With the perils of the fast fashion industry ringing in our ears every time we step inside a high street shop, many of us are thinking of other ways to cloth ourselves, whether that is buying vintage or second-hand, or opting for sustainable brands. But, what about the idea of making your own garments?! My mum used to do it all the time when she was young and I’ve always wanted to give it a go, but have generally been put off by slightly old-fashioned sewing patterns. But, Tilly Walnes has totally made making your own clothes stylish and accessible through her books and her latest – Make it Simple – is publishing this week. This time, I’m determined I’m going to give it a go! Here’s a little peek at what the book has to offer…
A vibrant and colourful book, it’s hard not to absorb a happy vibe from it’s pages! I wasn’t surprised to see that the styling was done by Clare Nicolson, whose work I’m a big fan of – it’s bright, graphic and striking and compliments Tilly’s modern garments and fun fabric choices perfectly.
How dreamy is this dress above?! Tilly actually hand-printed this fabric for added uniqueness and directs you to her website for a tutorial for that. As the book’s strap-line reveals, the patterns included are all guaranteed to be ‘easy, speedy sewing projects to stitch up in an afternoon.’ This is super appealing for those of us with limited spare time and would rather not be working on something for weeks on end. Or say you had an event coming up, you know you could potentially whip something totally unique up in a day. Here are a few of my favourite garments from the book….
If you are a total beginner (like me!) then you’ll find the first 40 pages or so really useful as Tilly covers everything from choosing the right fabric to measuring yourself to fabric cutting. If you want something easy to start off with you can try the sleep mask or possibly the pyjamas, as at least then not many people will see them if the result isn’t quite perfect! 😉
If you are curious about the idea of making your own clothes, then do give this book a look. I honestly feel inspired and (semi) confident that I could produce something wearable following Tilly’s instructions! Time will tell!
Tilly & the Buttons: Make It Simple (Quadrille £25) Photography ©Ellie Smith
