Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you’re feeling ready for the week. Mine was fairly mellow and filled with a lot of family time and the rare date night while K went over a friend’s house for a pretend sleepover (basically a night-time playdate; a new trend I’ve been noticing).
This Monday outfit has everything I adore including stripes, linen, neutrals, and comfortable stylishness. Shall we start with the insanely cute top? I’m not afraid to extoll the virtues of my own creations because, c’mon – how can you not love this?
If the fabric looks familiar, it’s because I used this same black-and-white cotton ticking stripes for K’s lunch sack — which, by the way, she stained with raspberries on the first day, so she’s been using another lunch sack while I’ve been soaking and re-washing it.
The pattern is from this book, and I’ve been wanting to make this for years. What’s given me pause are those flap pockets. They’re the real deal and the instructions for them in the book are nuts. I could not, for the life of me, decipher them. But I took the plunge, and through some educated guesswork, they came out more or less functional. Here’s what the instructions look like below – this really showed how limited my Japanese reading skills are:
Keli of Drygoods Design let me use her studio space on Friday, and I spent several happy hours in her fantastic sewing room making this top. Oh, I am pining for my own studio now…it was so amazing to work in her well-thought out and organized space full of sunshine and peace. I was lucky enough to have the studio to myself for most of the time, and it was also fun when people stopped by. It was the first time I used a sewing machine other than mine to make something for K, but the machine was so similar to mine that it wasn’t an issue at all.
Moving on to the drawstring pants. I used the same book for the pants pattern, and I’m actually surprised at how much I like them. The way it’s photographed in the book, it’s not showcased so well, but I love the drawstring, the pockets on the front and back, the flat-felled seams on the side. I need to learn how to iron better…
The pattern calls for just one drawstring, but I thought it looked a little too thin, so I doubled it up and think it adds to the stylishness. The fabric is a khaki linen/rayon blend and I have about 15 yards of this stuff because once upon a time I planned on making a slipcover. Needless to say, the slipcover never happened and we no longer even own the ratty sofa that I was going to transform. I made the pants at home, and I was acutely aware of how very not well-thought-out my own sewing space is and missed the studio something fierce.
Oh well. One day I will have an awe-inspiring studio (“What??? Who’s paying for it??” I can hear the husband yelling). At any rate, I’m extremely pleased with this week’s outfit. Isn’t it insanely cute?
Wow, that shirt is the coolest! I love the pockets!! do you feel under pressure to sew something up every week or is it a pleasure? K must have the most abundant and awesome wardrobe!!
K does have a rather overflowing wardrobe, but she’s also constantly growing and I’m sewing for the seasons so it doesn’t feel excessive. And to be honest, I used to buy her a ton of clothes (not to mention the stuff my mom got for her) so her clothes quantity hasn’t been all that different since I started sewing for her. And yes! It’s definitely a pleasure to sew for her and the weekly posts are the best possible motivators to keep me sewing.
Wow, good job nutting out those pocket instructions. It’s a lovely outfit and I’m sure 10 more pairs of pants like those will be much better than a recovered couch!
Ha ha! You’ll be seeing more of this fabric for sure, though I found some mysterious staining in parts of it so I might try my hand at some dyeing…thanks Shelley!
Wow! Yes, it really is awesomely cute. And another outfit I would love a grown up version of! I love the way those fabrics fall, and how the styling and details on the top make a potentially toned-down fabric choice really shine. I love stripes!
Stripes are the best! The other day I realized that my Pinterest boards are a sea of striped – I can’t seem to get enough.
That is a fantastic, fall-feeling outfit! And it is feeling so fall-ish these days, isn’t it. Nice job on those pocket instructions and creation- they are so fun particularly with the stripes!
Thank you, Elizabeth. Can you believe the amount of rain we got this morning? Buckets!! We braved through it to walk to school and K got the outfit drenched…and then fell in a mud puddle during school…oh well.
Gorgeous outfit!
Thanks, Pienkel!
You had me at “stripes”:) And then when you add “ticking” and “linen” to the mix . . . well, my heart just goes pitter patter! And could K possibly look any more stylish, esp. in that second to last photo? Probably one of my favorite outfits to date, though that’s kind’ve like picking a favorite child:) Kudos for plunging forth with the flap pockets – perhaps it was the studio ambience that allowed them to be so successful:) And nice touch with the double drawstring – great little detail.
Glad to hear you had a nice, restful weekend – even a date in there!
Ha, I love the analogy to the favorite child! I do think the focus I felt at the studio helped with those flap pockets. There are a million steps to reinforce them, and I kept getting turned around upside down! Had I been at home I would have been distracted by laundry or email or whatever…
Haha, I just came back from the fabric store (I did not buy anything, I was too overwhelmed) and now I want to go back and buy the same fabric you used to sew something for me! It is gorgeous! You can totally praise yourself! And maybe now I will try to fix my tova, which I made very similarly to K´s top with the stripes going in different directions, but which did not turn out well because of the inset. (How about a tutorial or maybe some pictures of how you manage to get your tova inset to look so great!?
) Have a wonderful week!
I did feel a teensy bit braggy, but man, I love this top! Ooh, and I love the idea of a multi-directional stripey Tova. I will try to capture how I do the inset plackets, though I find them tricky myself…Wishing you a fabulous week too, Ute
love everything about this, esp the pants. wish i could make my daughter wear these colours.
Muted colors like these could be a tough sell for kids. Right now neon is all the rage at K’s school and I had to break down and get K a pair of shoes with flashing neon lights (cringe). Thank goodness for my neutral palette or I’d go blind
Oh that’s an *excellent* idea, Sanae. Shoes! Get in the colour she wants, and she can wear them on clothes with colours that I gently suggest are right for her:-)
Oh my gosh….I want this outfit for myself! Beautiful work just beautiful! Those pants are amazing!
Thank you, Meghan! I discovered that using double-sided stay tape helps with pockets immensely. I always end up with wonky pockets when I use pins, but these are almost professional-looking thanks to the tape!
I’m going to try the stay tape trick next time I add pockets….mine usually come out wonky too. Thanks for the tip!
Wow Sanae! love it. Comfy and classy in the same outfit. I can’t take my eyes out of the shirt, I mean, every stripe is perfectly match and I can see a geometric flow all over. Fantastic balance and as always beautiful!
Complete and utter accident that the stripes match up, Maria. It just goes to show you, when you don’t even bother trying to match stripes it comes out great, but when I try (like I usually do), they get crazy! Thanks for your sweet words!
It is insanely cute. I’d love to have a stripey top with pockets like that one.
Me too! Though if I were to make this for me, I would make those faux pockets – too much work and I wouldn’t put anything in pockets located in that particular spot
I LOVE this outfit!
Thanks so much, Clare – K loves it too!
Yes, insanely cute! Love the scarf as mask, too!
I have so many shots of K wearing various scarves as a mask
I really liked this one though. Thanks Jams!
the stripes! yes! and i’m pretty smitten for contrast plackets these days myself. those pocket instructions are horrifying. i would love to hear more/ see pics of the drygoods studio…am always looking for organizational and functionality tips from those who do it well (i do not).
Yes! I’ll have to talk more about the studio — it’s so charming and very conducive to productive sewing! While I was working, people would come in from time to time and every single one would sigh and say “wow, this is so great…”
you hit it out of the park with this outfit! I love it so much. Are you sizing up the japanese patterns you use? I think our daughters are about the same size and mine is quickly growing out of the 130s.
Oh thanks, Meg! I still use the 120cm size for K though the size is now bordering on becoming small. I’ll start making 130s fairly soon and hope that’ll last about a year…K is actually quite petite for her age, though I hope to be able to design my own stuff in the next year
What a beautiful outfit this is! I’m so inspired by it, and your gorgeous stitching!
Thanks Sarah – the sentiment is mutual! Your tunic is all over Pinterest!!
Awwww… Love this outfit! I have same book and didn’t like this pants so much as you, but this one looks really cute and comfy! Will make one!
Right? I think the way they photographed the girl lying down doesn’t do the pants justice! Would love to see your version, Shino!
such a great outfit – especially love how you used stripes on the top, makes the pockets stand out so well!
Thanks so much Kristin! I played.around with the directions of the stripes a bit and this was my favorite combo
The secret to fruit stains is boiling hot water from a tea kettle poured over the stain. You won’t believe it!
The smock is amazing! Can there be something so cute in America?
Thank you Amy! And such good advice about the stains — must try!
very cute outfit! I love the use of ticking for clothes. I’m thinking of someday making one of my kids a pair of pants or something out of it. Every time I pass it in the fabric store I want to take some home!
I want this for myself! Too bad there’s not a fabric xerox machine. I’d enlarge it 500% and make a copy. Just so lovely, Sanae!
Thanks so much, Sarah! This is one of my all-time faves too
Your sewing is amazing! The outfit is gorgeous, and I am in love with the top!
Thanks so much, Jenya! It’s one of my faves too
I have stumbled upon this outfit on Pinterest and I am swooning over this top!! I also have a 3 year old K who loves a good hand me down if you would ever consider selling this piece
I am a novice seamstress and would never have the nerve to attempt this top. Sublime!
Thank you so much, Ronika! The top has been well-loved and well-worn, and I’m afraid it won’t be fit as a hand-me-down to give away much less sell, but I’m so pleased that you’d consider buying it!! And the cool thing about sewing is that though the pattern may seem difficult now, give it a little while and you’ll be amazed at the growth curve! I bet you’ll be tackling super complicated patterns in no time, Ronika