Tilly's Coco at the Beach

I have made another Tilly and the Buttons Coco Dress.

For this one I made a slight alteration to the lower half. I slimmed down the side seams below the waistline using the shape of the Style Arc Kristen Dress. Also, I used the SA Kristen Dress pockets (they are bigger than the Coco pockets). 

As I did for my first Coco, I cut a straight size 5 based on my bust measurement. I did add a little extra length to make it more age appropriate.

The fabric I used for this Coco was a great quality navy and white striped ponte. It was quite hefty and provided a lot more structure than the fabric I used for my first Coco. I purchased this fabric from Spotlight at Nowra, NSW back in July**. 

Funnel Neck

I made the funnel neckline again. I love this feature. I decided to run the stripes vertically to provide interest. I wanted to add some gold buttons with a nautical theme but couldn't find anything like that locally. I ended up choosing these red heart shaped buttons which add a splash of colour. I may change them if I find something more suitable.

Pockets and cuffs

I cut the pockets and cuffs with the stripes running vertically too. I think this helped break up the horizontal stripes and looked better. The ponte had limited stretch so this was not a problem.

I love this Coco and I have worn it numerous times already. I just throw it in the washing machine, hang it on a coat hanger on the clothesline to dry, and then straight back in the wardrobe (no ironing required). This ponte is great quality too and has not pilled at all.

All photos were taken down at Denham's Beach (South Coast of NSW) by my son, who was home on a short break from Uni over the weekend. (I wanted to take these photos on the beach but I was dreading taking the tripod and remote to such a public area. I'm a little self concious and like the privacy of my own yard.) Jesse was very obliging, even posing for a photo himself.

**We called in to Spotlight at Nowra NSW on our way to Sydney for my "Surprise 50th Birthday Party"  (of which I was oblivious of at the time). My partner (now husband) was being very kind and allowed me to spend a good hour and a half fabric shopping, with very little complaining. This was a real treat for me as I rarely get to shop in real fabric shops (most of my fabric shopping is done online). I managed to spend quite a bit of cash and the cashier declared that I had saved almost $100 on my purchases, because I had a VIP card. I was almost afraid to ask how much I owed. Anyway, I now have some lovely fabrics and lots of plans.