Sunny Side and Heat Wave, a new top and shorts pattern by Duchess and Hare.
These new patterns couldn't have come at a better time for my daughter. All of a sudden she seems to be moving away from the many, many dresses I have made her and complaining she doesn't have any tops or shorts to wear.
So when I showed her the pictures of this summery top and shorts set, she surprised me with her enthusiasm for them! This is the Sunny Side top and Heat Wave shorts.
The top is a tube top style with a shaped pointed front bodice, and an elasticated straight back. The front ties around the neck creating a cute v-shaped teardrop shape, but also helps secure the top into the correct position. An option to tie the neck ties to the back bodice was also included in the pattern.
A big frill, or ruffle, encircles the top of the bodice, adding detail, but also hiding the elastic casing in the back. The 'skirt' portion is gently gathered into the small bodice to give an airy feel. This top can also be made into a loose and breezy dress. From a sewing point of view, this top is ace, it has fully enclosed or french seams throughout, so much so I think I need to put a label in it for my daughter as she can't tell which side out to put it on!
I bought this bright blue check fabric from Fabworks last year (I can no longer see it on their website, but they have very similar fabrics in stock), with the intention of making a shirt for my son. However, despite picking it from the website, he then declared when I'd ordered it, and it arrived, that he really didn't like it. It's sat, unloved and folded in my large fabric stash, along with two other checks I ordered at the same time, ever since. I felt in the interests of using up my stash and not buying more fabric that they ought to see some love. Thankfully, adding this top to the white shorts with pink spots has worked well for Layla, she doesn't object to the blue, so long as there is some pink in there somewhere!
The shorts have a simple elasticated waist, but are slim fitting, with a very cute faced scalloped edge. I made a straight age 6 for these, even though she doesn't measure a 6 on her teeny bottom or waist. Instead, I took a smaller length of waist elastic, so they are more cinched in than perhaps they should be.
The set just works! I sent the pictures to my mum and she exclaimed that she had a very similar set around the same age (sorry mum, but have to mention it's an early 60's style!), so vintage looks are definitely coming around again!
Since taking the final pictures for this set, she has worn it every day. I think this is definitely a measure of how comfy, and how much she liked it. As a little budding gymnast, she even proved that given a big lawn, she could cartwheel, handstand and do numerous back and front walkovers in this set, so I conclude it is 100% playproof.
You can buy the shorts and top set as a bundle, or the Sunny Side top and Heat Wave shorts separately, they are all on sale until Sunday 3rd June, midnight PDT.
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*Disclaimer: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission (the price stays the same for you) which will help me in the future to buy more patterns to share them with you!*
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