STYLO - her outfit

Today I’m sharing the details of the little girl’s outfit I sewed for STYLO.

When I started brainstorming about my contribution for STYLO, I thought it would be fun to sew outfits for my 4-year old boy and his girlfriend M.

They are such a cute pair, and they always have a lot of fun together. And they would make a photogenic combination, my tall dark boy next to this small blonde girl (would you tell that they only differ one month in age?)

The jacket

M looks cute, but she is actually a feisty and quick-witted little girl, with two older brothers that she can easily handle! So I thought the Decklyn jacket from Blaverry Patterns would be perfect for her. 

This is such a cool jacket, with the color blocking and the sleeve zippers. Blaverry Patterns is a relatively new pattern company, but they already have several patterns available, and it’s really worth checking out her website. They generously provided me with a free copy of the pattern.

I must say that this is by far the most perfect and well-finished item I’ve ever made, and this is primarily thanks to the impeccable instructions. The jacket is fully lined and there is not a single exposed seam. I highly recommend this pattern.

I used the same denim as for the Twisted Trousers, using the light side for the contrast parts. For the lining I combined the PLUS fabric with some coral knit. A weird but surprisingly good color combination, if I may say so. The zippers are neon coral pink (and very difficult to photograph).

I first saw this jacket at the blog Stitched by Chrystal. It was only after I completed the jacket that I realized how much my jacket resembled hers. I absolutely didn’t copy her on purpose, but the image of her jacket must have stayed in my head and inspired me subconsciously. Ha, how you can be fooled by your own brain, thinking that you are being very original, while in fact you are merely reproducing something you have seen before. So, Chrystal, I hope you take it as a compliment..

The skirt 

For the skirt, I used a pattern from the Japanese sewing book Sew sweet: handmade clothes for girls, which I received from Tuttle Publishing to review. A two-layered skirt with a fun drawstring. On the local fabric market I scored the perfect fabric to match the plus fabric; dark orange with flowers woven into it.

I also sewed a little blue dolman tee, but M refused to wear it and insisted on wearing her old orange Aloha tee instead... No arguing with a four-year old, ha! 

Our first photoshoot took place on a very cold day, and she really had to wear her boots and leggings to keep warm. A few days later, the weather suddenly turned much better and we had a second, quick after-school photoshoot. This time she did wear the blue tee and sandals.

I must say that I'm not entirely satisfied with the overall look. Don't get me wrong, I like the skirt and the jacket is definitely the best thing I've ever made, but together, it just doesn't 'click'. I think this underscores that I have more experience in boy clothes than girl clothes. After all, my own daughter hasn't worn a skirt or dress since she started dressing herself.

 

O well, this little lady seems happy anyway!

And that's it. My STYLO contribution. I loved joining this adventure.