I picked up a fab toile de jouy printed jersey in Paris and I had originally planned to make a Moneta out of it. But I changed my mind. I felt like it would be too much going on and the gathers would take away from the print. 

So I opted for the Tilly and the Buttons Coco dress instead which, surprisingly, I hadn’t made before!

The Coco top or dress has a sweet and simple boat neck and an option for a funnel neck and cuffs. I opted to make a short sleeve minidress so I used the dress pattern and trimmed the sleeve pattern way down to get to the length I wanted. 

I cut a straight size 4 for this. It has a lot of ease in the hip so I didn’t make any changes for my big booty. I sewed it all up on a mix of my sewing machine and overlocker and used a twin needle to finish all my hems. 

This was a very speedy make as I didn’t have any special detailing or additions to it, not even a pocket! It’s a nice feeling though – I felt very productive!

It’s a great pattern for beginners new to sewing with knits. It avoids using a neckline binding or band which can be a bit tricky for newbies. 

It’s a good starting point and it’s a pattern that can be altered easily in bodice and sleeve length to achieve a variety or styles. 

I’m planning a curved hem Breton top for my next Coco make already!