This week (and maybe into next week) I’ll post tutorials for boys and girls clothes that I’ve found around the internets and some inspiring photos of handmade clothes as well. If you have a tutorial or image you particularly love, please link to it in your comment, but try to stay on topic (girl’s tutorials in the girls clothes post, etc) so we can use these posts as a reference while we are frantically sewing late at night.

inspiring handmade clothes

1. Ice cream dress, View A, 2. flower girl dress, 3. i made my first children’s top, 4. more scraps, 5. broek voor Nuncita, 6. apron skirt no.7, 7. Lemon Floral Milkmaid Skirt, 8. Oriental Blossom Sun Dress, 9. shirt from frock pattern

fantastic tutorials for girls

1. seaside stripes 2. lazy days skirt 3. peek-a-boo skirt 4. little girl leggings 5. peasant top 6. repurposed skirt and leggings 7. twirly skirt 8. girls dress from men’s shirt 9. ruffle sleeve top

Also, there are a lot of very lovely free patterns from fabric designer nani iro. I can’t link directly to them and the site is in Japanese, but click here and have a look around. I know these are all super summery, so here is one wintery project for those down under.  And don’t worry, boys are next.

the buttons:

Feel free to copy and paste these on your blog (click on the picture and it will take you to the link to use).

the rules:

Okay, there are no rules, but it sounds less wishy washy than guidelines or suggestions. Really there is only one thing you have to do if you want to participate in kids clothes week: sew.  Sew one hour each day the second week of May.  You should probably be sewing clothes for your kids, since it’s kids clothes week, but I think accessories are close enough. You don’t have to start a new project or buy new material, you could just finish those pants that have been waiting for cuffs or the sundress you started last summer that still needs buttons. The point is just to work a little each day and see what you have to show for it at the end of the week. There aren’t any prizes, but you can post photos of your finished work in the elsie marley flickr group and we will all oooo and ahhhh over them. And that’s better than a cheap trophy, right?

the players:

kim,   tracy,   melanie,  mon ami,  annri,  terry,  kristin,  mary jo,   andreae,  karen, jess,  annika,  morgan,   kristin,   jen f,   amanda,  karin,   frekled hen,  angie k, shauna, cookcleancraft, staci,  rochelle,  leslie,  fiona,  stephanie,  april,  kyrie, anna,  jennifer,  tessa,  sandra,  britt,  andrea,  monique,  stephanie,  kate,  heather,  samlamb, trula,  rebecca,  crafty tammie, nanette, melissa q.,  pamela, beth,  roxy,  heather,  anja,  suzanne,  many a mickle,  elisabeth, candace,  mojavi,  suzann,  georgi,  ellie,  sophie,  erika,  hillary,  gabrielle,  kiona,  zenzhetty,  jules,  ellen,  islay,  kari,  addie,  jenny,  jennifer,  stephanie,  kari,  tara,  louise,  laura,  deven,  mrspilkington,  wanett,  rachel,  erin,  lisa,  cheryl,  beth,  sarah,  dottycookie,  casey,  michelle,  sarah,  belly,  jacqui,  beth lemon,  odessa, lia,  mama urchin,  kimbery,  rachel,  robyn,  sarah,  laurel,  katherine,  hillary,  kathleen,  ginerva,  jennifer, kayanna,  shisomama, shannon, nancy, tami,  audrey,  becky,  brooke,  stacy,  mama-pan,  rhea,  amy,  mary,  angela,  courtney,  chrissy,  kathi,  natalie,  kirsten, jenna, beki,  imene,  chantal,  sarah,  barbara,  kelly,  gail,  christine,  ingrid,  jerri,  claudia,  melody,  grace, isa marie, sabra , commonplaceiris, grace, wendy, lisa, marina, kristi, ellen, marlena,  courtney, caroline, kara, valeria, shanee, jackie, robyn, heather, helen, katherine, the artful parent,  two pockets, wendy, michele, rachel, emily, jessica, courtney, susan, tanya, shael, emily, ash, emmy, michelle, natasha, michele, lexie, sara, kim, jillian, heather, miktha, connie, huana, abbie,  helen, andrea, susannah, sandra, zuri, julie, uk lass in us, tlbor, jill, katie, melanie, christie, cat, jenny, sony, lynn, frikadel, ruth, eva,  julie, tangerine dreams, rebecca, cheryl, elana, emily, rebecca, corina, anna, robyn, carrie, becky, paige, kerry, renee, cassis, pati, erin, lizzy,  kendra, ane, lucy, tracey, josie, nichole, samantha, meg, andrea, megan, stephani, briana, natalie, cheryl, heather, rhianno, valerie, sascha, mandy, tanja, naomi, chantal, lily, nicola, stephanie,

to see all the posts from kids clothes week click here!

Soozs had a fantastic post last week about learning to sew. Among other things, she talks about how frustrating it is, but how with every mistake you make you are learning how to do something and how not to do something.  I remember screaming at the sewing machine when I first learned how to sew and there are still moments when I find myself swearing at the machine, or the fabric, or myself. Learning anything is frustrating as hell (just ask my 4 year old) but I think sewing has taught me to be patient with myself. So yesterday, when I was trying to make french macarons and failing miserably I went back to her post and read it again.

I used to make these cookies a lot when I worked in a bakery, but I had a professional oven and vats of ingredients and a huuuge dishwasher at my disposal.  I have none of that here.  My oven is very old and very crappy. These cookies are ridiculously delicate and difficult to make–they even have their own verb in french that describes the way you mix the batter.  So my day was spent failing (and eating my failures–sugar high! sugar high!).  But thanks to Soozs’ pep talk, I ended up with a few good batches.

And after a few more failures I now have a lovely platter of french macarons to take to a baby shower tonight.

Do go over to Soozs’ blog and read her post on learning to sew, even if you learned a long time ago.  And if you’ve joined the Kid Clothes Challenge (and yay there are so many of you already!) or are thinking about it jump over to this post about sewing for your kids on Indietutes because it’s pretty good too.  Now I’m going to see if there are any failures for me to snack on.

One of the most popular post here on elsie marley is kid clothes week. I was inspired by this post from Soulemama where Amanda sewed one garment a night for a week for her daughter’s summer wardrobe. The goal I set for myself was just one hour a night (or day) spent in my studio working on summer clothes for my kids. It’s the getting started part that’s always been hard for me, so after that first hour was over I usually stayed another and by the end of the week I had a bunch of clothes for my kids. The momentum actually lasted for the next week and the one after too (I hoped it would continue through the summer, but evening cocktails on the deck killed it, oh well).

Now for the Challenge!

On the second week of May (May 10-17) I challenge you to spend an hour each day working on clothes for your kid’s–or kids’–summer wardrobe.  This challenge is great for those new to sewing and seasoned seamstresses alike–we all have trouble getting off the couch (or off the computer). Summer clothes are super easy and don’t take much time or fabric, so you might have a whole wardrobe by the time the week is up! edit to add: Sorry I didn’t mean to leave you southern hemisphere folks out–fall clothes are cute and easy too! You have three weeks to daydream about what to make and then after a lovely Mother’s Day where your children are beautiful and well behaved and give you very cute presents, you can sew some shorts or skirts or dresses or tank tops with some of that ridiculously cute fabric you have been saving.

If you are interested in playing along (sewing along?) just leave a comment or drop me an email. I will write up a big list of participants and their blogs–though, of course, you don’t need a blog to play along. I’ll try to make a button too, so you can show everyone you are in the kid clothes week challenge. From now until the second week in May I will post some tutorials for kid’s clothes that I’ve used or that I really like. So what do you think, sound good? Are you in?

I need some help. I dyed this piece of fabric to make a curtain for our bathroom window, but my husband vetoed it. It wasn’t the fabric that he didn’t like, he didn’t want a curtain at all.  We did put up frosted plastic (or whatever you call it) for privacy, but I am paranoid that my neighbors can see me. So now I have probably a little over a yard of this ombre-ish fabric and don’t know what to make. Do you have any good ideas? Or patterns that would work?

I picked up this fabric from the sale bin (5 bucks!) yesterday because I really like the pattern, but I’m not super crazy for the colors. I thought maybe I could bleach it or overdye it or both. Do you think that would work? What color dye would look good over it? It’s just so weirdly christmasy. What do you think?