November 15, 2010

The Velveteen Coats and Bonnets

Guest blogger, Sara Norris, shares her story of The Velveteen Coats and Bonnets...


I have wanted to make my two granddaughters precious coats and bonnets since they were born. I had envisioned them wearing these once they got to be toddler age.  (The look I had in mind was just not the same effect when they were "babes in arms".)  I think I may have had the Shirley Temple syndrome! 


So this Christmas, as they are approaching 18 months and 2 years old, seemed to be the time to outfit them in the proper outerwear for toddler girls. 

Even though I had to put myself through what many seamstresses do ... going through the pattern stash... looking online for pattern after pattern... I went back to my favorite design of The Karen Faylor Company... Toddler Coat and Bonnet.


This pattern is such a classic and just what I had envisioned for my sweet girls. 

Never one to enjoy making two-of-a-kind of anything, now that I have these two little girls I feel compelled to do that very thing!



I decided upon a very fine cotton velveteen as my fabric.  Powder pink for Lacie and powder blue for Millie.  I lined the blue in ecru satin and the pink in white satin.  For the bonnets I gathered silk satin ribbon and stitched it onto the seam just under the brim to frame those adorable little faces.  The effect is charming!

Even though I had made this pattern before, it had been some years and, frankly, I felt a little intimidated at the task!



Never fear!  This pattern goes together beautifully and rather quickly! 

The coats and the matching bonnets are now finished and ready for me to wrap in coat boxes tucked into tons of tissue and tied with big red Christmas bows! 

I can hardly wait until Christmas!

The Toddler Coat and Bonnet pattern contains sizes 1-4.  Our Girl's Coat and Muff pattern is the same coat and contains sizes 5-8.

1 comment:

  1. OMG I too have the Shirley Temple syndrome! I had a little girl 18 years later after my youngest. Talk about starting over. I even gave my little girl the middle name Shirley :-) - Your coats and bonnets came out so dreamy. I fell in love with them and couldn't stop looking at them. I'm not a sewer so I'm not sure I would even attempt something so intimidating. But it’s sure nice to dream and look at your master pieces ~ Sincerely, Sirena

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