Sweet Bonnie Top Pattern Review

I’ve SEWN! It seems so long, right? Well believe me, it isn’t because I haven’t been, but just because I haven’t blogged about it in ages. Today, I present to you, the Sweet Bonnie Top from Shwin & Shwin, which is now only available as part of the Pattern Anthology Winter Wonderland Pattern set. It will be available for sell individually as soon as the Anthology sale ends.

There are so many things that I love about this pattern. Mostly because it’s a Henley styled top, and I’ve been dying to make one, however as always Shauna provides fabrics that would look great in this style instead of JUST knit. Mostly because at the moment, knit hates me.

This fabric is a brown with magenta and cream leaves, quilting weight cotton that I got from JoAnn Fabric and Crafts during last year’s after Thanksgiving sale, when the Quilter’s Showcase section of the fabric section was on sale for $1.99 per yard for the fabric. Talk about being in heaven! The sad thing is the fabric sat in my bin for almost a year waiting to be used properly. I think that it was used for the best thing, no?

I’m glad that I also had my great friend Shelley was sewing online with me to help me make the decision to use it, that it indeed would NOT look funny as a little girl’s shirt, and that I could use the same print throughout the shirt. Of course there is an option to block the sleeves and collar, or flip it around and just block the shirt and have printed sleeves and collars. There are a ton of options for it!

At first the ladybug wasn’t too thrilled. Mostly because this wasn’t an all pink, or all purple shirt, OR flouncy dress/skirt. It had to grow on her. However, many people have stopped to tell her how much they love this shirt on her, and the pure vanity is creating a monster.

There is a zipper installation for this shirt, and it’s exposed, so I found that neat to do for the first time. I do think that mine came out a bit crooked, but you would have to really get close to see it. I LOVE the topstitching on this, as it’s probably the first time, that the stitch length, and uniformity has been PERFECT for me! Oh, and to totally toot my own horn, check out those french braides (cornrows for the purists) I think that I’m getting better with those as well! 

The entire top sewed up in less than an hour for me, and that was with the zipper installation, and interfacing the collar. I did use a stiffer interfacing than Shauna called for, and it may actually be a little bit too stiff for my liking. I have this shirt pulled out for the ladybug to wear again this week (this photo was taken in early October sometime) and we’ll see if I get the same reception that I got the first time that she wore it. I’m kind of thinking that I should go ahead and make one for Lil’ Miss as well. I mean, it’s only right, correct?

So, what have you been sewing dear lovelies? How do you like the Sweet Bonnie Top? Would you buy it? If so, let her know that Natasha from Houseful Of Nicholes sent you!