Louise's Pleat Back Stevie Hack

Sometimes a pattern comes along that you love so much, you find yourself thinking of a squillion ways to make it! Or is that just me? It's Louise here from Team Buttons, and I love, love, love Stevie (the pattern and icon Stevie Nicks).

When we launched the Stevie tunic top and dress last summer, I immediately whipped up a couple of dresses before moving on to a top. When I was making that top (in a gorgeous Rifle Paper Co rayon I'll have you know), I was thinking about how gorgeous the drape was and that I wanted to show it off even more. So I followed the #youcanhackit mantra and did just that!




When I posted this on my Instagram I had a few questions about how to do this easy peasy hack. I tried to describe it, but a visual guide is always so much better isn't it? So here's my guide to adding an inverted pleat or box pleat to the back of Stevie - mine are both tops, but this would work equally as well with the dress version.

Sewing Space Tour... Jessica Dance's Colourful Studio

For today's sewing space tour, where we peek behind the closed doors at a maker's inspiring sewing space, we're in the South Downs with Jessica Dance, a textile artist and model maker.

Jessica's gorgeous work has been commissioned by the likes of ITV, Stylist magazine, Cosmo magazine, John Lewis, The Washington Post and so many more! Her bright and colourful home-studio is the stuff of dreams - prepare to be wowed...

Hello! I’m Jessica and I live and work in the South Downs. I'm a textile artist, using a combination of processes and techniques to create my work. The majority of my commissions are machine knitting and hand embroidery and most projects involve sewing and model making too.

I have always loved working with fabric. Although I did a degree in Fashion Studies I must admit, I did not really learn much (anything) about sewing during it. Instead I opted to go down the fashion marketing route on my course. I have always loved sewing, but I have always made it up as I go along.

Jessica was commissioned by John Lewis to create this woolly doppelganger of their most popular machine

Tilly's Pink Jessa Jeans of Dreams

I don't make a habit of posting pictures of my bum on the Internet, but I'm making an exception today because omigawd I made a pair of pink jeans and I LOVE them!

You're welcome.

Nikki's 70s-tastic Jessa trousers

On 1st January of this year, I scribbled in my notepad that I wanted to make a pair of trousers that fit me really well, and I'm happy to report I can tick that sewing resolution (sewlution?) off my list with my mid-blue denim Jessas jeans. Yay!

As soon as Tilly showed me her sketch of Jessa in the early stages of production, I was in complete love. I am a sucker for anything high-waisted with a 70s vibe. I also love big pockets. And asymmetric waistbands... I mean it's probably quicker to say what I don't love about Jessa (spoiler: nothing). I've been after a pair of gently flared trousers for ages and I'm thrilled that I now have the perfect pair.