Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Think Spring (or, early retirment in Florida)

Update:  I've added some pictures of my daughter wearing the jacket at the bottom of the post.  Definitely looks better than expected-- maybe it's a keeper after all!

You know when you have a vision for something, and then the end result turns out a little bit....different?  That's how I feel about this project.  The first item on my KCW checklist was the Lily Knit Blazer from Peek-A-Boo Patterns.  I had been ogling this pattern since it was released this past fall, and was glad to finally have an excuse to sit down and make it for my two year old daughter.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I planned on using some turquoise jersey for the main part of the jacket and then a yellow floral for the accent pieces.  That is, until I remembered that I had this in my stash:


A beautiful, bright, spring-like floral that I bought on clearance at Hobby Lobby a few months ago.  And since it's January, and I live in the Midwest, something bright and cheery sounded like a good idea.

That is, a good idea if you want your two year old to blend in to a retirement community in Florida.  So, here it is:

  
I'm thinking of making some pink polyester pants to match.

In all seriousness, it's a really cute pattern, and I think it has a lot of potential. I think the print and color combination turned out to be a little over-the-top, but may be able to be salvaged if I remove the pockets for a cleaner look.  There is also the possibility that it will look much better on her tomorrow morning in the daylight, rather than on the hanger at midnight. 

 But anyway...my favorite part of it is the ruffled panel in the back, which can be seen here:



My daughter is sometimes a 3T/sometimes  a 4T, so I made the size 4 to have a little bit of wiggle room.  But there seems to be a lot of wiggle room already built in to the pattern, to the point that I had to take off 3.5 inches off of the sleeves.  I included the optional princess seams, which helps give it a more tailored look, but omitted the piping.

Overall, a good pattern.  I'll try to take some pictures of my daughter wearing it tomorrow to see if that improves the look.  And I'd love to have some second opinions!


Updated photos:



8 comments:

  1. I think its cute and AJ said, "its better than cute, its pretty!" I think its sometimes hard to get a feel for something after you've looked at it for so long (speaking from experience). With my own wardrobe if I have a statement piece as nice as this :) if I pair it with jeans and a plain shirt it just works! So lets see it on E with jeans and a t shirt, she's gonna rock it Really I love the lapels and the ruffle and the contrast fabric running across the back and I know she will love those buttons! Way to finish that coat!

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  2. I think it is so adorable on her, I wouldn't change a thing! Super cute!

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    1. Thanks, Kelly! I realized that midnight is probably not a good time to be judging a finished product...or sewing or blogging, for that matter! It definitely looked better on her this morning! I just saw that your blog is Cut Cut Sew, Elizabeth is always telling me to check out your site! Your most recent jacket is pretty amazing! Thanks for stopping by our new blog!

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  3. This jacket is so adorable.[as is your sweet model].. Garments always look cutier on a person, than hanging on the hanger,
    I love the sweet little pockets, and the ruffle in back.. cute..cute.

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    1. Thanks, Judy! Seeing it on her definitely made a difference, I'll have to remember that next time I'm feeling unsure about the finished product!

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  4. Hanni, I think the coat is adorable, and the model is too. I haven't seen your daughter in a long time and she is better than cute, pretty. I love it that you and Liz are blogging and sewing. I check it every day.
    Keep up the fun, Jane (Liz's mom)

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  5. I just discovered this pattern and found your review through a Google search. I think it's very cute. I want to make one for my older girl, who is super-skinny - it looks like there is a lot of ease in the pattern; maybe I will need to size down and lengthened. Thanks for posting your project!

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    1. Yes, the skirt definitely has a lot of ease built in to it. My daughter is built pretty solidly, and it still hung loosely on her. I can't wait to make another one for her, though, they're great jackets for spring!

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