Made for Mermaids Back to School Tour: Beyond the Basics

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I am so excited to be a part of the Made for Mermaids Back to School Tour this year. It is a little bit funny that I am sewing for Back to School because in all honesty, as homeschoolers, my children come to school in pajamas more often than I should probably admit. But, we all love having some great new pieces in our wardrobe and I know my daughter will get the most use out of a few practical pieces that take basics to the next level. Here I am going to show you several looks all created from ONE pattern, the Kourtney Knot Top and Dress. This pattern can take you from the heat of summer through the cold snowy winter and with a few extra details, and bring your basics up a level.

 

Kourtney Dress:

I love love love this dress for so many reasons. It is quick to sew, cute to wear, and can be styled to last through the year. Here we threw on some sandals for a quick light dress to beat the summer heat as school begins or when the weather starts to warm up again in the spring. But, you could easily throw on boots and a denim jacket for a perfect fall look, or sew up a version with long sleeves to wear with tights in the winter.

This dress was made with a tri-blend jersey from Bow Button Fabrics that is so soft to the touch. It was great to sew with and I am very happy I have enough left over to make the mama version of this exact dress!

I topstitched using my favorite honeycomb stitch that I talked about in my video here.

But…what if your little one doesn’t like dresses or won’t get much use out of them for school? The many top options on this pattern will provide you with different looks to help fill in that Back to School wardrobe. Let’s take a look at four different options all made with the Kourtney Knot Top.

Kourtney Top: Tunic Length 3/4 Sleeves

Again…I love this pattern. My little girls loves leggings and basically will only wear this style of pants. Her jeggings are the closest thing I can get her to wear for jeans. So, I love that the tunic length of this pattern is long enough to provide coverage for leggings. My mama version of this needs to be made asap! 

I made this top using a rayon spandex and lace trim from Hobby Lobby. The lace comes on rolls and is often 50% off. When I first attached it to the hemline it stuck out a little awkwardly. After a washing, making sure to add in fabric softener, I am happy to say it is draping much better. 

We styled this with leggings and boots for a look perfect for fall weather. She loved this top so much she wore this same outfit to church today even though we are still in the midst of summer. (I at least convinced her to wear sandals instead of the boots.) It makes me so happy when she loves the clothes I make her.

Kourtney Knot Top Length and Tank Options:

 

My little lady loves to dress up and she literally squealed when she saw this lace top. While she would have no issues wearing this to her enrichment classes, I know it might not be everyone’s first choice for school. But, if you are looking for an easy upgrade to a basic, or something a little bit fancy, I would recommend making the Kourtney Top from stretch lace.

For this look I used stretch lace from Joann fabrics, completed serger french seams using this tutorial, and simply serged and turned under the neckband, back and sleeve hems. I carefully cut along the scallops along the front and would have preferred that for the entire bottom hem but sadly didn’t have enough fabric to do that. I left the knot option off this top. Better yet, it makes for a simple but dressier look using the FREE pattern: Cora Culottes

I made these out of the same rayon spandex as the green tunic and they are very lightweight and drapey, perfect for this hot summer! As the weather cools off, pair this top with jeans and boots and a free trixie bow for a cute look.

And look what’s peeking out underneath…you guessed it, another Kourtney. This one is the tank option with a knot.

 

Kourtney Tank with Knot:

Perfect for layering throughout the year or on it’s own with Lucy shorts, Coras, Bonny’s and more for the heat. 

This tank was made from a clearance priced women’s XL t-shirt that has been in my repurpose pile forever. It provides a great neutral to wear under the lace top, on it’s own, or with a sweater/jacket for fall. I placed the knot over the side seam for a different look.

For my final look I created another tunic with a sleeve hack.

Kourtney Tunic with Ruffle Sleeve Hack:

Who doesn’t love cute and comfy. This final look was made using the Kourtney Top tunic length, 3/4 sleeves with a ruffle hack, and front knot option. I used a cozy french terry from Denverfabrics.com and we paired this with leggings, boots and again, that cute trixie headband.

To add a little frill to the sleeve, I simply cut a rectangle of fabric, approximately 5 inches long by 12 inches wide. I sewed two rows of gathering stitches along the top edge and gathered them until they were the same width as the sleeve. While the sleeve was still flat, I sewed the ruffle onto the sleeve, right sides together, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. I then pressed the seam with the seam allowance facing the sleeve. (I probably should have topstitched this to make it lay down better).  I then turned under a 1/2 inch hem on the bottom of the ruffle and stitched with my favorite honeycomb stitch. It makes the sleeves longer than the 3/4 length, so if you want them to hit at a different length, simply make adjustments on what cutline you use for the sleeve.

 

Have I convinced you yet that one simple pattern can give you so many different looks? Help take your back to school sewing from beyond the basics with these easy ideas for the Kourtney Knot Pattern. The best part is they sew up in such little time. I can’t wait to add to my mama collection too using some of these same ideas. Make sure you stop by the other blogs on the Made for Mermaids Back to School Tour and see all the great inspiration for your Back to School Wardrobe. And check out the Made for Mermaids blog for a fun contest as well.

 

Until next time, Happy Sewing