Lovely Little Ladybug

This was my last project I made in January... I found time to blog everything I made in the last month! This lovely little ladybug top was made from fabric I had in my stash. I used Child's Play to draft the pattern. I am loving this Child's Play software and I think I have already got $100 worth of patterns out of it (not bad for 1 month of use). To make this pattern I used the dress choice but cut it short into a top (a lot like the strawberry top I did a few weeks ago). The only change I would make next time is I might take an inch or so out of the center front because it looks a tad too big in the front. I wanted it to hang loose (almost like a woman's maternity top). I think an empire waist, loose fitting front, with a gathered bottom style gives it a cute and young look but not too "babyish" for little girls. This is just a tiny bit wider in the tummy than I had planned. It will shrink a bit in the wash and that might be just enough to make it fit exactly like I had planned.... Yes, I can hear you all gasping and yelling at me for not washing the fabric before I cut it!!! I do wash fabrics most of the time... BUT play clothes, every day wear, or first try with a new pattern are times I occasionally skip over the wash before I sew rule (I only do this when my children are sleeping or playing nice together and I don't have any fabric washed and ready to go).

On this top, I FORCED myself to expose the zipper. I have always thought exposed zippers in the back of little girl outfits = cheap made clothes. I have been seeing more and more exposed zippers in popular kid's clothing (in nice clothing stores). I am trying hard to keep an open mind with this idea and I want to move with the trends (in the back of my mind I keep hearing this is not the right way to do a zipper). Here is my small attempt to be "in fashion"...
I don't think I would say the exposed zipper up the back adds any type of "beautiful detail" like I read about in J Crew kids. BUT it doesn't look bad like I thought it would. I can't make up my mind if I think it looks "cheap" (like Walmart clothing) or if it is something I can learn to live with (move with the fashion trends). What do you think?

Below are a lot of pics. Zee didn't stand still for me. I hope a bunch of pictures will show all of the top. I plan to make jeans to go with it in the next few days.











By the end of Feb. I plan to make up a similar pattern for my 4 year old. I want to make one a bit "older" for her by taking out some of the fullness from all of the bottom gathers, changing the fabric, maybe adding some pockets, decorating with some fun trims, and maybe lowering the waist.