Spots and Stripes are good, but winking eyes are better… ;-)

April 12, 2019

I’m so pleased to be able to finally share with you today my Tilly and the Buttons Agnes top, made with gorgeous Art Gallery Fabrics ‘Meadow Dreams’ jersey. I really fell for this particular print – the monochrome design means it goes beautifully under any one of my million pairs of dungarees and dungaree dresses – and of course, the quirkiness of the print is a winner. Spots and stripes are good, but winking eyes are better! 😉

Art Gallery Fabrics, to me, are a luxury brand. Their designs are beautiful and unique, and their fabrics are expensive. I’ve sewn my fair share of jersey fabrics of varying qualities but this is by far the best for t-shirt tops or dresses. It is made with Pima cotton and spandex. I did not know what Pima cotton was, so I had to look it up. Apparently the cotton fibres in Pima cotton are longer and silkier, so the fabric they weave is smoother and stronger.

I actually made this top about 6 months ago, and it’s been worn and washed many times, and it still looks as good as it did when I first received it. There’s been no pilling, the stretch has not deteriorated, there has been no shrinkage (or growing!), and the fabric is still lovely and soft and smooth. I am super impressed with the quality, and with the gorgeous design as well, I think it’s well worth the money.

This is the second time I have used the Tilly and the Buttons Agnes pattern – the first time I used it was for the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network and I used a whale print jersey. It’s the perfect pattern for a basic long sleeved tshirt, and it fits my shape really well. It’s also a nice easy make, and comes together quickly. I didn’t make any alterations. What more could you ask for?!

I sewed most of the seams using my overlocker, but did zigzag stitch around the neckline and the hems. I do have a twin needle which I could have used for the hem, but I must have just thought it was easier to zig zag it at the time. It’s better for a stretch fabric anyway – when I made a pencil skirt in a knit fabric with a twin-needle-stitched hem, the stitches didn’t stretch with the fabric.

I’ve tried to show a variety of photos of me wearing the top. I’m wearing it with my pink corduroy Cleo dungaree dress in one of the photos, with my Bibi pinafore dress in another, and with a White Stuff skirt and cardigan in another. It’s certainly versatile!