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.
******************************************************************************************
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.
******************************************************************************************
My girl loves knit dresses – this would be perfect!
[…] here again, and I am totally unprepared! I had every intention of participating, but I am not having a very […]
This looks like a great pattern! It looks so comfy!
great pattern. I’ve made a start on spring clothes but the weather here still thinks it’s winter snow further south and blustery winds here so it was a quick try on for the little vintage rompers I made
yay! Thank you for hosting this again! I have a conservative (?or is it ambitious?) list of 3 things I would like to have MOSTLY done by the end of the week (I work FT). 2 of the 3 are recycling old clothes, which I have been holding onto for too long. It’s time to turn them into cute baby girl clothes!
Hi … who doesn’t love a pattern with raw edges? … :D
Um, the farthest I’ve gotten has been a read through of my pattern. I still have a few hours left ’til midnight — better get started!
cute pattern! I have never tried raglan sleeves … maybe I’ll give it a go this week.
I had a sewing disaster today making a shirt for my toddler. The overall fit is good, but the necklines are all wrong. I’ll have to try again tonight. :)
Oooooo! Cute dress! Love the print knit.
I’m cutting several projects out tonight. Tonight is cut, and maybe sew. I plan on doing some chaotic assembly line work this week!
pick me! I want to make some of those. I have too many bad sewing stories to tell since my seam ripper is right next to my sewing machine AT ALL TIMES!
How fun! I wish I had precut last week so I could have been sewing today instead of cutting, but having a great time nonetheless on a project that I have put off for weeks now!
I’m not sure you want me to list the million things that I have messed up on, the last disaster was trying to make a maternity shirt out of a man’s dress shirt. It just made me look like a marshmallow, and I wasn’t that far along. ;)
I love the dress you made- and what a great pattern. Since starting sewing a couple of years ago I have realised just how bad my visual-spatial skills are… I make major errors nearly every time I sit down and sew. Sometimes I laugh it off… sometimes not! I am getting pretty speedy with the seam ripper.
I was going to a sewing class to work on a skirt for me, but it was canceled, so maybe the universe is trying to tell me I should sew something for my 2 year old. I think I’ll get started on a twirly skirt for her.
Perfect!! I have been looking at this pattern as well and debating if I can master it. I just bought some more knit material today. I plan to master knits. It seems like every time I try to sew with them theymsterial eventually bunches up. I’ve changed the tension and bought a ball needle but I still seem to get the same result. I’m hoping it was cheap fabric?? The stuff I bought today feels a lot better as far as quality goes. The previous fabric was on clearance hopefully that was why…
Wonderful. your dress looks great.
I am very chicken about sewing knits. I think I’m traumatised by a previous attempt in which I got all sorts of fabric stuck way down in the feed-dogs and broke needles and bent things and had to deal with hostile old ladies when I took my somewhat beat up looking old machine in to be mended.
But I am game to try though and I have two lovely boys to sew for and even have fabrics picked out. no serger though so patterns that are suited for regular machine most welcome!
I’ve never (yet) tried sewiing knits, but this pattern just looks so do-able! And cute, too. :)
I clearly need it because I tried the first version and did something terribly wrong. A set of directions in the right order could do me wonders :)
I’m such a loser I can’t even participate in KCWC. I have TOO MUCH MENDING. So instead of sewing new things for kids for an hour each night this week, I’m going to mend broken kids’ items for an hour each night this week. fun stuff. ugh.
This pattern sounds like it’s just what I need… I’ve tried to sew knits before and it has NEVER went well.
Looking forward to seeing if I can actually stick to this challenge…
I have yet to venture into sewing knits and this pattern sounds like it would be the perfect first try! Thanks for the chance to win it!
Oh, that looks like a fun pattern…thanks!
I have been eyeballing this pattern for weeks!
I just finished drafting my own patter for a shirt for my son and now I am getting ready to cut out a pants pattern… my kids need some pajamas!
I hope I win!!!
great dress and pattern!
my biggest mishap was when i planned on making an awesome jacket for her daughters 5th birthday. it was supposed to be reversible and somehow came out horribly horribly wrong! the hood was attatched backwards. the sleeves were different lengths and the hems didn’t match up. biggest fail EVER!
Aww i’ve had my eye on that pattern!
I finished up my 2.5 yo daughter’s Halloween outfit today (it was started a few wks ago) which is the NieNie ruffly skirt and a coordinating vest made out of some cowboy themed fabrics, she is super excited to be a cowgirl. I also made my 9mo son a rodeo shirt and some knit pants today. For the rest of week is a few modkid patterns and matching hoodies for them :)