Tilly & The Buttons Lyra Dress Review

When a particularly lovely looking sewing pattern is released, sometimes you just have to jump on the bandwagon and make one don't you? That's what happened for me with the Lyra dress, the latest offering from Tilly & The Buttons. The short version is that I love it, but read on if you want my review...

Lyra is a shirtwaist dress with a blousy bodice with button front opening, two-piece collar and stand, pockets and options for either short sleeves or full-length sleeves with elasticated cuffs. It also has a gathered skirt that can either be left simple at knee length or have a midi panel added for a tiered look. For my version I used the short sleeves and tiered skirt, and I think that makes a great summer dress.

The pattern is available in sizes from 30/24/33" to 60/53/61" (bust/waist/hip in both cases).

The Lyra dress is rated as being for Improvers, which I'd say is fair. There are quite a few steps to go through, but none of them individually are that complicated and the instructions are very thorough and detailed to help you along the way. 

That said, I also like the fact that the instructions are illustrated with really clear photos that allow you to quickly see what each step involves so you don't have to read everything in full if you have a bit more experience. 

I really enjoyed sewing my Lyra dress. As I said before, it isn't the speediest pattern to sew, but no one step takes too long and it's nice to work through them all gradually.

My measurements put me in a size 5 at the bust and between a 5 and 6 at the waist and hips but I made a straight size 5 - there's a fair bit of ease in the waist, and plenty of extra space around the hips so I knew that would work out fine. I also added 1.5" to the length of the bodice, which is fairly standard for me.

As I'd added extra length to the bodice, I also added in an extra button and altered the button spacing. I do this for most buttoned bodices - both because of lengthening them and to make sure that there's always a button at my bust point so there's no risk of gaping.

The only other change I made was to use fabric belt loops instead of thread loops, which is just a personal preference.

The fabric I used is a printed lightweight denim from Croft Mill - I love the pretty print of daisies and flowers, and it's a lovely fabric for this pattern. It's easy to work with, but with just enough drape to hang nicely. Croft Mill have lots of other lightweight denim prints if you're looking for something similar.

I also added a cute label from Pink Coat Club to liven up the insides - this design is currently sold out but Joy has lots of other great designs to choose from.

So to summarise my review - this is a great sewing pattern! The sizing is good, the instructions are thorough and it's fun to sew. Most importantly, it creates a lovely dress that's beautifully swishy and comfy to wear. What more could you want?!

Jennifer Lauren Aisling Blouse

 The Aisling blouse from Jennifer Lauren is a pattern that I've been meaning to sew pretty much since it was released, and definitely since I made and loved its sister pattern - the Asteria dress (my Asteria is here). I was given the final push to make it when the pattern was included with issue 80 of Simply Sewing magazine.

Aisling is a square-necked blouse with a slight A-line shape and blouson style sleeves with an elasticated cuff. It has options of a button front and collar, or you can make a simple cut-on-the-fold blouse as I did.

The pattern has A-D cup sizes, and hip sizes from 35"-53". I made a 14 with the B cup option, as is recommended for my measurements. I know from previous experience that Jennifer Lauren's patterns tend to fit me fairly well, and the Aisling is no exception - I didn't need to make any adjustments. 

To me, the fit seems good - it sits nicely at the shoulders and bust and then flares outwards slightly to be roomy enough to make it really comfortable to wear without feeling at all baggy. 

The instructions are clear and with enough detail to make sewing the blouse a breeze. Actually, in the version that I made there's really nothing complicated about this pattern so it came together fairly quickly. Obviously it would take a bit longer if you were making the buttoned version or using the collar, but even then I'm sure the instructions would mean that you wouldn't have any trouble with it.

For my fabric, I chose a cotton lawn that I got from Emporia Fabric. It has a really pretty floral print and, possibly more importantly, it feels just as good as it looks - it's so soft to wear, and perfect for this pattern I think.

I also added a little bit of hidden positivity in the form of a 'Today is a good day' label from This Is For Makers. I was fairly late to the party when it comes to adding labels to handmade garments, but now I really like sewing one to my projects as a little finishing touch to make them extra special.

I think that my Aisling blouse has turned out really nicely - the square neckline is lovely, and I particularly like the elasticated blouson sleeves. Add in a pretty fabric and you can't go far wrong really, can you?

Sew Over It Salma Dress(es and top!)

Today I'm here to talk to you about a relatively new sewing pattern - the Sew Over It Salma dress. It was released at the start of the year and I've already made three versions so it's probably not hard for you to guess that I'm a bit of a fan!

Salma is a classic jersey shift dress that offers a few different options to make it a bit more exciting. You can choose from a round neck, V-neck or roll neck, as well as a standard or puff sleeve in two different lengths. The pattern has above-the-knee or knee length views. It's available in sizes from a 31" to 57" bust.

The first version of Salma that I made was actually a top rather than a dress. I made this as a wearable (thankfully very wearable!) toile using some ponte roma that I had left over from making a dress a couple of years ago. For this version I used the V-neck and standard sleeve options. To make a top instead of a dress, I very simply just measured how long I wanted the top to be and cut the pattern at that length - happily it turned out that I had just enough fabric for the length I wanted.

I really like how the top turned out and the fit seemed good, so I went on the lookout for some fabric for a dress version.

I found this grey floral sweatshirting on the Sew Over It website. It's a bit of a different choice for me - the fabric is available in a blue colourway too, which would be my default option, but I felt like stepping outside the box a bit. 

Unfortunately I'm not sure that was the wisest choice! The fabric is lovely in itself and super soft, but the finished dress just doesn't feel quite me. It's just not quite vibrant enough! I'll definitely still wear it though - since taking these photos I've tried pairing it with a pink cardi, which really helps to lift it a bit, and I think if I layer it over a roll neck top that could be good too. I love the shape of the dress (I used the V-neck and standard sleeve again for this one) though so decided that I might need another version that's more me!

Now, you definitely couldn't accuse this fabric of not being vibrant enough! It's a lovely French terry that I got from Backstitch (side note - I've ordered from Backstitch a few times over the last year and have been really impressed with their customer service. My orders have always arrived super quickly even when everything else was delayed due to the pandemic). For this version I used the round neck and standard sleeve. I love how this one turned out (hence most of the photos I'm sharing being of this one!) and I know I'll wear it a lot.

The Salma dress is really simple to sew - in terms of construction, it's pretty much just a lengthened t-shirt with the added benefit of bust darts and side seam shaping to give the dress a lovely silhouette. It's also designed for medium to heavy weight knits such as ponte roma, sweathshirting and French terry that tend to be quite stable and easy to handle in comparison with some jerseys. 

As with all Sew Over It patterns that I've made, the instructions are really detailed and easy to follow. I particularly like the method that they use for sewing the neck band on the V-neck option, and I think it helps to get a neater finish than I've sometimes got when sewing V-necks on other patterns.

I made a straight size 14 as recommended for my measurements, and I think the fit is good. It's fitted enough to have shape, without being at all tight anywhere. The only change I made was to lengthen the pattern by an inch above the waistline, which is very standard for me. For both my dress versions, I used the knee length option - as you can see, it's slightly above knee length on me (I'm about 5'9").

I think the Salma is a really versatile pattern - it's the kind of dress that can be really casual when made in colourful patterned fabrics like mine, but could also look smart if you made it in a solid colour ponte roma. And of course, being a knit dress, its super comfy - definite secret pyjamas! Three versions are probably enough for me for now, but I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for nice fabric for possible future versions!

Some recent knitting projects

 It's been a while since I shared any knitting, so I thought I'd write a little post today to talk about a few projects that I've finished so far this year. 

The first was actually mainly knitted last year, but the finishing touches were put on hold while I worked on some gift knitting and so were only completed this year.

The pattern I used here is the Rainbow Cardi (Ravelry link - pointing this out in case you're affected by photosensitivity) by Yelena Dasher from the book Mini Skein Knits (Ravelry link). It's essentially a very simple stocking stitch cardigan, made much more special by all the colourful stripes. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn and, as you can imagine, all of the stripes are a great use for mini skeins and leftovers. 

For my version, I used West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply in the Milk Bottle colourway as the main colour (I used about 150g), and the stripes are all leftovers from various socks and shawls. It was fun to knit as you always had the incentive of getting to add in the next colour. I was very pleased to discover that I had the perfect buttons already - by some massive fluke, my button jar has done remarkably well at providing me with the right buttons for projects when we've been in various lockdowns and in-person button shopping hasn't been possible! 

I love how this cardi turned out and it's already been worn a fair few times since I finished it in January.

Next up we have my Lesedi shrug, a pattern by Noma of Bigger Than Life Knits. The relaxed shrug style is kind of like a shawl that won't fall off your shoulders, and the fact that it uses chunky yarn means that it knits up pretty quickly and it's beautifully squishy. Wearing it kind of feels like a hug! 

The yarn I used is King Cole Chunky Tweed in the colourway Skye. It's a mainly acrylic yarn so is pretty affordable, but does also contain 25% wool for added warmth. I love the combination of the main navy colour with the rainbow tweed neps. 

I made this specifically to wear when I'm working at my desk as my office gets sun in the morning but not in the afternoon so I often need to add an extra layer as the day goes on. The Lesedi is perfect for that so it's another winner for me!

Lastly we have a project I finished just last week. The yarn (Willow & Lark Nest in the colourway Bougainvillea) for this project had been in my stash for quite some time. I originally had a cardigan pattern picked out for this yarn, but whenever I went to cast it on something was telling me that the plan wasn't quite right so I had a rethink. I decided to use the Hoxton pattern by Martin Storey/Rowan - I've just realised it's available as a free pattern on Love Crafts if you fancy giving it a try (I used a pattern booklet that I bought in a bundle from a charity shop). 

This pattern is knit in pieces and seamed, and the combination of the simple garter stitch with the single large cable on the front and back was very relaxing to knit. I think it works really well in this yarn, and I'm very glad that I decided to abandon the original cardigan idea in favour of this sweater.

The only slight problem I have with this sweater is that I've made my standard mistake of finishing it just as the weather starts warming up so I probably won't be wearing it much in the near future. Never mind - that just means I'll have it to look forward to come autumn! Now to try and get warm weather knits finished in time to wear them in the right season - wish me luck!

The Patterns Room Joan Jacket

 Hello? Is anyone still there? It's been a while since my last post hasn't it? Over the last few months I was initially busy making Christmas presents, and since then I've mainly made repeats of patterns I've already used, and they never feel like I have enough to say about them to warrant a blog post. They're all on my Instagram (I'm @nightingaleanddolittle) though if you want to check them out. Today I'm back with a new project to talk about - here's my The Patterns Room Joan Jacket.....

I'd never heard of The Patterns Room until I saw the Joan Jacket mentioned in a newsletter from The Foldline. I've been looking for a pattern a bit like this for a while (more on that later...) and I fancied trying something new, so I decided to give it a go.

The Joan Jacket is described as a Chanel style jacket with a boxy fit. It's fully lined and has the options of a collar and patch pockets, and finishes about mid-way between waist and hip. It's available as a PDF in two size ranges (10-18 (bust 33"-39.5") and 20-28 (bust 41-50.5")). I ordered the pattern and had the A0 pattern printed by The Foldline - I really like the fact that they send you an envelope specially designed for storing the pattern when you order PDF printing.

I made the collarless version of the jacket because I thought it would be good for showing off my handknit shawls (for the knitters out there, the one I'm wearing in these photos is my Minimania shawl, which I talk about in this blog post). I also used the patch pockets, because you've gotta have pockets! 

As I mentioned above, I'd been looking for a simple jacket pattern like this for a while. That's because I'd had this teal boiled wool for YEARS. It's definitely my longest stash resident. I'd got it for an absolute bargain price in a closing down sale, but it was a bolt end so I had just under two metres and every pattern I liked the look of needed considerably more fabric. Thankfully I had plenty for the Joan jacket. I've also had the lining for a couple of years - it's a black and white spotty viscose that I'm pretty sure came from Guthrie & Ghani.

I added some fun finishing touches - a bit of positivity in the form of a lovely little label from This Is For Makers, and pretty antique brass flower buttons from Textile Garden.

Sewing the jacket was an interesting experience. I like to be positive, so I'll start with the good points! The pattern seemed to be well-drafted and everything fit together correctly. It also feels pretty true to size - I made the size 18 as recommended for my measurements (my bust is actually between a 16 and an 18), and it gives the boxy fit described but without feeling oversized at all. The pattern is also comparatively simple, so if you've made a lined jacket before then I would think you should be OK with it.

However, unfortunately I don't think I'd recommend this pattern to people who aren't familiar with bagging out a lining, or who aren't confident enough to trust their instincts a bit. 

The instructions are pretty brief in places, for example when it comes to sewing the outer together they literally just say "Stitch to attach all outer pieces". There's nothing about which order to stitch them in or whether or not you need to ease the sleeve head into the armhole (I found I did need to gather it just slightly). They also never actually tell you to stitch together the lining. 

Some of the phrasing used in the instructions is also a bit awkward/just not idiomatic and means that the instructions aren't always easy to follow. 

The instructions are illustrated with photos rather than diagrams, and I never find them quite as clear personally.

The pattern pieces also don't have that many notches and there's no marking of the centre front or the buttonhole placement. 

None of these things would stop you being able to make the jacket (obviously, because I've made it!), but all of them combined make it more complicated than it needs to be. 

For me personally, sewing the jacket went relatively smoothly. I've made jackets with similar constructions before so I was familiar with the steps. The only problem I had was with sewing the buttonholes and that was because for the first time ever the buttonhole function on my sewing machine was objecting to the thickness of the fabric. I got around it by marking out the buttonholes manually and sewing them first with a straight stitch and then with a narrow zigzag. They work fine, but they won't be winning any buttonhole beauty pageants! 

Overall, if you're looking for a simple jacket and are relatively confident that you know what you're doing then the Joan jacket is a good option. I like how mine turned out, and I'm very happy that this fabric has finally fulfilled its destiny to be worn instead of sitting on a shelf. I quite like the idea of making a collared version in a lighter fabric for summer, so there may well be a second Joan jacket in my future!