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Are you a fan of the mommy and me looks? I have to be honest that sometimes I feel a little self conscious about matching because it kind of screams out for attention. But, as long as my daughter asks to dress like me, I am going to get over my inner critic and embrace the mommy and me look. Today I would like to show you the Stella Top Pattern by Made for Mermaids. This top works great for both a modern and fun take on mommy and me looks or a stylish top for just mama.
The Mama Stella and Stella have many options and below I have photographed 3 of the back views.
The first one also happens to be my favorite. I made this matching (although I didn’t realize I did opposite shoulders until picture time) set for my daughter and I using clearance sweater knit fabric from Joann Fabric. This is the off shoulder tunic length option.
Pattern Review:
Pattern Description & Suggested Fabrics: Made for Mermaids Stella Top found here
Quick, simple and sexy knit sweater packed full of options with slight drop shoulder. Go from simple to wow with 4 different back options. The full back is great for every day wear. The v back includes optional back band or tie bands. The keyhole back is unique and perfect for showing off a Mama Bridgette Bralette. Plus an off the shoulder option which is right on trend. You can choose from top and tunic length on all options. 3 different banded sleeve lengths make it perfect for year-round wear. Choose from short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve or long sleeves. designed to coordinate perfectly with our other Lounge & Lace Collection patterns.
Fabric- light to medium weight sweater knit with at least 50% stretch
Pattern Sizing: Womens-Gray-Red (See Made for Mermaids pattern sizing charts) Girls- 1/2-14. There is also a matching dolly pattern to complete the set! I made a size Pink to Purple Hip for the mama and a size 6 for my daughter.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Yes
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, the pattern was very clear and easy to follow. There is additional help on the website for tips on construction if you get stuck on neckbands, etc.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the many different looks you can get from one pattern. This is not only a pattern that I would like to wear but the fact that it has the matching girls pattern makes it great. Often the options in mommy and me patterns are not modern looks and this one offers just that. In addition there is a whole post of hacks found here for even more options.
Fabric Used: A Sweater knit and suede scuba knit from Joanns– I can no longer find the specific fabrics I used
Pattern Alterations: None on the mama top. My daughter’s top had to have a center back seam added because I was running short on fabric and playing fabric tetris to make it work.
Would you sew it again? Yes, I have made several for myself and gifts and have many more planned. See my instagram feed for more.
Would you recommend it to others? Definitely. This is a quick and easy top and offers lots of options in one pattern. The one shoulder option is surprisingly quite comfy. The shoulder stays put and doesn’t require lots of adjusting. The second Stella I made in a sweatshirt fabric from Joanns (the gray one below) which was not nearly stretchy enough. The top ended up quite tight and I didn’t have enough fabric to make the sleeves in a longer length that I would prefer. The last top I made was a refashion using an old Banana Republic mustard sweater and some floral fabric scraps from Girl Charlee. This top I cut the next size up after finding the gray top so tight and that was a mistake. I ended up taking in a ton on the sides, especially through the hip, so lesson learned….fabric matters quite a bit on this pattern!! When using a sweater knit (as the pattern suggests) the size works well.
About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I