This week’s LSABlogSquad post comes courtesy of guest blogger, Athina Kakou. Athina made the new Tilly and the Buttons Stevie dress from our Cotton and Steel Freja Rose cotton and it is simply divine!
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Hello everyone!
First of all, let me tell you how excited I am to be guest posting at the Like Sew Amazing blog today, among so many other talented sewists!
When Tilly and the Buttons released their two summer patterns, Stevie and Seren, I knew I wanted to give them both a try. I won’t lie to you, at first I was a bit hesitant about the Stevie dress, because I wasn’t sure if the boxy style was going to fit me. But as the days went buy and hundreds of versions started popping up online, I really fell in love with it and decided it was time to make one for myself.
So, today I’m here to review my first Stevie dress by Tilly and the Buttons.
Choosing a fabric for my Stevie was the most difficult part of the entire process. I wanted to get something from the Like Sew Amazing fabric shop, but Sarah has so many amazing fabrics in stock and such an eye for designs and prints that it took me 3 days to decide which one I was going to use for my Stevie. In the end, I went with this stunning Cotton and Steel cotton.
The minute it arrived on my doorstep and I opened the parcel I realized I had made the best choice. Not only is its quality beautiful, as you would expect from a Cotton and Steel fabric, but the print was exactly what I was looking for. Not too big, with the colours I love wearing and fitting perfectly to the whole “Pink Collection” makes that I’m working on this summer. After sewing up so many pink and fuchsia garments, I wanted something that would still have a nod to my favorite colour, but would incorporate another shade as well. Truth is, I don’ usually wear coral, but I LOVE it on this dress.
Regarding the construction, the Stevie dress is the perfect beginner pattern. It has no closures, no darts, no set-in sleeves, so you can essentially whip it up in a few hours. I adore the details on this garment, like the pretty bow in the back yoke (which you can omit if you don’t like it) and the cuffs on the sleeves. Tilly’s instructions are as always great and easy-to-follow!
The only tricky part in this garment – which isn’t particularly hard, it just requires some precision – is the topstitching of the facing. If you feel tempted to omit this step, I’d tell you not to, because this tiny little detail really adds something to this simple design and you will not regret it in the end. Just go slowly, take your time and use a matching thread (or a busy print) to prevent wonky stitching lines from showing too much on the outside.
As for the size and the overall fit, I recently lost a few pounds and for the first time in Tilly’s patterns I made a size 3. Because I trust Tilly’s drafting so much, I decided to cut straight into my pretty fabric and not make a toile. The dress fits me like a glove and I didn’t have to make any alterations. Although I was concerned that it might not be flattering because of its boxy shape, turns out I really like this style on me! I have already worn my Stevie twice and it was perfect for the heatwave that we are currently having and I already have my eyes on this fabric to make another one before the summer ends.
Overall, I definitely recommend this pattern! It’s easy to sew, requires minimum fitting and would be the perfect garment to begin your dressmaking journey with. I hope you found my review useful and that you like my Stevie!
Happy sewing,
Athina
This looks amazing! It’s such a great pattern to show off such a beautiful print.