I live in the Midwest, which means "you need a coat in the morning, shorts in the afternoon & air conditioning by 4 PM" at this time of year. The weather can be as temperamental as a two year old! (no offense to any prodigy two year olds who may be reading!) Dressing children for the day involves layers, and sometimes guess work.

The Aztec Hooded Vest by See Kate Sew fills a need in a little guy's wardrobe as it adds an extra layer, but not TOO much (and for those who live in warmer places - I'm jealous! do you have a spare room? - err...I mean, you can do this vest with two woven layers to keep heat factor down. Colder climates - you can sew with two warmer layers.) I chose a sweatshirt fleece combined with a cotton woven lining for our "in between" weather in the next months.

Nitty gritty: The vest comes in sizes 18 months-8, in one pattern. Pattern pieces are nested & black & white (no need to wear out that color printer cartridge!) Lines are easily discernible by use of varying dots & dashes. Pattern pieces print on 11 pages that are easily assembled.



I would consider this pattern an advanced beginner to concentrating intermediate pattern. There are options (welt pockets & extra stitching) that can be left off in order to keep the skill level towards advanced beginner. I did the welt pockets, but not the decorative stitching, just my preference!


A separating zipper, however, is not optional & may push the boundaries of comfort for a beginner. If you are not confident at zipper installation, you may want to find a tutorial or directions prior to attempting this step, as the pattern assumes some knowledge in that area.  If at first you don't succeed, grab the seam ripper, step away & eat some chocolate & come back to it - yes, I speak from experience.

The welt pocket is a bit of a leap of faith as it definitely is hard to wrap your brain around just how that is going to work - but if you follow the directions you will be rewarded with some fantastic pockets just right for little hands, or rocks, legos & other treasures that need to be stored safely. Huge hit in our house.

Fit: I made the size 4 based on my child's measurements & also lack of availability in separating zippers locally! I happened to have a 14" zipper on hand, which was adequate for the 4T size, while 5T called for a slightly longer zipper. When you are zipper shopping, too long is ok, as you do cut off the top ends, however too short just won't do. The fit is great, right on for measurements and I found it to be very true to size (however, I will be making one or more in a 5T to allow for more wiggle room for him, when I get my hands on longer separating zippers!)

Total time from printing to tracing, cutting, sewing and completing item was a couple of hours - I'm estimating because I have faith that you won't have the aforementioned zipper fiasco. If you face distractions, I would suspect this would take an hour or two here & there. This is not an item you make & go "that was so quick, I'm going to make 5 more today!" but it IS one that you make & pat yourself on the back saying "Yes, I made that!" Still easier to sew than it is to get decent photos of a whirlwind of a 3 year old! The result? Well worth it in my opinion, AND a preschooler who thinks this vest is "awesome". It makes a great canvas with lots of possibilities for basic wear or fun & funky combinations. If you use a reversible separating zipper, you can even have a reversible vest!

Charlie by Zonen 09

Hello! I'm Melissa, mom of 4 kids (two teens, a tween & a toddler), and woman behind the scenes at Sassy-Fras. https://www.facebook.com/sassyfrasdesign  I've been sewing for what seems like forever, but only steadily for the last 10 years, as my children became self-sufficient & shouldn't need "MOM!" every 2 minutes (notice I don't say DON'T holler for mom, they just shouldn't!) I'm also a lucky lady who was able to review the Charlie shirt by Zonen 09 www.zonen09.com - a comfortable, yet stylish & trendy top for the boy in your life.

The pattern includes sizes 92 (2T) through 134 (size 9) all in one pattern, with sizes nested on the pattern sheets. For two pieces, which are rectangles, measurements are given. It is translated into English, is easily understood, with lots of clear directions making it approachable even for the "knit-phobic". There is a short & long sleeved version making it a shirt that can be a staple year round. See, that makes a person happy!! 

This is a European pattern (Belgium), so in true Euro fashion seam allowances are NOT included. As I've sewn from Ottobre & Farbenmix, this doesn't throw me, and don't let it throw you!! The beauty of this is that you just add what you what you are going to take off (except on waistband & sleeve binding, as noted, as it is included in the measurements). I added the 1 cm as suggested, by rubber-banding two pens together. 

I trace my patterns on lightweight plastic (think plastic drop cloth from painters section) & use sharpie pens. I prefer Swedish Tracing Paper (you can also use wax paper, parchment paper, interfacing, tissue paper, or anything else you can find that is halfway see-through & you can write on) but as it's not readily available in my area, I work with what I have!

Let's be totally honest, if you weren't watching I'd trace the pattern as is, and then add the seam allowances by eyeballing as I cut it out of fabric. Do as I say, not as I do, but don't sweat too much over adding seam allowances - as long as you add them at some point (tracing or cutting fabric) you're set!


This pattern is a fairly quick sew & I would recommend it for the advanced beginner or adventurous beginner.  Lots of possibilities for color combinations - make the waistband & sleeve binding match the outer, or contrast fabric. Have the collar the same as outer, or the same as inner/contrast fabric.

The one problem I had with the pattern was tracing & adding seam allowances to the pieces that have little difference between sizes (sleeves & collar). It is rather difficult to follow along the line you are supposed to as they overlap or run very close together. Having those pieces un-nested would save my eyesight! (or, if you're a relaxed seamstress as I am, trace it the best you can & tell yourself that since the lines are so close, the slight difference surely doesn't matter too much!) For these pieces I traced as is, and then added the seam allowance.



Another point to be aware of, the designer has license agreements for items which will be sold from this pattern. Depending on your intended use and your belief in such agreements...just an item to be aware of.

I made a size 5 for my quickly growing 3-3/4 year old - he is between a 4T & 5T in most items. As I used jersey knit, this shirt is more close fitting, but fits perfectly. (Both he & my husband said "it looks small" - thee of little faith!) If I were making one for him to grow into, I'd use a knit with more "give" or size up. Still plenty of room to relax in.


Although I've been sewing for years, this made my husband say "Did you make that?" as he walked past the shirt...quickly followed by "that is really cool". Major kudos to the pattern & style for those comments from a usually oblivious spouse!  I consider this t-shirt with lots of wow-factor. It's as comfy as a t-shirt (and nearly as quick of a sew) but with added details & styling to make it a very fun top.

Hands down, the most difficult part of this project was getting a picture of a not-quite four year old that didn't look like this. Apparently this shirt makes a guy want to do a "TAH-DAH!"