Last Spring I recreated one of our favorite hand-me-down outfits. All Summer it was the first outfit we reached for every time it was clean. This year, I made two more.
Sewist in the blogiverse talk about their TNT patterns, the "tried and true" patterns they reach for over and over again. Hands down Muse of the Morning's Practically Perfect Tee and Go To Pattern's Go To Leggings are my TNTs. These are patterns I make repeatedly with little alteration beyond embellishment, because I know they fit well and sew quickly. I even sewed them up as PJs! Plus, The Peanut loves to wear them, which is really where it's at!
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| Tee with the cap sleeve option. |
I love the casual, yet feminine nature of a knit skirt (with under-shorts) paired with a well-fitted girl's tee. The Peanut can climb and bike ride and dig for bugs and stay cool through the Summer in these outfits.
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| Tee modified with pin tucks and sewn with gathered sleeve option. |
I opted for bright colors and, yes, even pink for these clothes. Kindergarten has taught my blue loving, dinosaur playing, 6-year-old, budding engineer that pink and dolls and dresses are for girls. (I am simultaneously a little sad to see her lose the unisex world view, and a little relieved she's finally picking up social cues. So, there's that.) But of course we're encouraging her to be true to herself, so I'm giving The Peanut clothes in her new-found desire for pink and her beloved blue. It's my own little experiment to see which she reaches for as Summer progresses.
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| I totally cheated the pin tucks -- I sewed the fabric before I cut out the pattern piece. |
Pattern
Tee: Muse of the Morning's Practically Perfect Tee, size 5T (modified to add pin tucks)
Skirt: Go To Pattern's Go To Leggings, size 4T with added length
Fabric
Tee: Pink -- Sew Classic Knit Solid (Joann's Fabrics); Striped -- Striped Cotton Jersey Knit- Green/Yellow/Blue (G Street Fabrics)
Skirt: Striped -- Striped Cotton Jersey Knit- Yellow/Purple/Green (G Street Fabrics); Blue -- Sew Classic Knits, Royal Rib Knit (Joann's Fabrics)
Note
The tee is fitted and long and fits The Peanut without alteration (a rarity these days). I added an inch to the length of the skirt (but not the shorts) but otherwise used the same pattern pieces from last spring.
Love
Did I mention these are my two TNT patterns? I love the shorts built in to the skirts, the speed with which these patterns sew up, and the ease of wear (and washing), too.
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| It's all fun and games until the background falls on your head. Then it's just silly. |
Flowers by Jessica Cardenas and Eugen Belyakoff for the Noun Project.
Ren Murphy writes for The Inspired Wren.
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