Sewing: Bateau Neck Top and Bateau Neck Dress in Stripes

If we were lucky enough to have our three girls, and a boy besides, this is what it might look like...

This is Tess and her cousin, and during a vacation at the end of the summer I got to pretend they were siblings. These two are a riot together. Sometimes loving, and sometimes hitting--usually one trying to hug and one trying to hit! Copying each other. Stealing each other's toys. You know, the typical toddler stuff.

I can't seem to help myself from making coordinating outfits for my girls (got some in the works right now in fact) and I can only imagine what it might be like if I had a boy in the mix too. So much fun!

Luckily there are a few boys in the extended family.

Since we were headed to the beach together I squeezed in this little project for my nephew before leaving: The Classic Bateau Neck Top in a navy and off-white stripe. It's the perfect seaside shirt in my opinion.

The fabric is a really great soft sweatshirt jersey I purchased here (it's the navy version of the fabric I used for this top). And for Tess to coordinate, I sewed a Bateau Neck Elastic Waist Dress (using my new pattern extension) with a contrasting ruffled neck and faux tie.

I love this little dress! I know I seem to fall in love with everything I make (if not, it really wouldn't be worth it, right?) but this is really fun I think. Maybe it's the stripes. And the classic three-quarter length sleeves.

I'm a sucker for the nautical look. But it also seems like the perfect dress for back-to-school. Such an easy way to pull it together in the morning in one step and get out the door looking, well, pulled together. That's a lot for a mother of little kids.

It's comfy too. Perfect for a field trip (with classmates or siblings.)

Now that Labor Day has come and gone I guess it's time to get a bit more serious. Hope your return to the more structured life is going well! I'm getting ready to learn a lot--seems like every year brings a new curve!