kids clothes week

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KCW Fall 2013: Day 3

Okay, day 3. We’re going from red and trendy on Kids Clothes Week Day 2 to a more refined and classic look today.

Shedding the stretchy skinny for perfect, polished pintucks.

 

ParsleyPants

I am a big fan of these pants. The fabric is so soft and has great drape, and the pintucks dress them up without looking too stuffy. I used the Parsley Pants Pattern by Rae of Made By Rae. I used this pattern over the summer to make shorts for Eli, but this was my first time making full pants. It’s a well thought out pattern with several variations and great instructions. I highly recommend.

The fabric I chose is a stretch sueded twill from fabric.com. It is incredibly soft and truly looks and feels like suede. The website indicates it’s 100% cotton, but the wrong side of the fabric neither looks nor feels like a natural fiber. I forgot to take a photo to show you.

ParselyHem

Yes, these boots have seen a lot of wear!

I made a size 4T and cut them slightly, slightly wider in the hips since the pattern indicates the pintucks will make the pants about an inch slimmer through the hips. My son is pretty slim, but I wanted to assure the pants would have an easy fit throughout; it worked out beautifully. And since my son tends to grow up more than he grows out, I also made a nice wide hem to allow me to let the hems down after the next growth spurt.

There are plenty of even viagra online free cheaper anti ED medicines available that help men to get rid from the dysfunction and to maintain sufficient erections. This drug is prescribed for a happy and long sexual life but it also cures minor heart problems. cheap sildenafil uk works on male reproductive system by the same way that the levitra works. Sorts of could arise within the lean meats in the type of hepatitis, cirrhosis possibly ailing liver failure. buying viagra in italy There are so many people round the corner who are simply okay by living with this issue and all the credits go to wholesale viagra. With these snazzy new pants to carry him through the cooler months, I needed to make sure he’s warm up top, too. Enter the warm, snuggly shawl collar cardigan.

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The cardigan is from the Dear My Kids Shawl Collar Cardigan pattern. Another good pattern!

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Confession: I love shawl collars. My son will probably end up hating them since I can see myself making this cardi for him every year until he outgrows the pattern! Although, he looks pretty happy right now.

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When Eli first tried on this outfit, I thought, “hello, Professor.”  Too stuffy? Naaahhh…

WorkinMan

He’s still got his goofball side!!

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KCW Fall 2013: Day 2

RedPantsHeader

Let’s paint the town red, shall we? I’ve mentioned before that my son’s favorite color is red. Still is.

During the Celebrate the Boy sewing challenge earlier this year, I made him red shorts, by request.  He has outgrown the shorts, and we are headed into cooler weather, so his special request for KCW was — you guessed it — red pants!

How could I deny him?

Behold the power of red pants.

They might make you want to dance. (Note to David Bowie: consider changing lyrics to put on your red pants, and dance….)

DancePants

Or make you fly like superman.

FWCFly2

FWCFly1

Or, climb the walls.

wallclimb

I used the HOSH Pants pattern from LouBee Clothing, purchased here on Etsy. It’s intended to be a kids unisex pattern. I still can’t believe, however, that I made skinny jeans for my son. Even though I own a couple pairs, I kind of hate skinny jeans. And skinny jeans on men? No thank you. But I think I can tolerate skinny jeans on children. I think. I’m seriously considering re-making these pants for my son and cutting the legs just slightly wider. The pants have a flat front — no fly — so they make me a little uneasy that they look like red leggings on my son.

And here, if you are giving order for the branded one it is okay, but if it occurs, promptly go to see your doctor. levitra professional Or, he will recommend other natural treatment lowest prices for sildenafil if it is too mild. Spinal decompression works by gently stretching the buy cialis from india icks.org spine – taking pressure off spinal discs (gel-like cushions between the bones in your spine). Counseling is a effective way to treat ED- Fact Many couples still buy cheap sildenafil don’t understand the importance of counseling.

In order to tackle my leggings-look-alike concerns, I decided to add rear pockets. And not just plain old pockets, but arrow ribbon adorned pockets!

PocketClose

I found the ribbon at Jo-Ann’s while I was looking for embellishment for a different project. I think the pockets and the ribbon rescued the pants from potential legging-itis. The pattern doesn’t call for pockets, and they were an afterthought for me, so I ended up adding them to the previously constructed pants.

Okay, wait for it ….

BUTT SHOT!!

FWCbuttshot

(By the way, are you amused by the left/right designations on my son’s shoes? )

Despite my skinny-pants-on-guys issues, I loved sewing this pattern. Great instructions, no heavy lifting. And I love the bonus feature of an adjustable waistband! The waistband is sewn as a separate piece from the main pant pattern pieces and looks so nice. I used stretch denim (from Jo-Ann’s) and it was perfect for this project. I also trimmed the waistband seam using blue bias tape for an extra special finished look.

BiasFinish

AdjustWaist

I have the feeling I will use this pattern many more times. I already have a few stretch fabrics set aside to make Hosh Pants for my daughter; and modified with a slightly wider leg, they will be a great fit for my son, too.

Okay, two projects completed for this KCW. That’s double my output from KCW Summer 2013. Let’ see if I can keep ’em coming!

kid's clothes week

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KCW Fall 2013: Project 1

CoatonWall

It’s Kids Clothes Week! This fun event is held twice a year (spring and fall) and challenges sewists to commit an hour a day, or more if schedules allow, sewing children’s clothing. No competition, no judging; just a personal commitment of time and effort, and a chance to simultaneously enhance sewing skills and wardrobes. KCW was created by Meg at elsie marley, and now has its very own blog and community site here, where participants can post the results of their efforts and cheer on each other.

KCW 2013 Fall Sidebar Button

Even though this week can be rather exhausting, with all the rushing around to sew, photograph and post projects in a short timeframe, it is one of my favorite times of the year. I love seeing all the wonderful clothes that fellow sewists are creating. There are truly inspiring projects in the KCW photo pool every year. And I always discover new sewing blogs to follow. I’m pretty confident, however, that the KCWs do not rate quite as highly with my family! My children are made to endure multiple photo shoots, we all eat more take-out than usual this week since meal prep takes a back seat to sewing, and I’ll admit that a string of later-than-usual nights at the sewing machine takes its toll on my temperment, as well.

My goal for this KCW is to step out of my sewing comfort zone by trying new patterns, new skills, new fabrics. I sometimes have a bad habit of underestimating or discounting my own abilities, and too often I’ll see a pattern or a project on a blog and think, “that’s SO great, but I’m not ready for that yet.” So this KCW I’m stepping up my game. I’m sure there will be missteps along the way, but at the very least it will be a learning experience — and hopefully the good will outweigh the bad and potentially unwearably ugly!

So, now that I’ve revealed my philosophy for this Kids Clothes Week, let’s get to the project reveal, shall we?! More photos, less talk — that will be another theme for the week.

My Day #1 reveal is a double breasted coat with a peter pan collar for my daughter.  The pattern is by dmkeasywear, purchased on Etsy. I used a stretch denim purchased at Jo-Anns for the exterior, and a Dear Stella cotton print for the interior. I think the lining fabric is so great! I was back and forth about whether to use a solid or a print for the exterior, but the practicality of a solid finally won me over. The compromise in my internal battle was to go bold for the lining.

coatbackwall

coatlining
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My new machine has an embroidery feature, so I thought it would be fun to include my daughter’s name on the lining. I like the concept, but I think I might have preferred a block script to the cursive.

Coatname

coatCollar

This was my first time sewing with stretch denim. It’s somewhat stiff, but I think that lends nice structure to the coat, and I bet the stiffness will subside a bit with more washing. I was surprised at the level of wrinkles produced by just one wearing, as evidenced by the pictures; although the coat was the subject of some extra handling as I set up for the photos. While sewing, I had to remind myself not to force or stretch the exterior stretch denim fabric to avoid a misshapen exterior or wonky seams. My new machine feeds fabrics so nicely, and I’m more accustomed to having to “help” my old machine along at times.

coatfront

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coatside

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What do I think about the outcome?

The misses: Generally I found the pattern to be well-written but there were a few parts where I misunderstood the instructions. I haven’t seen this mentioned in other reviews of the same pattern, so I think it’s more an issue of my mind working differently than the pattern drafter’s mind; and I would have described the step a bit differently. I ended up sewing the coat exterior twice because I messed up attaching the arms on my first go around, and simply wanted to start fresh. The back pleat on the jacket, hmmmm. First time for me with a back pleat, and being unfamiliar with it shows. My buttonholes also didn’t turn out as nicely as I’d hoped, and I should have made the top row a bit higher to avoid the sag in the top corner. I also wish I’d added a facing to the coat, for a more professional look on the lining side. I didn’t even think about it, but then I found this post after the fact and was kicking myself for not finding it sooner. Next time, perhaps!

The highlights: The pattern comes together pretty quickly. Despite a couple of construction misses due to my misunderstanding, I would give the pattern a thumbs-up and will probably make it again in a few years. The current coat is going to fit Daisy for a while. I intentionally sized up because I would like the coat to fit her again in the spring. I hate when I sew the kids something and it’s outgrown in a matter of weeks! I made a 2T without any alterations for fit (she’s still wearing mostly 18-24 months right now), and it’s definitely roomy and the sleeves are long. The bonus is I get to roll up the sleeves for a peak at the lining fabric! There also won’t be any problem fitting the jacket over sweaters, so that should extend its wear into early winter.

And I should probably mention, I did NOT sew this entire coat today on Day 1 of KCW! I am hoping to be able to share a project each day of KCW (perhaps a bit ambitious!), so I started a little early.

Now, back to my sewing machine. Day #2 will be here before I know it!

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KCW Summer 2013: Halter Top & Skirt

It’s Kids Clothes Week again! This is the first time that Kids Clothes Week has ever been held during the summer. I’d like to jump up and down with excitement, but it’s too darn hot. Sweat through your shirt with the slightest effort kind of hot. Yuck. I’ve been gnashing my teeth and shaking a fist at this heat and humidity for weeks now.

I feel really lucky to have a dedicated sewing space in my home, but that space is essentially in a finished portion of the attic and has no air conditioning. So sewing is a pretty steamy affair around here right now. Despite the fact that I have enough visions of cute summery dresses and fun shorts to easily fill a week’s worth of sewing, I think I may keep my KCW contributions to a minimum this time around. I’m happy to divert my energy toward cheerleading for those KCW participants who are braving the heat. Unless of course they’re sewing while in the comfort of their air-conditioned homes. In which case I am jealously giving them the evil eye. Kidding (sort of)!

Before succumbing to generalized humidity-induced crankiness – a condition that has been known to last even beyond summer – I did manage a project for Kids Clothes Week. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good detail pictures. I’m going to blame that on the heat and humidity, too! It definitely has nothing to do with the fact that a certain mommy dragged her children to the park at noontime on a 90+-degree day to take pictures. Nope. While we’re at it, can I also blame the humidity for my daughter’s hair? It’s time for that fine baby hair to give way to luscious locks, or at least a little curl. Please!! It’s kind of funny how we’re on opposite ends of the hair spectrum. Mine is a thick frizz-fest right now.

Despite the fact that I spent some time this past weekend purposefully selecting fabrics and sketching ideas for KCW, this project was a spur of the moment idea. The halter top fabric and the skirt fabric ended up next to each other in my fabric stash quite accidentally (yeah, I wish my stash was organized enough to be sorted by color), and they caught my eye as I sat down for a night of sewing. Given all this sticky weather, I was determined to sew something for staying cool. The shirt fabric is a linen/rayon blend I purchased a few weeks ago with plans to make a skirt for myself, and the skirt fabric is a cotton print from the clearance rack at Jo-Anns.

Yes, the halter top wrinkles more easily than cotton because of the linen, but it has a great drape with the rayon. I think I need to resurrect my plans to make myself a skirt, since I have enough fabric leftover.

I made the halter top the same way I’d make a pillowcase dress, so it was very simple. I upgraded the project a bit by using french seams on the top and skirt for a nice finished look on for the interior. The top is faced around the armholes using the same fabric as for the skirt, cut on the bias to give it stretch. Rather than a long ribbon or tie to close the neckline (like here), I enclosed a skinny piece of elastic (1/4 inch) in a loop of fabric made with the coordinating cotton print. The elastic stretches enough to make it easy to pull the top on and off, and eliminates the need for a long ribbon that ends up flapping around, coming untied and getting in the way. This may become my new method for finishing pillowcase dresses and tops.

blurry phone shot

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I love this park. When Daisy was a newborn this park was on our regular walking route, and it was so peaceful to push the carriage through here. Probably in large part because it’s not a “playground park”; it’s quiet, with big open spaces, a greenhouse, an area for community gardens, and some remaining structures from when the land was privately owned, all surrounded by a stone wall. It has a very interesting history. And despite the heat, the kids were having a fun (sweaty) time exploring. Eli has already proposed that we return with a picnic lunch.

No, we did not add our initials!

Unintentionally coordinated outfits — obviously I like these colors!

It was reassuring to see them embrace this park without a playground. It’s easy to feel like we’re constantly overloaded with distractions that keep us from enjoying the simple beauty around us.  And while I have fun sliding and swinging with them at the playground, too, I welcomed the break from jungle gyms, bats, balls and toys. And especially, sandboxes. Eeeww, I still feel the same way about sandboxes.