new outfit for anya

My girl Anya defies many girly-girl stereotypes. She hates the color pink, and tolerates purple, but only just. She couldn't care less about princesses. She is utterly uninterested in ballet. She won't wear dresses. She won't wear anything in her hair and barely lets me comb it. She loves dogs, the color yellow, climbing, tomatoes, cutting paper, drawing pictures for her uncles and grandparents, and being read to. I guess plenty of little girls love that stuff, too, but my point is that she doesn't care for or actively disdains the things most people assume any 4yo girl would love.

That's my girl.

She also loves the things people make for her. I'm lucky that way. And she is lucky to have a mama and an Oma who love to make things for her. My mom made Anya a sweater, and I sewed some pants to match:

Notice there is not a speck of pink in the whole ensemble, nor anything resembling a skirt. I have to admit I was a tad nervous about the ruffles on the bottom of the pants, lest they be too girly and skirt-like, but Anya has thusfar not objected to the design. The pattern is Burda. I made a size 5 and they fit fine, perhaps with a little room to grow. The big challenge was a 6" zipper up the side, which looks, if not professional, at least decent. My only modification was to add some elastic to the back of the waist so those cute little britches wouldn't fall down.

My mom used Debbie Bliss yarn and a DB pattern...I forget the name of the book, but it's a fairly recent one. A lot of those DB patterns kind of look the same, though. There are lovely beads around the neckline and charming white flower buttons down the front.

 She looks so charming, don't you think? A lovely back-to-school outfit, which she was so kind to model for me this morning (for about 3 minutes). Forgive me for thinking this, but she's cute even when she's goofing off.