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Sailboat Top


While searching in vain for women's apparel fabric at the local fabric stores, I found this striped knit at a quilt fabric store of all places, and thought it would be perfect for the oliver + s Sailboat Top pattern. I have a similar shirt with orange stripes I got on the cheap at H&M, and actually wanted to get one for Monkey Pants but haven't found one. I know, it's crazy, a classic nautical design, who would want that. Also crazy, the idea of JoAnn carrying striped knits. No, why do that when they can stock their store with scary spandex-y purple, green and black prints instead with their wide appeal for all ages and genders. I come out in a very bad mood every time I go there.

Monkey Pants  is seven but she's really skinny and a bit short.  I made the size five and added an inch to the length of the sleeves. I could have probably gotten a slightly better fit with the size 6 by making the front, back and sleeve narrower.  Adding an inch to the sleeves didn't do much as they are not quite full length, nor 3/4 either.  I skipped the buttonholes and just sewed the buttons through both front and back layers.  I did add two more buttons on the sides of the sleeves because I didn't like how wide the sleeves were at the bottom.  The buttons were from a cheap bag of assorted buttons at Walmart.  They are quite cheap though as I managed to sew through one of them without even breaking the machine needle! Overall, a cute summer shirt for $5.40.


As I was attempting to clean up the sewing "studio" this morning, Monkey Pants  brought the fabric scraps over and declared she was going to make a matching shirt for "Bunny" (I know, her stuffed animal names are not that original).  Rather than allow her to cut up the fabric into a dozen pieces, stick it with fifty pins and then be really frustrated that she didn't have a shirt after all that, I offered to "help" her make a real shirt for Bunny.  We had just bought an 18" doll clothes pattern, M6480, when the McCall's patterns were on sale for $1.00.  Yes, that's all JoAnn is good for.  I had her cut out the traced pattern and some of the fabric.  No machine sewing yet.  Maybe when she's ten or twelve.


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Comments

  1. JenniferJune 9, 2012 at 3:48 PM

    Oooh I love this. The print it great and the buttons on the sleeve add a great touch

    ReplyDelete
  2. brittneyJune 9, 2012 at 4:55 PM

    Oh how I love this! And I agree 100% about Joanns. Have you heard of girlcharlee.com? They have a great selection for knits, tons of stripes! That is where I exclusively buy now:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. c(*oo*)oJune 9, 2012 at 6:09 PM

      Thanks for the tip! I'll be checking it out as soon as I get a chance.

      Delete
  3. TeresaJune 9, 2012 at 8:23 PM

    What a perfect little top for her! I couldn't agree more about JoAnn's total lack of decent apparel fabric. I actually did "laugh out loud" at that comment. I leave there most times feeling completely the same.....and yes, the $1.00 patterns are the only bonus. Seriously though, sweet little project for your girl and her friend. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. JessicaJune 11, 2012 at 9:38 PM

    SUCH a perfect sailboat top!

    ReplyDelete

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