If you follow @campclem on Instagram, you might have seen this picture recently…

I made this very sweet and nicely detailed dress for Sis. I loved the spaced button-back detail, and the coordinating fabric waist tie, and the simple girly design…

But, for whatever reason, I just didn’t love it.

I finished the dress after Sis went to bed, and when she got up in the morning, she told me as politely as she could (well… basically flat out, these words), “I don’t like it.”

She would have still worn it, but who on Earth wants to wear clothes that just don’t reflect your happy place?

So, I cut off the bottom and started to scallop it, hoping still that I might create something she (and I too) really loved…

But it just wasn’t hap’nin’. I wasn’t feeling it, so I cut my losses, cut off and saved the button (it only takes a few seconds to make your own custom fabric button!), and trashed the top.

Yep, I sure did just do that. [I would normally never throw away fabric, but it just wasn’t speaking to me… And I didn’t feel like spending the time again to refinish it just to give it away to someone who might ALSO not like it!]

My attention turned to this knot top (you can follow my simple tute if you want to make your own cute knot top!). It is also a simple design, and I didn’t want it to start to feel too quiet and boring.

So I added a grey polka dot button to the back (this is an elastic-button closure rather than a closed and tie-back style, like in the tute).

And I added a pair of patch pockets (the one on the left is what the pocket lining and pocket face look like before they are turned right side out, so you can see how I did the curved pocket–I have a tute on how to make patch pockets here).

I also made a pair of pink microcord pants with a genie cuff at the bottom for something different. [This is the same fabric as the top’s bodice and pockets liner.]

…But something was telling me she was not completely sold on this look either.

[I’m kidding–she was having some kind of fake drama over how much Valentine’s candy her mean mother would not let her consume in one sitting.]

Anyhoo, I remembered these pants. Remember when I made them out of one of my old super soft long sleeve tees?

And despite the fact that I am nothing short of TRAUMATIZED that these are now capris rather than the full pants they were just a few months ago (in the picture above, taken at the end of last summer), I absolutely declare victory over the cuteness of this navy stripes-pink damask-grey dots combo.

Now, while the top might need a long sleeve tee under or cardi over it, and the tootsies will need some sensible shoes for a little bit longer, we are looking ahead to warmer spring days in both this cut and color palette.

I think the boss approves! She seems to relish mixed prints and colors almost as much as her mama, wheeeee! So anyone else out there discovering your little girl’s taste? What is it: do tell?!