Baby, you're tops!

I just wanted to share my latest knock-off, I love this one.

This is a singlet top from Pumpkin Patch (ok, they're not the only children's clothing store on the planet, but I can't get enough of their stuff!). As soon as I saw it, I thought of some scraps I had lying around from this dress I made last Christmas for my niece. She's the one at the front on the left.

I didn't have a pattern, but I thought it looked simple enough to tackle without one.  I cut a front and back piece, making them much wider than what I needed so I could gather the top in with pleats.  I also made up a bunch of bias strips for the edges and straps.  I knew I wanted about half a dozen pleats, but I didn't care about the size of them - I figured I would just pinch them in until the bodice was the width I needed.  I wasn't sure what to do about the back - I knew it wouldn't fit over Katherine's head the way it was, and I briefly thought about putting an elastic casing in but in the end I decided to cut it right down the middle and put buttons right down the back.  I sewed it up, attached the bias strips and popped a couple of buttons on the front.  Here it is:

Closer view of the pleats at the front.

And buttons down the back.  I'm not sure if it will be too broad across the back yet - I'll have to try it on Katherine when she gets home - it's day care day today.

While I had the camera out, I thought I may as well take a picture of these pintuck tunics I made recently.  I had never sewn pintucks before and decided to teach myself, with some help from Google!

A blue one.

And one in gorgeous Japanese lawn that I picked up on special from Spotlight.

Bonus - I managed to get shots of them being modelled!