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Tilly and the Buttons have a knack for giving seemingly casual garments a gorgeously chic twist. The Romy pattern includes a top version with three sleeve length options and a lovely loose-fitting dress, all with an optional back tie finish – dreamy!

I opted for the long-sleeved top with the added back ties and used a lovely medium weight, astronomy themed mustard jersey from The Eternal Maker. The pattern recommends medium weight jersey with a little stretch, this fabric worked well but I did find the weight of it a little tricky to achieve a neat finish across the back and shoulders.

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Romy is aimed at ‘improvers’ and includes a few fiddly techniques but the step-by-step, photographic instructions explain each step clearly. I would say, take your time to ensure all the notches are marked on the ties and the front and back bodices as there are quite a few! I somehow managed to miss a couple of notches and spent a long afternoon staring at the pattern as if it were a jigsaw I was struggling to piece together! This was certainly a lesson for me never to sew in haste and to always double check all the markings before assembly.

For the sizing, I sewed a UK 10 throughout. The garment is designed to fit loosely on the body and although I love the gentle shaping and cosy feel, I would be inclined to take the bodice in slightly next time to create a more fitted silhouette. I also found that the hidden binding on the neckline made the front bodice a little heavy and gaping, I re-stitched this slightly tighter which helped but next time I would make sure I properly tacked (basted) the armholes, shoulders and back ties to achieve a better fit.

If you look in my wardrobe you’ll see I have a real penchant for Breton stripes and I love the fabric used for the Romy pattern cover. I’m looking forward to making the dress version in a bright, stripey fabric for the summer.

What I love most about this garment…

The back ties, it’s all party in the back!

Next time I would…

Use an overlocker, I think this would give a much neater finish and help with the overall assembly.

Thanks for reading!