Sailor Girl

I cut out this outfit for Addie during Kid's Clothing Week Challenge a few months ago.  I had grand plans to visit my dad on his boat to take the photos, so it would look truly sailor-ish.  I thought better of that when I realized Addie would probably be grown out of it by the time we got a visit in AND had the outfit clean at the same time.  I mean who makes white pants for their kid anyway?!

(I used Pioneer Woman's Soft & Faded Action for this photo.  I think it's kind of cool.)

We ended up at Portland's (Maine's) East End Beach area and had a good time in spite of Addie's many protestations and overall whining.

Poor thing.  The conversation went something like this, "Why did you make me sailor clothes?  I don't like bein' a sailor girl.  And this is a fat shirt and I don't like wearing it this way.  And I don't like sleeves like this.  And Joe said there would be a park here.  And why wouldn't Dad let me buy Ken today to go with my Barbies."  And on and on.  I mean, could you be any more miserable?

She even looks unhappy from the back.

This was the least grumpy full shot I managed to get.

She has a cute pair of navy blue Keds Mary Janes that would have been adorable with the outfit, but with the mood she was in, I wasn't going to try to persuade her out of the dorky sandals.

Even though everything was all cut out - even the interfacing - I had a hard time getting started on this project.  I know my crafting self well enough to know I enjoy starting something way more than finishing something.

The blouse is another Blouse D from a Japanese Pattern Book that I call "The Bubble Dress" book.  I used some navy double gauze that I bought from Talk to the Sun Supplies on Etsy.  It's really good stuff.  And as much as I like the Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton that I used last time I made this shirt, I think this double gauze will hold up much better.  I'm thinking that she can get away with wearing it under her school uniform when school starts.  (Oh, and that happened to be my third to the last stash fabric.  Only two more to go.  Woo hoo!)

I did some really simple embroidery with white DMC around the collar.  There's no way I could make my stitches that even on my own.  I did the normal top-stitching in navy thread with my sewing machine then just followed that stitching with my embroidery - going over and under two machine stitches each time.  I also used some of my precious Liberty bias tape that I bought here for inside the collar.  I love how that looks.  I think I'll have to stock up on some more.

The pants (which ended up rolling up quite easily) are the classic Oliver & S sailboat pants.  I wanted the leg to be a little wider, so when I was cutting out, I drew a line from the first notch at the top of the pants down to the outside of the tab for the notch at the hem.  I just skipped the notch.  Then I also sewed two strips of navy grosgrain ribbon on the pant legs just before the step where you sew the inseam together - so I was guaranteed to have the ribbon line up right on at least one side.

After some time playing in the (cold!) ocean, Addie cheered up considerably.

But still changed out of her "sailor" outfit as soon as we got home.  See what I mean?  I don't think I have much longer to persuade her to wear the clothes I make.

Comments

[Lisa MM]

What a beautiful outfit! Perfect for a day at the beach. You had me in stitches as I had a very similar conversation today with my almost 4 year old daughter.

[Jo]

I'm a complete sucker for sailor suits!! LOVE IT! I especially love the details: the ribbon strips, the hand embroidery, the LIBERTY! Everything about it is absolutely wonderful!

[Jo]

Oh - I meant to ask, could you please explain why double gauze would hold up better than shot cotton? I've never sewn with either.

[Nelissa]

What a sweet outfit! I wondered what you used for the white fabric. It doesn't show the navy blue blouse underneath while it is tucked in. Sometimes I shy away from white because of the see through factor. Perhaps they are lined? Everything turned out great. Thanks for sharing.

[Katie]

Hi Nelissa,
I just bought white fabric from the bottomweights section at my local Jo-Ann. I think its like 97% cotton and 3% lycra. Its pretty heavy weight, but I noticed that Addies Hello Kitty undies were still showing through a bit - but only if I really looked. The sailboat pants have a bit of facing in the front which is probably why the navy isnt showing through too much. And honestly, I could really barely keep the shirt tucked in - so there probably wasnt too much toshow.
Thanks for the compliments!
Katie

[Katie]

Hi Jo,
Thats a tough one. Obviously the best thing to do is feel the fabric and see what you think, but if youre not blessed with great fabric stores nearby, that can be tough. The Shot Cotton is gorgeous but pretty lightweight and delicate - kind of like a lawn but probably a bit less tightly woven. I like it WAY better than the Kona cotton for sewing clothes. While the Kona seems stiff and sticky-out-y, the Shot Cotton is light enough that it just falls nicely. BUT its also very easy to tear because its just not as thick. Double gauze is like a different fabric entirely. I believe its made by sort of tacking two layers of gauze together. The gauze is quite loosely woven - you can actually see the individual threads. It has a lot more
give - almost like a knit. Its very soft and comfortable. It can be a little more difficult to work with than the Shot Cotton because its a bit more wiggly and unravel-y. Its not as likely to tear as the shot cotton, but it is harder to rip out stitches because it can be easy to pull out the individual threads of the fabric by accident instead of your stitching threads. If you were going to buy just one or the other, I would start with some shot cotton because its generally less expensive, and its a very summer-y fabric (I guess, that is, if its summer where you are). The double-gauze is more expensive and could be used for summer OR winter clothes.

I hope that helps!
Katie

[Katie]

Thanks, Lisa. Im so glad to hear that Im not the only one!

[Lucinda]

Oh! Oh! This is such a beautiful outfit! I love crisp, clean lines and this outfit has it all! The handstitching along the collar is what got my attention at first (great tip on using the topstitching as a guide!), and then the Liberty detail along the collar sealed the deal. Perfection! I truly hope your daughter will get some use of it this fall for school . . . it's simply too beautiful to be relegated to the "never worn" pile. And those pants! So perfect with it! Haven't bought that pattern yet but you are showing me I may need to reconsider:) Thanks for sharing this outfit! And thanks to Addie for all her "willing" modeling :) (that last shot is really quite beautiful - the shoot was worth it for that one alone!)

[Joy]

Love, love this! Especially with the embroidered collar. I hope she realizes how cute it is and gets some wear out of it (:

[Jerri Washam]

You know, even if you didn’t mention “sailor,” I would still realize it. :) You modified the uniform into a little girl’s dress, but maintain its sailor appeal. In time, Addie will realize, such fine clothes you made for her. Maybe she’s just not yet comfortable with the idea of clothes made within the house. How was the dress in the Kid’s Clothing Challenge Week?