Do you make your own clothes? Or wish you could?
Either way, you need to check out Tilly and the Buttons. Tilly’s aim in life is to get us all making our own clothes. To that end, she designs simple-to-sew patterns which come with beautifully illustrated instructions.
In 2015, she released Fifi, described by Tilly as a ‘boudoir set’. It has been popular ever since.
I didn’t want a ‘boudoir set’, but I had been looking for a nightie pattern. I loved the style of the Fifi camisole. It is cut on the cross, so it hangs beautifully. It also has princess seams at the back, which give it a lovely, flattering shape.
I kept looking at Fifi, because it is very pretty. And then I thought, ‘A camisole is just a short nightie, right?’
I ordered the pdf version. I usually prefer a printed pattern, given the option, but I knew there would be alterations to make, and I didn’t need the shorts pattern.
In the end, the alteration was very simple – I just extended the line of all the seams, making it about 14″ longer. (Making it the length I wanted it.) The tricky bit of the pattern is the cups and they weren’t affected. This is an intermediate pattern, not quite as simple as some of Tilly’s other patterns. Having said that, it went together beautifully and didn’t cause any major headaches.
I made my nightie with ‘Bunnies’ pattern by Angie Spurgeon. (Isn’t it a pretty design?) I picked one of the colours in the pattern for the trim and finished it off with a yellow duck button I’ve had for years. I remembered it as a rabbit, so I was really pleased when I thought about it. A rabbit fit perfectly with the pattern. However, when I found it, it was a duck, which is OK. I like it better than a bow with this fabric.
I enjoyed making this pattern. I haven’t made anything quite like this before, so there were some new challenges, making it interesting to sew. I am very pleased with the end result. I will definitely be making it again – in fact, I plan to make it in tie-dyed fabric, dyed with logwood.
Have you made Fifi, or anything similar?
