I was in the mood for a new shirt last week, so I cut into the cotton lawn print I’d been saving for another Heather Ross Summer Blouse.
I had originally thought that with such lightweight fabric, maybe a long sleeved shirt in summer would work out ok. But that was March, and this was August. By now there was no doubt in my mind that long-sleeves were out. They could be made of cheesecloth, gauze, or netting, and they’d still be out, as far as I was concerned.
No long sleeves in summer.
So I cut into the fabric with wild abandon and made myself this little number instead, from the fussy-to-make but nice-to-wear Simplicity 4589 (view C). I like it. I don’t usually wear small calico prints like this, but I do like it. And it is a lovely weight for summertime. I wore it a few times last week with jeans, and it made me happy.
Especially when I found the “matching” earrings I’d made two years ago.
So, since I ended up making a shirt without sleeves, there was still a nice chunk of fabric left. How lucky, then, that an opportunity to use it up dropped itself in my lap, in the form of my cousin’s 8-month-old baby girl. They’re here in New Jersey, visiting from Montana, and introducing the extended family to the newest second-cousin on the block. Not only is she the newest, she’s also the only girl: I have two boys, my sister has two boys, my other cousin has two boys.
Yeah, well, you’ve heard me talk before about all of the boy-ness in my family, so naturally I jump when a chance to make something the least bit feminine comes along. And this time I had just the fabric.
So now I, and my little first-cousin-once-removed can be all matchy-matchy from hundreds of miles away if we so choose
I used a free pattern from Made by Petchy, and made my own bias tape from the same fabric. The instructions read very much like those for a pillowcase dress, with a few differences, the most notable being the lack of elastic. It was a nice, easy sew.
And so little! I felt like I was sewing in miniature. As much as there is a profound lack of Girl in these parts, there is an even more severe lack of Baby. I’ve never made a garment so itty bitty before. I just want to say “awwww” every time I look at it.
I mean, really. How can you not love a dress that can fit in a jewelry box?
The post Matchy matchy appeared first on Polka Dot Cottage.
