Team Buttons Sewing Stories

 
How did you first learn to sew? What's your favourite make? Any tips for beginners?

When you meet someone who sews you may well find you have a million questions to ask them. If you're just getting into sewing, it's inspiring to chat to someone who has been there before. Or, if you're more experienced, it's thrilling to be able to chat at length to somebody who understands that there is more than one kind of thread and that fabric scissors should ONLY be used for fabric!

At TATB HQ, we talk of little else than sewing, so we thought it might be nice to share the team's sewing stories. Grab a cuppa, and get to know what makes us stitch...

Tilly's Daisy Pocket Jessa Jeans

Spring has sprung... on my bum... for I embroidered some daisies on the back pocket of my new Jessa jeans!

I'd been itching to make a classic seventies style blue denim version of our Jessa flares pattern ever since Nikki made a similar pair during our pattern development phase. I wanted to add some kind of embellishment to them to make them unique. At first I was thinking of doing some topstitching with rainbow thread, but once the blossom started coming out I decided to hand-embroider some sweet daisies onto the back pocket to signal the start of spring.

Ten Sewing Videos to Up Your Skills

Are you spending a little more time at your sewing machine at the moment? If you're new to sewing or are a frequent stitcher, you might find that new techniques pop up with your sewing projects that sometimes can be a little baffling the first time around.

We have a whole host of sewing tutorials on our YouTube channel, because sometimes you need to see a technique in action. Even if you don't have a project on the go, you might find 15 minutes here or there practising a technique really helps build your sewing skills so they are there when you need them!

We've pulled together ten videos that we think you might want to check out and bookmark. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a thing!

HOW TO STITCH IN THE DITCH

Do you ever find that your facings pop out of your clothes and you wished you knew of a way to keep them in place? "Stitching in the ditch" is a technique which involves sewing down the channel of an existing seam (the "ditch") to secure pieces of a garment in place without the stitches being seen on the outside.

The example in the video shows stitching in the ditch to secure a facing to a shoulder seam, however you can apply this method to any project which requires this technique.

Fabric Shopping for the Indigo Add-On Pack

 
Have you been dreaming about all the possibilities the new Indigo add-on pattern pack gives you? We have been sketching out so many swoon-worthy dresses for parading around our living room or showing off on our weekly Zoom sessions with our sewing pals.

The new Indigo add-on pack gives you 48 ways you could make Indigo with the new and existing pattern pieces - that's a lot of opportunities to sew! You need to have a copy of the Indigo sewing pattern to use the pieces.

Haven't got the Indigo pattern yet? Grab the Indigo and add-on pack digital bundle and get both!

If you've been scrolling around looking for the perfect fabrics to inspire your next smock, let us do the hard work for you. Here's a collection of fabrics that we think would make beautiful Indigo dresses.

We haven't stroked these fabrics IRL (only lusted over them on screen), so do grab a sample from the shop if you can to make sure it's the cloth of your dreams!

Clockwise L-R: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

A big trend with sewists at the moment is animal print. We love the larger, abstract animal prints that would make a big statement with the new midi version of the Indigo pattern.

Introducing the Indigo Add-On Pattern!

If you're in need of a little cheer, Team Buttons are excited to announce something special - meet the Indigo add-on pattern! The Indigo Add-on pattern is available in sizes UK 6-24 / US 2-20 / EUR 34-52 or UK 16-34 / US 12-30 / EUR 44-62. Want a little more help picking out which size range is best for you? Check out this blog post which guides you through the differences.

The Indigo add-on is a digital-only download of bonus pattern pieces and instructions giving you even more variations to add to our bestselling Indigo top and dress. And the best news is, by combining the original Indigo and new add-on pattern, you can choose between a whopping 60 different variations! It really is the gift that keeps on giving.

The idea to create an Indigo add-on pack came from you, our lovely customers. We've been blown away by how many of you have made and loved Indigo, and totally impressed by the hacks we've seen popping up on Instagram and IRL at shows. We love re-working patterns, breathing new life into them and make them go even further. Your creativity inspired us to make this add-on pattern, so thank you :)

See #SewingIndigo for major sewing inspiration from the community!

As this is an add-on pattern, you'll also need the original Indigo top and dress pattern. If you don't have it yet, grab the Indigo top and dress bundle from our online shop.

THE DESIGN

Tilly's Gold Potato-Printed Safiya Dungarees

[post contains gifted product]

What do you get if you cross a crafter with linen fabric, gold paint and a potato?

Gold potato-printed linen Safiya dungarees, that's what!

Harking back to more carefree times, I made these Safiya dungarees to wear to the launch of my new book Make It Simple. The pattern, which is included in the book, is a variation on the Safiya wide-legged trousers. For this version, I lengthened them slightly from cropped-above-the-ankle to full-length, partly because it was cold when I made them, and partly because I thought they looked nice like that when I tried them on mid-make.