Two Charlie Dresses

I've been meaning to take the time to make these dresses for a while but finally made it happen this past week.

The pattern is the Charlie Dress by Mingo and Grace.  I made the size 5 and 18 months so they would last longer but in hindsight could've gotten away just fine with the size 4T and 12 months since the bodice is intentionally loose.  

I love this fabric, it's from Joann's but it's not as flimsy as I was expecting it to be.  I really want to go get more to make myself a top. 

I had one yard of the fabric for Abby's dress and had to piece the ruffle/flounce part but I don't think it's too obvious, even though I obviously cut that part differently than the top (to make it all fit!).  She loves that it spins, I just think she looks adorable! 

I cut the patterns one day last week while the kids were at school, then sewed them the next day in between making cookies and cake and more cookies.

They sewed up pretty quickly even though the bias taped edges drove me nuts, as usual. The dress closes with a simple loop and button, which is super fast and easy.  

Anyway, it's nice to have another pattern from my extensive collection actually turn into usable and adorable pieces of clothing!

Oliver + S Playtime Dresses

As a follow up to my post about the Oliver + S Playtime Leggings, I also made each of the ladies a playtime dress.

For Sam (11 months old now) I made a 12-18 month size.  I shortened the sleeves and hemmed the skirt to where I wanted it. Actually I didn't measure, just ironed an approximately even distance all the way around, folded the raw end into the hem, and stitched it around.  That's how I do hems.  Hope for the best and plow forwards. 

She'll be able to wear it for a while, which I consider a bonus.  It has buttons, which caught me off guard since this is a knit pattern (fabric from Wanderlust fabrics), but the buttonhole making practice was good for me and of course it turned out just fine, it's an Oliver + S pattern!  They always work out.

For Abby's I sewed up the size 5 and it's clearly a little large in the shoulders.  I used the bottom of one of my old shirts that became too short after I disregarded the washing instructions...oops.  It has a bit of a hi-lo hem that I like.

I can also see this one transitioning into a tunic really well when she gets taller, so that's another bonus.  The mustard was from Girl Charlee a while back, and is thicker than is probably ideal for this, or at least for the thin jersey that I used for the skirt, but that's alright.  

There's also cool facing instructions that give the neckline and buttonhole parts some strength, and I found the topstitching templates great as well.  I always learn something new with these patterns and they ALWAYS turn out looking really well done.  

Abby's already worn hers a handful of times since I finished it, so that's a win despite it's imperfections!

Playtime leggings and baby toes

I finally made a pair of playtime leggings from the Oliver + S pattern of the same name.  I made them for Sam from an old maternity dress I wasn't feeling anymore.

I learned where the stretch stitch is on my machine, and used the existing hem of the dress for the cuffs of the leggings to save some time. 

These fit her really well, and turned out the best of any other leggings pattern I've made so far.  

She's starting to walk already, I'm in love with her chunky legs trying to walk around, it's so cute.  

I also made each of the girls a playtime dress (the accompanying pattern to the leggings) that both turned out really well, to be shared soon! 

You can call me Matt

"Mom, just call me Matt"

Um....and just like that he's practically grown up.  He will be 5 years old soon and the attitude growth has just showed up in the last week and a half. 

No longer does he believe that 100% of whatever I say must be true because nothing beats what Mom says.  We're at about 89% which is still awesome, but I can see that he's starting to come into his own, and the sparks of becoming an independent person are there, just flickering behind his gorgeous eyes.

One of the girls he has preschool with told me that he looks really nice when he smiles (after he was out of earshot of course), and it made my mom heart grin because she's totally right. 

I don't seem to do as much sewing for this man child as I do for the girls and there's a reason for that.  If I make something he doesn't like, he won't wear it.  No fighting about it, it'll just get lost at the bottom of the drawer never to see the light of day again, until it's too late...and he's too big for it.

So I'm particular about what patterns I try for him since he is our only boy (so far).  He saw me making two Bimaa Sweaters for Abby, and requested one with a red hood. 

And so it was done.  Probably not as quickly as he wanted, but he is always so grateful and excited anyway.  I love making things for him.  

The Nessie Top

This might be the quickest turn around I've ever had between buying a pattern and using it.  Less than a week, I think? Anyway.

The Nessie Top, from Craftiness Is Not Optional, is just as amazing as anything Jess has made.  The part that took the longest was tracing and cutting the pattern in 4 different sizes.

I had only a small amount of the teal floral and wanted to stretch it. I'm still holding onto small pieces to use as pockets in another project. 

I sewed up two shirts lickety split last Wednesday night using the color blocked option and long sleeves in the 4T and 12-18 month size.  Yes, Sam is only 6 months olds and already wears 12-18 month clothes... 

Abby wore hers all day and loves it, almost as much as I do.  I'm quite pleased with how these turned out plan to cut out some more very soon!

Lest we forget that I do have a son, I have something cut and waiting to sew up for him also.  I haven't found as many boy patterns that I like that I think he will wear so I'm hoping this one goes well... 

Kids Clothes Week: the rest

I got a bit logged down with keeping up the blogging side of sewing for Kids Clothes Week so this is a sum up of the entire week. 

You already saw the leggings.  I ended up adding 1/4" to each side of the 9-12 month size leggings pattern and it was perfect for Sam.  Long, but that's good.

I was most proud of these Bimaa Sweaters I made for Abby.  I made one hooded version (that I apparently never took a picture of...oops...) and this one (above) with the cowl neck option.  She calls it an attached scarf and loves it too.

This pattern is awesome.  I LOVE it and knew I did because it turns out so professionally and I immediately cut out another after the first one was finished.  

I have fabric to make a hooded version or two for Matthew, since he kindof missed out on this sewing.  Boys seem harder to sew for.  It takes a bit more brain power for me to sew for him than for either of the girls.  But hopefully he'll have some good pieces in a few weeks.

Samantha got a new Geranium Dress (pattern here) and it definitely won't be her last.  You've heard it before, excellent pattern.  Go buy it. 

And finally, I made a Lucille Top for Abby that she is nuts for!  Hello strawberry knit!!  Love that print.  This was fun to put together (the combinations of fabrics you could use!!!), but shows me I do need to keep practicing.  There is some waviness to the hems.  Actually, the pattern calls for cuffs on the sleeves, but I put mine on and they wouldn't fit over her hands!!  Ha.  So I cut them off.  I plan to put something there, but haven't done it yet. 

I have one more to show you but that will turn up in the next post!

And, as usual I cut more than I got to sew up, so you're very definitely in for more kids clothes sewing for all of the foreseeable future! Yay!

The Sunshine Dress

I wanted to make Christmas clothes for the Sunday before Christmas but never got around to it until Sunday morning.  I also wanted them to be a little matchy, but not in a barftastic way...

I have had The Sunshine Dress pattern for a while, and this was the first time I've used it. 

I omitted the drawstring on the bottom and just used the main fabric for the band at the bottom of the skirt instead of a contrasting fabric. 

You know what's super great?  This pattern has pockets, which always makes me and my kids happy.  I made polka dot pockets and you cant tell they're there unless Abby's hands are in them.

I love the box pleat detail in the front.  Yellow ric-rac wouldn't be my first choice to go with this, but we were in a use what you have situation, and I think it works.

From start to finish this dress took 2 hours to make.  I finished with 5 minutes to spare before church (even though it was safety pinned closed in the back). 

She wore a cardigan over it because winter sucks here and is really cold, and because I haven't messed with adding sleeves to things yet unless they're included already in the pattern options. 

I also made Matthew a bow-tie and but didn't get any good pictures of them together.  It's pretty cute though. 

I just finished the buttons before writing this, (I'm avoiding the inevitable chore of going to the post office today but alas, I will have to do that next...) and while there is none of this teal/aqua color anywhere else, I like it. 

Abby loved it, and approved it's excellent spin and poof factor.  This dress is an unexpected Christmas dress and (in my opinion) wound up looking pretty cool. 

Just like my little lady face.

Kid Shorts

So this past weekend I set out to get some things finished that are cluttering up my space, and my head.

I turned some pants into shorts that were too short, or too hole-y for Matthew to wear as pants anymore.  That was easy.  

Then, I tried to alter some of my t-shirts that either didn't fit right or got messed with in the wash into nightgowns Abby....It didn't go so well...but I did end up with one "nightgown" that she thinks is cool, and since she won't wear it in public I think that's cool too.

To redeem myself from that disastrous attempt at whatever it was....I cut out a bunch of sizes of the new Kid Shorts pattern from Dana which you can get here.

I made one pair, and then cut out four more. No joke.

It's really the best, most satisfying pattern I've made in a long time.  And the kids think it's good enough to wear, which is half the battle, so there's that.

If you sew clothes for your kids, then you should get this pattern.  And nobody but me is telling you to do it.  It's not expensive at all, and they're super quick to make.  Cutting and tracing the pattern takes longer than making these shorts. 

Once you look over the tutorials for the different cuts and modifications you can do, you'll have the process down.  And the result is fantastic.

*The only place I get myself into trouble is making the casing for the elastic.  I'm not super precise (or patient...), so I don't usually measure that part, and occasionally I get myself a little stuck and have to work extra hard to get the elastic where it needs to be, but that's it.  And it's a totally self-inflicted problem...  

And now my kids have more shorts!!  Everybody wins.

*And somehow I didn't get a picture of the ones I made for Matthew...his are from brown corduroy I had in my fabric mess.   They turned out awesome too!

A dress for Abby

Reading blogs the other day I came across this post and was instantly smitten with the adorableness of the Baby Slip Dress.

Fortunately for me (and you) it is available as a free pattern, so I printed it out and started cutting over the weekend.

Abby wanted a dress that matched this one I made (newborn sized geranium dress) for the baby and I had enough fabric leftover that I thought this would be a great use for it.

 I made the 4T size, and it's perfect, even though Abby's only 3.  I like longer stuff on her and have found most 3T sizes don't hit her quite right.  Plus, she's growing pretty fast so I know she'll be able to wear it for more than 3 months before growing out of it! 

It was quick to make, and the instructions and pictures are super helpful and easy to follow.  Even the bias tape isn't that scary.  I used store bought bias tape just so you know.  I'm not too good at making bias anything so I don't.  

I'm sharing this totally on my own, just because it turned out so darn cute!  Go make one! And she absolutely wore it for church this past Sunday, but wouldn't be still enough for a picture...of course....