9 September 2020

NEW Lotta Sewing Pattern and Online Workshop!

Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing patternTilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing patternTilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern

What time is it? Why, it's new pattern o'clock!

Eeesh, please excuse the cheesy intro but you'll forgive us when you meet the newest member of the Tilly and the Buttons family - say hello to the Lotta dress, available as a stand-alone pattern or complete with a step-by-step online workshop!

If you like comfy dresses, roomy pockets and fuss-free sewing, then you'll love Lotta. With no fiddly fastenings, no set-in sleeves, and an easy-to-fit elasticated waist, this pattern is simple enough for even complete beginners to sew.

Aside from her swishy shape and gorgeous details (optional sleeves! Pockets!), her extra star quality is you can make her in both jersey and woven. Say what?! So many of our lovely customers have requested a pattern that can be made with both jersey and woven fabrics and we thought you guys were on to a winner :)

Got lots of love for Lotta? Us too! Read on to find out more...


Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
THE DESIGN
Tilly was inspired to design Lotta when she was dreaming about a dress that was super simple to sew, even for absolute beginners, and easy to throw on every day, either with sandals in the summer or tights and boots in the winter. 


We're obsessed with Lotta's dreamy details. She has a romantic, blousy bodice cinched in with a narrow elasticated waistline, optional roomy foldover pockets, and a choice of easy-to-sew grown-on sleeves or bracelet-length drop shoulder sleeves. The pockets are big enough to stash your phone and other essentials (including the must-have accessory of the season - hand sanitiser),  perfect for when you're on the go!

Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern

Choose between knee- and midi-lengths for the skirt. Whatever length you opt for, you won't be able to stop twirling and dancing! Seriously, this skirt is made for swishing. 

As previously mentioned, Lotta's pièce de résistance is that you can make her in either jersey or woven fabric. Talk about versatile. The neckline on the woven version is finished with a facing and the jersey version is finished with a neckband. Both versions are equally gorgeous!


THE WORKSHOP

Want an extra helping hand with sewing your Lotta dress? Sign up to our online workshop, Sew an Easy Dress.

Through 11 video lessons, Tilly will take you through you all the steps to sew the Lotta dress. You can watch the videos from home anytime you like. As well as finishing with a gorgeous dress you've made yourself, you will learn a wealth of dressmaking tips, tricks and techniques that you can use again and again on future sewing projects. The Sew an Easy Dress workshop is the perfect way to start your sewing journey, to develop your dressmaking skills or to give you a confidence boost when you need a refresher.

Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern

Haven't taken an online workshop before? It's like participating in a structured sewing course, but with loads of added benefits! You can see the sewing up close, and pause and rewind the videos as many times as you like, with no deadlines. It's the fraction of the cost of attending an in-person class, plus it has the added benefit of being super convenient as you don't even need to leave the house to do it. With the world being a bit topsy turvy at the moment, and face-to-face sewing classes hard to come by, our online workshops mean you can bring sewing classes to your sofa :)

Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern

THE SEWING PATTERN

Our award-winning sewing patterns feature clear instructions with step-by-step colour photos to guide you through the project. The pattern pieces themselves are clearly labelled so you can see which seam is which and how they go together.

The Lotta dress is suitable for all sewing levels and would be an ideal beginner sewing project for a beginner stitcher or a satisfying, speedy sew for more experienced sewists. The great thing about Lotta is she's easy peasy to sew. There are no fiddly zips, fastenings or set-in sleeves, and the elasticated waist means it's a doddle to fit. 

Speaking of fitting, we're going to hit publish soon on a blog post dedicated to fitting the Lotta dress, so keep your eyes peeled for that! We've also got some extra resources on our dedicated Lotta page that you might find useful - go check it out! 

Order the printed sewing pattern and we'll send you a beautiful package in the post, with full-colour instruction booklet. Made in the UK, our patterns are printed on durable paper which you can use again and again without it tearing or scrunching up. As well as our online shop, you can buy them from fabric shops and department shops around the world - check out our list of stockists

Prefer to print your own pattern? Buy the digital pattern and you'll get an email in an instant with a PDF to download. You can either print it at home on A4 or Letter size paper and stick the sheets together, or send the A0 version to a copyshop or pattern printer to print full scale.

If you're taking the online workshop, you can choose from either digital or printed pattern as part of the price of the class.

Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern

SIZING AND SUPPLIES

The Lotta dress pattern is in our extended size range, which includes ten sizes – from UK 6 – 24, US 2 – 20, or EUR 34 – 52. You can see the exact body measurements on the sizing chart.

Can't decide whether you love sewing woven or jersey fabric more? Well, you're in for a treat because Lotta is designed for both light- to medium-weight drapey woven and jersey fabrics. If you fancy making a woven dress, choose something with a bit of movement, such as chambray, viscose (rayon), Tencel (lyocell), double gauze, brushed cotton or crêpe. The short sleeve version can also be made in less drapey fabrics such as linen, cotton lawn, and seersucker. If jersey is more your vibe, pick a single knit drapey jersey, stretch velvet or light-weight French terry.

For the notions, you'll need your waist measurement in 10mm (3/8in) elastic to create the cinched in waist. If you're making the Lotta dress in a woven fabric you'll also need 0.2m (1/4yd) interfacing in a similar weight to your fabric. Check out the fabric requirements and supplies list on our online shop for more details :)

Louise is busy working on a fabric and inspiration post that will go live very soon, so watch this space! Her inspo posts are always a must-read, filled with gorgeous fabrics and ideas so make sure you take a look :) But beware, you'll want to make allll the things. 

Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Lotta dress sewing pattern

Excited to make the Lotta dress? Grab the pattern from our online shop today, or sign up for the online workshop.

Nothing makes us happier than seeing all your lovely Tilly and the Buttons creations and progress shots, so please share your makes with us on Instagram @TillyButtons using the hashtag #SewingLotta so we can swoon over your creations. 

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Author: Nikki Hoar
Photographer: Jane Looker
Gorgeous models: Selena Singh and Alice Irvine
Hair and Make up: Laura Anne
Teal peachskin fabric - Fabric Godmother (very kindly gifted)
Mustard leopard print - Guthrie & Ghani
Coral double gauze - Frumble
Tilly and the Buttons Love Your Nails jersey - currently out of stock from our online shop, but you can buy some here.
Tan clogs - Lotta Stockholm (very kindly gifted)
Black clogs - Lotta Stockholm (very kindly gifted)