Jack and Jill go Back to School

When I was offered a spot in the September Flip this Pattern showcase, I jumped on it.  Or rather, I jumped up in excitement and answered right away!  I got this great shirt pattern from Peaches and Peanuts.  The Jack and Jill shirt.  It’s made large so that it can be layered over a tee.  The pattern includes tons of options, 4 collars, 5 sleeve options, pockets…

I love the pattern as is but I just had to flip it a little.  Because it is Flip This Pattern…  It just screamed to get turned into a cute little shirt dress.  Made up in buttery soft corduroy, it would be a perfect back to school dress.  And it is a perfect back to school dress!

I took my souricette to her school to take pictures.  The light was too harsh in front of the main entrance so I had to take her to another entrance that had some open shade.  I promised her I would pay her if she did her job well and she was the most cooperative she’s ever been.

Never said a word when I scrunched one sock down and pulled the other one up (not her style at all). She waited as long as I asked to eat her apple.  (She’s only pretending to eat it in the pictures.)

She looked at an old calculus book like it was fascinating.

Asked me about the belt I used to hold the books together.

I told her people used those a long time.  “When you were a child?”  No, older than that.  “When people lived with dinosaurs?”  Still a few things to learn, I see…

And now, the flip details.  My souricette is very much a girly girl, hence the dress.  I made up the bodice in swedish tracing paper to try it on her.  I found her waist and marked it.  I removed the pleat at the back and chopped the shirt at the marked waist.  Then, I added rectangular panels for the skirt.  I really wanted inverted pleats in contrasting fabric again but I went with straight pleats this time.

I chose the puff sleeves with band from the pattern and the narrow eton collar.  I didn’t change the sleeves but I had to lengthen the collar a little.  You see, souricette 1 hates anything very close to her neck.  “Ça choke moi.”  When I tried the muslin on her, the neckline felt too tight for her.  I removed 1/2″ from the neckline and lengthened the collar pattern piece to fit.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy, as she would say.

I let souricette 1 pick the main fabric.  She picked the print.  Result?  She loves it!  Wore it two days in a row. And she got her 5 bucks.

About deuxsouriceaux

Creative mommy at home to two wonderful little girls, trying to juggle family, sewing, exercise, family, knitting, photography, and did I mention family?