Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Mimi Blouse from Tilly and the Buttons

One of my most favorite types of fabric to work with is cotton. It’s natural, versatile and super easy to care for. Slap a fun print on that cotton and I’m sold!

I purchased this cotton lawn from Fabric Mart a few months ago when I seen its beauty popping up in my Instagram feed. C'mon hearts AND cherries!? Yay! I believe they also sold the same print in a mint color but unfortunately I do not see either of the two still available on their site. Only makes me wish I would have bought more.  Lawns are light and flowy which make them ideal during the summer months.  When I purchased this fabric I knew exactly what pattern I was going to use, the Mimi Blouse by Tilly and the Buttons.

My pictures may seem....a little goofy. I was just giddy with excitement because during my photoshoot I was also in the process of packing for a beach vacation! 
The Mimi Blouse pattern is available in Tilly Walne’s new book, Love at First Stitch.  As soon as Tilly released on her blog all the patterns to be in the book I quickly bought a copy.  I just think they are all unbelievably adorable.  Tilly’s red version of the Mimi Blouse only helped to seal the deal.

One of the things I love about the book is with each pattern Tilly gives you ideas on how to make it your own.  For the Mimi Blouse in particular such things like exchanging the collar for a peter pan collar, piping the yoke or adding fabric-covered buttons. 
Another nice touch I found in Tilly’s book is on each pattern piece.  The book is written with beginners in mind so those may find it helpful that the patterns have extra labeling.  For example, on the yoke pattern piece the shoulder seam is clearly labeled.  Also labeled are where the front and back bodice joins so you don’t get confused as to what attaches where (as I sometimes do). 

I made a size 2 and didn’t make any fitting alterations.  I usually test a muslin but I didn't with this pattern.  I instead measured my pattern pieces and compared those measurements to my own and to similiar RTW clothing I already had that I liked the fit of.  I'm noticing in pictures now that I probably could of used a swayback adjustment.  I will account for that in my next version.

My favorite parts of this blouse are the Chelsea collar, gathered yoke and pleated sleeves. Ok, ok I like it all!  Pleated sleeves and sleeve facings were a first for me.  I always enjoy learning something new.  I did my sleeve facings a little different than instructed. Instead of folding the facing and having it completely hidden under the sleeve I folded it in half and slip stitched it in place to form a tiny sleeve band. 

I just so happened to have the perfect buttons in my stash…tiny pearl hearts to match the print!  They are hard to see in the pictures so can we instead get another look at that adorable collar!?  I just love it!

This print is a little busy for all the details this shirt has to offer. Because of that I would like to make my next version in a solid with contrasting piping around the yoke.
This pattern is a winner for me.  Just the right amount of girly.  The other patterns in the book are pretty great too and will be giving them a go someday....someday soon when I work through that monstrous to-sew pile!!
Have any of you purchased Tilly's book?  What's your favorite pattern? 
Now please allow me to clog the rest of this post with some pictures of my happy dance because sandy beaches await me! :)



~ Shannon from Shanni Loves

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Liberty Snow Day

Hi everyone! While we’ve been blanketed with snow out here in Southeastern PA, I decided to conquer my fear of button holes and make NewLook pattern N6749. I was able to snag a few yards of the Jess + Jean print Liberty of London Tana Lawn for it. It’s always exciting when Fabric Mart is able to get Liberty fabrics in! I always make sure to grab some.  Cutting into a beautiful piece of tana lawn is scary every time. The fabric is such good quality, I’m afraid to mess it up! I had to be extra careful as this is also the first directional pattern I’ve worked with. But one of my assistants made sure all of my pieces were laid correctly. Something I wanted to try out with this dress was finishing the inside seams using the overlock stitch on my domestic machine. Normally I would french seam, but it was nice to not have to worry about cutting seam allowance in half, sewing, trimming, flipping, and sewing again. Next time I would cut the seam allowance back before overlocking, but I thin...

Made By A Fabricista: Embracing Winter in Wool Boucle

As winter drags on, the cold weather is such a bummer to me and feeling uncomfortable and cold so often is rough. Meanwhile, I listened to a podcast all about how people in very northern countries deal better with the onset of dark, freezing winter with a radically different mindset of embracing the inevitable season by reframing the chill as refreshing and the opportunity to spend most time indoors as cozy. I can do that!  I found a gorgeous, quintessential wool boucle suiting in black and white to make myself a luxurious outer layer while I’m outside attempting to embrace the sting of dry winter air… It’s kind of working. So classic, so chic! Wearing boucle is always an uptown move and I certainly do feel sophisticated in it. This black and white houndstooth combination feels especially Old Hollywood, and what a treat to make something with this!  I sewed the Daphne Jacket from Vivian Shao Chen. There are no closures, and the shape is boxy and very easy to wear over multipl...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing + Running

It’s not every day that I get to mix two of my favorite hobbies. Especially when one hobby is sewing and the other is running. You can’t sew and run at the same time, but, you can go running in something that you sewed! With this realization, I embarked on my first hobby-merging adventure.  We’ve had some frigid temperatures in Pennsylvania this winter. Since I’m an outside, stroller-pushing runner, I bundle up my son and myself before I hit the road. The temperature feels 20 degrees warmer for outside runners than the outside air. For the children being pushed in the stroller though, it feels about 20 degrees colder.  With these differences in temperature for each of us, layering is the only thing that ensures that we both stay perfectly warm. My running wardrobe has been lacking a warm top layer. My son’s wardrobe would also benefit from having another warm layer, so I knew pullovers were what I should make.  Inspired by a name-brand ¼ button-down fleece pullover I saw,...