side patch pockets.
View C: a midi dress with inseam pockets and side splits.
Both dress views create a flattering, column-like silhouette.
Each view also features:
Their signature loose and boxy fit.
A slightly scooped neckline.
A slightly dropped shoulder, which creates a mini cap sleeve appearance.
A high back yoke with a gathered panel.
No opening/closure with the garment simply slipping over the head.
Sizing and availability
Matchy Matchy's PDF sewing patterns, fabric and accessories are available via their online store, and their patterns are available from a growing number of online retailers.
Once you have purchased one of their patterns you will be emailed a link that allows you to download your PDF sewing pattern. The download usually comes as two options:
A zip file, or
A PDF with hyperlinks.
These options will provide you with access to:
A4 sewing instructions - 14 pages.
A4 print at home pattern - 48 pages.
A0 copy shop pattern - 3 pages.
A4 mood board for fabric planning, a lovely little addition that allows you to visually play around and plan your makes.
The digital download will include nested patterns* for all sizes in both the at home and copy shop pattern folders.
I usually opt to have the A0 pattern pages printed at a copy shop. This allows me to receive all available sizes in one print bundle. I can easily fold back (with a bit of clipping on the curves) the sizes I don't currently need. If I decide to make a different size in the future, it's conveniently ready to be unfolded.
The pattern includes 11 sizes ranging from XXS-6XL and is drafted for 5'5" (165 cm).
The instructions
I really like the minimal and clean instructions that come with Matchy Matchy patterns. The instructions themselves are always easy to follow, using easy to understand language, and very clear accompanying diagrams. The instructions are also organised under subheadings. Therefore, if you are searching for something in particular the information is easy to find.
Fabric and notions
The suggested fabric for the Skipper Top and Dress pattern is light to medium weight wovens, such as cotton or linen. Like most of Matchy Matchy's sewing patterns, this top and dress can be easily sewn with a single fabric, or as more of a patchwork.
The only additional notions you will need for this project is coordinating thread, and fusible interfacing for view B.
For my version I went with another Merchant & Mills fabric (surprise, surprise), choosing their 100% GOTS, and Oeko-Tex certified European laundered linen in Silt Grey (a bluey grey).
This fabric forms part of their 185 linen stock range. If you have been following me, you know this is my go to fabric. I wear linen all year round, even here in Munich. I simply layer my linen garments with my thermals underneath. I also love that you can get away with the crumpled, "lived in", casual look of linen. This 185 linen has a lovely hand feel, washes beautifully, and is a dream to cut and sew. There is a reason I keep coming back to it!
If you opt to mix and match your fabric, Matchy Matchy include a mood board with the download to help you plan and visualise how different fabric combinations will look. You can position your fabric swatches in the small boxes at the bottom, or colour in the accompanying technical drawing. Alternatively, I have seen a really cute idea where someone has cut out a mini version of the garment in their different fabrics.
Cutting and layout
As always, I would recommend pre-washing your fabric as per the care instructions prior to starting any cutting or sewing. For more on pre-washing your fabric, check out my article 'How to: Pre-wash your fabric'.
The cutting out of this pattern is fairly straightforward as many of the pattern pieces are rectangular in shape (see photograph to the right).
View C, which I made, includes 8 pattern pieces:
Front yoke.
Back yoke.
Front gathered panel.
Back gathered panel.
Front side panel.
Back side panel.
Neck bias tape.
Inseam pocket.
I made the XXS, and when it came to laying out the pattern pieces, as you can see in the photograph, it fit perfectly within the width of my 143cm wide fabric. Therefore, I had quite a bit of fabric left over to play with.
Note: I am currently working on a ‘How to’ for more accurately gauging the amount of fabric to buy for a pattern, as if you are like me, you tend to find yourself with an annoying strip of fabric left over that just gets added to your stash. These tips will require you to have the pattern first. Stay tuned!
Another really nice inclusion with Matchy Matchy patterns are 'print and cut' labels (see image below for examples) that you can use to pin to your fabric as you cut to avoid mixing up your pattern pieces. Some of the pattern pieces are quite similar (e.g. the gathered side panels), so this was a nice helpful addition.
Fabric preparation
Once your fabric is cut out and ready to go, there is only a little prep work that I would recommend prior to commencing sewing this dress that may just make the sewing process that little bit smoother:
Ensure you have transferred all pattern markings and notches onto your fabric. In particular, ensure you have marked the positioning of the armholes, pockets and side splits, and the centre front and back on both the garment and binds. I would also recommend adding some notches to the panels as these pattern pieces are quite long and it may just help ensure correct alignment.
Reinforce the front and back necklines. This is done by stay-stitching** around the neckline simply to avoid any distortion.
Prepare bindings: I much prefer to have my bindings cut, pressed and ready to go so I always make these up ahead of time.
Sewing
This dress pattern is described as being a beginner project, and I would agree. The pattern comes together fairly quickly, within a few hours, and will have you:
Stay stitching .
Straight stitching and edge finishing seams.
Gathering (N.B. I did notice there was slightly less gathering at the back yoke compared to the front).
Creating and inserting inseam pockets.
Under-stitching.
Creating a side seam split.
Top-stitching.
Creating and attaching bias binding
Sewing double turned hems.
Changes I made while sewing:
For neck and armhole bindings, I tend to make the bindings slightly longer than specified in the instructions, adjusting as I go in order to ensure that they sit flat around the more pronounced curves.
I recommend adding a couple of additional notches to the side panels to assist with achieving the best alignment.
I tried the dress on before committing to the positioning of the side seam pockets as I have had issues in the past where the pockets sit too low.
The fit
My measurements:
Bust: 79cm
Waist: 62.5cm
Hips: 89cm
Height: 155cm
The oversized design, dropped shoulders and roomy sleeves definitely make it a little more forgiving when it comes to fit than other styles.
In regards to the fit, I can only comment on the size XXS dress. However, I had no issues, finding the dress to be suitably loose fitting but not oversized (see images below).
The relaxed, column-like silhouette makes for a really comfortable and flattering fit.
I am more on the shorter side, but I found the length to be perfect, finishing at my mid shin. However, given the almost rectangular shape of the dress pattern pieces, it would be straightforward to add additional length if required.
The side seam split ends above the knee, and due to the column shape, really makes for ease of movement.
The cap sleeves sit really nicely just off the shoulder and are a really flattering length.
The front scooped neckline allows for the dress to be comfortably slipped over the head.
Glossary
Nested patterns*: Refers to patterns that feature multiple sizes layered (or nested) within each other. You may see the different sizes colour coded, or more commonly indicated with different patterned lines (e.g. dashed). These differentiated lines make it easy to identify, and therefore cut or trace the desired size. When working with a PDF pattern, there will often be an option to select the size you would like printed, turning off (or making invisible) any unnecessary layers.
Stay-stitching**: Serves the purpose of stopping the edges of the fabric stretching out of shape as you construct your garment. To stay-stitch, simply use a regular stitch length (I use 2.5mm) and sew 6mm from the edge, back-tacking at the start and end of your stitching to secure the threads.
Please get in touch or leave me a comment. I would love to know if you found this article helpful. Maybe I have inspired you to check out the Skipper Top and Dress pattern from Matchy Matchy Sewing Club.
Thanks for reading.
Emma xx
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