Tilly's Favourite Dress of All Time

If I had to retire tomorrow, I'd do so content with the knowledge that I'd reached my sartorial zenith with releasing the Romy sewing pattern. 

It's no secret that I love a breton top or dress, as they're so stylish and easy to wear. It's the details on Romy that elevate it to something extra special. From the front, the simple loose-fitting shape is effortlessly chic, while the overlapping envelope neckline creates some construction interest. And then you turn around to reveal the back ties - I for one am drooling!

Inspiration for Making Your Romy

If you haven't yet caught the bug for our latest pattern Romy, that may be about to change!

It's Louise here, and I'm going to share some inspiration and fabric suggestions for making a wardrobe full of this stylish - and comfy! - top or dress. The envelope neckline, optional contrast binding and optional back ties make it a lovely pattern to get creative with. There is so much to tell you about Tilly's favourite pattern to date, so be sure to check out our blog post giving you all the deets.

 
When choosing fabric for your make, shop for a medium-weight low stretch knit fabric such as jersey or interlock. As the pattern has a modern, looser fit, you don't need to worry about picking a fabric with a certain amount of stretch - yay! Tilly's tip is to avoid any fabric that is too clingy or drapey (like a viscose jersey) to avoid neckline droop. And, if you are making the back tie version, steer clear of anything thick so the knot doesn't end up bulky. A medium weight cotton jersey would be perfect.

I can share a little insider knowledge with you - there may or may not be Romy kits coming to the shop in the next few weeks with perfectly picked fabric to make a gorgeous Romy. But you didn't hear that from me : )

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When designing the pattern, Tilly had her head in the French Riviera clouds - can you tell? Romy and stripes are a match made in heaven, but she looks lovely in all kinds of prints and plains.

Inspiration for making Jessa

Have you seen our latest pattern addition? Say hiya to the Jessa trousers and shorts - a gorgeous pair of flares that you just won't wanna take off!

It's Louise here from team Buttons, a style obsessed sewer who is always on the look out for inspo to bring into my stitching. I wanna share some ideas and fabric suggestions with you for making this super cute pattern.

If you haven't read Nikki's introduction post, then pop on over because she shares all the details you need to know about this design.

When it comes to fabric shopping for you perfect pair of Jessas, what do you need to know? Jessa is designed for medium- to heavy-weight woven fabrics such as denim, corduroy, cotton drill, linen, or triple crepe if you're after a more flowy and romantic silhouette. Stretch isn't required but a small amount of elastane will make them extra comfy.

I have scoured our favourite fabric shops for some good options and have broken them down into a few look ideas. If you are off on holiday, you might want to consider a natural fibre like linen that will breathe and keep you cool. Denim is hard-wearing, so a good choice for your every day pair and the triple crepe and stretch cotton fabrics I found would make the perfect showstopping pair of Jessas.

Whatever you go for, have fun with this make because life is too short to be wearing boring trousers!

Clockwise L-R: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

French Riviera style was a big influence on the design of the Romy and Jessa patterns - cool, understated, but definitely screaming 'look at me'! I love the idea of a pair of striped shorts worn with an easy-breezy white shirt and wide-brimmed sun hat to top off the look.

A lovely pair of red linen shorts (fabric no.6), or azure blue twill trousers (fabric no.1) worn with a Breton striped Romy - et Voila! Super chic vibes, even if you are just popping to the supermarket : )

L-R: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

This selection of fabrics would be perfect for your Riviera chic Jessa trousers or shorts - with twill, linen, stretch denim or cotton and jumbo cord, we've got you covered!

Meet the Romy top and dress pattern

If you love new sewing patterns then today is your lucky day. Today we launch not one, but two shiny new Tilly and the Buttons sewing patterns and we couldn't be more excited! If you missed it, check out our previous post introducing the new Jessa trousers and shorts for more info. Otherwise, read on to find out more about our gorgeous new pattern - the Romy top and dress.

If you love stylish yet comfortable jersey tops and dresses then look no further than Romy. With multiple, gorgeous variations to choose from you'll want to make them all. Romy is another multi-seasonal winner - three different sleeve options mean she's suitable for all temperatures. And have you seen those back ties? We are obsessed.

So without much further ado let's dive in and learn more about our new gal pal, Romy.

THE DESIGN