do you have one of those kids that insists on dressing themselves, and they consistently pick the craziest color/pattern combos or most seasonable inappropriate clothing every time? i do. the bee wants to wear as many colors and patterns at once as possible (the whole rainbow, if she can manage it!), and almost always insists on dresses and leggings. i kind of love her color and pattern obsession (though i really wish she would wear pants sometimes), but i know that it drives some parents nutty. check out #realkidsrealclothes on instagram, started by cherie from you and mie.

one morning (one very very early morning) the bee put together this fun outfit and i just loved it – i thought it was the perfect time to photograph the green point cardigan that i made her, weird morning light be damned!

for this greenpoint cardigan, i got to use up some bits from my stash: the coral is a birch organic sweatshirt fleece, left over from a vest that i made but have not successfully convinced her to wear (and have photographed) yet; the green and tan stripe is from a discount fabric store outside of boston (i think it’s some kind of double-knit, with a bit of lycra); the mustard are bits of a jansport sweatshirt (the same one used here).  i did not follow the instructions suggesting that you use fabrics that all have the same stretch, or that had less than 50% stretch. i just went for it with my different fabrics!

i cut the waistband and the cuffs from the waistband of the sweatshirt, which meant incorporating the seam. i sort of guessed at where the seam in the waistband might line up with the side seam, though obviously not very well. i’m embracing the quirkiness!

you guys, i really love sewing with knits. i love only using my serger. i love how forgiving the fabric is. i love how cozy and comfortable knit clothes are to wear, and how much the bee insists on things being “soft”. i love that there’s often often no closures, no hemming and no lining, and less fidgety-ness in general.

the one thing that i don’t love about the greenpoint cardigan pattern are the 1/2″ seam allowances. i like to sew knits on my serger, using a 1/4″ sa to sew and finish all in one step, but things were a bit harder at 1/2″. i blame myself for not reading the instructions first, which would have allowed me to remove a 1/4″ ahead of time and then proceed as usual. next time! otherwise, i love it. this is a size 3, but it fits awesome, and was super easy to sew up.

making muscles, with her strong face!