Friday Pattern Pick
Friday, September 5th, 2014
I’m relatively new to sewing with knits and this was the very first pattern I tried once I’d decided to give it a go. Please welcome to Friday Pattern Pick, the fabulous Coco, designed by Tilly Walnes of www.tillyandthebuttons.com
Now I’d heard it through the grapevine that knits can be troublesome at times so I approached this project with slight trepidation. But I shouldn’t have bothered wasting my energy. Tilly makes it all so simple. Her pattern is easy to follow and comes with an instruction booklet which contains step by step instructions with matching colour photographs. The booklet also has nuggets of advice for sewing with knits and how to avoid all the common mistakes it’s easy to make – so ideal for newbies.
The illustrated instruction book
The pattern itself is printed on stiff paper unlike the tissue paper affairs commonly associated with patterns so it’s robust and can withstand repeated use. Even though the pattern pieces are overlaid, when I made my Coco I still traced off my chosen size as I wanted to preserve the original in case I change shape (again!) and need it to be bigger (likely) or smaller (unlikely.)
There are a variety of Coco’s to choose from. Make the dress (like I did) or a top. Add pockets or not, and either go with the round neck or choose a very retro funnel neck. Once you’ve mastered the standard Coco you can customise it too – try chopping the sleeves shorter or make a longer version of the dress. It’s a really easy garment to work with. The standard Coco has only four pieces – front, back, pockets and sleeves. It’s a dress you could easily make in just a couple of hours – ideal for busy folks.
I’ve made two of these now – both dresses and I love them. They are pleasure itself to wear and can be dressed up or down for any occasion. I used Ponte Roma fabric both times – one a polka dot blue with over sized dots and the other a burnt orange to which I added mustard coloured pockets. The style suits slightly thicker knit fabric – best not to use very thin Jersey. Interlock knits are a good choice too.
Back of the pattern sleeve
What I also like about the Coco is the packaging. Tilly has given a lot of thought to the design and longevity of the pattern sleeve and has created something particularly appealing. I want to make the funnel neck top next – possibly in a stripe this time. I’ll post it here when it’s finished – so watch this space.
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