Holly: June 2010 Archives

 If there's one thing I love to do, it's plan vacations. I'm that cuckoo person who hands out laminated pocket itineraries to everyone who travels with me. I spend hours poring over long lists of restaurant menus and destination brochures, trying to fit together the exact right balance of structure and flexibility in a trip. I think the planning is as much fun as the journey itself! I try to fit in as many mini-getaways as my time and budget allows.

And packing is part of the delicious vacation anticipation. Add to that the possibility of making a shiny new travel wardrobe and... well, I nearly faint with the excitement.

Our free pattern download from hotpatterns.com for the Peachy Beachy Cover Up made for a perfect addition to my on-the-go ensemble. The only time I ever swim is when I'm on vacation, so this is a "make it to take it" project for me!

We had some really cute Hello Kitty knit in stock at the time I first got my hands on the download, and I was instantly inspired - I love me some Hello Kitty!

This pattern makes for a really quick and easy project. A few items of note:

-          The casing for the ribbon tie is stitched into the seam that joins the skirt section to the bodice, which is handy and quick.

-          I trimmed my neck facing to be quite narrow, because I was concerned about the knit getting too bulky.

-          While the knit fabric makes this a super comfy item for beach or pool wear, I think it is probably a less flattering choice than a lighter weight, more fluttery fabric.

-          The plunge at the neckline is quite deep, especially for us short folks. It's totally fine for over a bathing suit, but if you wanted to adapt this pattern as a day wear tunic, you might want to alter the front a bit.

-          The adorable cat pictured will not magically appear when your garment is complete.

My new cover up is already packed and headed on its first adventure!

I know several other staffers have plans for this pattern - it will be really cool to see how we all interpret the design and make it our own.