How to Sew a Tilly and the Buttons Nora Top

Pre-wash your fabric to get rid of any shrinkage. Measure yourself and make notes in the pattern book to find your size.

Compare these measurements to the finished garment measurements shown. This will tell you how tight/loose the pattern will fit. Pick your best fit size.

Trace out the pattern pieces to your size, following the clear lines. Make sure to mark all notches and label your pattern pieces accordingly.

Lay your pattern pieces out, as per the cutting layout which you'll find in the booklet. Lay your pieces in order on top of your fabric and pin or weight into place.

Top Tip: When using striped fabric, try and line up the same stripe underneath and pin stripes together to help with lining them up and keeping them straight.

Use a rotary cutter and cutting mat to cut each piece carefully and accurately. Keep an eye on the pieces which need to be cut on the fold.

Top Tip: If using striped fabric, use the straight lines to your advantage on right angled pieces and straight edges.

Stabilise shoulder seams on your back piece. You can do this with ribbon, but I like to use scraps of iron-on interfacing. Make sure it's placed so your sewn line goes through the middle.

Place front and back pieces, right sides together, and pin shoulder seams.

Sew using your zigzag stitch and 15mm seam allowance.

Trim allowance down by half.

Press seams open or, if using an overlocker, pressing to the back.

Fold the neckband in half, right sides together. Pin and sew the neckband's short ends together to create a loop. Press seams open.

Fold your neckband in half, wrong sides together, lengthways to create a double sided loop. Mark or pin your neckband into four equal quarters, using the seam you've just sewn as one point.

Mark or pin your neck hole in the top into four equal quarters.

Place neckband over the neck hole, right sides together, making sure the seam in the neckband is at the centre back point. Align your four quarters and pin all raw edges together in the same positions.

Sew your neckband with the required seam allowance and a zigzag stitch.

As you sew, stretch the neckband between each marked pins until the main t-shirt body lies flat against it.

When finished, try the top over your head to make sure it's a good fit.

Lay your sleeve pieces, right sides together, on top of your opened out t-shirt body.

Pin the centre point at the shoulder and the two ends.

Pin the rest of the sleeve. You're moving the main body to meet the curve of the sleeve. Sew in place with required seam allowance and a zigzag stitch.

Make sure you check you're only sewing through two layers and carefully follow those curves.

Press seams away from body. Repeat with other sleeve.

Lay your main body front and back, right sides together, and pin the side seams from the sleeve edge, to armpit, to hem.

If making the stepped hem version, pin down to the 'stop point' I like to mark this with two pins.

Sew in place with required seam allowance and a zig zag stitch. Press seams open or to the back if using an overlocker.

Repeat with opposite side.

If using an overlocker, finish the two long hem edges. Then fold up, right sides together, to meet the seam allowance stop (approx 7cm).

Sew and repeat with other side. One will be longer than the other.

Using an iron, press these bottom seams and make sure they're the same all the way along. Pin in place.

If using striped fabric, make sure these are straight.

Pin the right side of the split hem so it lies flat. You might want to use the iron to help you.

If you've used an overlocker, it might feel bulky, but iron so it lies flat.

Sew both the step hem edge and the bottom hems with your zigzag stitch. Make a marker on your sewing machine to help you keep these straight.

If using an overlocker, finish the sleeve hem edges. You may find it easier to overlock from the inside of the sleeve.

Then with the top the wrong way around, fold the hem up by about 7cm and pin.

You might want to see how this looks on you.

Once you're happy with the finished sleeve length, sew in place with a zigzag stitch.

Your top is then ready to be worn!