The Sew and Tell Project

Hi guys! This is a bit of a different post for me. This is my first post as a member of the Love Notions Promo team which means that I do receive a small payment for testing and shooting this pattern test. This was also my first time testing for Love Notions. Awesome Emily tested the Vanguard Kit that was released a short while ago.

Today I want to talk about the Summer Caye Pants, Capris, and Shorts released today (4/29) and on sale for $6. I asked to test the girls’ 4″ hem shorts in a size 3T. I often request to test for my big girls as they are more in need of clothing than the baby.

This was a fun style to try on my Little Miss first so I could practice it before making pairs for my big girls.

The Summer Caye require woven or knit flowy fabrics (rayon, challis, tencel, etc.). This was really fun because I was able to scour my stash and the Red Tag and sale section of JoAnn’s to find some flowy and fun prints that I usually don’t get to look at since I don’t need this fabric type often. The Summer Caye features a flat-front waistband, elasticized back, and several lengths (2 shorts lengths, capris, and pants). It also has cuffed, straight, split hem, and tulip hem options. All of these features make it fun and versatile to get the exact look you want.

Little Miss is very close to her second birthday. She is not yet potty-trained and still wears a size 5 diaper. She also has a baby belly. Her baby belly measured in the 3T but her hips were in the 2T.  The shorts pictured below are a size 3T. While the chart says to go by the hip measurement, the tencel twill had zero stretch, so sizing up worked best for this particular pair. I have had this remnant (leftover from one of my first sewing projects) in my stash for almost 9 years! It was awesome to make a sweet pair of neutral shorts for my girl!

Since she is only 22-months-old I skipped the front and back pockets to keep it simple. One of the many things I like about this particular design, is I think it would work very well for school uniform shorts. There is a gathered back waist which you will see in my next modeled pair, but the optional front pockets really elevate and polish the look for school. I am halfway through assembling a pair with front pockets for my oldest, and they are really simple and worth the extra few minutes of sewing!

For this first outfit, I also paired my Summer Caye shorts with a Cartwheel Top from Love Notions. I used an adorable Miriam Bos Birch knit and modified the top to have a solid back for a quick sew.

Since I had some time to make a second outfit for Little Miss, I wanted to try to the flowy, full-length split hem version of the Summer Caye Pants.

Little Miss is shorter than the size chart, so I made sure to shorten my pants pattern pieces a few inches, and then move the split hem pattern piece up accordingly. Check the height chart too before sewing to see if you need to make a similar adjustment.

I paired it with another Cartwheel top. I actually made this mint top first (before my Birch top) and it was a bit snug so I sized up on my second one. The paisley print is from JoAnn’s, and you can get the mint cotton lycra here.

Because I was using a flowier fabric with a bit of stretch, I also sized down to a 2T for her pants. Honestly, the 3T would have been fine, but since she is still not very careful when she walks or runs I didn’t want the extra flow to trip her up.

I had some reservations about making full-length pants for Little Miss with this pattern since I wasn’t sure how the style would look on a little girl who still had a “baby” figure.” I am so glad I took a little risk with my sewing because I actually love them more than the shorts and plan to make some more pairs for summer! These will be easy on and off if we potty train this summer, and they are lightweight enough for sweaty summer days.

As you can see, the back rise in a size 2T and 3T is plenty high enough and accommodates to cover a diaper in those two sizes.

The front waistband is interfaced and flat front, while the back waistband is elasticized but still polished.

And I just can’t get over the tiny little split hem opening over her little gladiator sandals.

The Love Notions Summer Caye Pants and Shorts will be on sale through next Friday, May 6th. Check back in on Sunday to see Emily’s gorgeous mother/daughter set. If you want the pattern NOW the women’s pattern can be found here or you can buy both the Ladies’ and the Girls’ versions in a bundle here.

This post contains affiliate links and I am a member of the Love Notions promoter team. My thoughts and opinions on this pattern are my own.