kcwc: day one
September 20th, 2010
The kids clothes week challenge is here! Gather up your supplies and your ambious list of things to sew and carve out an hour to work on it today. Then hop over to the flickr group and show us what you’re making. Be sure to check back here because as a special treat I have lined up a giveaway for everyday this week! Lots of them have to do with sewing children’s clothes, but some are just cute and I wish I could win, but I’ll let you have all the fun.
I have to confess did my sewing last week so I could have some things done to show you this week. There are some smarty pants out there who did all their cutting out ahead of time, so the flickr group is already starting to fill up with cute handmade clothes. This little number is the dress version of the Tee for Two pattern from Patterns by Figgy. It’s an amazing pattern for a simple raglan sleeve shirt in knit fabric, done on a plain old sewing machine, with all the seams on the outside and the hems left stylishly (and effortlessly) raw.
This means the shirt will be comfortable, itch free and definitely worn. It also means that you have to sew with WRONG sides together, which is very clearly stated in the directions, but it turns out there is some automatic mechanism in my brain that will not let me sew with wrong sides facing because I had to unpick the same seam three times before I got it right. It’s not like I was tired and not paying attention either: I had coffee in my system, it was mid-morning, quiet even, but my brain kept flipping the fabric behind my back.
If you think you can sew the seams on the outside without your brain short circuting, then you should leave a comment to win this very pattern. That’s right Shelley from Patterns by Figgy has generously donated the Tee for Two pattern for the first giveaway. The shirt can be long sleeved or short sleeved, or even a dress with a little gathering at the front and flutter sleeves–super customizable and for boys and girls sizes 12mo.-6/7. So leave a comment with some ridicuous sewing desaster you’ve had, or your grand plans for the week, or the weather report, or just say hi. I will use the random number picker thing tomorrow and post an update on this post with the winner.
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THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
The winner is #62, Rebecca from The Prepared Family. Congratulations Rebecca!
I used random.org and if I knew how to show you the little picture of the number picker I would, but I promise it said 62.
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Super cute pattern! My goal this week is just to complete a Cinderella skirt for my daughter’s Halloween costume. :-)
Ooh! A pattern I can use for my boys too!
Wow! I would LOVE this pattern… seems like I’ve seen a lot of it around lately. Would be really great to try! Seams on the outside – brilliant.
Oh I just love that dress version!! . . . another thing to add to my “must try” list :)
i have been reading about this pattern and keep telling myself i need to buy it. would be so great to win! i think my worst sewing adventure was my first real sewing project. i tried to make a poodle skirt for the school sock hop during my first year teaching. my sewing machine was awful – the thread kept breaking after every few stitches, and it would make this horrible knots. i also didn’t know how to sew in elastic… or a zipper, so i just sewed the waistband with thread. it wasn’t pretty.
i plan on trying to sew a knit for the first time
My hour will come after I get home from school today and I’mm planning on cutting the pieces for a pair of pajamas for my son. I’m cutting them from old thermal shirts that mysteriously “shrunk” so they no longer fit my husband. And we’re doing some driving around after he gets home so I’ll be knitting on some hats then!
I had to pick out two button-holes on a skirt yesterday, after I forgot to reset the foot and it just kept zigzagging merrily along… That was a pain, but I don’t know if it qualifies as a disaster :)
Smart of you to start early. I’d love to get this pattern. Oh, one of the mistakes I always seem to make when sewing trousers from a fabric that’s the same on both sides… I think, well, the same on both sides so doesn’t matter which side I sew… until I end up with 2 left legs, or two right ones. Always. Pants are on my plan for this week, too. Let’s see whether it’ll happen again.
this looks like so much fun to make! currently i’m having a jammed bobbin problem on the machine but hope it’s up and running in the next few hours!
I’m at work now :(
Can’t wait to get home and start sewing. I love Shelley and Figgy Kids Clothes. She was one of my first flickr friends. Hope I win :))))
Awww man! I was totally thinking of getting a head start last week, but I had too many things going on…
Well I’m devoting this entire week for this! I just gotta drop the girls off to school and I’m on like “Donkey Kong”! ;)
love this! sewing knits with a regular sewing machine– I would love to give it a try!!!
I’m so excited for this week!!
My sewing disaster – the plastic flower head pins – I sewed through the head and never realized it until I turned my bag inside out and got stabbed. I could not believe I sewed a pin into a bag and continued sewing until done before noticing…….maybe I should spend my hour napping instead :)
My rule of thumb: It’s not really a project of mine until I’ve used the seam ripper at least once.
I LOVE the T42 you made! You have motivated me to sew for my two clothing-deprived children this week!
I try to plan ahead but I work better when I just sit at the sewing machine and let it flow. I love the dress, might even try to make my own version later on this week.
Love the dress you made. I’m attempting to make a coat. I found some fabric and a pattern that I love, but I haven’t found the courage to cut the material yet. Wish me luck!
Yay! I’m so excited! I mostly sew for my kiddos year round, so this week is going to be a challenge… So far on my plate for the week: 4 pairs of pants, 2 coats, 3 dresses. totally do-able, right?
[…] That’s right, elsie marley is hosting a truly inspiring contest to get us to sew clothing for our kiddos, one hour at a time. Head over to her blog to read the details. […]
I constantly sew one right side to one wrong side. And once, instead of sewing up the side seams of a shirt, I sewed the left shirt front side to the right shirt front side. And then it was time for bed!
Goal 1: pleated skirt for my daughter with a darling purple plaid.
It took me a while that the whole rounded needed for knits was not just a suggestion. Really.
I’m going to make baby tops. And maybe a dress or two as well.
I have never sewn with knits & I really want to try it. I once sewed a pillow cover with wrong sides together. I was also wide-awake and double-checking everything. I guess it was too obvious so I overlooked it.
Just found out I’m pregnant with number 3. You’re one of the first to know. And yes… my son is 25 months and my daughter is 8 months. WHAT THE HECK!
Thanks for the challenge – and the giveaway!
While I was preparig this week, I had, not exactly a disaster, but a reality check. Pajamas that I cut out last spring are too narrow! I hadn’t hemmed them yet, anticipating the growth UP. To compensate for the growth OUT, the jammies will have tuxedo stripes up the sides in contrasting fabric.