Pattern Review - Tilly and the Buttons, Cleo

Hey Everyone!
This week I bring you my latest make which probably anyone who sews has either made or is planning to make. It's the Tilly and the Buttons Cleo pinafore dress. I used a super soft pink corduroy from Walthamstow Market.
Practical things first - as with all of TATB patterns the instructions were super clear with plenty of photos showing each step. It also gives tips and explains why you do certain steps which has helped me when sewing other garments. I did not make any fitting alterations at all but I did make sure that I bought the hemline buckles as I have previously used the Prym ones and found the buckles tend to come undone too easily. I also bought Gutermann top-stitching thread as I wanted to make a statement with the top-stitching.
I have seen many different versions of this dress so I knew exactly what to expect and it turned out precisely as I imagined it would. It is a simple design which makes it easy to layer with many different tops and jumpers making it perfect for autumn. It has a fun relaxed vibe and it is extremely comfortable, fitting smoothly in just the right places. I would definitely recommend this pattern to others and it is certainly suitable for beginners as it doesn't have any technical aspects.
 The only tricky part about this pattern was easing the facing around the top edge but so long as you're patient and use plenty of pins it goes in easily.


Happy sewing!
Liz
Location: London, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pattern Review - Tessuti Fabrics, Felicia Pinafore Dress

Image
This week I bring you the first of my autumn makes and the first of many pinafore dresses I'll be making this season. Originally I found out about this pattern from The Fold Line new pattern release video and I love the way they styled it layered over a black top with velvet platforms and wool tights – perfect for autumn! I always like a dress with pockets! The relaxed fit is great for lounging around indoors, curled up with a nice cup of tea after walking the dog. I’d seen a lot of summer dresses and tops made in beautiful double gauze this summer and so with this pattern I thought it was the perfect match. I chose to make it in this mustard shade to be in keeping with my autumn wardrobe. Pattern Company – Tessuti Fabrics Pattern Name – Felicia Pinafore Dress Size – XS Fabric – Mustard Cotton Double Gauze from Material Girl Laura – Gorgeous fabric absolutely recommend! Lovely texture, washes well and the colour was true to the website. Alterations Once I f
Read more

Pattern Review - Merchant & Mills, Trapeze Dress

Image
Hey Everyone! This week I bring you my latest vintage make, it's the Merchant & Mills Trapeze dress made from a vintage bed sheet I bought from Oxfam online . Zeus wanted to be involved with this one! The pattern instructions were relatively easy to understand with illustrations of each step. However, I have to say I disagree with the method chosen to construct the dress. The all in one facing which covers the arm holes and the neckline, was near impossible to attach. It requests that you fully attach the neckline to the facing and then attach the armholes, this is all after you have sewn the side seams and centre back seam. Honestly, I still do not understand how this is supposed to work and all videos I found on YouTube were using a completely different method. In the end I decided to overlock the facing so it was only around the neckline and then use bias binding to finish the armholes. This method worked very well and was much simpler. In future I would rec
Read more

Pattern Review - Merchant & Mills, The Dress Shirt

Image
Hello! Last week I finished my first project since starting the blog and now I'm really pleased to write my first pattern review. I really enjoyed this project as it was super simple, quick to sew and perfect for this heat wave we're having!  I picked up this pattern from Liberty because I just love the relaxed “cool” vibe that it has. I have always found Merchant & Mills patterns to have an All Saints feel to them and since I have never been able to afford any of their stuff I was really excited to find a pattern company with a similar style. I decided to make it in a beautiful aubergine linen I bought from Fabricland online which I think suits the relaxed summary feel of this style. It was a simple pattern to make, it has 6 pattern pieces and none of them require tailor’s tacks, just simple notches. It is well suited to a beginner sewer as there is not many technical parts, just normal sleeve insertion, a yoke, the front bib with a pleat and optional topstitchi
Read more