There's been a lot more sewing with the Citronille patterns around here. After a few more Suzanne dresses (I love them! And they come together so smoothly after figuring out the first one), I dove into the Zebulon pattern for my littlest boy.
It went well, though it was a bit more challenging than Suzanne (and had less illustrations to guide). But if you've put together a similar garment or two in your own language, I dare say you could figure it out.
One thing I love about these patterns (and that helped balance out the overseas shipping cost in my mind), is that the size range for each pattern is so large. Zebulon has sizing from 2yrs to 10yrs, which would fit all four of my babes (hello, matching shirts?! Well, why not?).
I used the sweet 'chestnut' print from the Chestnut Hill collection by Joel Dewberry (locals - it was on super discount at Marden's in Scarborough!). As an aside, there is a great deal of funny and a very new kind of chat amongst my oldest boys as to whether this is a 'boy' or 'girl' print. I find this highly entertaining coming from the boy who wanted (and got) a Gretl dress for his fifth birthday...and continues to follow his own path in every way possible. So very interesting...and sweet...and signs of my growing boy.
I was warned (by you, thank you!) that the patterns can run a little bit big. And Zebulon proved that to be true. The size 2 is more than a little big on little Harper (who will be two in just a few months. Wait, really?). It actually fit Adelaide (who declared that she didn't like it very much at all because it's a 'boy' shirt - oh, goodness gracious), so I'd say it's much closer to a 3-4.
But if there's one thing I know to be true about parenting, it's that these little ones grow. They grow in the blink of an eye, faster than we can even imagine. And it will be no time at all before my littlest boy has grown right on into this shirt I've made for him, and the others just like it that I have planned. I don't mind waiting.