I think I’ve had this pattern (Simplicity 2063 from the Little Lisette collection by Liesl Gibson) in my stash for ages, but I was looking for just the right fabric.
The fabric is amazing. It’s corduroy, but it’s very soft, almost like velour.
Then I found this cute corduroy online. It’s super soft. The fabric is light-weight but it feels almost like velour. Perfect for little ones.
Lately I’ve been making a lot of lined dresses, but this is finished with piping and bias tape.
The pattern is quite simple. It’s an a-line, panel dress with flat piping to set off the panels. It wasn’t difficult. The instructions were good. The bodice is finished with bias tape at the arms, but I think I might prefer a lined bodice next time.
The a-line shape is really flattering.
I didn’t make any changes to the pattern. I just followed the pattern instructions.
I made the size 3, which should be a little big, but the fit on the dress is just right.
My youngest is growing so fast that it’s hard to keep up. I made the smallest size, size 3, and hoped it wouldn’t be too big, but it seems just right. Good thing I didn’t try to grade it down a size.
I really like the flat piping on this dress.
There always seem to be so many events to attend over the holidays, so a new dress is always handy for the kids, especially when it is as cute and comfortable as this one.
Summary
Pattern Review:Simplicity 2063 from the Little Lisette collection by Liesl Gibson, available in sizes 3-8, and now out of print. Fabric:
Corduroy, in blue.
Kona solid for the flat piping.
Size: 3. Cost: Pattern: $1. Fabric: About $18. Sewing Level: Adventurous beginner. Modifications: None. Results: Really cute and very soft.
I’m not sure how your October was, but mine was crazy! October is when work gets busy, homework piles us and then, Halloween! I managed to get a bit of sewing done for Kids Clothing Week (KCW). But did I get around to blogging it? Of course not.
The Field Trip Raglan T-shirt sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I try to sew my kids what they need, so with the approach of crisp fall weather, some long-sleeved tees seemed like a great project. I used the Field Trip Raglan T-shirt pattern by Oliver + S, and sewed it up in sizes 2, 4, and 6.
This is a super fast project. The instructions are great and there are only a few pattern pieces. The only change I made was to add bands to the sleeves. Partly, this was because I like the look, and partly this was because my kids are on the tall skinny size and I wanted to be sure the shirts last through the winter. Next time, I might go up a size, at least for the three bigger kids.
I added bands to the sleeves for a bit of extra length.
I used my regular sewing machine, as a I don’t have a serger, but this worked really well.
Love those stripes.The polkadots are fun tooWho doesn’t love rainbows?Love this colour combination.
The kids picked these fabrics themselves ages ago. Mostly I used cotton jersey from the Riley Blake collection, but the dark grey is from the Robert Kaufman Laguna collection. The Riley Blake colours are really bright, which I love, and the kids do too.
This pattern looks great colour blocked, especially with stripes. I’m seriously considering copying at least one of these tees using a grown-up pattern.
Jersey is usually about 60″ (150 cm) wide, so I found I had a lot of extra fabric left over. But that just meant that I had enough for a couple more cute projects that I’ll be blogging soon. Yay!
This is the shirt in size 2.This is the size 4.This is also a size 6, but Kid No 1 is just a bit taller.This is the size 6.
I really, really love these shirts. Even though they were super quick and easy projects, I’m really happy with the results. It’s really hard to find t-shirts that are fun and bright but that aren’t pink with sparkles or covered with logos. I’ll definitely be making more.
Cotton Jersey in Heathered Knit Pepper from the Laguna collection by Robert Kaufman.
Cotton Jersey in small chevron in aqua, small chevron in rainbow, small dots in red, solid red, and 1/2″ stripes in red, all from the Riley Blake Knits collection.
Sizes: 2, 4, and 6. Cost: Pattern: (gift). Fabric: About $10/shirt. Sewing Level: Beginner. Modifications: I added bands to the sleeves, and didn’t put pockets on all the shirts. Results: Amazing. My kids love these shirts and wear them at least once a week.
The air is crisp and the leaves are falling. So it’s the perfect time for a fall blog hop.
Ready for the world.The whole look.
The Warp & Weft Sewing Society have all pitched in to showcase the latest fabric collection by Canadian surface designer Elizabeth Owen. The collection is called Wildwood, and it’s a really quite pretty. The inspiration for the collection was the wild woods of story books, so I was excited to see what would be in my Warp & Weft delivery.
I decided to start with the story of Hansel and Gretel for inspiration, and so I made an outfit for my own “Gretel”, Kid No 1.
I really like this colour combo.
I made a simple panel skirt in Essex linen. The pattern is from Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン おんなの子服 おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe à panneaux” (panel skirt) in size 120. Then I used the Wildwood print to make a matching blouse, McCall’s 6388, using some blue solid for contrast.
I really like the buttons on the blouse.The skirt is a simple panel skirt, and linen has just the right weight.
And of course Gretel needs a bag to carry her breadcrumbs, so I added a small satchel, the “#7 Sac tube” (tube bag), also from Collection privée filles & garçons. The bag is made in linen and lined with the Wildwood print.
I love the simplicity of the bag.Hey, what’s in here?Look what I found!
That meant that only one thing was missing – birds! I couldn’t count on the local wildlife to pop in for my photo shoot, so I made three little birds using the pattern from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, and the leftover scraps from the other pieces.
I like the blue bird best.These are quite small, and the pattern is quick, but a little finicky.
Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to visit the other amazing sewists on our blog hop!
Blouse: McCall’s 6388 available in sizes 2-8, but now out-of-print. I made the size 6.
Skirt and bag: From Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン おんなの子服 おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe à panneaux” (panel skirt) in size 120, and the “#7 Sac tube” (tube bag).
We’re just experiencing the last bit of summer here, so I’m taking the opportunity to show you one of my very last summer projects – two fun summer skirts.
It’s a very quick, easy pattern, and makes a nice, basic skirt. I made this in sizes 4 and 6. The only changes I made were to lengthen the size 4 by one inch, and the size 6 by two inches, and lower the kick pleat to match. I also added the pockets from the Oliver + S Sandbox Pants, to the back of the larger skirt.
I lengthened both skirtsAfter I lengthened it, the skirt is just right for looking for chipmunks.
I used stash fabric for both skirts, leftover from otherprojects. This pattern takes a little under 3/4 of a yard of fabric, per skirt, which is what I had.
The print is really fun for summer. I’m glad I could get two garments out of the fabric I had.
It’s a great pattern if you have just a little bit of fabric left over. But unfortunately, it meant that pattern matching was out of the question. Since this fabric would have been wasted otherwise, and these skirts were meant for casual fun, that seemed fine, this time around. I settled for an absence of awkward print placement, but I had to trace out the pieces with chalk a couple times in the size 6, to get that right.
This print is Bella Flower in Blue by Lotta Jansdotter. And I swear I ironed it right before this photo was taken.This print is Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection.Each skirt took less than 1 yard of fabric.
The skirts are a big hit and seem to get worn at least once a week, which is a lot with my sometimes finicky kids.
Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna (organic).
Sizes: 4 and 6. Cost: Pattern: 0$. Fabric: 0$ (all was leftover pieces from other projects). Sewing Level: Beginner. Modifications: I lengthened the skirt, by 1-2″, depending on the size, and lowered the kick pleat. Results: Great. These were fast, are super comfortable, and are now in heavy rotation.
So I was very excited to be a pattern tester for the newest version of the pattern, which now includes a sweater, a short-sleeved version, and an expanded size range from 12m to 12Y.
The kids really like the tops and they are very comfortable.
And is it ever easy to sew! I finished about one project per nap. I love one-nap projects!
In the end, I made this pattern six times: three tops and three dresses, in three different sizes.
This is the size 2T.This is the size 5T, in pink.This is size 7Y.
This project calls for knit fabric, and obviously a sweater knit would be ideal, but sadly the choices were limited at my local fabric shops and I had no time to order online.
The smallest kids chose the fabric for the tops (ack! so cute to watch them choose fabrics) – a slinky rayon jersey. In that fabric, the tops have a retro 70s vibe.
The pattern changed slightly during testing, and now has a banded waist, but these tops were made before the change.
Such a cutie!This is a rayon jersey and it has quite a bit of drape.In this fabric, the top has a bit of a 70s vibe.The size 5 was a bit large. Next time, I’ll go down a size.The size 7Y is a much better fit.
For the dresses, I chose a ponte de roma that has a bit of a soft, sweater-knit texture. This fabric gave better results than the jersey. It’s a stable knit that is still very stretchy and has great recovery.
This is my favourite fabric for this pattern. It’s a ponte de roma, and has just the right amount of structure, without being stiff.
I only made two changes. First, I shortened the sleeves by 1-2″, depending on the fabric and dress size. Second, I attached the cowl neck first, before starting the sleeves. I find it easier to work this way, but it’s just my preference. See a discussion on sewing flat versus in the round, here.
The dress is a huge hit.Especially the bow.This fabric is really the perfect weight for the dress.
I didn’t use a serger – I don’t have one. I just used my regular machine, which has a faux overlock stitch and I hemmed everything using a double needle. This worked very well.
Ack! So grown up.I love the look of the dress.This dress is perfect for fall weather.
The results were great. These tops and dresses are cute, cute, cute and the kids love wearing them. Yay!
Summary
Pattern Review:Cowl Neck Dress and Sweater by Heidi & Finn, available in sizes 12m-12Y. Fabric: Rayon jersey for the tops and ponte de roma for the dresses.
Dakota stretch rayon jersey knit Hearts in navy, pink and teal (medium-weight knit, 95% Rayon/5% Lycra, 4-way stretch, 25% vertical stretch and 50% stretch across the grain).
Ponte de roma in grey, (medium- to heavy-weight knit, 80% Polyester/15% Rayon/5% Lycra, 30% stretch across the grain), magenta, and dark teal – not shown – (medium-weight knit, 50% Polyester/45% Rayon/5% Lycra).
Sizes: 2T, 5T and 7Y. Cost: Pattern: 0$. Fabric: About $12 per top and about $16 per dress. Sewing Level: Confident beginner. Modifications: I shortened the sleeves, by 1-2″, depending on the fabric and dress size. Results: Great. This was fast, and I love the trendy look.
Disclaimer: The pattern was generously provided by Heidi & Finn, in return for testing the pattern. As always, my opinions are my own.
I didn’t make many modifications. I shortened the pants to shorts. I also left off the drawstring waist and used a simple elastic waist. I left off the buttons on the pockets as well. Kid No 2 is not a fan of either. Drawstrings and buttons are his kryptonite. They also take longer, so I’m not complaining!
The pattern calls for 1 3/4 yards for the pants, but I got these shorts out of 1 yard of fabric.
A nice basic short.
The print is Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna. It’s a really nice, smooth organic cotton. I love the print, but unfortunately it was printed slightly off grain, which made cutting and pattern matching a bit of a pain. I’ve used other prints from the collection, without any problem, so I guess I was just unlucky this time.
Check out the pattern matching with those pockets.
Kid No. 2 loves bright colours and fun, but age-appropriate prints. Unfortunately, most of the clothes in the stores for boys his age are in darker, and/or more serious colours – lots of navy, grey and beige (yawn). One of the great things about sewing my kids’ clothes is being able to make them the things they really like.
The pants were a big hit.
This is also a stash-busting project for the Stashbusting Sewalong. I bought this fabric maybe a year ago, so I’m really happy to get it into regular rotation.
Last week was Kids Clothing Week (KWC), and what did I get done? Not much. I did plan a lot of projects though, so that counts right?
The one thing I did finish, was four sets of pyjamas. The spring PJs were a big hit with the kids, and they needed more so I just did the same thing again.
All the sizes!
The kids chose the fabrics – all Angry Birds prints. I used the Bedtime Story Pajamas sewing pattern by Oliver + S, for the bottoms, and appliquéd an angry bird from each print onto store-bought t-shirts for the tops.
Of all the prints my kids chose, this one is my favourite.
I’ve made thesepyjama pants eleven (!) times before. Yikes, that is a big number. But they are definitely my go-to pyjama pattern for kids. Quick, easy and great results every time.
Fence in White, Stars in Blue, Rainbow in Pink and Rainbow in Purple, all from the Angry Birds collection and all licensed to David Textiles by Rovio Entertainment, LTD. I bought this at the local chain shop.
Sketch in Grey by Timeless Treasures for the waistbands and leg bindings.
Sizes: 18-24m, 4, 6.
Sewing Level: beginner, intermediate if not just the pants.
Modifications: None.
Results: Excellent! I’ve made these 11 times before. I would highly recommend this pattern.
Taking photos of tired kids at bedtime is sooooo difficult!
Just to be clear: The Angry Birds name is trademarked by Rovio Entertainment, LTD and used by the fabric manufacturer under licence. The pjs shown here are not official licensed products and are not available for sale. But you can always buy some fabric and make your own!
A little while ago I showed you a white dress I made for Kid No 2. But of course Kids 1 and 3 also needed new dresses for summer.
A perfect dress for summer.
In total I made three Geranium Dresses. I made them all assembly-line-style, so they are all the same, except for the fabric choices. It’s just so much faster that way!
I made the size 2. I was worried it would be too large, but it was just right.I love this fabric. Such a pretty colour.I made the size 7, and it’s a little large, but hopefully that just means it will last longer. And yes, that’s Nemo photobombing.
I made one dress in size 2, and the other in size 7, and both were made with fabric from my stash.
Yup, this one passes the twirl test.This one passes the jumping test.
The butterfly fabric was left over from some tops I made last summer. And the lilac has been in my stash for an embarrassing long time. So it’s great to get them turned into something wearable.
I used white piping with this dress.
Since I’ve already sewn this pattern twicebefore, there’s not much to add. But it’s a great pattern, and I’m very happy with the finished dresses.
The fabric is Sunset from the Fly Away collection by Amy Schindler for Robert Kaufman.This time, I used turquoise piping at the waist.I really like this pattern, and I’m so glad it comes in larger sizes now.
Fabric: Sunset from the Fly Away collection by Amy Schindler for Robert Kaufman. FloraDots in Violet from the La Dee Da collection by Erin McMorries for Free Spirit Fabrics. The lining is white cotton batiste. The piping is made with Kona solids.
So for the last day of school, and beginning of summer, everyone got a new white dress. Well, except Kid No 2, but he’s more of a summer shorts fan anyway.
This is the first of three dresses, and it’s made with the cutest print. Who doesn’t love ladybugs?
I made the faux cap sleeves from view B of the Geranium dress.
This time around, I made the dress with the view B faux cap sleeves, but with a gathered skirt. I made two changes. I added red piping at the waist, and I added in-seam pockets.
I added red piping to the waistband for a bit of colour.
This dress was made for Kid No 3, and is a huge hit. She loves ladybugs and the colour red, and recently asked me why she doesn’t have “a dress that twirls”. The pockets are hidden in the gathers of the skirt, and she loves the “secret pockets” too.
Aren’t white dresses adorable? (also a bit hard to photograph)Front detail of the Geranium dress.I used simple white buttons from my stash.The pockets practically disappear, but trust me, they’re there.The Geranium dress from Made by Rae, as sewn by The Finished Garment, A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
This was a lot of fun to sew. The pattern makes a really pretty dress that’s lined and nicely finished on the inside. But the sewing was quick and problem-free.
Warp & Weft Sewing Society
This is a Warp & Weft Sewing Society project. We are a group of talented sewists and quilters creating beautiful projects inspired by the fabrics from Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.
Kid No 1 needed a pirate costume for her school play, and I figured, if I was going to make something, I should make something she could wear all summer. I decided a stripy maxi skirt would be just the thing.
I didn’t use a pattern for this one. I just followed the Girls’ Knit Maxi Skirt Tutorial by Crafting Chicks. It was very simple and straight-forward, and the whole thing took under an hour. The tutorial makes a long, slightly a-line skirt with a yoga waistband.
Mini Maxi Skirt
I sewed this on my regular machine, which has an overlock-style stitch. I didn’t bother to hem it.
Also, no model for this one. Kid No 1 wasn’t in a great mood. Oh well!
I used a bamboo jersey from Telio. It’s really springy and soft, and though this skirt takes under one yard of fabric, I may have, ahem, purchased four meters. So expect to see more stripes on the blog soon.
