Tilly and the Buttons Cleo Pinafore and Dungaree Dress

I was in isolation over the festive period and needed something to keep my mind occupied and stay positive. I started off a little embroidery for a tote bag but in the end I turned it into Cleo!

The pattern was easy to follow with plenty of photos showing each step - definitely beginner friendly. Construction was simple and straightforward, all the notches math with ease and it was a stressfree make! It was fun to get out some aggression with the hammer when adding the buckles!

The denim was great to work with, it has a nice weight and a little drape - it’s not a stiff heavy denim. It was easy to sew (with a jeans needle) and pressed well which made the top stitching easier too.

The top stitching is a lovely finishing touch. I used a quilters foot and stitch in the ditch foot to get this as equally spaced as possible.

I like the simple design and easy fitting which makes it perfect for layering with T-shirts, blouses, shirts and jumpers. For me dress this takes me back to my youth - wearing dungarees whilst rollerskating in the park! Definitely a throwback outfit for me!!

Pretty quick to put together! Only issue I had was that the size 0 pattern piece for the front facing was 3cm too big for the pinafore front, so I just sewed 1.5cm from the fold, cut on the fold line and pressed open which worked fine. It was a great pattern to use as a base for my hand printed/painted fabric with only a few pattern pieces.

I added 1 1/2" to the back and front hem widths to make the skirt slightly more flared, but I think most of that was lost when I took the hem up 5cm.  I also cut the front piece on the fold for a more uninterrupted print.

I’d made this before in a chunky pale pink corduroy for my daughter but thought it lended itself to a summer version for me.

I traced out a size 3 (uk size 10), the shorter version. This was a little smaller than my measurements suggested but I remembered that I took my daughters size 4 in a little.

However, before I added the facing I tried it on and had to let the side seams out about 7mm (up to my overlocked edge) on each side. This was purely to enable me to sit down comfortably without straining the fabric or seams. It also aids getting it over my head as the pattern has no closures!

Its a lovely pattern, straight forward for experienced sewers and perfect for newbies with the usual impeccable instructions we are used to seeing from Tilly.

When I make this one up again I shall perhaps lengthen it by 2 inches but this will mean that I’ll definitely need the front slit of the knee length version as I’ll not be able to stride out comfortably!

There's more detail and photos on my blog at Love, Lucie

This was the first garment I ever sewed. This was about three years ago, and it's still holding up well having been worn regularly.

It's so comfortable to wear, and works well for breastfeeding.

It's a great pattern for beginners, with through, clear instructions and additional tips on the TATB website. It's such a satisfying make!

I did make several mistakes when I was making this, entirely due to me rushing or selecting the wrong options - here is a link to my blog outlining these mistakes in case it is useful for any other sewing newbies

I really fancied a trans-seasonal garment to add to my wardrobe. The shape of the Cleo pinafore looked like it might suit my tubular figure and my previous experience of Tilly and the Buttons patterns  (I have only made a Coco dress so far) suggested the fit and instructions would be good. I was looking for a pattern suitable to teach a class.
This lovely stretch needle cord was washed and ready to go in my pile so I cut a size 5 and graded out to a size 6 at the waist. That really wasn’t necessary as the first try on with basted side seams looked most unflattering, so I went back to the original pattern shaping. There is plenty of waist ease allowed.
The fit of the straps from the back is good on me. I have had problems with straps coming from shaped back pieces on dungarees before, but these sit flat in my back and don’t fall off my shoulders.
I think the front pinafore bib is slightly too wide for my liking, it sits wider than my bust - which has ample sufficiency!  Next time I would cut at size 4 bib graded to a 5 waist, which would also mean altering the front facings.

The Bib and Brace set I got included a strap holder, it didn’t register when I bought it but it’s a useful addition as it holds the end of the strap in place without having to commit to stitching it down. The only real difficulty I had was deciding where to position the buckles, and I note  from looking at all these reviews that people choose different places for the waist to sit

The knee length is good for me, I am 5’6” tall. I fancy a mini length one in cotton canvas for the summer. I also like the thought of adding a button fastening at the sides as an extra detail.

I would recommend this pattern as good beginner friendly one.  I don’t think the ‘variations’ - altering  the length and swapping clips for buttons really count as pattern variations, and if I was not making a front split I would cut the front piece on the fold (omitting the seam allowance)