Petit a Petit Block Party: Tip Top

Had it been entirely up to me, this Tip Top dress would have been sewn in a sophisticated indigo linen with perhaps some Sashiko stitching along the sleeve edges. Or, I might have just simply copied Celina’s version and made it out of buffalo checks. Those days when K was a pliable, acquiescing dress-up doll? GONE.

There are two things that ensure K will wear something I make:

1. It’s made out of stretchy fabric
2. It’s tight (sigh, this does not bode well for upcoming teenage years)

I figured one out of two would work, and I pulled out some knit fabric options that I hoped would light her up and she pointed to this black performance knit from here in a non-committal way. I chortled with satisfaction when “piping!” popped into my mind, thinking it would add a sportiness that would be in line with the intended use of the substrate.

Oh my friends, she completely rejected it.

I think it’s such a cool and versatile dress, but she didn’t agree. “Only little girls wear that style, Mama,” she informed me.

So what’s a Mama to do?

Make another one in a lacy stretch knit, of course. I figured that if a similar top from Target can capture her heart, surely a garment that her own flesh and blood has stitched into its likeness would be acceptable?

I’m pleased to report that she wholly approves of this version. I shortened it, for starters, and also slimmed down the silhouette. As always, I did it all by feel and estimation, so I’m not exactly sure how much I modified the pattern. Because the lace knit was quite sheer, I lined it with an off-white stretch fabric for the bodice part only, leaving the sleeves to flutter in semi-transparency.

The fact that she loves the lace version leads me to believe that it’s actually piping that turns her off because she despised this top that I made a few years ago too. Hmmm, I just noticed that there’s a piece of black thread on her tunic top. Oh well.

The lace knit was from my stash as well, and I realized that it might be a good idea to use fabric from the sponsors. Imagine Gnats and Raspberry Creek Fabrics are the lovely sponsors for this epic block party going on in celebration of Petit a Petit patterns, and I am not one to pass up discounted fabric. K selected this fabric from Imagine Gnats (we seem to have snapped up all of it), and I was about to start on yet another Tip Top version, but then I heard a voice intoning, it would look so awesome as a tight dress with a turtle neck. The voice sounded exactly like my 10-year-old and was, in fact, her.

So I obliged (though I didn’t make it too tight).

I chopped the bodice pattern pieces even more, and eyeballing the Linden sweatshirt sleeve pattern — incidentally, I’ve been a Linden making machine and will share them soon — I drafted my own raglan sleeve. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

“Love” is not a sufficient word to describe how K feels about this tunic/dress. She’s worn it multiple times already, which is the ultimate sign of approval. As you can see, the Tip Top pattern can be a great base for modification, and I had a lot of fun playing around with it.

But really, the sewing project that steals the show is that pillow, don’t you think? K made it for me on a whim in between Tip Tops, and this was truly an undertaking filled with blood, sweat and tears. She wanted to do it solo, without any help from me. Yet, on several occasions I heard her defeatedly padding down the stairs and she whispered to me, “I think I might have to give up.” It was enough to melt the most hardened of souls, and I’m already a pushover sap.

Ultimately, I helped her finish up the heart applique and close up the pillow. She eagerly stuffed the heart section with polyfill and after the pillow was complete, we stared at it together in silence. “Does it…” she tentatively ventured, “…look like a boopie?” Indeed, the heart swelled in a distinctly bosomy curvature. We burst out laughing, and I hugged it. I love how hard she worked on it, I love how much thought she put into it, I love my boopie pillow.

 

And yes, I love the Tip Top pattern too! And guess what? Celina is doing a pattern giveaway (ALL of them!!) and here’s the Rafflecoptor to enter:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That’s it for my contribution to the block party — check out all the wonderful participants!

 

Nov. 1st – Sweetkm | Nov. 2nd – The Sara Project | Nov. 3rd – La Folie | Nov. 4th – Hello Holli | Nov. 5th – Chalk and Notch | Nov. 6th – Sewing Like Mad | Nov. 7th – Beatnik Kids | Nov. 8th – Stitched Together | Nov. 9th – Coffee and Thread | Nov. 10th – Made by Toya | Nov. 11th – Stahlarbeit | Nov. 12th – Lily en Woody | Nov. 13th – My Petite Sophie | Nov. 14th – Handmade Frenzy | Nov. 15th – Paisley Roots | Nov. 16th – While she was sleeping | Nov. 17th – My Cozy co | Nov. 18th – A Jennuine Life | Nov. 19th – Knee Socks and Goldilocks | Nov. 20th – Sanae Ishida | Nov. 21st – Little Cumquat | Nov. 22nd – Gaafmachine | Nov. 23rd – Craftstorming | Nov. 24th – Made by Sara | Nov. 25th – Buzzmills | Nov. 26th – Bartacks and Singletrack | Nov. 27th – Moineau & Petit Pois | Nov. 28th – Naii | Nov. 29th – Just Add Fabric | Nov. 30th – Mie Made Memories | Enjoyful Makes | Dec. 1st – Petit a Petit and Family