Another pair of Parsley pants! This time with dinos!
Dino shorts!
Last week was Kid’s Clothing Week (KCW). The idea is to sew for one hour (minimum) each day making kids’ clothing. I didn’t do too badly, but I had trouble sewing all week and blogging too. So this is the last catch-up blog post for KCW.
Dino shorts action shot.
After allthosedresses, a certain someone was feeling a bit left out. And I had been promising to sew up this dinosaur print that has been in my stash for ages. So this was a great excuse. Originally I was going to turn this fabric into a shirt, but it’s way more practical as shorts.
I made these shorts on the long side.
These are the Parsley Pants (as shorts) from Made by Rae. They are the same as the pair I made previously, but I skipped the flat front, and this time I used an 8″ inseam. My son is a fan of long shorts, and this way he might even get to wear them next year too.
I made these shorts in a size 6.
I made box pleat pockets, which are a big hit. The pattern says you can adjust the pockets for a cargo look, but I stuck with the standard pocket placement. I also followed the included instructions for pin tucks.
Side view of the dino shorts. I made them an 8 inch inseam.
And again, I followed the online tutorial from Made by Rae on using flat felled seams with this pattern.
A good view of the box pleat pockets. I top stitched and edge stitched.
These were an even bigger hit than the last pair, but then dinos are always awesome!
Sewing Level: Intermediate (with the modifications below), or beginner.
Modifications: I followed the included instructions for added pintucks on the front and back, and box pleat pockets. I top stitched and edgestitched the pockets and pocket flaps. I also used flat felled seams in the inseam. I made these as shorts with an 8″ inseam.
Results: Great. I would recommend this pattern and will definitely make it again.
This is the fastest (wearable) garment I have ever made. I made this in about two hours, and if I weren’t a mother of four, who knows how quickly I could have done this without interruptions? The mind boggles.
This is the Heather Ross Smocked Sundress. You can find the free tutorial on the Martha Stewart website where there is a video as well, or in Heather Ross’ book Weekend Sewing (though the reviews of the book are not kind). There is also a pattern for a larger dress for women, the Mendocino Sundress Pattern available to download, also for free.
Official inspection completed!
The main criticism of her book seems to be that there are errors in the instructions and missing details. I found the instructions for this project to be alright – I mostly skimmed them. But then I’m an experienced sewist, perhaps a beginner would find them more problematic?
Heather Ross Smocked Sundress
I didn’t have any problems with the smocking with elastic thread. It was incredibly easy. My machine handled it beautifully. There also isn’t a lot of seam finishing in this dress, since most seams are enclosed or involve the fabric selvedge. Yay! And fitting isn’t that much of an issue, since the dress has a lot of give in the smocking. This dress fit perfectly.
Heather Ross Smocked Sundress
I only made two changes. First, I cut the dress a bit shorter than I had intended (oops!), and so I hemmed the dress with a narrow hem, instead of the wide one in the instructions. It’s still quite long, so it should last a while.
I like the length a lot. Lots of room to grow.
Second, I changed the straps. The directions call for four straps that tie in bows at the shoulder. It’s a cute look, but those ties always come undone. Instead I used two straps, and fed them criss-crossed through a small loop in the centre back. I anchored the loop very securely with extra rows of stitching. This way there is one bow in the back, and it can be tied more securely.
Here you can see how I made the straps work, by running them through a small loop.
Let’s talk fabric! This is quilting cotton, which is great for summer – so breathable and super easy to work with. The print is Monkey’s Bizness Market Floral in the bright colourway from Alexander Henry. I really like this print. It’s a floral pattern, but not too girly. I’m not one for ruffles and frills and bows and often floral patterns are either a little too old or a little too saccharine. This one is perfect and the scale of the print is really nice too. Even my husband said it was “so pretty” (and this almost never happens!).
I used a narrow hem instead of the wider one in the instructions.
Another great thing about this pattern is that it doesn’t use a lot of fabric. I only had one yard of this fabric, and I only used 2/3 of that. I did cut the straps on the straight grain though. If I had cut them on the bias, I would have had less fabric left over.
I really like the way the straps tie in the back.
I’m really happy about the results. I wanted something cute and easy to sew, especially after the more advanced linen shirtdress I made recently. This was both. And my daughter really loves it and says it’s super comfortable as well. Yay!
This is a really comfortable dress. I’m seriously considering making the adult version.
Warp & Weft Sewing Society
This is a Warp & Weft Sewing Society project. Esmari of Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles has some great fabrics. Lots of quilting cottons, but other things as well, including some really unique finds. Right now there are three of us in the sewing society all creating projects using her fabrics. It’s quite fun, because we could all be using the same fabric, but of course we’ll come up with such different results – so much creativity! Be sure to check out the other Warp & Weft Sewing Society members, Cynthia and Carla to see what they’re up to.
I made this dress two years ago, but since I took some good photos this weekend and I haven’t blogged it yet, I thought I’d do that that now.
Summer flowers are always nice.
This is Burda Kids 9702. It comes in sizes 18 months to 5. But if you’d like it in a larger size, it appears to be almost identical to Burda Kids 9755 which comes in sizes 6 to 11. I really like this pattern, so I just recently bought the larger one as well.
I made view A, a sleeveless dress with gathered skirt, buttons in the back and a bow tied in the back at the waist. It isn’t especially clear in the technical drawings, but view A has an almost empire waist, while view B is longer in the bodice. I would probably use the longer bodice if I were to make the dress again. I skipped the flowers on the waistband.
I like the bow in the back. It’s girly, but not so much that it annoys me.
I made it this dress a size 5 when my daughter was a size 4. It’s meant to be tea length, but it was extra long at first. But I’m glad I didn’t shorten it because it has lasted two years, which is amazing when you consider how much she’s grown over that time. Crazy!
This was a really easy pattern to make. The instructions were great and there were no hitches – just straight forward sewing. It was also quite quick. It’s a classic style, and I’ve tried other patterns in a similar style before, but this one has been the best. I cannot recommend it enough.
This dress works really well with a big print and it’s comfortable for the summer.
I made the dress in quilting cotton. The fabric is Pick A Bunch Organic Blooms in Sunflower by Nancy Mim’s from Robert Kaufman. Quite a mouthful! But really cute, and the larger print works well with a longer skirt. I had a tough time choosing the thread. The entire dress is topstitched, and the colours are so different. In the end I went with a dark pink that matched the fabric background.
The entire dress is top stitched.
This dress has gotten a surprising amount of use. It’s one of my daughter’s favourites. It’s great for summer, but she also layered it over shirts in the fall and spring. But it looks like it’s almost time for a new one, she’s growing so fast!
It’s been so hot in Montreal lately, the perfect weather for linen dresses.
This is the Jump Rope Dress (view B) by Oliver + S. The shirtwaist dress features cuffed sleeves, gathered patch pockets, collar and front placket. I made view B which has long sleeves and an a-line shape.
The Jump Rope Dress by Oliver + S (view B)
My daughter is between sizes 3 and 4 at the moment, so I made a size 4, which was a little long and slightly large, but leaves room to grow. The linen fabric doesn’t have a lot of give, so making it larger, rather than smaller seemed like a good idea.
Ack! So cute! (The Jump Rope Dress by Oliver + S)
As with all Oliver + S patterns, the instructions are great, but this is not a pattern for beginners. Oliver + S patterns are rated by difficulty on a scale of four scissors, and this one gets three. It’s not really a difficult pattern, but it does have a lot of finicky details.
More cuteness! (The Jump Rope Dress by Oliver + S)
It’s made like a proper men’s shirt, minus the collar stand. The instructions for the front placket, for example, take one full page of the pattern instructions. On the other hand, the results were great. I’ll be making another. Seems kid No 1 wants one too.
Curved collar and front placket of the Jump Rope Dress by Oliver + S
The only change I made was to the hem. The pattern calls for a narrow hem, but the dress was just too long for my little girl, so I made a wider one that I can always lengthen later. I also used contrasting fabric for the pocket binding and inside front placket. I’ve seen other versions where the entire collar and placket were in a contrasting fabric and that looks really nice as well.
Contrast fabric on the inner front placket.Folded cuffs on the sleeves.
I have been hoarding this fabric forever, so it was time to get it sewn up. The fabric is a cotton linen chambray in Indigo Washed by Robert Kaufman. It has a really lovely sheen, and the colour is beautiful. It handles like a linen, which means it’s a little stiff at first, but also stretches a little while sewing. The key is lots of pressing. It has to be my favourite fabric ever.
The fabric has a beautiful sheen.
I love how this turned out. It’s cute and easy to wear, comfortable for the summer, nice enough for school and quite durable. I really love the pockets.
These are the Parsley Pants (as shorts) from Made by Rae, and the fabric is Bella Flower in Blue. I made the pattern as shorts, added pintucks, box pleat pockets and a flat-front waistband.
I am really happy with these. They aren’t your boring, everyday shorts. The pattern has a number of variations included, and there are additional tutorials for this pattern on the Made by Rae blog. I opted for added pintucks on the front and back, box pleat pockets and a flat-front waistband.
I top stitched and edgestitched the pockets and pocket flaps. You can see the pintucks here as well. I also used flat felled seams inside (sorry, no photos).
I also followed Made by Rae’s instructions for how to make shorts from a pants pattern, and partially followed the tutorial for how to make super seams where the Parsley shorts are used as an example. I used flat felled seams for the inseam on my shorts.
I was going for a surfer girl look, and I really like how these turned out.
Here are the shorts are on my 6-year-old. I was going for a surfer girl look, and I think this is a success largely because of the fabric. It’s fun and not too precious for my big girl. I made the shorts in a size seven, though according to the pattern sizing my daughter should be in a six. But seven fits perfectly and should last the summer. I’m so glad I opted to go bigger.
Just the right length!
I used a 2.5 inch inseam when making the shorts. They end up being long enough that the box pleat pockets have enough room, but still look girly.
I love this pattern! And kid #2 has already requested his own pair of shorts, so the kids like it too.
There was quite a bit of extra fabric, so I decided to make a headband to match. I used this German pattern from Erbsenprinzessin. But things went badly awry. The headband turned out to be way too small. We don’t have a shortage of small heads here, so I was hoping it would fit my two-year-old, but no!
The first headband was so small that only my smallest could wear it. And she has no hair!
The only head that would fit is my 11-month old, and she has no hair! I’m not usually one for headbands on babies (I think she looks a bit like a ninja), but since I had already sewn it up, I figured it should be worn at least once.
I also made a matching headband.
So back to the drawing board! I made the whole thing again much larger and it seems to be a big hit.
The headband is in two pieces with elastic in the back only.
Now that I have the sizing right, I’ll probably make this pattern again.
Sewing Level: Intermediate (with the modifications below), or beginner.
Modifications: I followed the included instructions for added pintucks on the front and back, box pleat pockets and a flat-front waistband. I top stitched and edgestitched the pockets and pocket flaps. I also used flat felled seams in the inseam.
Results: Great. I would recommend this pattern and will definitely make it again.
Summary 2
Pattern Review: Haarband für Kinder by from Erbsenprinzessin (in German)
It has come to this. Yes, I am blogging my mending.
Dino patches. They can see each other.
I know, I know…where have I been? From reading my blog you probably know I have four kids. But I also run my own business, sit on two boards and co-organize a yearly tech conference. Add in a family health crisis and things get a bit crazy. Sometimes something has to give and this time round, it was my sewing.
This is one of the things I have managed to get done – patches. I had two pairs of jeans to patch so I used two different fabrics. They turned out quite well and were a huge hit.
Dino patches.
I followed this tutorial, using method number three, by Made by Rae. They are made with three layers: quilting cotton, double-sided adhesive, and standard iron-on patches.
It worked really well. My iron was a bit hot so the double-sided adhesive didn’t work on one patch. Oh well, these would be in the trash otherwise, so I can’t complain too much.
Whale patches. Just a bit overexposed.
But it did mean that stitching around the patches was no longer optional. Luckily these jeans were size four, so they just fit on my sewing machine arm. With smaller jeans this never would have worked. As it is, it isn’t my prettiest stitching. But my son loves them, and that’s what counts.
Fabrics:
Dino Dudes in Navy by Michael Miller
Bright Whales by Ann Kelle from Urban Zoologie (Robert Kaufman).
I hope you had a good Easter. Mine was great. This year, the Easter bunny brought me vintage patterns! They are so much more exciting than chocolate and last longer too. Let’s take a look.
Look at all those new patterns!
I know! Soooo many patterns.
A little while ago I posted an article on a bunch of patterns that my mother gave me. Well, my husband’s aunt saw the article and thought I might like her old patterns too. So generous!
I can’t show them all, so here are the ones I’m most likely to sew.
The blouse is Style 3351 from 1981. Next is a bias skirt, McCalls 3296, from 2001. Finally Simplicity 7254 from 1975, an apron.
There is a nice blouse (Style 3351) from the early 1980s, but it’s got 1970s styling. There is McCall’s 3296, which is a bias-cut skirt. There is also a fishtail version, but I think I’ll stick with the classic a-line skirt. Another good one is Simplicity 7254, an apron from 1975. I can’t believe I have no apron patterns at all, and yet I am in need of an apron.
This is McCalls 5861, from 1992: jacket, tank dress or top, skirt & pants or shorts.
This is another one that looks nice. McCall’s 5861, from 1992 includes a tank top and dress with Made-For-You A-B-C-D cup sizing. I think it might make a nice summer dress.
Simplicity 7412, from 1976: child’s dress and capelet. A French jumper pattern from Modes et Travaux. Simplicity 1434; ca. 1955/56; boy’s pajamas in two lengths.
But the real gems are in the children’s patterns. Here we have Simplicity 7412, from 1976. Clearly, it’s a first communion dress, but without the capelet (and maybe a bit more length) it’s quite cute. Then there is this French pattern for a jumper by Modes et travaux. And my favourite is the boys pyjamas. They are pull-on with no buttons! My kids are pretty allergic to buttons, and this pattern has a really nice, unique neckline.
Butterick 7602: Quick & Easy boys’ & girls’ sport shirt. Simplicity 1785 Child’s Mandarin Pajamas, robe, and matching doll coat, from the 1950s. Simplicity 4636; ca. 1962; child’s hooded jacket and pants.
And finally, these were the most unusual kids’ patterns. I’m not sure I’ll be sewing them, but the 1950s styling is interesting. First there is Butterick 7602, a pull-on shirt. I’ve never seen a shirt with this type of neckline. Next is Simplicity 1785, a child’s mandarin pyjamas and robe. So 1950s! And finally a ski suit: Simplicity 4636.
A big thank you to both the Easter bunny and my husband’s aunt (name omitted to protect her from the notoriety of sewing blog fame )!
The pattern is very easy to follow. The only changes I made were to switch an elastic waistband for the drawstring waist in the pattern, and turn the pants into shorts. These fit a little large, but by the time it’s really summer, they should be just right.
Whale Sandbox Shorts Pocket. Check out that top stitching.
I love those whales! Check out those matched up pockets and that top stitching.
Whale Sandbox Shorts Pocket. Check out that whale matching.
All the fabric was from my stash. The whale print is left over from my whale quilt. I’ve already used the pattern a few times. Even the elastic came from my stash. That brings the cost of these shorts to $0! Not bad.
For my older girls I had made spring dresses a while ago. But since I hadn’t blogged about them, I thought I would do that now. These are both the Ice Cream Dress by Oliver + S.
Cat Ice Cream Dress
This pattern is really a dream to sew. There are almost no seams to finish, it’s very quick to sew, and there is a lot of room for creativity in fabric choices. My kids love these dresses!
The fabrics are Red Ladybugs and Liquorice cats by Ann Kelle.
Ladybug Ice Cream Dress
Three spring outfits ready for the snow to melt. THis post is linked up with Make It, Wear It.
I made three, in sizes Medium and Large. They are a bit big, but in a nice way.
The pattern was very easy to follow and quick to finish.
Bucket Hats in Oliver + S Little Things to Sew
The only thing I changed was to use iron-in interfacing, instead of sew-in. I used Pellon 950F Shir-Tailor, and I really like the results: crisp, but not too crunchy.
Three bucket hats
I chose fabrics with a lot of contrast, and if you to do the same, choose your top stitching thread early. I did all the top stitching. The instructions say it’s optional but I think you need it to give the hat structure.
Check out that top stitching!
If I were to make it again, the only thing I might change is the top stitching on the hat brim. It says to stitch concentric circles at 1/4″ intervals, but I think it might look nicer to sew in a continuous spiral.
A pile of bucket hats.
The fabrics are all by Ann Kelle from her Urban Zoologie collection, and they match the lunch money cuffs I posted yesterday.
Three bucket hats
This was a great stash busting project. The yellow and whales were leftover from my Sunshine Bug Quilt and Whale Quilt. With this project and the Lunch Money Cuffs I posted yesterday, I was able to use up all my red and yellow solids, and almost all of the cute animal prints. There might be enough fabric left for a small zip bag for each kid. We’ll see. Me and Anne Kelle might need to take a little break now.
No one felt like cooperating for a photo session today, so you only get photos of hats. Maybe next time.
Bright Whales by Ann Kelle from Urban Zoologie (Robert Kaufman).
Kona Corn Yellow
Red Ladybugs by Ann Kelle from Urban Zoologie (Robert Kaufman).
Kona Red
Liquorice Cats by Ann Kelle from Urban Zoologie (Robert Kaufman).
Free Spirit Designer Solid in Pink
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: None.
Results: Great. I would recommend this pattern and plan to make more.
Kid No 1 needed to bring money to school for a bake sale fundraiser. But she’s a bit young for a wallet or purse, and doesn’t always have pockets for change. What to do? This is the latest project I made for the kids.
Three cuffs ready for wrists.
These are the Lunch Money Cuff, which I made following Christie’s tutorial over on a Lemon Squeezy Home. It’s a nice easy tutorial and I whipped up three cuffs in an evening.
All three cuffs.
I’d love to call this stash busting, but it’s more like scrap busting. Each cuff only takes four 8.5” x 3” pieces of fabric. It’s a miracle I had even that much.
This is the Anne Kelle ladybug fabric. Sorry for the bad photo.
The fabrics are all by Anne Kelle and were leftovers from some other projects. The whales were from my Whale quilt. The yellow was from my Sunshine Bug quilt. The ladybugs and cats were from a couple of Oliver + S Ice Cream Dresses I made a while ago. The velcro is the heavy-duty variety and left over from Halloween costumes. All I had to buy were the zippers.
Two cuffs in whales and ladybugs.
With this project and another that I have cut, but not assembled, I managed to use up all of my Kona Red and Corn Yellow, and most of the two red prints. I thought I had used up all the whales as well, but then I organized my quilting fabric and found a bit more. Oops!
I didn’t make any modifications to the pattern. The tutorial says the cuffs are the right size for kids aged five and seven. It’s a bit loose on my two-year-old, but then she also won’t have any money in hers. Still it’s fun to have the same thing the bigger kids have.
Mini cuff. This one probably won’t get any money in it for a couple of years.
, but you can also 
