Central Florida has just endured one of the coldest Decembers in history, with more than 5 nights of freezing temperatures and more likely to come.
Because of this bitter weather, Laurel called me with the most pitiful request. It seems she is almost overcome with 6 year old maternal love for her new doll, Molly.  So my little granddaughter began by detailing all the chores she has been doing at home in order to earn money to buy Molly a coat. Her mother has wisely seized this opportunity for Laurel to learn the value of money, hard work and goal setting.
“But  her coat costs $25! I have earned $1.25 so far but Molly is cold NOW, Nana. Can you please make her a poncho?” How could I deny this heartfelt plea?
As excited as Laurel was with their matching Christmas dresses, it seemed only right to make matching ponchos.  So I pulled out some red polar fleece from my stash and whipped these up in no time at all.
Both ponchos are edged with the wave stitch on my Babylock Evolve serger. This is a great stitch and the main reason I upgraded to the Evolve from my 13 year old Elna overlocker. Heavier thread works best for this stitch, so 20 wt. jeans variegated thread was used in the upper looper with 12 wt. navy in the lower, because that’s what I had on hand. Maxilock navy blue serger thread was used in the needle.
A poncho is simply a square with a hole for the neck, so how hard could it be? As it turns out, it is not hard to construct, but getting the right fit is more difficult than I expected.
Searching on-line for a quick pattern, I found some conflicting dimensions. One site recommended cutting a square 27″ for toddlers and 30″ for “girls.” Another suggested that you cut a square the measurement of the child’s arm span from fingertip to fingertip. Laurel is on the small side of her age/size range and measures 41”. The difference between 30″ and 41″ is rather significant. So I went with 36″ and rounded the corners for ease in serging the edge.
As it turns out, 41″ probably would have been okay, as at the side this poncho falls between her hand and elbow. In a colder climate, the longer length might be preferable.
Another questionable dimension was the suggested 5″ circle for the neckline. Of course, the free basic pattern did not recommend specific fabrics, but I did find that the stretch of polar fleece made that opening way too large. In fact, I had cut a 4″ slit down the front for a larger opening to help keep Laurel’s hair neat. So the poncho almost fell off her shoulders.
In order to stabilize the neckline, I had worked a decorative stitch around the opening and slit. But after seeing how sloppy the poncho looked on Laurel, I first added a button and buttonhole. Then inverted tucks were added at the center back and over each shoulder to reduce the neckline circumference.
Laurel’s monogram is from the playful Great Notions alphabet Princess Polka Dot.  The doll’s name was embroidered with a font in my Brother PE-Design. Both were embroidered on my Brother Duetta 4500. At 1000 stitches per minute, it took no time at all to do the embroidery.
Now that Christmas is over, I have to prepare to teach for 5 days in Myrtle Beach, SC, at Sewing at the Beach. www.sewingatthebeach.com       Much as I enjoy teaching, I would love stop everything to make up an entire wardrobe for Molly.
How long will Laurel want doll clothes? How long will she beg to sew with me, making quilts and doll clothes and gifts for her family and friends? I’m hoping for a very long time, but expect that it won’t be long enough.
If you haven’t time to respond to a tug at your pants leg, your schedule is too crowded. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
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