I’m back again as promised today as part of the imagine gnats January pattern tour with my first sewing project for 2014.

For the tour I chose the Meridian for kids pattern for my sweet girl. This is the fourth time I’ve sewn one of Rachael’s patterns and once again I was really happy with the pattern and the result.

The meridian pattern can be made as either a cardigan or jacket with a collar. I made the cardigan version out of wonderful spotty knit and nani IRO herring bone painting knit for the reverse side, with the thought that A would wear it as a light swing coat. The pattern starts at size 5 and I thought it might be too big for her, as she has just turned 4, but it fits perfectly.

A little note about sewing with two different types of knits. The nani IRO knit has more stretch than the outer fabric so I sewed that with a 5/8 inch seam allowance rather than 1/2 inch to allow for extra stretching and when it was time to put them together they lined up no problem.

Remember last post I promised you photos of my kid posing reluctantly? Well I know you can’t see her face but I can tell you she did not want these photos to happen. First she tried to run away down the hill, then I shamelessly lured her back up with the promise of a chocolate biscuit, and there were even a few tears. Instead of feeling guilty about making my kid cry over a handmade coat I pulled out the “but I gave you life!” card aaaand we got the shots we needed. Alright, that actually didn’t happen at all. I’m saving that one til she’s a teenager. Anyway, I can tell you truthfully that in this shot she was rolling her eyes at me and I’m pretty sure what she’s doing with her hand there is trying to give me the finger. Nice one.

Imagine gnats patterns are 20% off through January with the code “januarytour” so hop on over to Rachael’s shop if you would like to try one too! If you haven’t sewn with knits before I think the meridian cardi is a really good pattern to try. And don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour to see the other great patterns in action. Thank you for having me, Rachael! xo

*I received the Meridian for kids pattern as a gift from Rachael but all opinions, as always, are my own