Day Five

I finished out my Kid’s Clothes Week sewing over the weekend but don’t normally blog then so I’m going to post them this week. I made this top on Friday after seeing some cute versions in the KCW project pool. The original pattern is from The Purl Bee here.

There’s actually no printing involved with this pattern since all the cutting measurements are listed for you and they’re all rectangles! No printing, taping, cutting, etc. makes this very fast to put together.

It doesn’t show up great in these pictures but the fabric is actually sparkly in person. I’ve been hoarding this quarter yard for a while but I figured if I didn’t use it soon nothing I could make with it would fit!

Day Four

When does something old become vintage? I used a vintage shorts pattern to make these. It came in sizes three through five so I graded it down to a two and they’re still a little big. But when I was looking for pictures to make sure the front flaps go over the back flaps I came across this free pattern for basically the same thing!

I like how the bias tape makes the inside of the shorts as pretty as the outside.

These were very easy to put together so I’m definitely going to be making another pair but I think I’ll try the pattern I linked to next to see if the fit is better.

Day Three

I love how this turned out! I saw this tutorial for a flutter sleeve dress and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. The pattern in that link is a size four, which wouldn’t have worked for me so I altered this free peasant dress pattern by comparing it to other.

This came together so quick and easy and I even made matching bias tape for the arms so there wouldn’t be a different color showing through.

I’m not entirely positive but I think this is a gauze fabric. Because it was a little stretchy I pulled the sleeves while I sewed them to make a slight lettuce edge hem.

Day Two

Diaper covers! When I have enough fabric leftover I really like to make a matching diaper cover for the dresses I sew. I use this pattern and it couldn’t be easier!

The pink cover got a little embroidered heart and the tan got a ribbon scrap for tags. I used to have a big stockpile of satin ribbon tags that I had embroidered various sizes and hearts on but my stash has dwindled lately.

Day One

This is what I finished yesterday, but it’s a little misleading if I let you think it only took me one hour. The bodice was already finished from another dress but I didn’t like it for the look I wanted at the time. It seemed a waste to throw it out (fabric hoarder) so I just put it at the bottom of a bin somewhere and when I found it the other day I thought it’d be really pretty with this tan gingham.

I’ve been in love with circle skirts lately! The bodice is from the geranium dress and I drafted a circle skirt to pair with it.

There aren’t any side seams on the skirt so I made the circumference of the skirt slightly bigger than the bodice so that it could fold over itself when the bodice is closed. And then I made a little piece of matching bias tape to cover the gap.

I’m hoping to finish a matching diaper cover today.

Kids Clothes Week

 

It’s Kids Clothes Week again! Sewing for an hour a day seems easy at first but I’ve done this before and it really can be hard to force myself to sit down and do this every day. So hopefully I’ll have plenty to show for my efforts throughout the week!

Finished Dress

I know they’re hard to see but I really love these buttons. They remind me of sea glass and are the perfect minty color.

The little man in his pin stripe suit was my favorite character on this fabric.

I love this last picture, she looks so confused to be taking it!

 

Button Up Instructions

This might get a little long but it’s mostly because I felt like the collar part needed some extra explaining. And unfortunately most of the pictures were taken at night so they might not be the best. It took me a while to digitize this because I wasn’t 100% happy with the fit of the back and making it this time for the tutorial made me realize it’s still bugging me. So I might go back and make a few tweaks but only to the back bodice piece. I just want to get the collar to lay right so I’m going to try scooping out the neckline about an inch to see if it helps. I’ll update the pattern and post about it too if I end up making the changes.

I added roughly one cm to each side of the back and front bodice pieces to enlarge the fit.

To start, the main collar pieces should be sewn together around the curved edges with the right sides facing and then turned right side out. Topstitch the curved side.

The collar attachment pieces should sandwich the main collar with the right sides facing and be sewn around the curved edges. Turn it right side out but do not topstitch like on the main collar.

Press the unfinished sides of the attachment pieces towards the wrong side of the fabric.

I didn’t take pictures of the bodice construction but it’s basically just sew the shoulders and finish the seams then bind the arm openings with bias tape before sewing the sides together. To attach the collar line up the middle of the collar with the middle of the back bodice piece, sandwiching it in between the attachment pieces.

Slide the bodice into the collar until you get to the front openings. Fold the edges in to the wrong side twice to fit inside the collar opening.

Sew all around the attachment piece’s perimeter, I like to topstitch on the outside of the shirt but it doesn’t really matter if one is easier for you.

One pattern note: The separate piece is listed on the pattern as being 44″ X 11″ but I’m making a dress here so I used a piece that was 16″ tall and just cut it selvedge to selvedge.

Anyways, the skirt piece should be gathered but starting about an inch and a half away from the edges. When you attach the skirt to the bodice you’ll have to unfold the bodice edges from when they were folded to fit inside the collar.

Finish the skirt/bodice seam and press it to the top then topstitch along the bodice edge. Fold both the left and right opening edges under to match the bodice and sew it down.

Hem the bottom and add buttons and buttonholes evenly spaced along the opening. I used six buttons but I wish I had had a seventh to put them a little bit closer together. I’ll post the rest of the finished pictures tomorrow since this is already so long and picture heavy! And in case you missed it here is the pattern link again.

 

Cute As a Button Up

I finally digitized this pattern! And I’m working on the tutorial photos today.

This is a button up top with bias bound arm openings and a proper collar.

The pattern is 12-18 months but in the tutorial I added a little extra room to make it a 2T so it’s easily adaptable.

You can download the pattern here!

 

Step Stool Chair

You may remember this chair I posted about here. Its gone from this to:

this, to:

this! It’s almost finished. I just want to paint the steps black and add a few more staples underneath the seat once I find where I put the box down.

I reused the upholstery nails from the old vinyl, not because I dig the old rusty look, but because I was just too lazy to go find new ones.

This is the underside of the seat, I think it needs just a few more staples along the back but I put the box of staples down somewhere and now I can’t find them.

A sneak peak of the Fourth of July dress I’ve been working on! It may or may not be worn on the fourth due to the tropical storm/hurricane making its way up the east coast.