Sonny Jacket

Tilly and the Buttons
Size 7, fully lined, classic collar
Made by a complete beginner – May 2026
Fabric: Raised cotton chambray outer + coordinating lining.

What I liked

The finished jacket looks smart, professional and much more expensive than a homemade garment.
The lining add-on gives a beautiful, luxurious finish inside.
Mock flat-felled seams look really clean and sturdy.
Dress by Amy’s YouTube sew-along was excellent and essential — I couldn’t have managed without it.

What was tricky / could be improved

Main issue: When using the lining add-on, the instructions don’t clearly tell you when to sew the outer sleeves. I had to pause and go back to attach them before the big sandwich step (Dress by Amy highlights this in her video).
It wasn’t obvious which piece was the undercollar. Clearer labelling or a note saying “the undercollar is the one cut on the bias” would help beginners a lot.
Pocket placement markings with chalk were blurry. Next time I would use carbon paper and a tracing wheel for sharper lines.
The pockets felt a bit baggy on my fabric, so I removed them. I would definitely interface the pockets and flaps next time for better structure.

Beginner Tips

Watch Dress by Amy’s Sonny sew-along all the way through first and pause frequently.
Cut the undercollar on the true bias — it helps the collar roll beautifully.
Interface the pocket flaps and pockets for a cleaner result.
For topstitching mock flat-felled seams, adjust needle position (I used 5.75) to get an exact 1cm topstitch.
Take extra time with the big sandwich step — pin thoroughly and check the collar isn’t twisted.

Final Verdict
This is a lovely pattern that produces a really wearable jacket. It’s suitable for confident beginners if you follow Dress by Amy’s video closely and go slowly. The lining add-on is very much worth doing.
Would I make it again?
Yes, definitely! Next time it will be much quicker and smoother.

So I managed to obtain the paper version of the pattern (not sure about PDFs, maybe an age thing!). Had this beautiful coloured fabric already, so decided to try. Button holes, collar and mock seams are all new to me. However, what a breeze this pattern is! Really pleased with the result and compliments already received 😊. Really do like TATB patterns, so true to size, for me anyway. I can see more versions of this jacket on the horizon!

I have to say i can sew but I easy make mistakes. I need really clear pictures and photos to make anything. I bought some sevenbury apple printed fabric for a spring summer jacket. Where to start? I have lost 4.5 st in weight and I want clothes that I want to wear. I am just waiting for the buttons to arrive but im very happy with something, hopefully no one else has . Thank you Tilly and team buttons

I have made this jacket twice now I loved it that much, I also bought the lining add on which once you get your head round isn't as difficult as you think. A 3rd might be on the horizon. I highly recommend, I have a few of Tilly's patterns and all of her books which I worked through to self learn and made me fall in love with sewing even if I'm not the bestest but I'm still very proud of all my makes.

I bought both the Sonny jacket and the lining add on. I found the jacket very straightforward but had more problems with the lining. The instructions weren’t very clear but I had never made a lined jacket before. However, I got there in the end and am very pleased with the finished jacket.