My favorite types of patterns are the ones that can be finished super quickly without it looking like it.  I don’t plan things like I’d like to.  I am so ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ that it’s not even funny.  And when I get an idea in my head, I want to do it then.  No wait time for this girl.

Pattern for Pirates just launched their Women’s Raglan shirt pattern and I had to have it.  This is the same designer that made the pattern for Louis’ jacket so I knew it could easily be tackled.  Plus.  Elbow patches?  Sold, sold, sold.

When I say that this is a quick project, I mean it.  I bought the pattern at 8:45am and had it printed, glued together, traced, fabric cut and everything sewn together by 9:45am.  It was super impromptu and I just happened to have the fabric laying around.  I’m also a speed sewer and not super meticulous (because I figure I can use one of my tricks to cover something up if need be) so it might take someone else a bit longer.  But for me, this is super awesome because I don’t always have a lot of time to make time consuming items.

I really dig the small details that can be included in this pattern.  I didn’t want a shirt with one print.  Especially not a giant polka dotted shirt.  I thought it’d be too much and it needed to be broken up.  Luckily I have juuuuuust enough fabric to squeeze the elbow patches, neck trim and sleeve cuffs out of it.  Barely.  The cuffs should be longer but I used what I had.  Typical Katy move in sewing.

The fabulous thing about the Women’s Raglan is the fact that you could make SO. MANY. variations of this shirt.  I picked the tunic length with the banded bottom.  I seriously hate hemming and any time I can have a band or cuff, I make it happen. 

Honestly, I hate the term “selfish sewing” that’s thrown around the sewing world.  Maybe because I sew for myself a lot.  But I’d like to call it “sewing” because that’s what I’m doing.  Making things for yourself isn’t a sin.  In fact, it’s fun.

These knit fabrics were both purchased on Girl Charlee.  (Polka dots HERE.) There isn’t a ton of stretch in the polka dot fabric so I ended up going up a size to have room in my hips.  I think something with more give can easily be made in my standard size.

I hope you don’t mind my second-day, unbrushed/washed hair in all of these shots.  Yesterday was…um.  Hard.  Yesterday was hard.  I had an emotionally trying day with a whiny kiddo and taking pictures was a short break that was needed.  Parenting can be so tough one second and so rewarding the next.