Can you believe these four cute looks are really only three garments? This mini “buh-bye-summer-hello-fall” capsule wardrobe is made with versatile fabrics and fun reversible patterns. The tee is one I made earlier, so by sewing only two more items – the Reversible Hoodie Vest Pattern and the So Flippin’ Cute Skirt from Tie Dye Diva Patterns, I got multiple kid-approved looks while only sewing two things. Mom for the win!

The truly fun part, as always, was selecting my fabrics. You’re here on the Cali&Co blog, you don’t need me to tell you that! I do love shopping Cali Fabrics because with the wide variety of apparel fabric, excellent search function and detailed menus, I can always find just what I am looking for. Plus usually a bunch of other things I didn’t set out to buy but realized I can’t live without. The listings include details that make choosing the right fabrics effortless. When I look at the details tab for a fabric, I already know the types of projects it’s intended for, its content, width, weight, stretch, and washing directions.

The first things that jumped into my cart were this soft and velvety Black Baby Wale Corduroy and the cozy Hot Pink Polar Fleece for the Reversible Hoodie Vest, both recommended fabrics according to my pattern. They are simple to sew with, and although they were ever-so-slightly bulky sewing together, it was nothing a 90/14 universal needle couldn’t handle. Since they’re both fuzzy, I did have to brush out my machine afterwards, but totally worth it (and I have to admit I’m one of those neurotic people that cleans out their machine all the time anyway).

The Black Baby Wale Corduroy is a very soft and fuzzy light-to-midweight fabric. It’s almost like velvet, so I was sure to cut my pieces with the nap facing the same direction. The Hot Pink Polar Fleece is a good quality polar fleece with little shedding which was nice, and incredibly soft and cuddly. I finished the vest off with some heart-shaped KAM snaps because they add that pop of color black fabric and little girls both crave.

The So Flippin’ Cute Skirt can be made in a variety of fabrics. I wanted this one to remain lightweight for the warmer weather, yet easy to layer with sweater tights for the cooler weather. Cotton lawn to the rescue! Cotton lawns are one of my favorite apparel fabrics because they aren’t much more difficult to sew with than quilting cottons, but their drape and structure make them a perfect choice for clothing. And yes, they can be pricey, but not at Cali Fabrics!

Since lawns are so lightweight, I carefully selected prints so one side of my reversible skirt wouldn’t show through the other. I selected a Black and White Floral Print Swiss Dot Cotton Lawn for one side of my skirt, and Robert Kaufman’s London Calling Lime and Yellow Sketchbook Style Small Floral Cotton Lawn for the other. Success, two adorable prints, two different looks, no show through! The black and white lawn has soft little nappy dots all over it, bringing a fun texture to a large print. My girl also liked the feel of them under her fingers.

Here’s a tip for sewing cotton lawn, try your microtex needle. I used an 80/12 microtex needle instead of my regular lightweight 70/10 universal needle and I found the microtex needle pierced the lawn much cleaner than the universal, keeping the stitching lines clean and neat. Of course all she cares about is that it’s comfortable, and that she has a secret outfit on the flipside. How to wear the same outfit two days in a row and no one knows!

Well we’re all happy with our transitional mini capsule wardrobe, but if you think this is the last of my cotton lawns for the season, you’d be wrong, so stay tuned!