A Jane Top for Spring

I sewed!  Not only that - I'm posting about it!  And it's not even Kids Clothes Week!  ha!  Now that we've got that out of the way...

A few weeks ago I set out to outfit Lisi Loo for Spring.  They tell me it's coming, although we've yet to see it - which is a good thing since life got in the way of my outfitting goal and I have a lot of little piles of cut-out garments and partially-completed garments but very few wearable spring clothes completed.  It's supposed to warm up and I'm determined to get this wardrobe put together over the next couple weeks.  First up, the new Jane Top (and Dress) from Shwin Designs.

Isn't it cute?  She agrees - and has been wearing it all day.  So please excuse the paint from preschool and the wrinkles from her nap in the photos below - signs of a well loved top (and a busy morning).

For the first time since I started sewing for my kids, I'm setting out with a big picture attitude, as opposed to the impulse sewing I usually do.  Also for the first time, I'm sewing with the clear objective to save money.  I'm usually pretty thrifty when it comes to sewing, but I'm also, as I mentioned, impulsive as well as opportunist.  I'm not buying any fabric, and I wasn't going to buy any new patterns...then the Garden Girl Collection was released.  I couldn't choose, and once I did the math (there are three top/dress and a legging pattern included) the initial sale price was too good to turn down.  The Jane Top is the first I've completed from the collection.

Her measurements put her in the size 2, but in hindsight I probably should have used the size 3 arm length (the pattern also has a short sleeve option).  Luckily it's a top for spring - too short sleeves look more intentional!

On this sew-a-wardrobe mission I told myself I would only sew patterns as written - no modifications.  I did break that rule for this pattern slightly, but not in any way that added significantly to the construction time or mental energy required.  The main fabric was Daddy's old button-down.  The pattern calls for both the front and back to be cut on the fold with facings on the inside.  Since I didn't have enough shirt to cut both on the fold, the button placket from the original shirt is now in the back of her top and I bound with bias tape at the neck so the existing button holes and buttons could be used without alteration.  I also used bias tape at the hem, but only because I wasn't paying attention to the button placement at the bottom when I cut and didn't have enough to fold over twice.

The collar is an option in the pattern, and truthfully I'm not usually a fan of collars on little kids clothes, but I stumbled across this fabric combo in the planning stages and couldn't say no.  I'm still not a total convert, but it is a really cute touch and she loves the flowers.  The floral fabric was an estate sale find from a couple of years ago.

This is actually the second of our "Spring Collection" to be completed, but first to get fully photographed.  I have another completed and mostly photographed, another completed but not at all photographed, and two or three that just need little things like button holes, buttons, or hemming.  Hoping to get some momentum going - the weather's supposed to be turning around this weekend so maybe that will be the motivation I need.  If not, Kids Clothes Week is coming up again - just in time!