TIlly and the buttons Coco dress help!

[Appuskidu]

Has anyone made this dress?

I was going to buy the heavy weight interlocking fabric that you can get from the Tilly website but it’s £8.50 per 1/2 a meter. As I’d need 3m I think-I thought £50 odd was quite steep. I also think I actually prefer the more dark navy stripe in the other photo (the cream/Navy material she sells is the one actually on the pattern photo).

But..

Is that sort of material actually cheaper anywhere else or is that a standard sort of price and I should just buy it from her anyway??

You need a ponte fabric - also called ponte Roma. This is expensive for a ponte fabric. It is often a mix of polyester, viscose and spandex, so should only be £ 8 or £9 a meter. It is often 150cm wide so I can’t see how you would need more than 2m as it isn’t a long dress. Have a look at Minerva Crafts for some more reasonably priced ponte fabrics.

Maybe I’m calculating it wrong? Here’s the material requirements and the size of that fabric...

Minerva Crafts is good, but there are loads of good fabric sellers on eBay (Minerva is one). Ponte shouldn't cost that much, especially if this is the first time you've made this pattern and want to make a "muslin".
I've never made this pattern because Tilly patterns tend not to be so good for the bustier figure, but it should be fine with a cheaper fabric. Maybe try something cheaper first and then if you like the design and think you want to try the more expensive fabric you can, in the knowledge you like the pattern and it won't be a waste. I've used fabulous fabric for a first effort before and regretted it when the style didn't suit me.

Tilly's patterns often ask for more fabric in the requirements than they actually need. I flou have a friendly fabric shop they might let you lie out your pattern pieces to check - or lie them out on the floor perhaps?

Ponte Roma is usually cheaper - again, try a local shop where you can feel the quality, or buy cheaply from the internet as a muslin, with the bonus of it being possibly wearable afterwards!