PR&P: Stripe a Cord

My inspiration for this “Stripe a Cord” (short for corduroy!) outfit stemmed from necessity!  My daughter has very particular taste when it comes to clothes, especially the material and the fit.  I had to carefully pick every item, but now this little drama queen is ready for an evening out with her daddy, looking fashionable in her jeggings, cowl-neck dolman tunic, and stylish corduroy jacket.  Comfort is key for this outfit, and the stretchy jeggings (made using an existing pair of leggings as a pattern) are her current favorite, especially since she can put her boots on without worrying about her pants bunching in the boot!

The sweet striped dolman top is made out of lightweight jersey knit.  It had the perfect drape for adding a cowl neck, so with a few alterations to a pattern made from an existing shirt, the shirt hangs maturely at the front in a little cowl while keeping the stripes horizontal.  A band at the bottom of the shirt and at each sleeve opening finished it off, making it much more than a regular t-shirt!

I finished the neckline using my serger, and then hemmed using a double needle.  The cowl neckline hem is bound to show at some point, so I wanted to make sure it looked nice and clean.

The material is super soft (VERY important to the little fashionista!) and such a cheerful yellow. Because a cowl neck dips lower than a regular t-shirt neckline, I made a spaghetti-strap undershirt from her dad’s old t-shirt to keep it modest and inexpensive.

The crème de la crème of this outfit is the cute and comfy corduroy jacket.  Based off of Simplicity 2526, I altered the pattern to create a more full (almost “skirted”) bottom with pleated front panels, and a pleated back panel.

I completed the look with a row of yellow and white polka-dot fabric-covered buttons down the front. She loved this jacket so much and insisted on wearing it everywhere, including napping on the way to the photo shoot and adding her own touch of wrinkles and drool to the ensemble ;)

I also added a polka-dot pleated lining to the jacket, polka-dot side pockets, and the front faux pockets have the same polka-dot fabric on the underside. The original pattern only had facing; otherwise, it was exposed seams on the inside which is not very professional or finished looking. I basically had to make a second jacket to tuck inside the corduroy shell.

That’s the Stripe a Cord outfit!  Stripes and Corduroy with polka-dot accents. My little girl has worn each piece of the outfit several times now; that means it is a winner!  I am so glad!

Take a minute and head over to Project Run and Play to see all the other fabulous entries, and vote for your favorite!