Kids Clothes Week - Prepster Pullover

Thing One seriously needs things with long arms in his wardrobe. It isn't that warm here yet (in sunny Southern Germany) and he seems to have lots of short sleeved tops but not much to keep him any warmer.

This is where a couple of long sleeved shirts come into play. I picked up this lovely blue and white checked cotton about a zillion years ago. For anyone from Düsseldorf, it came from the Pfaff shop on Wehrhahn. That place has been gone a long time. Well I digress a little.

Not much to show yet apart from the material and my little helper here

It is really soft and I am hoping that the lack of proper collar and large amount of buttons will reconcile Thing One to it. If it is an easyish sew,  then there will be several more and Melly Sews made it as it is a nice multisize pattern, then there can be some for Thing Two too. Sounds like a deal to me. I shall keep you posted.

Anyone else have little ones that just love to push pins into fabric?

Kids Clothes Week - Cutting and Cutting

So yesterday ended with me taking the moody beast to a very nice man who promised to repair it. The whole incident put a bit of a dampner on my sewing mojo. But I decided that nothing was gained by moping and that if in doubt cutting out the next project is the way to go. So I cut out Toni and bought and bought the Prepster Pullover pattern. Nothing like sticking to your guns.

It was a bit dark in the kitchen where I cut Toni out. And even I have to admit that Husband was right when he pointed out that the whole affair reminded him of the 1970s. Stripes, brown, orange, brushed cotton, slim top.. Well I survived the 70s, (and the 80s!) so he will too. Maybe I'll whack a great big fat star on the front in a tribute to the 10s.

I got the bodice part sewed up before falling into bed to dream about a repaired serger......

Kids Clothes Week.... Boy's Purple Cords... II

So I once I had got all my fabric, trim, ideas and stuff together, I sewed like a fiend. Time flew. I got pockets done,

 

I got trim on, even keeping the stitches on the red part of the ribbon. I was feeling very proud of myself.

I even got the topstitching on the pocket and the hem of the trousers done nicely. 

By then it was past midnight. I got my nice soft, grey waistband cut and pinned. You've guessed it by now. I was half way around the waistband on my overlock and she started to play up. The stitching started to get loopy. But it was almost 1am..... I ignored it. And now I know, as I knew before, don't ignore the moody beast. She is a moody beast. She doesn't like being up after midnight. There was a terrible snap, a needle broke and now the machine is fit for the repair man. The presser foot handle even flipped over?! Not sure how that could happen. 

The groovy purple corduroy trousers still have a quarter of the waistband to be attaached. I had to bite the bullet and finsh them on my regular sewing machine. Grr.....

Having said that, I think they are quite groovy. Let's hope Thing Two does too! 

Kids Clothes Sewing Week... Boy's Purple Cords

My sewing methods are less than fast and efficient. Somehow I can’t really just print out/trace the pattern pieces, decide on my trims and then get on with it. I cut out the main pattern pieces, fiddle around with colours and trims, wonder if there is a better option lurking in my material den. Shall I use yardage or shall I try and bodge it out of some existing clothes. And then once I have decided on the fabric to use, I mentally have to say good bye to all the other things I could have made out of that precise piece of material (in today’s case… good bye groovy purple cords, goodbye cute purple corduroy skirt).

So today I am sewing Thing Two a basic pair of cords. He is little… two to be precise so there is still time to be loud, bright and a little bit playful with his clothes. Thing One would gladly wear those kind of clothes too, but I am a little more reserved as there is nothing worse (well there is really) than being teased about the clothes you wear. He gets funky PJs instead! Back to Thing Two… got the cord, now time to look and see what I can use for the waistband that goes with the purple. I am going to use ribbing as I’d like them to be super fast to sew and very comfy. I am secretly hoping that nappies will become a feature of the past over the next few months and a fly isn’t conducive to that. My purple ribbing is too soft, berry red makes them look kind of girlie. Nothing wrong with girliness, but Thing Two is everything but girlie. I settle on grey. Now time to get cutting. 

 Trousers cut…. I think a pocket would look good and it would be a handy place to put tissues. Those tissues that cover all the clothes in white bits in the washing machine have to come from somewhere, don’t they? Pockets cut…. Oh now here is an opportunity to use some of my boy trim. Out it comes. And hey, well now I could cover the top of the pocket with a different material. Back to the fabric den… I come back with some purple and white striped material that has up to now spent it’s life being a man’s shirt. Fiddle it around the pocket, yay…  I like it. Oh no, do the trousers need turn-ups? They will be too long to start with. Well the striped material will get dirty really quickly and the only grey I have to go with the waistband is light too. So quick decision against turn-ups. I suppose I can always put some material in later, if I change my mind.

Well now it is all collected, I can continue to cut and pin. I now know what the trousers will look like and how I want to go about them. Now it is time though to get on with other stuff. But I suppose this is the creative bit that takes them time. ….. I’m just nipping off to see if red ribbing wouldn’t be better. I do have some bright red…..(YveeB)