AAHHHHH!!!  There is nothing I love more in this world than sewing for Louis.  But when I get to sew coordinating outfits for the two of us?  BEST DAY EVER.  Made for Mermaids is releasing their Charlie and Mama Lauren tops today and there is so much win in both patterns!  Get ready to have heart eyes all over the place!

*disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.  While they don’t affect my opinion or excitement in any way, they do help pay for my sewing habit a bit.

Let’s talk the Charlie Button Up first.  Because the model is obviously the cutest.  The Charlie is a classic button up (I call the buttondowns…am I upside down from the rest of the world?) BUT, it’s extra cute because it has pintucks.  Pintucks aren’t something you see every day on a boys/mens shirt and I believe that’s what makes this shirt extra darling and special.

Louis and I, of course, chose a bold pattern to make his top in.  I had a few fabric laid out on the table and Lou demanded I make him a shirt from this fox material.  I was a little worried that it’d be too over the top, but I’d have to say that it turned out just right.

What a fox!

Per my usual, I created a back yoke, collar stand and cuffs in a contrasting fabric.  I love having small details like this in a boy’s shirt.  It takes a top from being just anything you could find in a store and a “why bother putting so much time into a piece of clothing” to: ohmygoshthisisthecutestiwanttodie.  (I kept those words all smushed together because that’s basically how I felt after I sewed the last button on Lou’s Charlie.)

And look how happy kiddo is!  Granted, it’s because he’s being super silly and LOVING the fact that I gave him my camera remote.  Someone loves taking pictures of himself.  Guess who I’m referring to.

And now onto the Mama Lauren.   You guys!  A WOVEN pattern for women!  Woot!

In true M4M form, the pattern has a crazy amount of options.  Several sleeve lengths, tunic/tee/dress lengths, optional keyhole, optional belt tie, etc.  So many different shirts can come of this.  And you can finally use up some of that woven fabric you’ve been hoarding but have nothing to sew it into.

They keyhole version was, um….let’s just say that it was good for the ladies.  They were certainly in play while taking these photos and I had to be sure to not flash the camera too much.  Haha.  But seriously.

Full confession: this didn’t turn out exactly like the fit should be for the Lauren.  I tried…but was just having one of those sewing days.   You know the one.  You’re using a fabric that is a little more slippery than normal and you serge a folded piece of it into the seam and completely ruin your shirt.  But then you do everything you can to save it because you worked so hard on everything!

So, the shirt is actually a bit slimmer on me than it’s supposed to be, because I had to take it in and fix my mistake.  I still honestly like the fit, but don’t necessarily base the fit off of me.  K?

I would say that the Charlie is an intermediate pattern.  Or maybe an ambitious beginner.  But the Mama Lauren is up for sure in the intermediate area, as it required making your own binding and the fabrics need to be more drapey, meaning they’re more of a pain to work with.

Ask me how I know…thank you very much dinosaur peachskin fabric!!!  GAH!

And of course the links to the fabulous patterns:
Charlie ButtonUp HERE
Mama Lauren HERE

BUY2SALE you can get 2 of the new releases for $12.
BUY3SALE you can get all 3 new releases (there was also a girl’s pattern in this release) for $15.

As for the fabrics?  I have no good links for you!  The dinosaurs is from Girl Charlee over two years ago, and is a peach skin.  Lovely fabric, just not available.  And the foxes are from JoAnn Fabrics, but of course I can’t find it online.  Whomp whomp.  Sorry!  I tried!