After sewing Stella’s Style Arc Joy woven vest, she asked for another one the next size up.  The first one is quite snug!  So I reprinted the pattern and cut size 6.

This time around I used a striped fabric that I’d bought on my excellent visit to Stonemountain & Daughter with Sue. It’s got an interesting weave and includes three colours that Stella wears often.

Because I’d sewn it not long before, it was very straightforward to make a second time. I did have to be careful to not overhandle the pieces as the fabric was prone to fraying. Rather than use self-fabric to line it like I did the first time, I found a smooth cotton/linen in stash in beige and lined it in that.

The buttons are brown shell buttons that I am pretty sure I bought from Thailand via Etsy.  The pockets on this vest aren’t pockets at all, just non-functional pocket welt-style flaps that are there for decoration.  I did need to ensure that they lined up and were at the same angle!

Stella recently turned sixteen – yes! sixteen! – which reminds me that I started this blog when I was pregnant with Stella.  Sixteen years of blogging, good grief!  It still serves me well as a sewing journal, even though blogs definitely aren’t what they used to be once people switched to Instagram, YouTube and lots now on TikTok.  Anyway, this is the outfit that she wore for her birthday party (at home, with a few school friends).  Her earrings and necklace are mine, from the 80s!  Her shirt is from Uniqlo, and the chocolate brown suede skirt was found in the Goodwill store in Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco. White loafers from Cotton On.