This weeks Crafty Bloggers' Club post is from Emily.  You can find more of her makes on Instagram @readysteadysew_ 

Hi everyone! I’m Emily from Ready Steady Sew and I’m so excited to be sharing my make with you today as part of the Crafty Bloggers' Club.

It was so difficult to decide what to make as Crafty Sew&So have so many gorgeous fabrics. It took me a little while to decide but in the end I was drawn to this lovely leopard print viscose poplin. If you know me at all, you’ll know that I am obsessed with leopard print and I particularly liked that this fabric has a black base. I thought it would be the perfect pattern for Tilly and the Buttons' new Lotta Dress.

I love Tilly’s patterns and was inspired to buy my first sewing machine after watching the first series of The Great British Sewing Bee. At that time, there weren’t many independent pattern companies about and I basically learnt to sew using Tilly’s books and patterns.

After seeing so many beautiful Lotta dresses on Instagram, I knew I needed to give it a try. I was especially drawn to it as it has an elasticated waist and I like that silhouette. It’s also a really versatile pattern as it can be made in woven or knit fabric. The viscose fabric I used is perfect as it has lots of drape but is completely opaque. It’s perfect for an Autumn/ Winter dress to be worn with boots and tights.

As you would expect from any Tilly and the Buttons pattern, the instructions are really clear and easy to follow. She really holds your hand with the process.

The construction of the dress is quite simple, especially for experienced sewists. The bodice has no darts so is very simple to construct. If you are using a woven fabric like I did, then the neck is finished with a facing. This is simple to do and I always enjoy under-stitching to ensure a neat finish! I also remembered to add a label to the facing to give it a personal touch.

With this pattern, you can choose between long and short sleeves, to add patch pockets to the skirt and between knee length and midi length. I opted for long sleeves but no pockets. Generally, I prefer knee length as I think it is more flattering on me. However, whenever I hem something, I ignore the instructions about the length and try the garment on to decide how big I want the hem to be.

Overall, it was a simple make. The only area that I had minor difficulty with was the waist. I cut the elastic to the length specified for my size but it left the waist far too big so it hardly gathered in. I had to unpick a section of the waist channel to cut another couple of inches off the elastic. This made the waist cinch in much more and had a much more blouse-y effect which I really like.

I’m really pleased with my dress and I think I’ll get lots of wear out of it this winter. I would like to try the Lotta Dress again in a different fabric to see how it alters the style of it.

Thank you Crafty Sew&So for giving me the opportunity to make the Lotta Dress and blog about it. I’ve really enjoyed the process. If you’d like to see more of my makes, you can follow me on Instagram @readysteadysew_ or on Youtube – readysteadysew Emily, or read my blog at readyysteadysew.wordpress.com/

“Crafty Bloggers' Club Contributors are given products and materials to test from Crafty Sew&So. We hope you enjoy their honest and impartial reviews of the products. All opinions are their own.”