Thanks to another rainy Saturday, I’ve managed to tick another WIP off the list: a cap-sleeved top and bermuda shorts for my niece.

Due to a fairly successful stash diet, that has seen me foregoing new fabric in favour of my existing choices, I’ve made some pretty decent inroads on my stash over the past year and a half. I’ve fallen off the wagon a few times but on the whole, the rubbermaid tub lid fits a lot more snugly than it did this time last year.

This project and the halter top and capris I finished a week or so ago are all fruits of that effort. With the exception of the waistband elastic, which I was totally out of, everything from the floss to the fabrics, is stash. And if you think the floral print bears a striking resemblance to some of the fabrics from the diaper bag project, you’re right. I loved sewing the fabric so much, I saved my leftovers and was able to find enough yardage to squeeze off the top’s pieces.

The top is Paisley Park, from AS&E #83 while the insert plate is a shortened version of Summer Blooms, from AS&E #87.

I really enjoyed making the bullion daisies. They were surprisingly easy and while I think they’ll require a little more care during laundry than a bullion rose to keep them looking pert, I liked making them a lot. They were fun!

The shorts are a green twill which I have thankfully seen the last of. Lovely hand, sews and wears beautifully but the colour alone gives me fits, it’s so green. I bought it years ago, planning to make overalls for the boys and then came to my senses, when I realized just how electric it really was! The pattern was my usual suspect, Kwik-Sew for Toddlers, sz 2. I’ve made these pants/shorts so many times, I can practically sew them with my eyes shut but they’ve got a great fit, well drafted and they lend themselves to quick and easy play clothes so well that I never bother with another pattern.

In order to tie them to the top, I added a very simple mock-cuff with two strips of 1 3/4″ bias floral print, topped off with the dregs of my green plaid fabric. It was a squeeze, getting enough out of my tiny scraps to finish this project off, but I was able to toss the scraps with a feeling of virtuous thrift, knowing that I’d made headway in my stash and made a cute outfit at the same time.