Good Grief! Four Already?!

MOUSE HOUSE CREATIONS NORAH TUNIC | WILLOW & CO. CLOVER SHORTS

Good grief. This is what everyone warns you about, you know.

"Enjoy every moment."

"It goes by in the blink of an eye."

and so on...

And then you realize you've become one of them. HA! As my youngest turns 4, I stare at her in disbelief. Where has the time gone? She has transformed so much and every time I think I've got her figured out.... BAM! Here comes the curveball.

I've now come to expect the unexpected.

The past couple of years, my little lady has been OBSESSED with Minnie Mouse -- I think I've sewn her nearly a dozen Minnie outfits already. So when I asked her this year what kind of birthday she'd like, "Charlie Brown" was not what I expected to hear.

MOUSE HOUSE CREATIONS NORAH TUNIC | WILLOW & CO. CLOVER SHORTS

But I ran with it --- I remembered over the holidays when she first discovered Charlie Brown. She watched the shows over and over and over ... and laughed hysterically the whole time Charlie was on screen. It was pure, unfiltered and uncontrollable joy.

Oh, yes, my daughter needed to have a Charlie Brown birthday! As I looked at his pictures, I knew I'd need a yellow shirt (with signature zig zag) and black shorts. But, there's no harm in putting some female flair into it, am I right?!

Immediately, my mind went to the Norah Tunic (and Dress) by Mouse House Creations I had purchased in 2013 and never got around to making. The A-line shape ended up being the perfect canvas with just a few tweaks.

I omitted the collar included in the pattern and used a collar from a coat pattern (Ellie Inspired Penny Vintage), but modified the rounded edges to pointy corners.
I fully lined it so the weight of the felt zig zag wouldn't weigh down a single layer of quilting cotton.
I appliqued a felt zig zag stripe towards the bottom, following the slightly curved hem of the tunic.

MOUSE HOUSE CREATIONS NORAH TUNIC | WILLOW & CO. CLOVER SHORTS

For the shorts, I knew I'd choose the Clover Shorts by Willow & Co (written by Mouse House Creations). I love the front pleat, the hem cuffs and the belt buckles. I left the fabric belt/tie off of this pair. Seriously, in love with this shorts pattern!

All in all, I couldn't be happier with how this outfit came to life. My daughter was absolutely giddy that I could transform her into Charlie Brown... she even asked me to draw on his little swirl of hair. Hahaha.