Tulip Tunic and Dress

Heidi and Finn Patterns came out with a new pattern - it's for knits, and comes with the option for a tunic or a dress.  Really cute.  It's their Tulip Tunic and Dress pattern, and you can get it in either sizes 12 months - 12 years, or if you prefer, for sizes 12 months to 5T.

I got the opportunity to test it out for them.  I previously tested another of their patterns, their Ballet Sweater, which Julia wears to dance class all the time.  So, I knew their patterns fit well, were really well thought out, and were a great result.

This was my first version, before she revised the sleeves.  Some of the testers cut a bunch of inches off their sleeves, but maybe my kid has long arms because they were really just about an inch too long.  Once people started submitting their test photos, a bunch of people mentioned that the pattern would easily be made into a dress, so Christine adapted the pattern into a dress length as well.

Here's my next versions - you can see the great bodice detail better with these fabric combos:

so,

Really cute, eh?  No sleeves to set in - by the dress version, I think I cut and sewed it up in less than an hour.  The fabric for both tops were interlock jersey from my stash, and the dress version is velour on the top, and sweatshirt fleece on the bottom.  So, really, you can definitely use different weight fabric in this pattern.  I was also thinking of trying using a non-knit for the bottom part, and maybe making a tunic without the bottom band....so, another versatile pattern that I'm sure I'm going to be getting a lot of use out of!

Heidi & Finn - Ballet Sweater

I've always loved the style of Heidi and Finn's patterns and have always checked out their Flickr group for inspiration.  Lots of people use their patterns during KCWC for good reason - they're generally pretty simple, and very cool style-wise.

I follow their blog and got a chance to test a new pattern - a very cute ballet-inspired sweater:

The directions were perfectly clear - lots of pictures which is good because I'm not really big on reading directions....until, of course, I screw up....

This was made from a sweater of mine that I never wore.  I made it in a size 3T and it literally fits perfectly.  Sleeve length, everything.  I finished it in probably an hour and a half or so, with the usual constant interruptions from the kid......she wore it all day yesterday which is a huge success.  Since I finished it toward the end of the day, I believe there may be some food residue on it for this morning's photos, so please excuse them!

I will definitely make this again, but next time, will either use a knit band for the waist tie, or a strip of chiffon.  The ribbon was too slippery, and kept slipping down so she ended up with a ribbon around her toddler belly.....

Thanks to Heidi and Finn for letting me test their pattern - I'm sure it will be a hit!