I have a new pattern to show you today, and I am in love with this style!
The Made for Mermaids Blythe is a knit babydoll style top or dress. I tested out the pattern and just love how comfortable it is to wear and how it looks on me and my daughter! I made two versions of the top for myself – the one tier and two tiered top options. I also made a dress for my youngest daughter!
My daughter only got one version of this pattern because I am still teaching her how to treat her clothes nicely. As soon as I finished taking a photo of her in this dress, she took a pair of scissors and cut part of the hem. UGH. She has only cut one other shirt since then, but I am seriously leery of sewing for her since that has happened! She is in full on toddler mode, and if I look away for a second, she has my makeup on her face and has spilled sprinkles all over the floor.
You wouldn’t guess by this sweet smile that she wasn’t even cooperating for these photos!
For her dress I made the one tier-dress length option in the pattern. I had to grade for her height because she is skinnier than the pattern. This is common in store bought clothes for her. If I buy one that is long enough, then, it is way too wide, but if I fit her width, it is too short! It is my favorite part of sewing for her because I can follow the directions on sewing the correct size for her height and the correct size for her width.
For myself, I made two tops. The first one I want to show you is the high hip length with one tier. THIS is my FAVE. Seriously, it works so good with high waisted everything and has ease and comfort. It is short like a crop but covers everything if you wear the right rise on your pants. The proportions are perfect, especially if you are a shortie like me.
I made the high neckline option with short sleeves, but the pattern also includes a lower neckline option as well as sleeveless and longer sleeves.
I used a bamboo lycra from The Fabric Fairy, and I really love the quality of this bamboo! Some bamboo lycras that I have tried feel almost too stretchy and tend to grow as I wear them, but this one has just enough structure to not be so hard to sew with but still has the wonderful drape I wanted for this style of top. It also has stayed really nice throughout the day while I am wearing it, which is great because it has been around 100 here! I need The Fabric Fairy to stock even more colors and stripes in this exact same base!
The first top that I made was a two tier, and this one took a bit more time! This one ends around the hip and is between a top and tunic length. I think this color and length will be great for fall. I am imagining chunky scarves, leggings, and a jacket over this one! Maybe I am just dreaming for fall weather.
Mustard is such a great color for summer and fall. In summer, I love to wear it with white shorts or pants, and in the fall I pair it more with black leggings or blue jeans. This fabric is double brushed poly from Knitpop. DBP is another great fabric for this style top, but I do have to warn you – it is hot! I am fine with it on days I plan to stay indoors, though, but if I plan to go outside much, I will reach for my bamboo top. The bamboo is much more breathable!
Let’s talk about sewing all those gathers! Do you have a preferred gathering method? On the tops I made, I did the time-consuming method of sewing a basting stitch and then pulling the bobbin until my bottom my the same length as my top. I have seen the method of gathering with clear elastic, but I hate how clear elastic looks in the seam. I am thinking about using maybe a 1/8 inch elastic or elastic thread. Have you tried this?
Resources
- Made for Mermaids Women’s Blythe Pattern, Blythe Pattern, or the bundle
- Bamboo Lycra Esppresso and Heathered Grey Stripe
- Double Brushed Poly in Mustard and Confetti (which is out of stock!)
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