The High Low Tide Top (use code HIGHLOW to get the release 25% off on Etsy) by Patterns For Pirates! Isn't it lovely, and the fabric...this was something I purchased with one of my 15 coupons during the coupon commotion last week at Joann's! It is soooo soft and flowy, I'm actually jealous that this top belongs to my 2 year old daughter and not me!
The top is made from knit so I can only just imagine how comfortable it has to be. With this version I used very thin stuff, and during some uncharacteristic 70 degree weather in a TX July I actually already let her wear it out...the sleeves may have been a little bit long for her with this one, but that's ok, I think it makes it darling, but she's honestly just my darling anyway so I am biased.
The Bambi top is the first one that I made. I actually managed to make it with scraps, which is something that I loved. Knit is expensive and this one doesn't take a ton of fabric, atleast not in a 2/3. The Bambi knit I bought way back in the spring to make her a sweet little A-Line dress with as well as the purple knit being scraps from another project. PurpleSeamstressFabric is where I was able to find the darling Bambi knit...ofcourse we all know that a 2 year old would love Bambi. I take all these photos right outside the fence of our yard so my children are blessed to get to watch deer out of the window and we almost always see them on the way in and out of our driveway, yesterday evening while taking a walk we just stood and watched a bunny eating grass not even 10 feet from us, they bounce all over our yard. Sometimes the distance from things can be a little bit annoying, but kids having the freedom to play outside is worth it for me...no highways, no neighbors...the occasional wild animal getting a little bit too close, and "baby" fire ants, but Mommy is never out of hearing range. While taking these photos, in both of the shirts she got stung by fire ants, it had rained and they are kinda just everywhere after a rain, so while I was getting one from between her toes that she had picked up in the wet grass I managed to stand in a fire ant bed, ofcourse my whole foot was COVERED. She was watching me dance around and beat my shoe and she said "AWWW baby ants, I wonder where their Mommy is? I love the baby ants!" And now she has 2 big blisters on her feet from their bites, BUT she loves them!!!
Can you tell that I get distracted easily?
Don't you just love the way it flies when she runs! I just can't get over how much I love this top! I think the thin knit is definitely more suited to get the twirl factor.
But she could still twirl in this one too! It was heavier so should be a bit warmer for her when it starts to cool down! The High Low Top (Crafsy release discount is already applied) by Patterns for Pirates also has a couple more options. In the test I chose to do long sleeves with ruffles as I am trying to get a start on fall and winter wear and she and I are just ruffly kind of girls, but it comes in 3/4 length sleeves which you can use the ruffle with or a band as well as the band being an option for the long sleeves.
For Gracie, I learned that in knits to get the proper look we really need to go down to atleast a 2 for width, but she's so tall that I HAVE to do a 3 for length all around. This pattern was very easy to adjust for fit by mixing sizes and in the pattern she includes a link to a tutorial about how you can successfully mix the sizes as well. How neat is that?
There are a couple things I would like to hint to you about in this pattern...things that I did just to make it easier for myself. In the first top I elected to use only one machine...my sewing machine, and the seam allowances are 1/2 inch here. With a knit part of the fun is that if it doesn't just drive you completely batty to leave it raw, it is ok to do so, it doesn't ravel. With the seam allowances being at 1/2 inch though I had a 1/2 inch unfinished bulk on each of my seams...if I had chose to zigzag I needed to trim them first and on the neckband and the waist band of the Bambi top I did a topstich to help it lay flat after trimming it some because it bulked so. That was just what worked out best with the thicker fabric for me, especially since I didn't use my serger. On the floral print, I used the serger, which trims as you go so I lost all the bulk anyway, BUT, it was a thin fabric and I don't feel it would've been noticeable even without the use of the serger.
Another thing which I guess would be a personal preference was when I attached the ruffle to the sleeve, the pattern has you do that step after the sleeve is attached and closed up! I did it that way with the Bambi top, but my fingers got dangerously close to the needle on my machine and fighting the tiny sleeve opening was annoying, I elected to attach my ruffle on the floral before attaching the sleeves so that then the side seam on the ruffle was sewn at the same time as the seam on the sleeve and I never had to fight a tiny opening.
This pattern was sooo easy to understand even with me doing it during the testing stages I didn't have any trouble. Patterns For Pirates has a lot of awesome patterns and I love them all! You should definitely go take a look around and see some of the other great sleeve options for this top!
Don't forget to go get your copy of the High Low Tide Top while it is still 25% off and remember that on Etsy you have to use the code HIGHLOW. On Craftsy the discount is already applied and a lil birdy over at Patterns For Pirates said you were even getting it $.02 cheaper there, every penny counts right?
Thank you all for spending a little time reading about this great new pattern! Happy sewing!
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