Tilly and the Buttons Indigo Dress

Happy New Year! My first make of 2020 was something I cut out months ago but never had time to sew it. It’s a Tilly and the Buttons Indigo dress! This pattern has a bracelet or flounce sleeve choice and a dress or top option. It has a gathered waist with an optional exposed ruffle and side seam pockets. It has no zips or buttons so it’s a pretty speedy sew and super comfortable to wear! The most time consuming part was unpicking all of my exposed gathering stitches.

I made the dress with long sleeves and the exposed ruffle. I used this tencel I bought from Joanns. It has a black background with brown leaves. I intended to make this for the fall but I’m still happy to wear it in the winter. This fabric has a nice drape to it. The pattern of the leaves runs horizontal but I preferred them this direction. I cut the pattern on the crosswise grain instead of the lengthwise grain with the selvedge.

I made a size 2 with no adjustments and I am very happy with the fit. This pattern is absolutely a winner and I plan to make more. I have fabric I have been saving for nearly a year because I was too afraid to cut into it. I think I will finally use it to make another indigo this spring!

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Tilly and the Buttons Romy & Jessa

Tilly and the Buttons recently released 2 new patterns! Romy– a envelope neck knit top or dress with optional back ties and different sleeve lengths. And Jessa– high waisted shorts or flared leg pants with zip fly and tab closure and pocket or pocket flap options.

First, I’ll talk about my Romy! I bought this dreamy Robert Kaufman knit from LA Finch Fabrics. (I think it’s sold out but I found some here) I love it so much I managed to squeeze this top and another garment (coming soon!) out of it. I also found it in two other color ways on other sites and I’m so tempted to get some! I made the short sleeve version and didn’t add the ties because I didn’t have enough fabric. I think it’s a really cute tee that I’ll get lots of wear out of. Something to note- that I’ve heard from lots of other people- is this pattern runs a little large so definitely keep that in mind. The design is supposed to be looser fitting but you might find your regular size is too big. I fall between sizes. I sized down and I’m happy with the fit. I definitely recommend trying it on as you go so you can sew it smaller if needed. I have fabric on the way to make the long sleeve dress with the back ties.

I opted to make the shorts for my first attempt at the Jessa pattern. I really needed denim shorts so this was perfect timing! I used some medium weight denim I found at Joann’s. I decided to do the two patch pockets on the front for some seventies vibes. I also decided to try something different and do the fun tulip flower topstitching on the pocket. I love it so much. I’m kicking myself because my old machine had so many decorative stitches and I never used any! The shorts pattern also includes cuffs but I just hemmed mine.

As far as fit, I cut my size according to the chart but they seemed really large when I was making them. I’m so glad I tried them on before attaching the waistband. I was able to easily take them in on the sides and center back, as well as make the waistband smaller. I’m pretty pleased with how they turned out.

I’m hoping to try the pants version in the fall.

Both of these garments are going to be on regular rotation this summer! Are you planning on trying either of these patterns?

(Patterns were gifted by the TATB team)

Tilly and the Buttons Rosa Shirt Dress

Hello! I am excited to share my Rosa shirt dress with you! I never thought much about this pattern but I kept seeing green corduroy shirt dresses in this style while out shopping. I realized this pattern was a perfect match and I had to have it! Tilly happened to be having a seconds pattern sale so I snatched it up with a few other patterns for a great price AND there was a sew along happening on Instagram by @patsypoomakes and @stitch_make_bake. It was meant to be! I know what you’re thinking… “But Erin, your shirt dress isn’t green corduroy!” While I was out fabric shopping, I saw this floral cotton at Joann’s and couldn’t help myself. I knew it would be perfect for spring. They also didn’t have the shade of green corduroy I imagined, so I figured I would keep an eye out for it and make one for fall or next winter!

If you are thinking about trying to make a shirt or shirt dress, I highly recommend this pattern! It was very easy to follow! The only issue I had was attaching the collar but I just had to baste it a few times to get it right. There are a few minor adjustments I could make with the fit but overall I am very happy with it. I like the 3/4 cuffed sleeve with the tab for spring, but when I make my corduroy one, I will definitely do the bonus long sleeve and cuff.

Now if only we had spring weather!

Bibi Pinafore in Lindy Bop Fabric!

Lindy Bop is now selling their dress fabric by the meter! You can see all of their fabrics here. Of course I couldn’t resist this deer print scuba. I just love the colors in it, too! I’ve never used scuba before but it was pretty easy to work with for a knit.

The Bibi pinafore is from Tilly and the Buttons book, Stretch. The pattern has a pencil skirt but I’ve seen a few versions on Instagram with a circle skirt. I prefer a fuller skirt so I loved that idea! Lindy Bop fabric is sold in 1 or 3 meter increments so I just purchased one. I decided to draft an A line because I wouldn’t have enough fabric for a circle. To draft the skirt, I placed my waistband piece on the fold of the fabric. I traced 3/8″ above the bottom of the waistband piece to create the top of the pattern. I then marked where I wanted my skirt to end. I drew a line from the corner of the waistband to the bottom of the skirt to create the angled side edge of my pattern, and back across to the fold to create the bottom edge of my pattern.

This was a very quick make. The button detail in the back is my favorite part! Unfortunately since I was working with only a meter of fabric, matching the pattern on the fabric wasn’t possible. I am happy with the fit and because it’s knit- it’s really comfy to wear! I am considering hemming it a little bit shorter, though. What do you think? I’d love to make another in a solid color- maybe with a circle skirt next time!

Tilly and the Buttons Francoise Dress

The Francoise dress is a perfect sixties style mini dress. It has a 3/4 sleeve or sleeveless version with raglan seams and an optional collar or button tab. My friend Jess gifted me this pattern at least a year ago. I wanted to make it sooner but I couldn’t decide on what fabric to use for some reason! I was going through my fabric stash and remembered I had this blue wool blend I picked up when a local fabric store was having a moving sale. I planned on making some pants with it but it finally clicked that I needed to make a Francoise with it! A light wool is one of the fabric recommendations for the sleeveless version. I faced the neckline and bound the arms in a grayish blue polka dot cotton. I love when a garment has a little bit of personality inside.

I was able to make this dress in one day. I had no issues with the construction and I found it pretty easy to make. Tilly’s instructions are also easy to follow, as usual. As far as sizing, my measurements are between a size 1 and size 2. I thought about grading it but I decided to just cut the size 2. I’m actually pretty happy with the fit, especially since I’m planning on always wearing a layer underneath. I paired this dress with a pussybow blouse I’ve had for nearly ten years. I’ll probably wear this dress over turtlenecks and button down blouses, too!

I definitely plan on making more Francoise dresses. Hopefully I find the perfect fabric to make a 3/4 sleeve version this year!

Tilly and the Buttons Arielle Skirt

My final project of 2018! This was a bit of a spontaneous make. Ive been holding on to a vintage skirt my friends mother had given me with a bunch of other clothes. She told me I could do whatever I wanted with them. The skirt was a pleated midi. It wasn’t really my style and it was too big. I absolutely loved the green velvet fabric though and realized there was enough fabric to make something new out of it! I was eyeing the Tilly and the Buttons Arielle skirt and thought it would be a great pattern for this. I bought the pdf and printed it Saturday night and made the skirt on Sunday. This pattern is great. Everything came together beautifully. Since this was a spontaneous make and I didn’t have any lining fabric on hand, I went for the unlined version. As I said in my last post, I want to slow down with my sewing. Normally I would have just serged my raw edges but I found some bias tape in my stash and took the time to sew it in. My stitching is less than perfect (the bias tape was a little thin for this fabric) but I still am really pleased with how it looks. To finish it off, I covered some buttons with the fabric. The only thing I might change is moving the placement of the buttons out a little bit. I marked the wrong edge when I tried the skirt on.

Happy New Year! Thank you for following along on my sewing journey.

Stitched with a Twist!

There’s a contest on Instagram hosted by @i_seam_sew_happy_xx and @oh_liverpool_lou called #stitchedwithatwist. It’s about making a garment your own- altering a pattern, adding embroidery, painting the fabric, etc. I was wandering the aisles of Joann’s and saw this fabric I already had at home. All of a sudden it hit me what I should do! This fabric is reversible. I also have it in grey and you might remember a Deer and Doe top I made with it. I thought it would be fun to play with the two different patterns. I used the Freya pattern from Tilly and the Buttons Stretch but made a gathered skirt for it. I added the pleated detail around the top and did a reverse hem on the sleeve. It felt like it was missing something so I made a sash!

This dress is so comfy and I know I will wear it a lot with leggings and cardigans. I’m so glad I made this. I wouldn’t have thought of it without the contest! There’s still time to join in if you also want to #stitchwithatwist!

And because it’s almost Halloween, here’s my pumpkin! I carved it and used this tutorial from Martha Stewart. https://www.marthastewart.com/1531414/etched-fox-and-bunny-pumpkins

It used a lino cutter and I found it so much easier than actually carving the design. Michael helped me take some fun photos with the lantern he bought recently.

Tilly and the Buttons Cleo

I’ve had this Cleo pattern in my stash all summer and finally made one! This pattern seems to be a favorite among the sewing community and I can definitely see why. I’m a big fan of dresses this style as I already have 2 RTW ones in my wardrobe. It was an easy and fairly quick make. I made mine out of a medium to heavy weight navy blue corduroy. I knew this would be a good basic. I made the shorter version and I only used one pocket in the front.

I paired it with a newly made Freya top from her book Stretch. How cute is this fabric from Joann’s with the little foxes?! I’m a little disappointed because the description said heather grey but when the fabric arrived it was definitely a light blueish green.

I am positive I will be making more Cleo’s.  Have you made this pattern?

The Joni Dress

Hello! I’m back with my second project from Tilly’s book Stretch! I have to admit- I wasn’t super excited about this pattern at first, but when I saw so many lovely versions popping up on Instagram I knew I had to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did! It’s such a flattering dress and was pretty easy to stitch up . The twist is not as scary as you would think.

I opted for the flutter sleeve which she shows you in the book. You have to alter the original sleeve she provides and pretty much draft a new pattern. I was worried about this step but it turned out perfectly. I’d love to make another one with the ruched detailing on the sleeve that she shows in the book.

For the fabric, I chose this striped and rose print double brushed knit from Finch fabrics. It is SO soft and so beautiful. I’m very happy with this purchase and I think it works wonderfully with this design. I just wish I had matched the pattern in the center of the bodice pieces. Oh well!

I know I’m going to get a lot of wear out of this dress this spring and summer!

Tilly and the Buttons Freya Dress

I’m finally posting about this dress! I asked Tilly about a top she was wearing in one of her Instagram stories and she let me know it would be a pattern in her new book Stretch- the Freya with added ruffle. I already couldn’t wait for it’s release and now I REALLY couldn’t wait! I made the dress the day after I received the book. It’s the only thing I’ve made from Stretch so far but I have a Joni dress cut out and ready to be sewn.

I made the dress with a Cotton and Steel knit I had in my stash. It came together really quickly and it’s so comfy to wear! I can’t wait to make more versions.