The Julia Jacket by Shwin Designs

Recently, I volunteered to pattern test for Shauna at Shwin&Shwin and Shwin Designs.  I was delighted to receive a pre-release PDF pattern of The Julia Jacket.  Isn’t it cute?  It’s available for only $9 through Shwin Designs on Big Cartel or you can click over from Shwin&Shwin.
The pattern is released now so I can share my version.  Shauna needed a size 2 tested, and even though Hadley was only 16 months at the time of the photos, she had indeed begun wearing size 2 clothing – crazy!!

However, a 16 month old is proportionally different than a two year old.  If you notice any pulling across the chest, that’s not a problem with the pattern – rather it’s my gargantuan kid who still has a big ol’ toddler belly. I also did need to move two of the buttons a smidgen and it lays much more nicely now.

I love the versatility of this pattern!  I think I’m going to make up the version with the bow as a spring jacket for Arden.  It sewed up so super quickly that making several different jackets would be no problem.  I did make the patch pockets using the contrasting print you see peeking out of the armholes, but the pink and turquoise dog (yes dogs – sparkly even!) print seemed a little too much to put on the outside.  I still may go back and add them in the fine whale corduroy I used for the outside.  If you can sew a buttonhole then you can make this pattern – heck if you do the bow version you don’t even have to be able to do that!

So, photo shoots with Hadley continue to be a challenge…  We went quickly from cooperative to perturbed, to…

Complete and utter meltdown.  It was in no way a reflection of her opinion of the jacket – she wore that happily the rest of the day; rather she does NOT like being told what to do.  At all.

I think I’ve got my work cut out for me with this one.  After being such an easy baby she’s turning into quite a stubborn thing.  We call her “bulldozer” now and she’s got a bit of a mean streak!  The cats justifiably avoid her and I was informed today that she kidney punched a kid in her preschool class.   Both Arden and I have learned to keep our long hair away from her lest she grab giant handfuls and yank with all her strength while laughing devilishly.  

Any tips for us?

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