KCWC Day 1: Rockin' Baby Gown + Cupcake Hat

My Day 1 project has made it safely to its recipient, so now I can blog about it.  The lactation cookies that I also sent were eaten by some local wildlife before my friend got the package!!  (I assume it was on her porch or something when the incident took place.)  Fortunately the critters were less attracted to my handiwork than my baking -- even though there was a cupcake involved:

This is the Cupcake Baby Hat from Itty-Bitty Nursery. I made E the 1-2 year size when she was about 18 months old, and she still wears it three years later! Since this is newborn sized, and my friend says it fits perfectly now, I imagine this one will not have such longevity.

It was accompanied by a Rockin' Baby Gown.  Such a great pattern!  I've made it before and loved it just as much this time around.

I used yardage again instead of upcycling, but the next one I have tentatively planned will be from a tee.

Mitt folded over on the left, folded back on the right.

KCWC Day 7: Camo Skulls Cargo Pants

It rained all weekend, and yesterday I really just wanted to sit around and read or something equally lazy.  I might have if I'd been planning on making something for E.  Since all my sewing had been for her so far, it was time to make something for the boy.

We decided on some cargo pants from a print that's been in my stash for 5+ years.  I used the Hot Scott pattern again, even though I'm not that crazy about it.   I am, however, crazy about not having to trace another pattern when I have one that fits fairly well.  Lazy.   Now that I have the sizing figured out, my biggest complaint is the directions, but since this was my third time, that didn't matter so much.

I do like the details: topstitching, eyelets on the cargo pockets, etc. This was my first time setting eyelets in fabric.  I loved to use eyelets when I was in my card-making phase.  It was just as easy on fabric.

It is probably silly to put so much time into pants made from quilting cotton for a seven-year-old,  though. I imagine he'll rip through a knee in short order.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be below the cargo pockets, so I can cut them off into shorts.

This was the first time I did the faux fly correctly!  After the last pair, I realized I had done it completely wrong on both pairs of shorts.

Patch pockets on the back this time, instead of pockets with flaps.  I made them longer to compensate, but I think they may be up a little too high.  It doesn't look too bad when they're on, though.  Plus his shirts are always untucked.

I was going to say that's it for KCWC sewing, but I still have my Day 1 gift item to show you!

KCWC Day 6: Jalie 2805

As I was sewing up today's shirt, view D of Jalie 2805, I was pretty convinced that it was going to be the loudest, ugliest shirt ever.  It is bright and busy, and I certainly couldn't pull it off myself, but on a four-year-old, I think it's pretty cute.

The orange knit isn't very stretchy, so I cut a H width/I length, which is one size up from what I'd been making for E.  It fits nicely.  I also made cuffs for the sleeves instead of hemming them.

I've had some problems with this type of placket before, but it went fairly well.  Only had to break out the seam ripper once!

Just including this one because it cracked me up.

I also made a Facebook page for SJS today.  You can find it here or by clicking the Facebook icon in the upper right.

This has already been my most productive KCWC ever, with one day left to go.  E had the most wardrobe gaps to fill, but I'll be sewing for O tomorrow.

KCWC Day 5: Corduroy Modkid Sydney

Today's project was a fine-wale corduroy Modkid Sydney for E.  I wanted a trimmer fit than the example, so made it in a 3T width/5T length combo, which fits her perfectly.  Like the last time I made a Sydney, I used the width of the fabric for the skirt, rather than piecing it.

One thing I wish I'd remembered is that I don't like the neckline finish, which shows when worn.  Next time I'll try a lined bodice rather than just a facing, so the seam connecting the hood won't be exposed.

This was fun stash-buster.  All three prints were purchased at separate times, some years apart.  The polka dot was left over from her first birthday outfit.

KCWC Day 3: Jalie 2806 (again)

E's tulip-sleeved Jalie 2806 from the spring KCWC was probably her most worn shirt all summer, so yesterday I made her a long-sleeved version using the sleeve pattern from 2805. I also used the hem band to add a bit of length and avoid hemming rib knit!

With the hem band, it is very, very long. Tunic length, but kind of narrow, even on my skinny girly. I think it's meant to kind of bunch up a bit, and it is nice that it doesn't ride up when she puts her arms over her head.

I think with this particular knit, though, I could have cut a straight H, rather than a G width/H length that I used for her other one. It bunches some around her chest. Or maybe that's because of the band.  Hmm... I might try removing it and just hemming it to see what happens.

Have you looked at all the great things in the KCWC Flickr Group?  So inspiring!

KCWC Day 2: Owl Shoes (with a tutorial for altering a soft shoes pattern for use with braces)

I did sew on Day 1 (Monday), but it's a gift and the mama of the recipient is a reader, so I'm waiting to blog until she gets it.

Yesterday E got her new braces, so she also needed new shoes to fit them.  I was going to just make a quick plain pair, but then I got sidetracked by the idea of an owl applique.  You know how these things go.  The applique took longer than the shoe construction.  Ha.

I took a few pictures along the way, thinking there may be someone else out there who might need to make something similar. E doesn't wear them outside, so she really just needs a lightweight non-skid covering for her braces. A soft-soled shoe is perfect, but the braces add considerable bulk, necessitating some pattern alterations.

You will need a basic soft-soled shoe pattern.  I use the Darling Diapers Minimoc pattern (scroll to the bottom left of this page). You will also need some sort of non-slip sole material.  I like Toughtek, which is a rubberized material that is durable but easy to sew. I found some on Etsy when E got her first pair of braces.

Trace one of the braces and add a 1/4" seam allowance or whatever your pattern requires. If the braces are different lengths, you will need to trace each one; otherwise just remember to flip the pattern piece over when you are cutting the soles so you'll have a left and a right piece. Soft shoe patterns are often the same for both feet, but I like the snugger fit that you get from making a left and a right shoe.

Compare your new sole piece to the sole pieces provided.  E's was close to the size 2 (she has tiny feet!). Trace the comparable toe piece pattern onto Easy Pattern or some other material that is easy to manipulate. You will need to adjust the toe piece for the added bulk of the braces, creating additional volume in the toe box.  Cut directly down the center of the piece to the tip of the toe.  Now drape this over one of the braces.  One  of E's has a 1 cm lift, so that was the brace that I used. Making sure to take the seam allowance into consideration, measure how far apart the middle cut edges are. I needed 2.5" of additional room.

My measurement was across the strap with the bees.

Retrace a new pattern piece with your old piece spread as much as your measurement.  You may also need to smooth out the curve on toe edge a bit (not pictured). Transfer any markings.

You can see how much wider my new pattern piece is compared to the original.

If one has a lift, you may want to add some additional height to the heel piece also.  I just sized up one size.

Now that you have your pieces, you can add any embellishments and follow the sewing instructions as normal.

The brace on the right is the one with the lift.

There is hidden elastic on this pair, but on her old ones, I used elastic cord and a toggle.  This was handy both for getting them on easily and for tightening up the one that was less bulky, since I made the both to fit the larger brace. If these don't say on as well, I will switch out the elastic for some cord and a toggle also.

The originals

Trying them out in her walker this morning.

Kids Clothes Week Challenge: Fall 2012

One week until the next round of KCWC begins!  Time to catch up on my blogging. I haven't sewn a whole lot since my last post, but I do have a few things to share -- including the kids' outfits from a wedding.  In July.  Eek. 

Will you be sewing along? 

 

 

KCWC Day 7: Retro Captain Rex Tee

It turns out O had very specific plans about his tee.  Not just any clone trooper helmet would do, it had to be Captain Rex's, and he wanted to be able to wear it to his Star Wars birthday party next week.  I was thrilled.  He's so picky about his clothes being plain, I'd thought our days of special outfits for birthdays were long over!

Captain Rex's helmet has blue accents, and in my stash there are a few yards of super soft heathered blue knit that has a great vintage feel to it, just calling out be made into a ringer tee.  Yes, another one. This time I used the Fishsticks Designs Charlie Tee pattern in size 6.

This was my first freezer paper stencil attempt and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  There were a few spots I was going to touch up, but I was instructed to leave them, as Rex's helmet is scuffed up and stuff from battle.  My mistakes make it more authentic, I guess.

 
O usually loses interest in sewing projects soon after we finish the design process, but this time he was all over it.  I think the paint was a big factor, and perhaps some fear that I might screw up his beloved Captain Rex.  Ha.

I think the helmet could've been placed a bit higher, but O still said it turned out even better than he'd imagined.

And that's it for me for KCWC!  In each of the three previous challenges, I've sewn three things, so I'm excited that I managed four this time, especially considering how busy this week was.  A big thanks to Meg of Elsie Marley for hosting KCWC.  It's such a great motivator, especially seeing what everyone else is making in the Flickr pool.

KCWC Day 6: Girly Patrick Curved Raglan

No KCWC sewing yesterday; I was busy cleaning the house to make it respectable for the babysitter in the afternoon.  Oddly enough, the only room other than the bathroom that was reasonably clean was the sewing room. I did sew a gift bag for the wedding that we went to last night, but then managed to forget the present and not realize it until it was too late. This isn't the first time we've done that, so I put it in a very visible place in the living room to no avail. I'll be sending off a package on Monday, I guess.

The wedding had a baseball theme.

I got back to it today, though.  Regular readers (aka my sister and aunt) probably know that I can't get through a KCWC without using at least one of my TNT Fishsticks Designs patterns. I had a cut of interlock with an owl design embroidered on it from a few years ago when I'd gotten some PUL cuts embroidered for E's medium pocket diaper stash. The design was too long for a baby garment, so I set it aside and completely forgot about it until the great sewing room cleanup last week.

It was calling out to be made into a Patrick Curved Raglan, and in the middle of the night, I remembered this floral knit print on brown that I thought would coordinate. In the morning when I checked, it was pretty close.  I cut the usual 3T width/4T length and narrowed the neckband piece to 1.5" wide to girlify it a bit.

It needed a bit more of the solid brown, so I added ringer-style armbands, cut 1.5" wide by 7.75" long.  I also trimmed 1" off the length of the sleeve before sewing on the bands.

Only one more day of KCWC!  Not sure what's on the agenda yet.  There's been talk from O. of a tee with a clone trooper helmet on it. We'll see if he's serious about that request or not.

KCWC Days 3 & 4: Farbenmix Henrika

I just finished up a little knit dress, the Farbenmix Henrika.  It's the smallest size (98/104 or 3T/4T), but with an added inch of length to both skirt layers.  It looks a bit wide, but that seems to be typical of the Farbenmix patterns I've used.  E still wears the 86/92 Olivia I made for her second birthday as a tunic!

Henrika is written for wovens, which probably added to the roominess factor also.  The pattern suggests that you can leave out the closure if you use a knit, which is what I did.  I also added a neckband and changed the short sleeve to a cap sleeve by eyeballing one of E's RTW shirts.

The instructions on this pattern are very, very minimal, so while construction is fairly straight-forward, I wouldn't recommend it to a beginning sewist.  The pattern could be more clearly marked as well.  It took me a ridiculously long time to figure out that one of the lines on the bodice sections was meant to be for the neck facing (which I didn't use, since I made mine like a tee).

I used Wooly Nylon for the lettuce edge for the first time, but didn't think it looked any different than using regular serger thread.  Maybe it'll fill in more once it's been washed?

Have you been to the KCWC flickr group yet this round?  SO many cute things.

KCWC Days 1 & 2: Jalie 2806

This week's off to a bit of a slow start due to several commitments at O's school, so I began with a Jalie 2806, a simple tee with a few little extra details.  Since I've already made one for myself, it was a quick project. The most time-consuming part was trying to get the print lined up straight.  I got pretty close.

I traced a G/3 for width and H/4 for length, which looks like it'll be a good fit for Miss E. I'm sure I've mentioned before how much I love Jalie's size range, all the way from a girl's 2 up to a woman's 22 in one pattern!

Gathered Neckline

Tulip Sleeve

I'm especially looking forward to seeing how the tulip sleeve looks on her.  I didn't like the idea of it for myself, but think it will be a cute little touch for her.  It might be fun with a lettuce hem too.

Now I'd better get to tracing for the next project!

Spring 2012 KCWC

The spring Kids Clothes Week Challenge hosted by Elsie Marley starts on Monday!  Will you be sewing? 

I plan to participate again, but first I need to clean my sewing room.  A few weeks ago, I swore off new projects until it was nice and organized, instead of its current scary mess state, but I haven't been overly ambitious on the cleaning front.  I never am.  But now I have a deadline!  Especially since I want to have all my patterns traced ahead of time for once.  I haven't finalized my to-sew list, but a Feliz for E. is definitely on the agenda.

KCWC Days 6 & 7: Super Slouchy Boots

My primary goal for this week was to finish four projects, since the past two times, I've only managed three. Once again, I've finished three (can I count the shirt that's partially finished and say I have three and a half done?). 

I've been wanting some tallish boots for E. to wear with her skinny jeans, but it seemed silly to buy some for my little non-walker, especially since so many of them seem to have heavy soles and a bit of a heel. When I saw the Super Slouchy Baby Boots pattern, I thought I'd give them a shot. She has small feet for her age, but not that small, so I enlarged it to 110%. It ended up being pretty close, but for the next pair, I'm going to lengthen the toe area. They're a smidge too short, but don't need to be bigger anywhere else, especially the ankle.

The instructions were occasionally unclear, but the pieces fit together perfectly, and they sewed up quickly.  I see several pairs in E's future, once I get the fit just right. 

Now that KCWC is over, Halloween costume time is upon us -- after I finish up the aforementioned shirt.  Go check out all the goodies on the KCWC flickr group too.  There are some amazing clothes!

KCWC Days 4 & 5: "Powder Puff" Raglan

Yesterday and today's project was the "Powder Puff" raglan from Ottobre 6/2008, the shirt version of her birthday dress.  I made a 92 width with a 98 length again and added an additional 2" to the bottom, since she has a long torso and I prefer her to have longer shirts anyway. 

It would have been simple, had I realized ahead of time that the print didn't have nearly enough recovery for a self-fabric neckband.  I was rushing yesterday before O's parent-teacher conference and decided to give it a shot.  It was comically stretched out of shape.  Some quality time with the seam-ripper later, I went with some solid ribbing instead.  I ended up liking it quite a bit better anyway.

KCWC Days 2 & 3: Badger Pullover

Finished project, yay! When O. saw the Badger fleece for his cousin's hoodie, he asked me to make one for him, too.  He, of course, didn't want a simple raglan hoodie, but his preferred quarter-zip pullover, which I have so far just been buying for him.  I knew I had a pattern for it in his size in Kwik Sew's Sewing for Children, so I agreed to it.

In retrospect, I wish I had made one in a solid first.  There are some definite issues, especially with things that almost match up, but don't really, which make me think people may be asking him "Did your mom make that?" and not in a good way.  Ha.  Now that it's finished, though, it looks better than it did about halfway through the process.  It bugs me that the print on the front panel wasn't exactly straight, despite my best efforts, so I had to choose between inserting the zipper at an angle to line up with the print, or having it be straight, but off on the print.  I split the difference.

Not my best zipper attempt.

Overall, though, I think he'll like it, which is the important thing. I made a 7/8 and compared it to a 7x RTW pullover, and it's nearly exactly the same size.  Oh, Kwik Sew, how I love your accurate sizing!

It's still pretty early, so I'm hoping to get a shirt cut out for E. that I can sew up tomorrow.

KCWC Spring 2011 Wrap-up

No more finished projects for me for KCWC.  I traced the Hot Scott Cargo Shorts pattern for O. yesterday, but my dad was visiting for the weekend, so I didn't want to ditch him for sewing.  I haven't gotten my hour in today, and it's not looking likely at this point!  I ran a half marathon this morning, and I think my bed is calling to me.


So while I didn't get as many things done this week as I hoped -- I never do! -- it was much more productive than an average week around here.  If you missed any of the projects, there were linen bermuda shorts, a knit tunic, and a peasant dress, all for Miss E. Thanks to Meg of Elsie Marley for hosting the challenge!


The cargo shorts are going to have to wait for a while, as I have an Abe Lincoln costume that need to be finished by the 25th.  One of my friends pointed out that I could probably have put out a call for and O-sized black suit on Facebook, but since I've already bought the pattern and the fabric, I might as well carry on with my original stress-inducing plan, right?

KCWC Day 5

Woot!  I finally completed an entire project in one day, tracing and all.  Of course, it only had two pattern pieces, but whatever.

The pattern is Miss Madeline by The Handmade Dress.  This is another one that I've made before.  I used grosgrain ribbon for the waistband, rather than a coordinating fabric, and did a 3/4" hem instead of 1/2".

Does the print look familiar?  I used it for a play sling last month and said I hoped I'd sew the rest up into a dress for E. soon.  I'm sort of shocked that it actually happened in a timely fashion.  Yay for KCWC! 

KCWC Days 3&4

I was only able to get in the bare minimum of sewing time on Wednesday and Thursday, but have a finished Fishsticks Designs Emmy to show for it.  I've had this Emmy planned for so long that when I went to cut it out, I realized I'd only traced the long-sleeved pattern piece.  So much for it being a winter dress!  The spring version is short-sleeved and tunic length to go with the linen shorts.

I made two minor changes to the pattern.  I cut the cuff half as tall as specified, to give it more of a ringer tee look, and instead of hemming with a half-inch double fold, I serged the edge and just folded up the full inch.


I really love this pattern, and have made it three times before.  I'm sure there are many more in E's future, since it's so quick, comfy and cute.

 

Proof that she does smile, just not at the camera these days!