As well as sewing Clare pants for Clare, I sewed a pair for Stella, and paired it with a Style Arc Bonnie top in the same fabric for the look of a jumpsuit without the impractability.

I reviewed the pants extensively in my previous blog post. For Stella I reprinted the pattern and sewed size 4, the smallest size. Once again I shortened the leg length about two inches before cutting out.

This pattern works equally well on Stella as it did on Clare. It’s interesting sewing for the two of them at the moment. Genetics are strong! They’re pretty much the same shape, with Stella a couple of inches shorter and just one size smaller all over. Stella did her growing at a much earlier age than Clare did, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the two are pretty much the same height and sizes in about another year or two.

The fabric is from Darn Cheap Fabrics. It’s a textured rayon, in a blue-green (teal?) colour that really suits Stella. Unfortunately the textured, more open-weave areas do catch very easily and tear, as we discovered the first time she wore the pants when she climbed a tree (she is still twelve)! I had enough scraps to patch it, but have spotted quite a few pulls in various places after subsequent wears.

So, on to the top! It’s a modification of view B of the Style Arc Bonnie woven top. This is another pattern that I bought in the multi-sized version, because I reckon that I am likely to sew it multiple times for multiple people.

From the pattern website: This wonderful new pattern comes with two options; A & B. Pattern “A” Features a slightly cropped body length, relaxed fit with bust darts. With a round neck and a functional back opening that can be buttoned this sleeveless top is the up to the moment look. For those that prefer a more covered garment there’s option “B”. Featuring a square shaped body and dropped shoulder line with an optional buttoned tab. The body length is longer and has a buttoned back, round neck as option “A”. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Linen, crepe, cotton, rayon.

Stella didn’t want the buttons down the back, or on the shoulder tabs. This was an easy change – I just folded the back pattern piece to the centre back (where the buttonholes were marked) and cut the back piece on the fold. I made a corresponding modification to the back neckline facing. This style decision also made it an extremely fast garment to sew. No buttonholes or buttons – the shoulder tabs are just stitched in place.

I sewed size 4 for Stella, so you can see that this is a very roomy style.

Stella wore this outfit to our Christmas Day celebrations. She seemed cool and comfy in it, plus the pants have the all important pockets in which to stash her Christmas present – her first iPhone.

As it turned out, we all wore something sewn by me on Christmas Day – and so did Mum!

I thought that some of you might like to see this next photo of my parents (Dad is ninety-two), my brother and I, and the two granddaughters.  We’re a small family (in numbers as well as in height), and we really span the ages.  Dad was eighty when Stella was born!  After this photo was taken we headed to an extended family lunch, where there were forty of us – Mum’s siblings and their partners, all the children of the next generation (my cousins) and their partners, then all of the generation below who range in age from two to twenty-two.  Quite an achievement to get us all together from three different states and many different cities.  My daughters each have a second cousin very close to them in age and it was beautiful to watch them interacting with one another and finding common interests.