stripey shirts and pants
March 18th, 2010
This year I am determined to cut into the ridiculous amount of fabric I have amassed in my basement. It’s not there just to look at, right? It’s there so I can make the clothes and quilts and toys that my family needs instead of buying all that crap. So this is probably going to be the first of many matching family ensembles.
I don’t know how all those bloggers out there take beautiful pictures of their kids while showing off the beautiful clothes they have on at the same time. This is the best photo I got and it was the last of about a hundred, and really it’s not that great. But you get the drift: one long sleeve shirt, one short sleeve, and one pair of leggings.
all made out of this geek chic fabric I found at the thrift store a loooong while back. It is so perfectly seventies: the stripes are brown and this sort of rainbow confetti, meshy stuff (my daughter calls them her sprinkles pants). It’s a knit that has sat on the shelves waiting for me to learn how to use my serger. And guess what? I learned how to use my serger! A gracious friend taught me how while we made the 90 minute shirt together.
She made the long sleeve version and I made the short sleeve, but hers was so cute I ran home and made the long sleeve one. Of course I didn’t read the directions, screwed it up and the sleeves are too long, but that drooly baby really couldn’t care less.
Now my daughter wants to know where daddy and mama’s matching shirts are. Sound of music here we come!
Love it! You inspire me to use all the stuff I’ve got laying around here…and I can’t get those beautiful kid pictures, either (and I can’t imagine getting one of a teething baby), but your kids are adorable and your blog is REAL. That’s why I love it.
Make sure you share once you get the parent shirts done! :o)
Those are so great! I love the confetti mixed into the gray. When the parent shirts are done you can call this the Edelweiss fabric. And your baby is getting so very big. It seems not long ago that you announced his birth, and here he is preparing for teeth and everything.
i love the ensemble. very cool.
seriously cute! shirts, pants and drooly baby!
What a fabulous set
no, no, there will be no matching parent shirts! that was sarcastic, sillies. besides there isn’t any fabric left (thank goodness).
No, No, No! No perfectly composed kids in clothes photos, please. I love you just the way you are. And I love your kids matchy shirts and pants.
What kind of serger do you have? Just curious….
I just love the 90 minute shirt, its almost time for me to start round two of construction short sleeves for spring! love it VonTrapp
those are amazing!
how awesome. you’ve probably mentioned it elsewhere, but what kind of serger do you use?
I’m in the same boat, I feel like I’ve been collecting fabric long enough (really not that long, but I have a lot) – now I just need to make stuff!! I love the shirts and leggings. My oldest loves leggings, did you use a pattern or just trace an existing pair? Cute cute!
Love the in inspiration. I think yours are adorable and I agree the kids look beautiful au naturale. The only shots I can get of the baby are either super far or of her drooly face right in the lens. LOL
I’m definitely going to be making some of these. I just happen to have an already traced envelope neck tunic from ottobre in the baby’s size and will just lop it off to shirt length maintaining the a-line shape.
Fabric is not just there to look at? I guess I ought to drag out the sewing machine, then. These 90 minute shirts look so sweet, but in my experience, other people’s 90 minutes equals about 3 days of hard labour around here. Plus I’m scared of knits.
i like this set and love your fabric!
…now i want some sewing lessons for these super great 90 minutes shirts
Extremely cute stuff!
Awww, those are the sweetest photos of your children!
That first one with the little one looking up at you is perfect! I love the last one where it looks like she’s dancing. Very cute ensemble.
totally dig that olive/rainbow fabric, and perfectly adorable kiddo-modeling too!
No, totally great pictures. And great job on those shirts and pants. Knits scare me.
Almost makes me want to run downstairs and fire up my serger to try to figure it out… almost. Love those pieces!
So the first 90 minute shirt took 3 1/2 hours, but the second set (I made another of the same, and then did a 5T-er with a newly made pattern) took combined only 3 hours. So i guess that really is 90 minutes! I just did all of the cutting together and all of the serging steps together. Helped a lot. Meg, glad to see that the fabric turned out! And i love the grey jersey :) AND the serger ISN’T scary – and YES, you can manage the re-thread.
The photo is adorable. Who needs a perfect baby photo when your family is beautiful in any picture? Great outfits, too!
Yes–I echo the serger question as to which you have. I do not have one myself, but feel like I should? Should I?
Whatever the case, those matching outfits rock it. I sometimes buy my son and husband sort-of matching shirts. They both of have these shirts from Charlie and Sarah:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39014679
Love it when they wear them together–so, maybe you should reconsider the matching shirts for the whole family…
I have a bernina serger (that my husband bought in a going out of business sale!) and I’ve only used it a few times so I don’t know much about it. I like it, but I’ve never used a serger before so I don’t have anything to compare it to. And whether you need one or not, I just don’t know. It’s the question everyone asks, but no one really answers.
Hey! those are fantastic! I love that fabric. You’re making me jealous w/ your thrift store score…I NEVER find good fabric at the thrift store, grr. I’m convinced those old ladies who work there are swiping it for themselves. And do I think you NEED a serger. I’m to the point now where when that fabric flies through in seconds I think to myself, how did I get by without this before? It allows me to make a baby dress in a nap, something I couldn’t do before without previous plotting/cutting.
and that baby dress is cuuuute!
that photograph is perfectly composed and tells the whole story…i love the baby looking right up as if to check on what mama is doing! stripey fabric is a hoot! i’m inspired to maybe save up my pennies for a serger and stop fighting my love of stretchy fabrics!