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SewGoth

Goth Frolic: Seamwork Meg Dress

Image of a woman with long black hair and red lipstick standing in front of a wall covered in vines. She wears a black dress with flutter sleeves, a cinched neckline and elasticated waist.
Meg Dress, Front

Stop me (or skip to the next paragraph) if you think you’ve heard this one before: As a child, my favorite outfit was a long, black dress with white horizontal lines on the bodice, straps, and slits that came to my knees. I paired this with a white t-shirt underneath and black orthopedic boots with socks. This was my most cherished ensemble, one I wore time and again. I don’t remember any other outfit from my childhood but this one.

Image of a woman with long black hair, back facing the camera, standing in front of a wall covered in vines. She has her hands up. She wears a black dress with flutter sleeves, a cinched neckline and elasticated waist.
Meg Dress, Back

When I think of that outfit, I realize that it was the very essence of what would become my personal style. I don’t wear pants. I have a few skirts that I pair with t-shirts or blouses. But I feel my best when I am wearing a dress paired with boots. Most of my sewing projects in the past few years have been dresses, and my goal is to have a closet with as many dresses as there are days in a month. And I am definitely using the Meg Dress by Seamwork Magazine to achieve this goal.

Pattern

Meg Dress Line drawing View 1, two channels of elastic for the waist

The Meg Dress by Seamwork Patterns is a romantic pull-over dress with an elastic waist. The scoop neckline is adjusted with a drawstring. The dress has an A-line skirt with two rows of elastic casing and flutter sleeves. If you prefer puff sleeves, you can download the bonus pack.

Fabric

Image of black rayon dress
Black Rayon, Fabric.com (store closed)
Image of a dark brown/black background with tress, windows, clouds, and stars
Summer Nights Rayon Batiste, Mood (currently not available)

I used a very lovely back rayon that I bought before Fabric.com closed down. The fabric is sheer, so it requires lining or a slip. This rayon has a delicious feel and does not wrinkle like most. Even though it is very light, this fabric is easy to sew and press.

Fabric Requirement Chart
Fabric Requirements

I bought this fabric from Mood specifically to make a second Meg. It is a rayon batiste with the same characteristics of the black rayon from above. It is going to make a beautiful, flowy dress.

Size 

Size Chart
Finished Size Chart

I checked the size chart and decided to stick with what is my usual Seamwork size, 18-20. I cut a size 18 up until I hit the waist, selecting a size 20 from then on. There is so much ease in this pattern that I could have easily stayed with an 18 throughout. 

Construction

I sewed a muslin to make sure that I had the correct size. It is good sewing practice to sew a muslin if this is your first interaction with a partner. Sewing a Meg muslin allowed me to practice the techniques I was unfamiliar with. When I got to my nice fabric, I knew exactly what to do.

The Neckline

Image of a woman with long black hair and red lipstick standing in front of a wall covered in vines. She wears a black dress with flutter sleeves, a cinched neckline and elasticated waist.

This is the most difficult aspect of the Meg—but nothing that you cannot manage by following the instructions and going slow. The dots are very important as they mark exactly where to start and stop sewing. The casing for the drawstring is created with two parallel rows of stitching following the neckline, sewing a channel where the string does. Failure to observe the dots will cause you to sew your channel shut—ask me how I know.

Elastic Waistband

Image of a woman with long black hair and red lipstick standing in front of a wall covered in vines. She wears a black dress with flutter sleeves, a cinched neckline and elasticated waist.

The elastic casings are created by sewing the seams allowances of the waistband to the body of the dress. There are two options: one with two rows of casings and only one waistband, the other for three rows of casings and two waistband pieces. I only sewed the first option.

Image of a woman with long black hair standing in her living room. She wears a large black dress, and she is holding the waist of the dress to show how large it is.
Image of a woman with long black hair standing in her living room. She has her black to the camera. She wears a large black dress, and she is holding the waist of the dress to show how large it is.

I tried the dress before adding the drawstring and the elastic. It looked enormous. For a moment, I panicked and almost took the dress in at the side seams. DON’T DO THIS!!!! Once I had all the tightening elements in the dress, it fit beautifully. Trust the process.

Sleeves

Image of a woman with long black hair and red lipstick standing in front of a wall covered in vines. She wears a black dress with flutter sleeves, a cinched neckline and elasticated waist.

The sleeve takes a lot of fabric, but it is worth every inch. It is so fun and flowy, all I want to do is wave my arms like I’m on the dancefloor of a goth club. If you are a Seamwork member, you can download another sleeve version, puff sleeves. 

I sewed the bodice in the following order: Shoulder seams, facing, sleeves, side seams. If I can avoid sewing sleeves in the round, I will. I added the waistband to the bodice, sewed the side seams of the skirt, and attached the skirt to the waistband. I then created the two channels for the elastic by pressing the seam allowances of the waistband up and sewing a row of stitches very closed to the serged edge of the allowance. 

The Meg Dress

Image of a woman with long black hair and red lipstick standing in front of a wall covered in vines. She wears a black dress with flutter sleeves, a cinched neckline and elasticated waist.
Image of a woman with long black hair, back facing the camera, standing in front of a wall covered in vines. She wears a black dress with flutter sleeves, a cinched neckline and elasticated waist.

For me, the Meg looks a lot more like an empire-waist dress than one that narrows at the waist. If I wanted the waist of the dress to match my natural waist, I would have a good three inches to the length of the bodice. The neckline looks lovely, but it is not something I feel comfortable wearing for work. 

I am in love with the romantic vibe of this dress. It fits really beautifully and is super comfortable. It will be perfect for hot summer days when I absolutely have to be outside (I’m not much of an outdoor person when temps reach past 80 degrees). Is there such a thing as a prairie goth? 

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