Kids Clothes Week: Two Little Geraniums & a Motorcycle

Another Kids Clothes Week just wrapped up! Most of my sewing lately has been home decorating -- pillows and curtains for our master bedroom (which is finished! and will be photographed this week!).

I've been itching to sew clothes, and needed to make something for our new niece and nephew (twins) born a couple of months ago. Sewing an hour a day for a week was a perfect palate cleanser after last weekend's marathon.

Here are the finished projects!

Pattern: MADE "the perfect Diaper Cover" (free!). RTW onesie with appliqué.

Fabric: Honestly, this fabric had been in my stash for a decade, and I've since gotten rid of it. The little motorcycle was from a fabric I've used to make two pairs of pants. Michael Miller, maybe? It's old, too.

Size: 0-3 month, and the fit seems pretty average with these diaper covers.

Thoughts: I made this diaper cover a couple of years ago (and just kept it for a gift someday) and added the coordinating onesie this week. I followed Dana's directions exactly for this one and found the casings around the legs and waist cumbersome. I used a much easier (to me) method in the polka dotted ones below.

Pattern: Little Geranium by Made by Rae (free!) Lollypop Leggings by Peekaboo Patterns.
Fabric: gifted by Emily and Ashley. It reminds me of my favorite feed sack fabric. The shorts are made from a pair of women's leggings I cut apart.
Size: 0-3 months, and it fit just right. I made the tunic, and it hit just where I would expect a tunic to hit. The leggings are the shorts version, and I chose to do a yoga waistband instead of a casing. They seemed to fit well, too.
Thoughts: I want to have more baby girls just to sew a hundred of these.

The baby piping is a nice touch around the bottom of the bodice, especially with a busy fabric like this one.

This was the first time I've used snaps and oh my goodness these would have been lovely, say, when I was sewing for baby Eliza! So much easier than buttons to insert and to use!

I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend three rows of gathering stitches for even, pretty gathers. One inside the SA, one close to or right at the SA, and one outside the SA. It has made such a difference in my gathered skirts.

Also, I'd recommend topstitching around the armholes and neckline for a nicely finished look.

Pattern: Little Geranium by Made by Rae (free!) and MADE perfect diaper cover (free!)
Fabric: Alexander Henry ca. a long, long time ago. Polka dotted fabric from my sister's wedding. (I've got a whole bolt! Woohoo!)
Size: 0-3 months. Norah hasn't tried this one on, but it'll fit the same. With the band, it's about the same length as the floral one -- a tunic length. For little babies, this is a good length. The leg holes may be a little big, but without measuring her little thighs, I just went with the pattern's recommended length for the elastic.
Thoughts: I didn't get a good photo of the back, but if I did, you'd see I ran out of silver snaps and had to use one black one. Oops. She's a little baby, so her back is usually hidden by a seat or someone's body who's holding her. Also, the placket doesn't fold in like it should, but the gathers make it really difficult to see that unless you're looking for it. Overall I was still pleased with how it turned out.

For this diaper cover, I inserted the elastic like you would for a bathing suit. I sewed the elastic together first in a loop, and then stretched it and sewed it directly to the (serged) raw edges of the wrong side of the fabric. Then I turned the elastic to the inside and sewed around again on the right side of the fabric, sewing the elastic down. It was soooo much easier and neater to me.

That's all for now! I'm in the process of planning out capsule wardrobes for me and Eliza. Do you have any big sewing plans for the spring? Did you have fun sewing during KCW?

KCW: Chemistry Kit T-Shirts

Here are my final two makes for Kids Clothes Week. My goal this week was to embellish the t-shirts I made earlier this winter, and WOOHOO! Check it off the list!

The boys each have two mama-made t-shirts this year. (Daniel has another on the way to replace one I goofed up.) 

These are my favorites! I pinned a Boden appliquéd t-shirt a while back (so far back that it's not online anymore), and it's the one the boys picked for me to make.

They love how they turned out.

(Details on fabric and such are at the bottom of the post.)

Funny story: I was trying to make them laugh and started imitating a toothless moonshiner. I'm a southerner who's lived in East TN, KY, and NC. I can NAIL a toothless moonshiner imitation. They were in stitches.

These kids are so fun, and they're so grateful when I sew something for them. Also, Daniel looks just like my mom in this next photo. 

Details:

Pattern: Flashback Skinny Tee from Made by Rae. Size 6 for Daniel; size 8 for Lee. (They're slim fitting, so I size up. Next time I'll add a little width to Lee's. Next time I'll shorten the sleeves, too.)

I forgot to mention last time that I always disregard the pattern's measurements for the neckband and estimate my own length.

Fabric: More Robert Kaufman Laguna knit from Let's Sew in Evansville. It's got a bit of spandex. I cannot say enough good things about this fabric.

The rest of the fabric came from scraps.

Thoughts: These shirts were SUPER labor intensive. The appliqué took time, of course, and so did the hand-stitching. But the most time was spent trying to figure out how to make that atom.

That's it! Happy Kids Clothes Week, y'all! I'm working on an entry for Crafting Con and a post for Frances Suzanne's February Free for All. And somewhere in there I'm finishing our master bedroom. Because I'm ready for some curtains. 

See you next week!

KCW: Star Wars T-Shirts

This winter's theme for Kids Clothes Week is "upcyled." I'm working on a full ensemble for Daniel that's 90% upcycled, but it likely won't be finished (and photographed and blogged) this week.

Instead I'll share some t-shirts that I've finished. A couple of months ago I loaded up on Robert Kaufman Laguna knits. I let the boys pick the colors and embellishments.

Daniel requested Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1, and this bleaching tutorial published on Sew Country Chick suited it perfectly. It's supposed to look like it's flying through a starry sky. I was excited and went a little heavy on the bleach.

The second t-shirt is made using freezer paper, too, but instead of doing a traditional stencil version I did it in a negative-space way. I mixed blue and brown paint and intentionally thinly coated it so some of the light gray would peek through. It's an AT-AT Walker. 

I made Lee a navy shirt with a ET-AT Walker on it, too, but didn't blog it or photograph it. And now it's in the dirty clothes hamper.

There are lots of projects and deadlines this week, so I'll wrap this post up with stats.

STATS:
Pattern: Flashback Skinny Tee from Made by Rae
Size: 6 (this one's designed to be slim-fitting, so I always size up
Fabric: Robert Kaufman Laguna knit bought at Let's Sew in Evansville//Ribbing is from my stash

I HIGHLY recommend this fabric! I made the boys six shirts in this fabric, and they've been wearing them plain and patiently waiting for me to embellish them. They haven't stretched, shrunk, faded, or pilled.

For a few years I've been waffling on the logic of making their long-sleeved t-shirts and whether it's cost-effective. This fabric convinced me it's worth it. They love the softness of the fabric, and I love the quality.

Completed: Eliza's Easter Ensemble

Details:
Pattern: Oliver+S Music Class Blouse and Skirt
Size: 18-24mo (shirt) / 2T skirt
Fabric: 100% linen (shirt) / September Light by Lida Enche for In the Beginning fabrics 2011 (skirt) -- both bought at Waechter's Fine Fabrics
Modifications: None
Fit: Perfect
Pros: 

• The shoulder pleat detail is gorgeous, as is the pleating at the front and back bodice pieces.
• Oliver+S patterns have an outstanding reputation for good reason. I just bought three more (at 75% off, no less)** because they are That Good.
• All the notches fit where they were supposed to. All the raw edges lined up where they were supposed to. I'm not sure that's ever happened to me before.
• The design of the pieces are classic and precious. 
• I learned new skills of hemming (I'll always baste a guide line from now on) and gathering (I've never gathered with a row at 3/8" and 5/8" with the stitch line at 1/2". Wow.)
• The skirt took two hours. That's it. And I'm slow as molasses in January. (Or April, which is apparently still winter in these parts.)

Cons:
There aren't any cons to the pattern, but I have a few cons for me:

• Next time I'll use snaps. The linen pulled as I was cutting the button holes. There's nothing worse than completing an entire garment that takes HOURS and then having the fabric pull when doing the LAST step. Button holes. Gah.
• As much as I love linen in theory, it just wrinkles too easily. Linen/Rayon blend would be a good alternative.
• Collars with plackets are so hard for me. Why? I don't know.
• I decided to gather the side skirt panels because I was tired of pleating and figured the fabric was too busy to show that detail.
• The placket looks uneven in the photos, but it didn't look like that in real life. Hmm. If I wanted to, I'm sure I could adjust the buttons and fix it, but I don't want to. The yoke seams line up fine.

I'm making basic knit vests and bow ties for the boys. Tonight. I'd best get off here and get to it!

**Unfortunately, at the time of this posting Waechter's was already closed for business and was not filling online orders. They're currently attempting to fix the online hosting to reflect their closing.

KCW Leftovers

I finished all the projects I'd planned for Kids Clothes Week with two exceptions: the Music Class Shirt and Skirt will wait until Spring (the salmon linen I'm using is suited for that season) and the Henry Shirt for Lee was a fail.

The collar tripped me up again. The whole stinkin' thing is finished except for the collar and snaps. Alas, I'm calling it quits. As much as I love this design, too many hours have been spent trying to make it work. Maybe it was me goofing up the seam allowances; maybe my brain just won't wrap around attaching a collar without a stand; I don't know. I ripped it and re-sewed it three times and the collar just wouldn't meet up with the placket. (You'll see what I mean in the third picture below.)

It was made from two of Ryan's old shirts -- one of which had a hole in it -- so at least it wasn't a heartbreaking loss of fabric.

My sister bought Eliza a precious little striped sweater dress from a resale shop. (It's Gymboree brand.) She needed a purple shirt to go underneath it, so I whipped up a Flashback Skinny Tee in a violet knit from my stash. (Her tights are Children's Place.)

I also sewed up another Bimaa Sweater and Sunki Leggings (the same denim, which brings the count up to 3 of the exact same pants). The cowl neck is from the same upcycled dress as my first version, and the orange knit is leftover from one of my Renfrews.

We went to Audubon State Park for these shots, and a woman passing by teased this smile out of her. Our new friend was smitten with Eliza. It was a gorgeous place for a hike.

All my plastic bins that held outstanding projects for KCW are empty! That feels good. It feels even better to know that Daniel and Lee are set for clothes this season. Eliza could use a few more things that I've already got planned.

I'm itching to finish a couple of things for myself, too -- finally getting around to my Thurlows is first on the list. They've been cut, interfaced, and ready to sew for six months now. It's amazing how that happens, isn't it?

Superhero Tee (KCW Day Three)

Stats:

Pattern: Flashback Skinny Tee by Made by Rae

Fabric: Organic knit from my stash. (Spiritex warehouse sale again. For $30, I got enough fabric to make at least 20 items. At least. No lie.)

Size: I graded up from the 5t. This was before I bought the larger version of the pattern. It'll save me from grading in the future, which delights me.

Modifications: Using one of Daniel's shirt (GAP) as a guide, I cut a cape and added it to the back with Velcro. I freezer paper stenciled the Superman symbol on. Lee loves it.

Thoughts: This was finished in an hour, which is crazy fast for a slow sewer like me. This time I left the hems raw because I'm digging the way that looks and because it doesn't really make a difference in wear.

Raw-Edged Raglans x2 (KCW Day Two)

Stats:

Pattern: Raw-Edged Raglan from Sewing for Boys.

Fabric: Organic lightweight knit from my stash. (I miss Spiritex warehouse sales. I'll especially miss them when my stash is empty here in a few projects.)

Size: 6/7 for Daniel. Graded up to 8ish for Lee. They are both a little big, but they'll fit all winter and allow for more shrinkage. I sized up knowing a) the fit of the pattern is slim and b) this fabric has a tendency to shrink. 

Modifications: none

Thoughts: This pattern is so easy, and I've always liked the look of the raw edges. They had three versions last year, and out of all of their handmade items those t-shirts received the most enthusiastic wear. No internal itchy seams combined with soft organic cotton means these shirts are super comfortable. No hems means sewing time is cut in half.

I've got a recommendation for those sewing this pattern. I saw it somewhere, although I can't remember where (sorry!). When topstitching the seams down where the sleeves meet the front and back, and along the side seams, stitch with the shirt WRONG side out so the flattened seam allowance is on BOTTOM against the feed dogs. Otherwise you'll be lifting your presser foot the whole time trying to keep those seam allowances from puckering and moving.

The biggest size for this pattern is 6/7, but Burda has a raglan pattern for big kids. I'll get it if I make more of these for Lee and just use the same technique to have raw edges. Because it's a cool look.

In other news, my house is a disaster and The Man is getting home from another business trip today. Rest time sewing will be a bust, and late-night sewing may be ditched, so this space will likely be quiet tomorrow.