I spent 9 years of my pre-kids, adult life as a music teacher and I had the pleasure of working at the elementary level for all but one of those years. When March comes around, I'm always reminded of the Read Across America celebrations that took place in my schools. I always had fun planning lessons that incorporated books into my music curriculum, but it was a treat to collaborate with the teachers and what they were doing in their classes for this special day.

Now that I'm not teaching, I don't get as many opportunities to work with other people on projects, which is kind of a bummer! I was really excited when I heard we were going to celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday and Read Across America here at Pattern Revolution! I took some time to think about it, and then when I spotted this fabulous deer fabric from Bonnie Christine for Art Gallery Fabrics, I knew my project needed to be inspired by Marjorie Kinnen Rawlings' The Yearling.

Obviously, this is a loose interpretation of the themes in the book, as Jody Baxter is . . . um . . . a boy and the story is way more than what my sweet, four year-old could handle. I mean, I don't want to give it away if you haven't read it, but it definitely is a lot more intense than a movie about a certain Disney fawn. I wanted to evoke the parts of the book that touch on Jody's childlike innocence and the incredible way that Rawlings describes the glen that he stole away to when he should have been doing his chores. The part of being a kid that does anything to keep a pet, not realizing the long reaching impact of those decisions.

Now that you know the rhyme and the reason behind this delectable duo, let's talk patterns and fabric! First in my lineup is the new Elise dress from Little Lizard King. This is your basic, Ellie-style dress that seriously has more options than you can shake a stick at. It's a great pattern to sew and you can make it different each time and never get bored.

These buttons just happened to be in my stash!  True story! — These buttons just happened to be in my stash! True story!

The other pattern in this feature is the Bella Bubble Tee from Greenstyle Creations. As if the cuffs on this tee weren't precious enough, I added my own Snickerdoodle Stew goodness to them by using stretch lace. It just adds the sweetest, unexpected detail. This pattern will definitely become a go-to in her wardrobe!

Next up is the thing that brings it all together, the fabric! Sweet as Honey comes in two colorways, Spring Harvest and Autumn Harvest. I mixed the fabrics between the two because I'm just crazy like that. I love that the muted prints evoke a warm feeling of nature and animals without being cutesy. If you've never used Art Gallery fabric before, it has the most amazing softness and lightness to it, without feeling cheap. It is really gorgeous fabric and I always look forward to whatever lines they have to offer. I also was able to incorporate some Tula Pink jacquard ribbon to this mix and it adds the perfect touch. It may or may not be my new addiction. ;)

One last thing to leave you with . . . this amazing headband was made by the ridiculously talented Annelee from The Ruffled Cupcake. This sweet lady makes the most beautiful creations and works so hard, not only to delight her customers, but to support her family.