The moment I saw the puffball sleeves of the Nell top/dress I was sold! Nell is an easy-to-wear style - it's a relaxed fit and there are bags of options for customising. You can choose from 4 different lengths as well as 4 different sleeve types, plus there is an option of traditional buttoned-up front or go for hidden poppers with faux ties. (The latter style definitely has a Ganni-vibe but with less risk off flashing any skin.) I went for the puffball sleeves, top length and with the faux ties.

I decided to jump straight into the pattern and cut a size 4 and made no modifications as I know that Tilly patterns fit my shape well. In order to make the puffball work, I needed a fabric that had a bit of structure to it but isn't stiff. So I chose our Superbloom cotton poplin in the green colourway.

The pattern itself is well-written as you would expect from a Tilly & the Buttons pattern. If I had one niggle it would be that because there are so many options I wasn't sure exactly which pattern pieces I needed for my option as I didn't want to trace and cut more than I needed. But I got there in the end.

The blouse itself is very straight-forward in construction - if you have a couple of makes under your belt it's definitely not hard. The biggest learning curve for me was the puffball sleeve. This is formed in two pieces: the first outer sleeve is large and has gathers at the sleeve head and also the hem. The inner sleeve is smaller and effectively pulls in the outer sleeve to create the puff shape. It's just like the bubble hem skirts of the 80's. You need to be accurate for attaching the inner sleeve to the sleeve head but otherwise it went together straightforwardly.

The faux ties are formed by strips of fabric which are sewn shut and then attached to the outside of the placket in the centre of the blouse. Don't do what I did and hand sew the poppers on backwards. What a twit!!

So all in all I'm delighted with my blouse and I'm very excited to wear it. I'm tempted to make a drapier version of Nell next time, possibly as a midi-length dress for holidays. I think a linen/viscose blend would work perfectly for the shape and it'll make a great everyday option.

Happy sewing

Tanya xx

@bornellafabrics

(You can read my blog here )

I made these out of a light to mid-weight cupro modal, so they don't totally hold the structure of the pleat but I really love them. Fit is great, pattern was clear. One of the few patterns I have that I'm excited to make more. Definitely looking forward to making them with a thicker fabric.

My only complaint is that the pockets are just a tad shallow, and I love a butt pocket. Will experiment how to add some.

Apologies for the bathroom photo. Was the best I could get!

I love Style Arc designs. They are always so wearable and also I find the Aussie sizing matches up to UK better than some other global patterns. I love trousers these so much I have made 2 versions already, in a camouflage denim and later in a linen mix so have a more casual pair and a smarter pair. I love the wrap feature at the front instead of a zip fastening. You do need to concentrate on the wrap front and left side pocket and I made a toile of this part only for the first time. I have plans to make more.

I love Style Arc designs. They are always so wearable and also I find the Aussie sizing matches up to UK better than some other global patterns. I love trousers these so much I have made 2 versions already, in a camouflage denim and later in a linen mix so have a more casual pair and a smarter pair. I love the wrap feature at the front instead of a zip fastening. You do need to concentrate on the wrap front and left side pocket and I made a toile of this part only for the first time. I have plans to make more.

I love Style Arc designs. They are always so wearable and also I find the Aussie sizing matches up to UK better than some other global patterns. I love trousers these so much I have made 2 versions already, in a camouflage denim and later in a linen mix so have a more casual pair and a smarter pair. I love the wrap feature at the front instead of a zip fastening. You do need to concentrate on the wrap front and left side pocket and I made a toile of this part only for the first time. I have plans to make more.

I love Style Arc designs. They are always so wearable and also I find the Aussie sizing matches up to UK better than some other global patterns. I love trousers these so much I have made 2 versions already, in a camouflage denim and later in a linen mix so have a more casual pair and a smarter pair. I love the wrap feature at the front instead of a zip fastening. You do need to concentrate on the wrap front and left side pocket and I made a toile of this part only for the first time. I have plans to make more.

I love Style Arc designs. They are always so wearable and also I find the Aussie sizing matches up to UK better than some other global patterns. I love trousers these so much I have made 2 versions already, in a camouflage denim and later in a linen mix so have a more casual pair and a smarter pair. I love the wrap feature at the front instead of a zip fastening. You do need to concentrate on the wrap front and left side pocket and I made a toile of this part only for the first time. I have plans to make more.

Unfortunately I can't see whether I've managed to upload a photo of me wearing this, but it looks pretty much as I expected it to.  I did make a smaller size than I need because I cut the paper pattern out last year before I put on weight.  However, it still looks good although it's a little snug around the middle when I sit down!

This is a fantastic pattern - everything goes where it should and everything is the right size.  I didn't need to line up notches because they just fell into place.  No easing, no head-scratching.  I haven't made dungarees before but it was easy to follow the instructions and I really enjoyed making these overalls.

I did have a few issues, and only one of those is a gripe.  Firstly, unless you are a puritanical, world champion (and possibly masochistic) tube-turner, use Method 2 for the ties.  I used a lightweight twill and it was impossible to turn the ties once sewn.  There are no instructions to trim the seam allowance but I did this anyway and it made no difference.  The problem is that the end of the tie is turned and stitched, so that after you've seamed it there are four layers of fabric in the first half inch of the tube and it just WILL NOT turn.  I ended up cutting out another tie/strap combo and using the much easier Method 2 (belt loop/bias tape method).

Secondly, the instructions for the belt loops are not correct.  You're required to make 8x 8cm loops from a piece of fabric which is only 51cm long.  I made 6, and so far that's not a problem.  Once you've threaded the ties through, you can leave them there and take the overalls off and on - but it took me a while to thread them through in the first place so six loops is enough for me! Obviously you can make a couple more if you prefer.

I highly recommend this pattern.  Even though it's a size too small, the overalls still look good and have a very flattering shape.  My daughter saw them and asked me for a pair so that's got to count for something!

I didn't believe this dress would be quite as flattering as it looked but I have been wonderfully surprised.

The single dart bodice front in 3 individual cup sizes gives enough shaping to have the top of this dress fit the torso well. I'm a woman of a certain age with a fluctuating middle spread & this dress both accentuates my shape whilst hiding my developing barrel. This was my first Liesl & Co experience so decided to be mildly cautious with sizing. Generally I'm a size 12/14 up top & 16/18 lower down so I cut on an XL  & the only adjustment I made was to double the side seam allowance from 1cm to 2cm on the bodice only to reduce any gaping I usually get, which it did. All else was as per the pattern instructions. Perfect! I think I could get a similar fit without the seam allowance adjustment with size L in a jersey with more give.

Unfortunately I finished the dress yesterday, at the end of the May Bank Holiday, missing the wonderful weather but I can't wait for the next sunny spell to wear Liesl's Marais knit dress which I made in a fun colour changing stable cotton lycra jersey....navy floral lace print on ivory which in sunlight the ivory turns into multiple colours! Marvellous!!!

I am planning to make more of these in jersey and in a viscose linen mix which has just enough give to allow it to work. Great pattern!

Sometimes you just need a classic blouse and this is a fab one. I sewed it up on the Creative Spirit Retreat, organised by owner Lisa Falconer and I came back feeling totally recharged and full of sewing enthusiasm. It was a really special experience and I can thoroughly recommend it.

I love how blouses look tucked into trousers or jeans, so I can imagine there’ll be more of these in my future. I sewed a size 3 with upper and lower rounded back adjustments, a small full bust adjustment, widened the sleeve, extended the sleeve cap and the shoulder seam. Yes that was a bit faffy but totally worth the fiddling around. I cut 10cm off the length but it does have a tendency to come untucked so I’d add a few cm back onto my next version.

I used cotton left over from lining my Heather Blazer (see photos in my blog post for the matchy matchy look!). I fancy using a more drapey fabric like viscose for my next version to give a softer look to the collar.

The instructions are superb, plus it also helped to have Lisa’s expert advice in person. I love her attention to detail, and where she points out in the instructions where it’s important to be really precise.

I used self-cover buttons as I didn’t have anything that looked quite right. It was a bit fiddly trying to get the dots in the centre but a bit of fabric glue and perseverance worked a treat.

Lots more photos including my fitting journey and toiles are in my blog post:
https://www.mingmakes.com/post/the-avid-seamstress-blouse-review

This is a fantastically useful basic to have in yours ardrobe.  The pattern itself is well drafted with clear instructions.  I  like the finish I achieved, it's very professional. I sewed it in various different fabrics, including linen, tencel twill and poly-satin. The only downside to Vikisews patterns is that they tend to be single sized patterns, so if you're somebody who needs to grade between sizes it can be difficult depending on your level of comfort and experience.

I Made this as a wearable toile and it worked out brilliantly and is now in my wardrobe.  Very straightforward construction.  Lovely collar - this is the larger of the two options.  I went with the long sleeves and statement cuffs too.  They fold back for a more conventional look if required.

Planning another in linen - again with the statement collar but I may make the sleeves a little fuller.

I enjoyed making this coat, my first and am very pleased with the result. I made it in a Moon wool fabric (it's not as bright as the photo suggests). It was all very straight forward but I did quite a few practise WELT pockets until I was confident to work on the coat itself. I didn't make the belt and as yet haven't put buttons on as I quite like just wrapping it around. For a contrast it has a pink lining!

A brilliant pj pattern for many reasons: tapered leg, French seams throughout, no piping, modern collar, clear coloured lines for easy tracing.

I cut with double fabric for speed despite their instructions.

And made some small modifications:
Added a pocket to the front top
Lengthened the top - I'm short but didn't fancy a cropped fit
Added tapered turn-ups to sleeves and trousers for interest (and challenge!)
Finished the collar and neck seam with white bias binding.

Linen look designer shirting from Fabworks, and Cotton Sateen in my stash for a second pair.
Lovely to sew, lovely to wear.

I've been wanting to make a denim skirt for a while so when I saw that Bella Loves Patterns had launched the Anna Skirt and it went straight to the top of the list. It was initially the pockets that drew me in, but I really liked the front slit and the length. It has many of the elements of traditional denim jeans, but without the legs - so topstitching, patch pockets, zip fly, bar tacks etc.

 
 
I used our railroad denim in dark blue/white (from Bornella Fabrics) which is a touch over 8oz and absolutely perfect for this project. It's light enough that my (very basic) machine didn't struggle on the heavy-duty sections where there are lots of layers of fabric to contend with, like attaching the belt loops to the waistband. But the denim also sturdy enough that the finish skirt looks structured.
 
Fit-wise, my measurements put me between a 12 and 14. I decided to cut a size 14. I'd rather it was too loose than too tight. It has ended up a little roomy but not too much. I'd say it was definitely true to size. For my next version I'll size down so I have that as another option.
    
So onto the pattern. I had  always known that Bella  Loves Patterns takes a lot of care in the drafting of the pattern and the instructions, and this is clear from the offset. The patterns are really detailed - lots of pictures at every stage - and there are lots of extra steps to make sure your garment is built to last. For example, I used interfacing AND stay tape for the waistband, which I've never done before. There were a mix of tailoring techniques - chalk markings that you add yourself feature heavily - plus hand basting some areas. Normally I don't hand-baste ANYTHING but I was having such an enjoyable time sewing the skirt I thought I'd spend the extra couple of minutes doing it. And blow me down, the finish is much better. Turns out Bella knows her stuff! Also the level of detail is super - the topstitching matches up really well when pattern pieces are joined and it just has a really neat finish.

I love are how considered the inside of the skirt is too: it definitely as pretty innards! I used a few offcuts of our Superbloom fabric for the pocket linings. Normally I'd make the right side of the fabric face the inside of the pocket so when you put your hands into the pocket bags you see the fabric. Not so for these. The wrong side of the fabric is what you put your hands into, but when you open up the skirt you get your colourful cotton facing you. It gives me a lot of joy to see it! Plus the binding for the inner waistband is in the same fabric so it really has a super neat finish inside. Beautiful!!
 
So I do have a couple of gripes about the pattern which I'm really sorry to say. The first was attaching the binding to the waistband. The instructions just said to add binding to the bottom of the waistband. BUT I failed to appreciate the waistband is asymmetric, to allow for the fly closure. So I effectively bound the OUTSIDE waistband instead of the inside one. Not the worst mistake ever and it just meant a lot of unpicking.
 
The second gripe was more problematic. Zips!!! My nemesis. By far this is the best zip I've ever put in BUT it was not without headache. The pattern specifies which size zip to buy. The zip went in great but the instructions then require you to remove  about 1cm-ish of the zip - including the zip stop, a few of the top zip teeth (in my case 4 teeth each side), and replace the zip stop. All without damaging the zip tape. It was an absolutely pickle and I lost the zip stop in the process. So my skirt does NOT have a zip stop now but luckily the waistband is right above the teeth so the zip can't go any further north.

Anyway, that's a very convoluted way of saying, it's such a shame that this step was needed. As the rest of the drafting and instructions are so good, it just seems very out of place.

So all in all, I'm absolutely over the moon with the finished skirt and I'll be wearing loads over summer. I'm already planning my next version in some plain denim (which I've ordered for the shop - the perks of being a fabric shop owner!). Definitely a 5 star pattern.  You can read a full review with more photos on my blog here.

Happy sewing

Tanya xx

@bornellafabrics