Pattern Reviews
Margo Pinafore
13—June 2024
Read our review of the Margo Pinafore by Merchant and Mills!
Meet Margo, the popular pinafore dress pattern from UK-based Merchant and Mills! Margo sports a playful silhouette and some very sensible detailing, the perfect match for practical corduroy. This pattern can be made short like our version, or with a full length skirt, providing versatility across seasons. If you've been considering adding a pinafore to your handmade wardrobe, read on for our review of this pattern, kindly modelled by Zosia from our Online Store team!
Pattern — Margo by Merchant & Mills
The Margo pattern from UK-based Merchant and Mills is a classic pinafore style dress, featuring functional detailing, pockets, and topstitching. This pattern is designed for intermediate level makers, and you have the option to use dungaree clips or create sewn in straps for the closures. We tested this pattern out for Zosia by merging the size 14 top with a size 18 skirt. Our non-stretch 12oz cotton corduroy was perfect for this pattern, giving the silhouette structure and body, whilst lending a utilitarian feel to the finish. We used 1.75m of the colour Stone, as well as 0.5m of Liberty Tana Lawn - Lee Manor / X for pocketing and a Pewter Dungarees Hardware Kit from Kylie and the Machine. If you do use dungaree clips, always check that the width of them matches the pattern, ours were slightly narrower than the pattern so we had to adjust the strap width a little. We made a couple more pattern modifications for Zosia, including shortening the length of the skirt by 0.25m and lining the front and bib. Overall, this pattern gets a tick from us! The sewing instructions provided are detailed, clear and easy to follow and we had no trouble putting our pinafore together. The fit on Zosia was great, and the trans-seasonal style works well over a merino layer like our Make by TFS Fog Tee pictured.
Download the PDF Margo pattern from the Merchant and Mills website here.
Fabric Used — 12oz Corduroy in Stone
Merchant and Mills recommend medium weight woven fabrics for the Margo pattern such as 8-12oz denim, cotton canvas, cotton drill, corduroy and linen. We love how this turned out in corduroy; a vintage feel in a versatile colour! Check out the suggestions below from our Online Store. From top to bottom is Pure Wool Gabardine - Milk, Heavyweight Basketweave Linen - Natural, Stretch Cotton / Linen Twill - Morganite and Heavyweight Linen - Chestnut
If you're looking for a new functional dress pattern this season, we'd definitely recommend trying out the Margo Pinafore! Browse more pattern reviews here on the blog, and don't forget we love seeing your sewing progress. Share your projects with us over on Instagram and TikTok!