It wouldn’t be KCW if there wasn’t some sort of screw up. I really thought I would have a new outfit each day to post this week, but no. These shorts were supposed to be for my 7-year-old boy, but they were way too big. I had a black t-shirt I made for him too. I was about to iron on a design he made, but then his younger brother’s shirt came out of the dryer. (more…)
It’s day one of Kid’s Clothes Week! I started super early this KCW. Mostly because all my kids needed summer clothes. The problem with starting early is that one project turns into 4 more that I want to make. See I work like a crazy person. I don’t start one thing and then work on it until it’s done. No, I start something then get an idea for something else, abandon my first project and start on the new one right away. Then I get discouraged, or bored, or get an idea for yet another project and start that.
That’s Mr. Muscles up there kissing his giant biceps and wearing his new shirt and shorts. I almost got two shirts and two pairs of shorts done for each kid, but the last pair of my daughter shorts refused to happen. Still, 5 tee shirts and 5 pairs of short is not too shabby.
And this whole outfit is self drafted! The binding on the tank is not perfect, but it was the first time I had ever done it. I used a strip of jersey like it was bias tape to bind the neckline and sleeves. It’s very narrow and I liked the look of it so much, I used it for most of the tops I made this week. I might even feel compelled to write a tutorial, because it looks so nice when you use it with Rae’s Flashback Tee pattern.
The shorts I drafted myself because I liked the style of running shorts, but I wanted a waistband. The blog-o-world has not embraced the separate waistband and I really can’t figure out why. It’s not that much more work and it ends up looking so much nicer. Plus it makes adding pockets super easy.
Obviously, my boys like blue.
This one requested and ice cream shirt and he’s the youngest, so an ice cream shirt he got. I used the Flashback Skinny Tee pattern and bound the neckline like the tank.
I really love Bobo Choses (a kidswear clothing line) and their printed shirts are extra good. I was going for that look with these two shirts (and a few more waiting to be finished). I did them with freezer paper stencils and fabric paint. Remind me next time though to get the good paint, because the cheap tulip brand stuff is crapola–the black is really charcoal gray and it turned a muddy brown in spots when I ironed it. Lame! At least he doesn’t mind.
The shorts are, boring boring, the pattern I always make from Happy Homemade vol 2. But super exciting news: Happy Homemade vol 2 is coming out in English this November! Woo Hoo! I smell a sew-a-long.
Did you sew along this summer’s kcw? Follow along? Either way stop by the kcw blog to see today’s featured clothes. Happy KCW (and later this week for the big wrap up)!
I think this outfit looks pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself. It’s far from perfect, but it’ll do just fine.
striped banyan tee and yellow linen prefontaine shorts with beige bias trim.
The shirt was a breeze to sew. The pattern is Figgy’s Banyan tee and it is perfect for summer. I was quite pleased with how the collar came out. The hem on the other hand is on the wonky side. I’m still getting used to sewing with jersey. This striped jersey is from Joann’s and I actually like it a lot. It’s very thin, but the stripes are a bit textured and that gives the fabric some body (or structure or weight or something that makes me not curse when I sew with it). I used the blue colorway on a tee shirt I made for the handmade kids clothes swap.
The shorts gave me a run for my money. I think I sewed every single seam wrong at the start. They are constructed in a different way then I’m used to. I like to sew each leg separate, then put one leg in the other, and sew the crotch seam (if you don’t sew, that was a very odd sentence). In this pattern, you sew the front together, then the back, then sew those two bits together, and then the crotch. I think.
There weren’t enough pictures in the pattern for me and I got lost very quickly. But eventually it came together and they are cuuuute. I love the way the beige bias tape looks with the yellow linen. I just realized this is a whole Joann’s outfit. Sometimes, man, they get it right.
Have you seen the featured projects for kcw day four? They are good, check em out!
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:
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).
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.
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).
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.
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?
