kcw summer 2013 [day 3]

July 17th, 2013

blue shirt and striped shorts from Japanese pattern book

Day three of Kid’s Clothes Week  and I finally have something to show you :) I made this blue tee and the stripy shorts using patterns from this book:

easy kids clothes by Ruriko Yamada

It’s called something like My First Kids Clothes or Easy Kids Clothes Sewing Finish in One Day. Depends on who’s translating. You get the gist. The author is Ruriko Yamada, the same woman who wrote Happy Homemade vols 2 and 5 (aka my favorite pattern maker ever).

striped, jersey shorts with pockets

When I discovered she had another book, I didn’t hesitate to buy it. And the patterns do not disappoint! As the title implies, they are simple, but I think the ones in the Happy Homemade books are too. I can see all the clothes in this book being made and worn many, many times. And it doesn’t hurt that the styling is extra adorable.

easy kids clothes by Ruriko Yamada

You can see the shorts I made in the picture above: pattern Z-b. I changed it a bit by adding pockets in the front and nixing the pocket in the back. I also omitted the elastic, because I thought I could make a double layer of jersey do the job. But sadly, no, they are a bit fall-y down-y as my son says. I’ll have to go back and put some elastic in to keep them up. I’m kicking myself for forgetting to add the drawstring, because even though it’s fake, it’s a nice detail. I also skipped the hem on the bottom, because I liked the casual vibe the overlocked edge gave it (and I’m a little lazy).

blue tee shirt

The tee shirt is definitely my favorite. It’s just a basic tee with a little lapped bit in the front. The binding in the collar comes to a point where the two sides overlap. This small detail just makes the shirt. And the way the pattern is made makes it super easy to figure out. Knit necklines are not my strong point, so it’s nice to have one I know I can do.

easy kids clothes by Ruriko Yamada

I loved making this shirt so much, I cut out another for my youngest.  KCW is in full swing. Have you been stopping by the blog to see what amazing clothes everyone is making?

blue tee and striped shorts

8 Responses to kcw summer 2013 [day 3]

  1. Ryan says:

    Love the T, the color is fantastic! What fabric did you use?

    • meg says:

      I think it’s called a tri ply cotton jersey. It’s from Girl Charlee and they have it in a few different colors. Beware–it’s tissue thin!

  2. ella says:

    i wish i could hire you to clothe my kids. i’m not finding the oomph to sew much these days. also i’m still terrified of jersey.

  3. kourtney says:

    I love both pieces! Great job! With the Japanese pattern book how do you translate? Is it in English as well or are there very detailed pictures? Just curious because the clothes looks so good i would love to make them for my littles!

  4. shelly says:

    REALLY CUTE!

  5. kristin says:

    oh i love that shirt! the shorts look so comfy! i recently made a maxi skirt that’s a bit fall-y down-y too. :/

  6. […] are the same Japanese pattern I used for the other stripey shorts. I forgot to add the drawstring again, so this time I unpicked the waistband and made it […]

  7. Tara says:

    That neckine! I love it! Way too cool, and really unusual. I’ve got to get in on this japanese pattern stuff.