Pattern Review - Sew Over It, Erin Skirt & Tilly & the Buttons, Freya

Hey Sewers!

It's been a busy week and I've been sewing up a storm so for this blog entry I bring you a bumper edition - two reviews in one! The first is the Freya top by Tilly & the Buttons made in striped rib knit from Goldhawk Road and the second is the Erin Skirt by Sew Over IT (from the ebook My Capsule Wardrobe) made in a chunky cord also from Goldhawk Road - I had a shopping spree there after I'd planned all my autumn/winter makes so a lot of my fabric is from there at the moment!


Freya top - Tilly & the Buttons

I am a really big fan of Tilly's patterns and so I was really excited to finally open up my Stretch book and sew my first make. This make was inspired by my Seamwork mood board which is heavily leaning towards 70's style and colours. This fabric kind of reminds me of old tube seats - I love it!

The pattern was incredibly easy to follow. This make took me about 3 hours from tracing the pattern to wearing my finished top and I even pattern matched all the stripes! I followed Tilly's instructions on how to do that and it worked perfectly, over the shoulders as well!


I was really excited to get this top finished so I ignored Tilly's advice to baste the side seams and check the fit before stitching it together properly. I now know this is excellent advice because the fabric I was using was much more stretchy than the fabric the pattern is designed for. It could definitely do with being a slightly tighter fit, I could have probably made the whole thing a size down to be honest. So if I were to make it again then I would definitely check the fit first before doing the final stitching. Lesson learnt - the stretch of the knit does make a huge difference to the final result.I also found this with the Megan Nielsen Rowan Tee. Both patterns fit perfectly with a sturdier knit like a ponte but you need to go down a size for stretchier fabrics.


I would definitely recommend this project - it's quick, it's perfect for beginners and those who have never sewn with knits before and also just a really versatile top which can be layered easily.

Erin Skirt - Sew Over It

Inspired by the same image I pinned on Pinterest I bought some chunky rust coloured corduroy which I knew would match beautifully with my striped rib knit. I actually cut out two projects at once with the fabric, the other is the Closet Case Morgan Jeans which are my current WIP.

Ever since I saw the eBook I've been itching to make this skirt (as well as a few other things!). I love the classic button down look and it has pockets! Like the Freya it only took a few hours to make, there's only 5 pattern pieces and it used just over a meter of fabric (My fabric was 140cm wide and it had a nap). The instructions were really easy to follow with clear photos and I think it would be suitable for a beginner.

I lined the pockets with some fun cotton from my stash
When choosing which size to make I found that my hips were between sizes so I drew a new line in between sizes. Lisa put in the notes that she had to increase the darts to fit the waistband better so I made sure to check this prior to sewing the final stitches but mine fit fine without further adjustments.


I was really excited to use my anvil, it made hammering on the buttons really easy and just feels really professional to use it. My buttons were from Minerva Crafts. I did all of the topstitching in Gutermann topstiching thread using a Jeans needle - apart from wrongly threading the machine at first (doh!) it went through smoothly and gave a neat finish.

If I made this again then I might add patch pockets to the back but other than that it's perfect!

I am super happy with my new outfit. I'm really seeing the benefits of planning my projects in advance so that they actually go together.

Happy Sewing!

Liz








Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Pattern Review - Merchant & Mills, Trapeze Dress

Pattern Review - Tessuti Fabrics, Felicia Pinafore Dress

Pattern Review - Merchant & Mills, The Dress Shirt