Perfect Time For A Timbre

…A New Pattern Release From Love Notions!

The Timbre Top and Dress pattern from Love Notions is here and what perfect timing! Over on the Northeast Coast, we’ve been having much hotter and humid weather than normal. This top/dress is PERFECT for hot sticky days!

I was so excited to test the new Timbre top and dress, so excited that I kept sewing them up. Every time I looked in my stash I thought, “Wow, this would make a cute Timbre!” I LOVE this pattern and I’m positive that you’re going to love it too! It reminds me of one of the first things I ever sewed for myself back in the 70’s~ and I think I just may have to recreate it!

The Timbre Top and Dress pattern is the $6 Feature Friday pattern today August 1, 2025. You can use my code 10MARYMAC for an additional 10% off.

The Details

The Timbre is a classic peasant top and dress. This pattern has so many options~ you can make a closet full of them and they’d all be different! It’s a simple design that allows your fabric to be the star!

Depending on your fabric choice it can be casual or dressy! Choose seersucker and gauze for a cool casual top or dress. Select a silky poly blend or rayon challis for a top suitable for work. Or~ be like me and sew one up in navy plaid linen for that casual preppy coastal vibe. If you follow my sewing journey, you know I’m always adding to my coastal preppy wardrobe!

• Designed for woven fabrics. (Yet, I’m tempted to try one out in a knit)
• Top or dress length
• 4 Sleeve Options: Puff, Flutter, Short or 3/4 Bishop
• Plain front or button placket version for top or dress
• Skirted version for the top. (Hmmm, but I’m sure someone is bound to try a tiered dress hack!)
• Elastic or drawstring waist for the dress version
• Endless combinations!
• Suitable for so many fabrics!
• Great stash buster! (I pulled all of these fabrics from my stash!)
• Quick sew!
• Level: Beginner friendly! Waistline casing is totally doable for a confident beginner!

Sizing and Fit

The Timbre Peasant Top and Dress is available in sizes XS-5X.  A Full Bust pattern piece is included (like all new and updated LN patterns). Choose your top or dress size based upon your high bust measurement. If in-between sizes choose the smaller size. This is very important since you don’t want the neckline to be too large. The peasant top style is very forgiving when it comes to fit. If yours turns out a tad too big you can simply tighten the neckline elastic.

 If your full bust is more than 4″ larger than your high bust, use the included Full Bust Front pattern piece. Remember that if you use the full bust pattern pieces, 2″ will be added to the Finished Measurements of the waist and hip.

The Timbre top and dress are designed to be loose fitting. I highly suggest comparing the finished garment measurements to your body measurements so you are aware of how much ease there is. I highly recommend making a muslin before cutting into any cherished fabric. Also, be sure to check out all the testers photos you will see in the Love Notions Facebook group. Most testers will let you know what size (and fabric) they used. This can be very helpful.

The Timbre Top is designed to hit at the high hip. The Timbre dress is designed to hit at the knee. All Love Notions patterns are drafted for the average 5’5″ woman. 

It is important to remember that fabric choice can also affect the way this top/dress fits. You can see these three tops below all seem to fit a tad differently. These are all the short sleeve version.

My Sizing Alternations and Modifications

For all my versions of the Timbre I made an XL with the Full bust piece graded out to a 2X for my hips. This is exactly where my measurements fall on the sizing chart. My high bust is 40″ while my full bust is 45″.

I am only 5 feet tall, but I typically don’t shorten Love Notions patterns. The Blue Gauze Timbre top is shortened 1′. All the others are made in the designed length.

One adjustment I do always make on LN patterns is to shorten any long sleeves. The Lilac Tropical Floral version with the Bishop sleeve has been shortened 2″. This Timbre version also has the placket. I did not use the button placement guide (on the interfacing pattern piece). Button placement is always just a suggestion. I spaced my buttons so that I exposed less cleavage.

Fabrics and Notions

The Timbre Peasant Top and Dress is designed for woven fabrics. The Timbre is suitable for any light or medium weight fabric. Fabrics such as quilting cotton, poly blends, rayon and shirting will all work well. More specifically fabrics such as these would all work perfectly:

• Double gauze
• Seersucker
• Rayon challis or crepe
• Rayon crinkle
• Cotton poplin
• Cotton or rayon voile
• Lightweight linens
• Polyester silky fabrics
• Silk

Notions: Thread, 3/8″ elastic- 2 yards

Optional: 2 yards drawstring or additional elastic for dress view

Optional for Placket View: Interfacing, 4-8 3/8″ -1/2″ buttons

My dress version pictured below is made from a lightweight 100% Italian linen. As you can see, it has a slightly boxier look.

Fabric choice will play a BIG role in how your Timbre looks! Be sure to check tester photos and see what types of fabrics they used. As you can see, some of my versions look boxy and others much more flowy. This all has to do with how much drape or lack of drape the fabric has. My blue Gauze version and plaid seersucker Timbres have a boxier look~ this is similar to how a quilting cotton would drape in this pattern. Know that if you make the flutter or bishop sleeve in a stiffer fabric they will stand out more.

The lightweight floral seersucker, lilac tropical floral rayon voile and the red gingham rayon crinkle all have nice drape and you can see how they fall closer to the body when worn.

Sew Mary Mac’s Tips For Sewing The Timbre

The first thing I want to urge you to do is BE CREATIVE!!

• Use decorative stitching or embroidery.
• Color block it! Check out LN Ambassador Koe’s version!
• Add decorative trims such as lace, ribbon or RickRack. (One of my very first makes back in the 70’s was a white gauze peasant top with yellow rickrack~ should I recreate it?)
• Try a variety of fabric bases.
• With the simple design, it’s a great pattern to use for a large print~ yet it’s perfect in solid colors too.

Some Sewing Tips For The Timbre

• Staystitch the edges of the necklines before sewing them together. The weight of the pieces can easily distort the neckline. This is especially true of gauze and crinkle rayons.
• I highly recommend making your own bias tape for the Timbre!! Yes, it takes a few extra steps to do this~ with is worth it in the end. Store-bought bias tape tends to be stiff and can make your neckline gathering bulky.
• If making the full bust version, the front hemline will have a pronounced curve. Steam this to get the hem to lay nicely. (Note: this may be harder to do with a quilting cotton.)

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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!  

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 Timbre Peasant Top and Dress 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 10MARYMAC 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 working.

Fabric Resources

Blue “Bubble” Gauze~ Joanns Fabrics from a few years ago, but they have something very similar in stores now in tons of colors. You can find Double Gauze in many fabric shops. Raspberry Creek Fabrics has a nice selection.

Red Gingham/Floral~ This is a crinkle rayon. It was purchased from Cali Fabrics in 2021. The lace is a vintage piece I had in my stash.

Plaid Seersucker~ This was purchased from Stylemaker Fabric back in 2020? It is a midweight seersucker with out much drape at all.

White Floral Seersucker~This was purchased from Alyssa May Designs a few years ago during a big sale. This is a great shop for lightweight ovens!

Lilac Tropical Floral Voile~ This is a lightweight rayon voile purchased from LA Finch Fabrics in 2022. This was a designer deadstock fabric. I highly suggest joining her email list to see all the awesome fabrics she gets in!

Navy Plaid Linen~ This is a midweight Italian line I purchased in the NYC Garment District. Metro Textiles is one of my favorites to shop in. This fabric is still available on their website. You can find it HERE.