Ottobre 4/2011 No.30
Clare asked me to make her a few colourful or patterned tops to wear with her bought shorts (so that she “could still wear something that Mummy has made” – now if that’s not guaranteed to get me sewing for her, I don’t know what is). She chose a few different styles from my Ottobre collection, and paired them with fabrics. I made Ottobre 4/2011 no.30 for her twice.
This is a super simple pattern. It’s very 80s, with a wide and slightly cropped body and cut on sleeves. It really is just a matter of sew up the shoulder seams, apply a neck band, sew up the side seams, then hem the armholes and bottom.
Clare particularly likes this striped viscose – it’s very soft against the skin and drapes nicely around her. Thanks again to Anna‘s stash for the fabric! I also made the same pattern up in the crazy cat fabric from Darn Cheap.
This is a cotton/lycra, and I used a contrasting black cotton/lycra for the neckband. I think the print is a good match for this style!
These are super fast to make, including tracing time. And I think that they fill the “tween” gap nicely. Clare is almost 11 years old now, and it’s interesting watching her style evolve and seeing how it meshes with what is fashionable and age-appropriate. Because she is so small for her age – I made these tops in size 134 – I can see that it could be a challenge as the next year or two go on to find styles that work for her age as well as her size. We’ll see how we go!
Love them – very ‘tween-appropriate’ which is a difficult thing. That cat fabric, it just keeps on giving!
oooh sweet ….. purrrrrrfect!
Quite the model you have there. Her new tops suit her beautifully. Love the cat print.
I love those tops. I find it so difficult to buy tshirts for Charlotte as she is not skinny so all the ones in the shop are such a skinny style. I love the wider styling on these
It’s so hard to find nice clothes for that age- it’s the awkward body shape between child and young lady. That style is nice and trendy 🙂
My daughter is tiny, so I made most of her clothes until she was a teenager. I even made denim overalls, as she was five before the bought ones didn’t have poppers in the crotch in her size.
Oddly enough, the fact that she was short made teenage clothes easier – all those skanky-short dresses and skirts were, on her, flatteringly longer – she still says ‘Mum, I have no idea how anyone who is a normal height can wear this”.
It certainly helps if you can sew when you have a short child. It came in handy with my daughter and my eldest son. There seems to be a gap in the market, in NZ anyway, between children’s clothing stores and adult stores in both sizing and age appropriate clothing. My nearly 15 year old has only just started being able to shop in an adult store. The last thing a teenage and preteen wants is shirts with childish prints or pants with adjustable elastic waists! Thankfully child number three is average height, even if he is stick thin.
I like the new tees and the style looks good in the cat print!