Designing childrens clothes

After you have made a few children's dresses you may want to try to design or style your own. As you can see there are basic styles all which can be changed to make a design of your own. The best way to show the styles is from this picture:

The basque or basic bodice, is the foundation of many dresses, jumpers and blouses.   The empire line is actually a shortened version of the basic bodice. Then you have a princess style which is fitted with a gored skirt. A-line has been used for years and has never gone 'out of style' also the bases for many different designs. The dropped waist style, can be made using any of the other styles.   When you look over children's dresses, you can see how how many of them are based on these few body lines.  Add a blouse, pants and jacket pattern and you will have no limit to what you can make.

Add to your collection different collars and sleeves and you can style several garments.  This really helps with the budget as the price of patterns can be a big investment.  Don't stop there, add trims, smocking, ribbon and braid.  You can see the sky it the limit.

Collect pictures, of different styles that appeal to you. With camera phones, you can even snap a few at your favorite boutique. 

This jumper was made using the BB Holly/Hunter pattern.  It was a sample so I didn't use the best fabric, but just to give you an idea.  The overlays could be scalloped.  Ruffles could be added to the bottom, there is no limit to what you could do with this basic pattern.

         

Jiffy Baby daygown

Need a gift in a hurry?  This little day gown is super quick to sew.  The smocking can be anything you like, if you are just learning to smock, this is a perfect project.

Cut pattern pieces as follows:
Front     23"x29"
Back     10"x29" cut two
sleeves   10"x13" cut two
Neck bias  11 1/2"x 1 1/2"

The dress is 29 inches long (before hemming) and has a fullness around the hem of approximately 42".  Sleeves (before hemming) are 13" long.  You will need to mark armholes using a small size bishop pattern.  If you don't have a bishop pattern try the following: starting at the corner of the front and back edge at the cress-mark 2 1/2" from the edge, then mark 5 and 1/4" down the side of the piece.  Now just sketch with a marking pen a general outline of the armhole.  Do this for the front, back pieces of the dress.


Don't cut, don't stitch.

Before you do anything else, pleat the front of the dress for the pattern of your choice.

Now--cut out the armholes for the front, back and sleeves.

Sleeves: Turn up the sleeves edge 1/4", then turn up again 1 1/2" inches.  Stitch a casing 1 inch from the edge. Leave a small opening for 1/8" elastic.  Stitch sleeves into dress.

Back: Fold center back seam allowance to wrong side. DO NOT SEW CENTER BACK YET!

Gather top edge of back, and sleeves.  Pull up gather threads to fit bias strip (11 Inch neckline, 1/4 inch seam allowances on each end.  Attach bias to neckline.

Sew center back seam, leaving a 5 inch opening at the top. Overlap neck edge at center back 1/2 inches. Use snaps, tiny button or beauty pen to close.

Finish hem as desired.  You can use a Swiss edging or make a draw string bottom.

It would be perfect in blue for a baby boy.

I WON!!

Shirley, had a great  celebrate life giveaway and I still can not believe I won!!  All my goodies arrived today, and I am still so excited.  The bobbin holder will sure get put to good use, and I had no idea they even made something to erase the blue marks left by the marking pen.  Have the place all picked out in the garden for the flag, and it will always make me smile as it will be like having a little bit of a friend in my garden.
Thank you so much Shirley for such a fun giveaway.  Hope you all go to her blog, she is one inspirational lady.

I call it scrap sewing

.

We have all done our sewing from stash, this is sewing from scraps. You know, those pieces to small to use but to big to throw away.  I was putting them in a tub in a space I call a closet a pretty big space under the stairs.  The day came when I just had to get in there and clean.

Since I sew for grands that range in age from 3 to 10, there were pieces for everyone. This is just the start, it might encourage you to use those scraps.  Well, if you make quilts you already have a plain for everything.

These shorts are for Zoe and Chloe, plus headbands and corker bows.

The next project I am doing I call making notions.  The scraps to small for much of anything I am cutting into strips and using my serger to gather/ruffle them. Then, when a project could use a ruffle, I can go to my ruffle box and see if I have something already made that will work.

These shorts are for Seth, sewn from Kwik-Sew pattern 2604.  I will be making many more of these.

My Blue Hour

After reading about the blue hour on BNOTP and seeing what Shirley did with hers, I just had to try it.   Not being to  sure of what I was doing, I didn't have a great set up for these, just checked the time in our area and gave it a try.

I found more information including a time for my area at the bluehour site and put in the area where you live.

There is also a blue hour in the morning, now that might be interesting.

Roses for Zoe

I just knew when I saw this fabric that the smocking plate by Janet Gilbert would work perfectly.  Now, the hardest part was to do the smocking plate justice. The plate called "Roses for Rachel" was featured in Sew beautiful issue 123.  I used the CC pattern Mary De, for the jumper/dress.

Summer sewing

Finally getting a few things done for summer.  The pattern calls for a ruffle on the shorts, which I didn't add as I wanted to make short,shorts. Sometimes, at least to me, the shorts are to long on short little legs. I did remember to use Shirley's tip for marking the front of the shorts with a button. Also notice Shirley is having a giveaway, so be sure to visit and enter.

This set is sewn from the Bonnie Blue pattern, Riley.  The embroidery design is a freebie I picked up someplace, I don't remember where.

The pink set is from the same pattern. Applique by JuJu.

This one is,McCall 5573. 

Shirleys give away

Shirley is having a give away, so run over and join.  I have never met Shirley we are just computer friends but, I consider her a very good friend.  She has beaten cancer and this give away is to celebrate. Hurray for Shirley---http://prayersformymom.blogspot.com/

A little more inspiration

Still a few more Disney outfits.  These have been so inspiring to me, Jerry really does have such a creative mind.  Check out the ribbon on the sweatshirt, just a touch to make it a little different and special.

The next and the last of the Disney, is a coat and pants set. The coat was sewn using McCalls pattern M5697, although the pattern shows an unlined jacket, Jerry lined hers, with red lining.

Cruella, stands on the back of the jacket.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing this wonderful " off to Disney" set as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you.  I can only imagine all the work that went into this wardrobe.  Jerry, has always inspired me with her sewing and I hope she lets me show more of the sewing she has done. 

Rest and reflect

Sunday's are always good days to set aside to rest and reflect on days gone by and days to come.  Time to just listen to the birds and put aside if only for a moment all the schedules that need to be met.  The sewing you have planned the cleaning you must do.  Just take the time to smell the fresh air heavy with the perfume of lilacs.  Watch the birds as they splash in their bath.  
Come sit with me in the garden if only for a moment, put aside your worries and enjoy the day.

This is the tree I was afraid was lost during our wind storm. I am so thankful enough was left and it regrew.My white lilacs smell so good.

I love white in the garden, it just seems to shine and especially at night it offers a bright spot.

My next favorite is the birdbath.  There always seems to be someone coming for their bath.

My garden makes me believe in fairies, I always have and as a little girl I spent hours looking for them. Now, I know they hide very well, but they are still in the garden.