How to Sew a Plait Detail

Did you see Tilly's Ness skirt with the plaited belt detail? If you fancy making your own, you're in luck! It's Serefina here, sewing pattern developer at TATB, and I'm going to take you step-by-step through how to sew this seventies-inspired detail.

It's pretty straightforward to do once you know how, and will add a super cool detail to your me-mades. We attached the plait to the waistband on the Ness skirt. You could also stitch it around the pocket openings, or make it into extra fancy belt loops. Louise even has plans to make plaited braces for her next Ness skirt!

Plait's the Way A-ha A-ha I Like It

Blame Louise for the title of this post - I asked for suggestions and her joke was waaay more interesting than the holding title. So there we go!

We shared a sneak peek of this denim skirt with added plaited belt detail in our coin pocket tutorial, and had a lot of Qs on social media about it. So here it is in all its glory. The skirt was made with our Ness sewing pattern. I got the idea for the plait detail a few years ago while browsing ready-to-wear garments, and have been dreaming of adding to a me-made outfit ever since. The seventies vibe of the Ness skirt seemed like the perfect garment to add it to - and I'm absolutely in love with the result.

Six Steps to Starting Sewing

Fancy sewing your own clothes but don't know where to start?

If you've stumbled upon this site while researching how to get into sewing - in which case, welcome! - you may have spotted that we offer lots of resources aimed at stitchers, including complete novices, from step-by-step patterns and award-winning books through video workshops and free tutorials.

It can all still be a bit of a maze of information though when you're just starting out and don't know what you don't know. So I thought I'd break it down into six simple steps to get started sewing. You're welcome!

1) Get a sewing machine

Whether you buy, thrift, rent or borrow it, you'll obviously need to get your hands on a sewing machine. Shopping for a machine can feel a bit overwhelming, but all you really need is a machine that has a straight stitch (for most stitching) and an adjustable zigzag stitch (for finishing edges and sewing knits). Full size machines (rather than those cute half size models) are best for garment sewing. If you want to try before you buy, go to a specialist sewing machine shop or large department store such as John Lewis if you're in the UK. Or keep it easy by buying online. I always say that the best machine is the one you have, so don't sweat the decision too much!

Read more about choosing a sewing machine

2018 at Tilly Towers

Looking back on another year, I can't quite believe everything that has happened at Tilly and the Buttons HQ! As the business owner, it's been a very different year from previous ones as I've been working part time so I can look after my little boy, who is now 15 months. The juggle is a struggle and, while I looooove being able to spend time with my son, I do often find myself frustrated that I can't get more done at work. Yet looking back on everything we achieved this year, I feel proud of myself and the team for what we managed to do - in terms of product launches, events and growing the team behind the scenes.

Over the year we had four new stars join the team - Sales and Communications Manager Louise (who previously worked here in a different role), Sewing Pattern Developer Serefina, Office Manager Kate and Product Manager Nikki. They are all amazing at what they do, bringing ideas and enthusiasm to help the company get better bit by bit. Plus we had another baby Buttons arrival, Katie's daughter Posey - awwwww!