The New Tinley Takes Over

…The newest release from Love Notions Patterns

The Tinley has just been released and let me tell you this …it’s a winner!!! I wasn’t an official tester for this pattern, but as a Love Notions Ambassador I did get an advanced copy of the pattern. I’ll be honest by saying that my first reaction to the Tinley was “Oh, I can’t wear something like that!” I didn’t think I would like or wear this pattern. I typically don’t wear shorts, skorts or shorter skirts. But, when I saw the tester photos start coming in (as a LN Ambassador I get plenty of sneak peeks), I began to second guess myself and I am so glad I did! Boy, was I ever pleasantly surprised how much I loved my first Tinley. So let me warn you~you WILL love this pattern! I loved my first skort version so much I immediately sewed up a straight skirt version! The Tinley has officially taken over my vacation wardrobe! There are so many options and combinations you can fill your whole closet (or suitcase)!

You can grab the Tinley pattern for just $9.50 during release week (and use my code 10LOVEMARY for an extra 10% off).

The Details

The Tinley is such a versatile pattern! It’s a short, skirt and skort pattern all in one. If you love bike riding like me~ consider a straight skirt made with the biker shorts attached underneath. Made in swim or athletic fabric, it’s perfect for all outdoor activities including pickle ball and tennis! I have always loved the Lily P. skorts, but they are always just a tad too short for be to be comfortable in (and a tad more $$$ than I want to spend). So of course that was the first Tinley I wanted to sew up! The Tinley sews up pretty quickly. It’s the perfect pattern for a confident beginner.

• Suitable for Knits AND Wovens
• Four Body Styles: Straight skirt, Straight shorts, Full shorts, Full skirt
• Biker short option for underneath the skirt options
• Smooth flat front with an elastic back
• Front slash pocket (big enough for your phone, keys or pickle ball)
• Optional decorative buttons

Sizing and Fit

The Tinley is available in sizes XS-5X. BE sure to choose your size based on your full hip measurement. The skirt/short is designed to hit a couple of inches above the knee. The biker shorts have an inseam of 4″. The Tinley is designed to sit at the natural waist. You may want to size down when sewing this pattern in knit fabrics.

My Sizing and Adjustments

I selected to sew my Tinley in a 2X based on my full hip measurement. Although my waist measures an XL, I did NOT grade to a smaller waist size for this pattern. I have a very full and rounded high hip. I wanted to make sure that the straight skirt fit nicely over my very curvy high hip without any pulling or gaping of the slash pocket. With the elastic back it was easy enough to adjust the waist to fit me nicely. I used the elastic measurement for the XL(20″).

I am only 5 feet tall. I did NOT shorten my floral skort. I don’t think the skirt/shorts are drafted too short, it’s just a personal preference of mine. In addition I only hemmed it 1″ instead of the drafted 2″ hem. I do love the look of the wider hem on the straight skirt/short, so next time I will add at least an inch so that I can have one. Next time I will add length to the biker shorts~ I think it’s needed for my chubby thighs.

For my Madras patchwork straight skirt, I actually added 2″ to the skirt length. I only hemmed it 1 1/2″ but would have preferred the 2″ hem. (I had to work around the seams of the patchwork.)

Fabrics and Notions

The Tinley can be made from both knit or woven fabrics. If you have a knit in your stash that doesn’t have enough stretch for your other patterns, this is the perfect pattern to use.

Light to medium weight knits like rib knits, ITY, jersey blends would all work nicely. More stable knits would be best suited for the straight skirt/shorts. Some cotton spandex jerseys don’t have enough drape for the fuller skirt/shorts. French Terry and Ponte would work so nicely in the straight skirt/shorts. Swim fabrics have enough drape to be used for the straight or fuller version, but I feel they would look nicest in the straight versions.

Light to medium weight wovens such as rayon challis or poplin, lightweight twills, cotton lawn, chambray, lightweight denim, linen/rayon blends would all work for the Tinley. Keep in mind that the fuller skirt and shorts require a fabric with a nice drape. Fabrics such as seersucker, medium weight denim and crisp linens would be best for the straight versions.

Notions

• 2-4 yards of 3/8″ elastic (see chart on page 9 for exact amount for your size)
• Fusible interfacing ~ 1/4 yard
• Optional buttons(decorative only)

Sew Mary Mac’s Tips for Sewing the Tinley

• Step #2- I suggest topstitching the pocket edge along with the under stitching, especially if sewing with a knit (like swim) that doesn’t hold a press. The topstitching gives these knits a cleaner look at the pocket edge. A more stable knit or woven wouldn’t necessarily need this topstitching~ but who doesn’t love the look of topstitching?
• Step #5- Again, since my swim knit doesn’t hold a press very well, I used BEST PRESS to stabilize my fabrics before I attempted to stitch the 3 rows for the elastic casings. I also used a lot of long pins to hold my fabric. This wouldn’t be necessary for all fabrics, but a good idea to use on slippery or shifty fabrics.
• After my skirts were completed, I stitched a vertical row of stitches at the center back of the waistband to keep the elastic from twisting.

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Thanks for stopping by! I truly appreciate all of you that visit!  If you enjoyed this blog post, consider subscribing to my blog to stay up to date with all my posts!  Be on the look-out for my future Tinleys! I absolutely see denim, natural linen and striped seersucker versions in my future!

Mary Anne 

Remember to follow me over on Instagram to see all my latest makes!  @sewmarymac

You can also follow my Facebook Page~ Sew Mary Mac. On this page you will find information on my makes from all pattern companies. If I know of any good sales(pattern or fabric) I will also feature this information. I have had many of my loyal followers send me friend requests on Facebook. I do post in the Love Notions group under Mary Anne MacLean, however this Facebook account is private. There is no sewing content on that Facebook Account.

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You can grab the Tinley pattern here.

This is an affiliate link. It costs you nothing to purchase from this link, it just helps fund my fabric addiction which allows me to test and review more patterns.

To receive an additional 10% off the pattern price, use this coupon code 10LOVEMARY.This coupon code can be used at anytime on any pattern….even a $5 Feature Friday pattern. My code does change quarterly, so please always check the newest blog post for an update if you find a code isn’t workin

Fabric Resources

Floral Swim Skort

The floral print swim fabric I used for my Tinley skort is from the 2021 Swim Collection from Raspberry Creek Fabrics that I had in my stash. The 2023 Collection is filled with lots of awesome prints. You can also choose one of the thousands of print designs available to have custom printed on swim or any fabric of your choice. The 2023 designs can be found at the link below.

Raspberry Creek Fabrics Swim is high quality and UPF 50+. It’s the perfect weight for tops, skirts and dresses and isn’t too clingy. And of course- it’s perfect for swimsuits! The best thing about RCF Swim is that it is available in the cutest prints with coordinating checks, stripes, polka dots and solids!  I also find RCF swim easy to sew with. It’s thick enough that the edges don’t roll and isn’t too slippery.

To read more about sewing with RCF swim fabric you can visit this blog post.

Patchwork Madras Skirt

The Madras patchwork fabric is a 100% cotton fabric that I purchased on one of my many NYC fabric shopping trips. I am fortunate to live close to the city. Both of my daughters live and work there, so I make frequent trips in. I always make the time to run into a couple of my favorite shops before I leave. This fabric is from Chic Fabrics, 247 W 38th Street, NYC. You can follow them on Instagram, @chicfabric

Oatmeal Cardigan

This is the Marlo Cardigan from True Bias Patterns. Fabric is the Urban Rib from Mily May Fabrics. This rib is available in many colors.