PATTERN TOUR: Bow Back Beauty by Little Kiwis Closet

I am so excited to be on Blog Hop with Little Kiwis Closet -- sharing my take on the Bow Back Beauty and I'm not talking about my daughter (see what I did there?! Haha).

The Bow Back Beauty is a jam-packed top/dress pattern that you could honestly outfit an entire gaggle of girls ranging in ages newborn through 12 without repeating the same choices.


Here's a run-down of what's included:

• Sizes NB - 12y
• 2 Bodice Lengths: Natural Waist and Hip Length 
• 2 Back Options: Bow or Plain
• Onesie Option (though 4y): Plain, Bow, or Added Skirt
• 4 Sleeve Lengths: Sleeveless, Short, Short with Cuff, Long Sleeve
• 5 Skirt Options: Peplum, Dress, Hi-lo, Double Peplum, Peplum + Skirt
• Pages to Print: 44 total (TIP: Follow the included print chart to print only the pages you need)
• Tutorial Style: Thorough instructions, broken into steps with actual color photos - easy to follow
• Charts included: Fabric (metric and imperial). Printing guide. Sizing chart, Binding cutting chart (metric and imperial)
• Designed for KNIT ONLY

Here are the options I chose to sew:

• Bodice - Hip Length
• Back - BOW (of course ;) )
• Sleeve - Short with Cuff
• Skirt - Peplum

My daughter is in Kindergarten and as much I wanted to sew her a sleeveless version, she would not be allowed to wear it to school as it would not follow dress code.  I figured the short sleeve with a cuff would get the most wear year round.  This outfit is actually made from 4 different women's XL tank tops from my local Walmart.  I was shopping one day and saw the hearts tank top and knew it was perfect for my daughter!

I decided to pair the Skinny Legs Leggings also by Little Kiwis Closet (reviewed HERE) with the Bow Back Beauty to complete the outfit.  Because I was upcycling tank tops, I didn't have the height needed to add the ruched panel so I modified it to a non-ruched one and added a little bow at the bottom for extra detail.

My daughter is very slim for her age (age 6) and actually measures about a size 2 in her chest (she's a whopping 35 lbs fully clothed...LOL).  Because of her height, I opted to sew her the size 4 straight and not worry about slimming each piece for her chest.  It's a tad loose, but I think the fit is very comfortable.

I'd like to think that this colorblocking was on purpose, but I realized after I cut out the front from my Walmart tank, that the imprinted sizing tag was smack dab at the top the of the neck -- whoops!  Don't cut at 1am ;)  But, colorblocking saves lots of cutting mishaps!

I also added some ruching (with clear elastic) to her sleeves just because I love how it looks (not included in the pattern).

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BREAKING NEWS: While I was in the midst of typing this post, I realized that I have actually made a mistake in construction.  ACK!!!! The horror!!!

So I'm going to take my mistake and turn it into a teachable moment so you make sure you do NOT make the same mistake.  I blame my mistake on late night sewing, coupled with trying to read the instructions on my tiny phone (in order to give my computer a break).  

In step 3, I did not overlap my bow and front bodice all the way at the shoulder.  I completely missed the fact that the bow piece had a mark as well so my neck is wider than it should be.  While the end result doesn't look horrible, it was not intended and I feel terrible that I made such a big mistake.

So, that explains why my bow is looser :)  I can't wait to sew another one -- properly.

My daughter clearly loves her new outfit ... mistakes and all.  Of course, in her eyes, it's perfect because I made it for her!

P.S. In case you were wondering, I left my skirt unhemmed :)

Important Links: 

Bow Back Beauty Pattern
(Discounted for the duration of this tour - no code needed)

Little Kiwis Closet Pattern Group

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Please visit the rest of the stops for more inspiration!

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5 
• Day 6
• Day 7