12 April 2021

Inspiration & Fabric Picks For Lyra


Let's get into Lyra! By now we hope you're as obsessed with our newest sewing pattern Lyra as we are! If you're yet to meet her, then check out this blog post which will give you all the deets, including the expansion of our size range. Lyra might just be one of our most fabric versatile sewing patterns yet, which makes her a winner for all seasons. So hopefully, this blog post will provide you with lots of inspiration to sew a Lyra for every month of the year... 

This ultra-cool shirt dress has an oversized, blousy bodice with bust darts, button front opening, two-piece collar and stand, and, of course, side seam pockets (how could we not?!). The gathered skirt can be hemmed just above the knee, or add the midi panel for a trendy tiered look. Choose between short sleeves for easy-breezy summer style or full-length billowy sleeves with elasticated cuffs. Wear Lyra loose and floaty, or add an optional narrow tie to cinch you in at the waist. I wasn't lying when I said 'versatile'!



Get your copy of our new Lyra shirt dress sewing pattern HERE

Florals

Dresses:  yellow, pink/purple, bluegreenyellow
Fabrics: yellowlilacblackgreen/multi

Lyra is destined to be sewn in a floaty floral viscose, and luckily the fabric shops are full of options all year round! Go bold with an oversized floral print, or pick an easy to wear ditsy print. Style your floral Lyra with sandals and a straw bag in the summer, then with boots and an on-trend knitted vest in cooler months to get maximum wears out of your gorgeous dress. You could even go all-in with the floral theme and opt for adorable flower-shaped buttons, check out this amazing selection (I've got a few on order...).

Seeing Spots


Dresses: white, black, green, red
Fabrics: white & navy, green & burgundy

Much like florals, polka dots are a fail-safe fabric print. Whenever I know I want to sew something but can't settle on a fabric I like, I always go back to spots! Check out my upcoming Lyra sewing plans in this Instagram post which (spoiler alert!) features a polka dot viscose with some bright pink buttons for a contrasting colour pop. Mini, random, spotted polka dots are all over the high street right now and luckily for us, the fabric shops have come through with the goods. Rock all the polka dots you want!

Lyra sewing pattern by Tilly and the Buttons

We went dotty for this gorgeous viscose challis supplied by Sew Me Sunshine for our gorgeous model Sarah's sample.


Plain & Simple


Dresses: blackwhitebright pinkrustlight pink
Fabrics: blackwhitebright pinkrustlight pink

Let all the lovely Lyra pattern details do the talking with a plain and simple fabric choice, but there's nothing boring about these! Choose from a lightweight, flowy viscose challis which is widely available in a whole host of gorgeous colours, or opt for a summer fabric favourite like linen or voile. Choosing a plain fabric is also a great way to really show off your button choice with a colour pop (I have my eye on these), something fun & novelty (excuse me Russian Doll buttons!), or pick something chic and tonal to blend in.  

Lyra shirt dress sewing pattern by Tilly and the Buttons

Plain, simple and swishy! We love this bright turquoise viscose challis from Minerva Crafts our model Marcela swooshed around in.


Animal Prints

Dresses: blue, black, sheer, green, brown
Fabrics: blue, stripes, black, tigers, leopard, pink

In my book, leopard print is a neutral pattern choice, right? It never leaves the high street and luckily the online fabric shops haven't disappointed, with what feels like more animal print options than ever before! Try a bold and colourful tiger print or stick to classic leopard for something that you know will never go out of style. 

Go Bold


Dresses: black & floral, palm print, people, blue
Fabrics: bright floral, multi palm, green palm, faces, bodies, blue

Go bold with an eye-catching abstract print. It's a wonderful choice to lift your mood !

Lyra shirt dress sewing pattern by Tilly and the Buttons

We picked this stunning bold scribble print cotton lawn supplied by Storrs London for our model Sarah's swishy sample.

Lyra shirt dress sewing pattern by Tilly and the Buttons

We loved this artisan splash cotton lawn print supplied by Higgs and Higgs for our model Marcela's summery sample. It's just about as fun as a fabric can get!


Special Mentions

Dresses: gingham, chambray, white, black 
Fabrics: gingham, chambray, pink, black, white

I couldn't let this fabric inspiration blog post go by without a special mention to gingham. Much like polka dots, gingham is a fabric print I go back to again and again, then I spotted the dress above and had to include it here. With summer on the way (a little early but still...), a delicate broderie Anglaise would work perfectly with Lyra. Instead of trying to line the dress, you could opt for an easy-to-wear slip underneath, that way you can still see some of those lovely eyelets. 

Lyra shirt dress sewing pattern by Tilly and the Buttons

But Lyra doesn't just work beautifully with lightweight fabrics, she's also perfect for needlecord and denim chambray too, meaning she's firmly secured her spot as an all-year-round sewing pattern!

We chose this lovely denim coloured cotton needlecord supplied by Fabrics Galore. It's so soft to the touch and is an instant classic.


The Best of the Buttons


1 / 2 / 3 / 4

I'm pretty sure browsing buttons is one of the best parts about visiting a haberdashery in person. Picking up the clear tubes at the button display, spotting something super cute and wondering what to use them on (and then buying at least 8 with no solid plans). I could have gone on forever sharing all the ridiculously cute buttons I discovered, but here's just a tiny selection from my shopping basket. 


We hope this post has provided you with all the Lyra sewing inspiration you could possibly need! If you don't have the Lyra sewing pattern yet you can grab it here. Share your Lyra makes with us on Instagram using #SewingLyra and don't forget to tag us in your pictures too @TillyButtons - we can't wait to see what you make! Now I'm off to cut out my polka dot viscose version. Happy sewing!


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Author: Abi Dyson

Lyra photos by Jane Looker