American Sportswear
Zoë and I initially read "sportswear" and she was keen on
lycra with sports shoes and gymnastic poses... but when we checked the definition of
American Sportswear on Wikipedia we found it was something quite
different, but could cover a huge range of looks.
Slightly baffled, we Googled for images to give us some ideas. Since Zoë
has to actually wear these clothes (PR&P is a great excuse to fill her
drawers this spring) I was after something practical as well as fun. The
sailor-inspired styles from the 1930's caught my eye. It was a start.
The shorts came first. I was keen on culottes but Zoë had other ideas,
so we whipped them in under the knees with a band of red jersey and called them
harem pants.
They've got a comfy jersey knit waistband (our favourite
kind!) which folds over double for a snazzy look.
The pants themselves are very full with a low crotch. Roomy and
lightweight; perfect for hot days and great for racing around.
White jersey knit, with a red jersey and dotty crisp cotton trim.
I cut around another of Zoë's t-shirts to get the right size and shape
(much like I did for the hoodies).
The overlocker (serger) made quick work of sewing it up, but the real fun was
in the details.
The sleeve cuff is prettily gathered up with a nifty little band. Do you
see? It ends up looking a bit like a bow and it just lifts an otherwise boring
sleeve.
I did the neck twice... I wasn't going to - but something wouldn't let
me leave it alone. So it ended up a little big. But she'll grow!
The first neck band was red jersey knit but it just didn't sit right. It
kept riding up at the back and quite frankly, looked yuck.
So, I took it off and had another go with the dots. This time I slightly
stretched the neck of the T-shirt as I sewed the collar on. Once it was flipped
over, the collar sat much flatter. I was disappointed that the knot at the
front didn't fall as well as the jersey knit but remedied this by making a wee
jersey toggle.
It's based on a pattern in the sweet book making
children's clothes by Emma Hardy. It's a lovely book, the clothing
is practical and fun. The patterns are brilliant for a novice sewer, but even a
seasoned seamstress will be inspired by the pretty fabrics and fun details.
The patterns in the book are only for sizes 0 - 5, so for Zoë's hat I
cut the pieces a little bit bigger, and away I went.
The hat whipped up in no time and with no exposed seams it looks very
professional. Very satisfying.