How the hack did you do that?! Klara of @madeklaration and her Mira dress

The sewing on social media combo is all the rage. Creating unique garments and posting them to your blog or Instagram account to inspire others? The number of Sewist(a)s doing it continues to blossom. And that’s why Fibre Mood regularly introduces a Sewist(a) who has transformed one of our FM patterns with a unique hack. This time around, it’s time to meet Klara of @madeklaration with her gorgeous Mira hack!

So, who is Klara ?

Hi there! I’m Klara, owner of the @madeklaration Instagram account. I've been sewing for six years now. In the beginning, that just involved clothes for my daughter, but it wasn't long before I became a die-hard sewing fan!

To tell the truth, I was frequently disappointed with what I found in the shops; there was always something I wanted to change. From the fit to the colour... So, I figured I might as well just sew my own clothes and put my money where my mouth is! I took a year-long sewing class in Lille, where I live, which gave me enough self-confidence to try more original projects.

Now I spend a few hours sewing every week, and I love it.

I hack patterns quite a bit – almost always, actually! Once you’ve gained some experience, patterns open up a world of freedom! I often start with a pattern that I alter until the result fits me perfectly and aligns with what I have in mind. Right before hacking the Mira, I’d hacked Fibre Mood's Hunter coat; I gave it a more fitted waist and made a belt for it.

What I love about sewing is that it allows you to display your personality with your clothes. That makes it easy to give your creativity free rein. And it’s something that everyone can do; you've just got to find the time to learn how to sew . Having made a unique garment on your own makes it all the more valuable and creates a real sense of pride.

My head is stuffed with ideas for the weeks ahead. I'd like to sew summer dresses like the Mira, but then with more volume.

But without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my Mira hack!

I made a variety of alterations to produce this result. I added a V neck and made the sleeves and skirt piece significantly fuller. To sew my version, you’ll need a 3-metre bolt of fabric; if you’d like to add a small underskirt to the dress, then you'll need a metre of lining fabric.

• The skirt – I made the flounces wider to add more ruffles. I cut a 2.6 m wide strip for the top flounce and a 4 m wide one for the bottom flounce. I also adjusted the height of each flounce. The top flounce is somewhat higher than the pattern’s (40 cm instead of 30 cm), and the bottom flounce is slightly shorter (21 cm instead of 30 cm).

• The sleeves – I made the sleeves bigger (e.g. you could use the sleeves from the Norma blouse), making them fuller by adding tulle (40 cm tulle, 10 cm wide after gathering, 10 layers of tulle). I also finished the sleeves with elastic to give them a kind of puffed effect.

• The bodice – I cut a V neck down the centre of the front and lined the bodice with cotton poplin.

Want to give hacking Mira a whirl too? Buy the pattern here!