I recently helped test a new pattern from Love Notions: the Vanguard Kit. (Aff. Link)
As with other patterns I have helped test with this company, I was very impressed by the process. The designer paid attention to detail and fit the whole time and the end result is a wonderful pattern for both a pair of cargo pants and a shirt, with like a bazillion options.
Ok, maybe a bazillion is an exaggeration, but check it out:
-Multiple colorblocking options (in the body of the shirt and/or the sleeves)
-Hoodie, crew neck, or v-neck
-Short or long sleeves
-Faux layered hem or regular hem
And say, you don't want to colorblock anything, you can just sew a basic shirt. That means you get a basic hoodie, t-shirt or v-neck in this pattern and that alone is worth being in your pattern collection. I love basic pieces you can use over and over again.
But if you do want to colorblock, you can use up those scraps you have been hanging on to forever that you just can't throw away but you have no idea what you are going to make with them.
For example, I was hanging on to several scraps of multiple colors of interlock. On their own, I didn't have enough to make anything with, but with this pattern, I made this hoodie:
I already blogged about this hoodie and cargo pants during Kids Clothes Week here. This was at the beginning of the pattern test, After all revisions were made, I was twitching to use the pattern, so I made him a different colorblocked shirt with different options:
Aw man, my Emmett is cute. Even though he has started to throw some fun two year old tantrums, what I wouldn't give for him to stay this age forever. I just love his little two year face and love of life so much!
My daughter Eve has been in desperate need for pants herself. Nothing fits her unless I make them myself. And when I do get lucky and find her a pair of pants that stays on and is close to the right length, she puts a hole in them.
I just finished sewing her a pair of cargo pants (I went with linen again, great for spring!) and a tee from the pattern and she loves them. I sized down and added length because I was worried about them being overly baggy on her, but it seems like I probably could have gotten away with not sizing down (I did a 4T on width even though she is turning seven this week.) And I probably should have added a touch more length on her, I only added one size in length. But regardless, they still fit well and she will get a lot of use out of them.
The t-shirt is colorblocked with cotton lycra and burn out fabric over the same cotton lycra in the body of the shirt. She is very excited to wear it to school on Monday, as long as I can get the stains out of it from the chorizo we ate at dinner. (Why, Eve, why?)
All in all, these were fun sews and I see myself using this pattern a lot in the future.
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| Silly picture, just because! |
There is currently a sale on the pattern that ends Sunday. With so many options, and for both a pair of pants and shirt, it's a great bang for your buck without the sale, but why pay more if you don't have to? You can find the pattern here: https://www.lovenotions.com/?affiliates=88, the Vanguard Kit under the boy patterns. (aff. link)
