Sunshine-y Day

Mathilda was in need of new shorts for summer. She’s outgrown all her old ones, and I don’t want to buy any that I’ve seen in stores, mainly because I don’t want my 5 year old to look like an inappropriately dressed teenager!

So, I needed to make some for her. I started with this pair, using pattern number 26 from Ottobre Design 3/2012. I have made this before.

I made it using a knit from stash. I did a rolled hem on the serger for the pockets, and gathered them using elastic thread. I added the lace to the legs partly becauseI liked it, but also because I didn’t gather the legs to make the “bubble” shape as this pattern is a little short for Mathilda, she is of the long/lean body shape, and is at the top of the size-range for this pattern for width, but the pattern that starts at the next size up for length, is too wide, way too wide! A bit of overlap in sizes would be good for this one.

However, I persevered on, and made a second pair of shorts using the same pattern.

This time I added about 2 inches more in length, and I omitted the pockets as the pattern of this fabric is more than enough detail. Interestingly, this lace fabric had a gigantic seam through the middle, which has given the shorts a kind of boardie type look to them, which is pretty cool. The lace is fully lined with plain white cotton fabric, its a little bit hard to see, but because the lace is not the same colour white as the lining it shows up pretty well.

Of course, since I made shorts, I had to make a t-shirt. I used another Ottobre pattern, the same one that I made the Kristoff costume from (read about that ), except that this time I made it in the right size. I also did to binding on the neckline and sleeves this time too.

I only had plain knit fabric, so I did a machine embroidery on the front, a happy looking bunch of flowers to match the sunny-ness of the yellow fabric for this t-shirt.