Hi again! Posting two days in a row? Crazy, I know! I am attempting to do a better job of keeping up with the blog, because I find that if I don't blog an outfit shortly after I make it, I tend to lose interest in the prospect of writing a post. I've read other bloggers express similar sentiments, so I know I'm not alone on this!

Then I looked around for a cute pinafore pattern. It doesn't seem like indie patterns have much to offer in the "cute pinafore" department. I considered a sleeveless Geranium dress, this vintage pattern I sewed up early last year, and several other vintage options on Etsy, when I remembered - I own a dozen Ottobre magazines! There must be something in one of them ...
When I found this little pinafore (1/2014 #10), called the "Magpie" - well, I knew it was meant to be! While I am more apt to call Maggie "Mags" or "Maggie McGee," Steve often calls her "Magpie."
Of course I had to add a little white piping to that lovely curved yoke seam!
I sewed this up in a size 92 (approximately 2T) with no modifications except that I omitted the lining on the skirt (the pattern instructs you to fully line the jumper, which would be great if you were using a lighter-weight fabric, but isn't necessary for corduroy - the yokes and straps are lined in white poplin). I also maintained a bit more length in the skirt by facing the hem with some pink hem facing rather than turning up the hem. With two buttons on each shoulder strap (Maggie is using the higher set right now) and a longer skirt, I am hoping that this little jumper will fit next winter as well. I was able to cut this jumper out of just one yard of corduroy, so this is an economical make!
Maggie has actually been pretty under the weather this past week - we've kept her home from school since Thursday for intermittent fevers and now she sounds like an old man who has been smoking a pack a day for 40 years, and is hacking every few minutes, but I think the virus is just taking its course. This is the hardest thing about winters - the neverending viruses! So it took a long time for her to warm up to the idea of a photo shoot, but I managed to get a few smiles out of her notwithstanding the dreadful ick she's fighting.
This tulip corduroy ended up being really perfect for this jumper because it isn't actually directional - it looks good upside down as well as right side up. That's important because the back yoke piece wraps around to form the the straps. I didn't actually think this aspect of the design through before cutting, and I just feel lucky that the different nap and pattern-direction isn't a problem with this fabric! On a more velvety corduory, I think the upside-down nap on the straps would look funny.
When I finished the jumper, I knew I wanted to make a t-shirt and leggings to go under it. This Kaufman Laguna knit in "Cherry" was the perfect color to go with the pink tulips on the pinnie.
For this top, I used another pattern from the 1/2014 issue of Ottobre, this time #11, the "Autumn Forest" jersey top, with the center-front gathers. I love this shape on Maggie, and I see myself making more of these!
I gathered the front with clear elastic and I bound the neckline with self-fabric, using Ottobre's recommended method, and both turned out really nice! My only complaint was that my off-white serger thread was showing a bit, so I went over the seams on my sewing machine, zig-zagging with pink thread as well. I might have to suck it up and buy some pink serger thread one of these days (shudder - I hate rethreading my serger with different colors, but it does make a difference in the final product!). The Laguna jersey has enough lycra to make a nice and stretchy neckline with decent recovery (not all jerseys do, so be careful with this approach!). The sleeves and bottom of the shirt are simply hemmed with a zig-zag stitch. I added a little length to the shirt to make it more appropriate to wear by itself over leggings and hopefully get a little more life out of it.
The Laguna jerseys are not the easiest to sew - they curl like the very devil - but they have a nice weight and stretch, and feel substantial and sturdy for children's clothing, which is why I keep coming back to them!
The leggings are the "Tiny Path" leggings from Ottobre 6/2013 - a two piece legging (front leg and back leg) with knee patches. I made them once before, here. For the knee patches, Maggie and I chose a polkadot Laguna knit. I don't know how well these go with the Magpie Pinafore, but they sure are cute! I've noticed Maggie has worn holes in a lot of her leggings and they are finally starting to look a bit short on her (miracle of miracle, the child is growing!) so I owe her a few more pairs!
Even though Maggie isn't feeling very well right now, it was obvious that she likes her new outfit! For my part, I am enjoying sewing from my Ottobres! While the instructions are not super-detailed, they do tell you what you need to know, and there are so many styles to choose from!
Well, I better get back to cuddling my poor hacking baby girl. Hope you all have a great week! Have you sewn any Ottobre patterns? What's your verdict?