Stretch those skills!

If you have sewn a few basic garments in jersey and fancy getting your teeth into something more challenging – Zadie is the pattern for you!

I used ponte for my version – it has the perfect amount of stretch and stability for this pattern and I think it’s a good fabric choice to make the tricky parts more manageable. It also has a very flattering amount of drape and weight and is of course super comfortable. I had been planning to make a colour-blocked Zadie for ages, so when I bought ponte for a couple of other projects I made sure I ordered a little bit extra. It was good fun planning the different combinations of fabrics for my design and I used a colouring-in sheet that I downloaded for free from the Tilly and the Buttons blog to plan how the finished garment would look – you can see some of the different options I considered on my Instragram grid.

As you come to expect if you have used a Tilly and the Buttons pattern before, the instructions are flawless and fool-proof. They take you through each step in plenty of detail and the colour photographs that illustrate each stage are amazing – you really can’t go wrong!

I always make a size 3 in Tilly’s patterns and although I had read several reviews that mentioned the Zadie comes up a little big, I decided to stick with my usual size with no alterations. I probably could have made a size 2 or taken in the side seams for a more fitted finish, but I am delighted with how comfortable my version is and the panels give the illusion of a very flattering fit anyway. This might be something to consider though, if you fall between sizes.

The dress is exactly how I invisaged – bold, fun, flattering and comfortable! I can already tell that it will be something I reach for again and again in my wardrobe and I can see myself wearing it both to work and at weekends. I would love to make another version with long sleeves for the winter and I’m already dreaming up new colour-block combinations and squirrelling away ponte!