I am excited to share with you my Tilly and the Buttons Billie Sweatshirt Dress in this colourful Art Gallery cat and floral pattern. I had seen a lot of Billie Jumpers/Dresses on social media and loved the pattern.
Sizing
I have made a couple Tilly and the Buttons patterns before and found them to finish slightly large on me. Therefore, I decided to make a size 3. This would be slightly loose in the bust and waist, but small in the hips. However, the last garment of TATB I made I graded to a size 4 in the hips and ended up having to bring it in. I decided not to do the same for the Billie and make a straight size 3. This ended up being the right decision and the final size was comfortable and gave the loose sweater fit required for this pattern.
Fabric
The fabric is a lovely Art Gallery Jersey. I have made a few garments using this fabric and found it very easy to work with, gather and press. The design on this fabric is amazing and so colourful! I thought for a while what pattern I was going to use that would do the design justice.
I did purchase some jersey cuff fabric to use as a contrast on the neckline, hem and cuffs but this has very little stretch and the neckline would not even go over my head! The stretch of the Art Gallery fabric did have enough stretch for the pattern however so I would defiantly recommend it for a Billie.
Making the dress
The dress was easy to make and I had little issues running up the main dress, sleeves and pockets. The instructions were very clear and well laid out. I have found that to be a massive advantage of the TATB patterns. However, the neckline was very exasperating, and I needed to do some adjustments to make it fit. The initial neckline was too high, tight and very uncomfortable. I set it aside for an evening and thought how I could adjust it to make it more comfortable. In the end I remembered the Molly Top/Dresses I had made in jersey and how well they fitted and how comfortable they are to wear. I decided to lower the neckline of my Billie Dress using the Molly Top/Dress pattern as a guide.
I also cut out a Molly Top/Dress neckband and I followed the same instructions for attaching this. The end result was much better and more comfortable neckline, and I was much happier. However, I think the exasperation of this neckline dimmed my view of the Billie Dress as I did not love it as much as I thought I might.
Finished
Overall, I am not sure how to feel about the Billie Dress. I was disappointed in the neckline and how it initially turned out, but happy with the adjustment I made. I am not sure I will make this again any time soon. I shall no doubt be swayed by all the lovely versions I see on social media and I would like to try those billowy sleeves!
Happy Sewing,
Laura @Lollysmakes93