Book: Kwik Sew's Sewing for Toddlers

OK start the mocking now. So I bought another sewing book. This one is definitely dated. The Kwik Sew's Sewing for Toddlers by Kerstin Martensson was originally published in 1992. I really wasn't too deterred by this. This book received great (current) reviews. So much of the feedback given on amazon indicated that with very little effort that these patterns can be modernized and that they are timeless. For practical toddler clothes I can see where this is possible. That being said, I think this one has "good bones" and I'm excited about diving in to it. The sizes are 1T-4T and most of the patterns are intended for knit and sweat shirt fabrics.

This is one of the examples of a great outfit for a toddler. I have a handful of rompers just like this that my Sammy wore frequently as a baby and Noah is now wearing. These have been of favorite of mine so I'm happy to have a pattern to make my own. 

For Summer Kids Clothes Week this week I am definitely going to make something from this book.  I may even attempt to make a summery version of this jump suit. 

So mock me all you want. I'm determined to make this one work ; ) For fun I ordered my all time favorite movies to watch while using it, Mr. Mom.

Thanks for stopping by the nest!
Darla

Spring 2015 KCW - Jammies

As usual I need PJ's for my kids. Kids clothes week is the perfect time to make these since they don't require much of your time and allows for several items verses one very labor intensive item.

Since I have been in pattern book mode, I decided to try out the Growing up Sew Liberated by Meg McEwee again. A couple years ago I made the basic pocket pants/shorts found here and had some problems with the rise of the shorts. After making some adjustments to the pattern they ended up being my son's favorites that summer. I was hoping to yield the same results with the PJ's. The pink and gray shirt & pants are the Crossover TShirt & Sleeping John's in size 5. I used a hot pink rib knit and heather gray interlock from JoAnn Fabric. 

The only change I made was to add hot pink rib knit to the ankles of the Sleeping John's to coordinate with the crossover t. The pants came out great and fit perfectly. The crossover t was a bit big but I'm OK with that since they will still fit next year.

I made the Growing up Sew Liberated envelope shirt in size 18 months for my little Noah. I used the same gray interlock that I used for Hannah's jammies and recycled a old green jersey knit t-shirt. 

I struggled a bit with getting the envelope shoulder right but when I finally figured it out the fit was perfect. I used Maxi-Lock Stretch Thread for the first time and lover it! It is challenging if you need to pull the stitches since it is made up of dozens of gauzy type threads that stretch more than break (which is a good thing). I only have it in white which is why you see it in the zigzag top stitching, Now that I know I love it I'm going to see if it comes in more colors.

I can see making envelope shirt pattern again and again. 

(Noah is not a fan of modeling. I thought photo's of toddlers was challenging.)

Unfortunately, the Growing up Sew Liberated Sleepy John's does not come in infant sizes nor does the pattern book have a baby PJ pants or legging alternative so I self drafted these using one of Noah's other PJ pants and they fit him perfectly.

If anyone else is looking for 18 month PJ pants pattern let me know and I'll send you a PDF of my pattern.

Finally all caught up! Now on to Summer Kids Clothes Week.

Thanks for stopping by the nest!

Darla

Spring 2015 KCW - Stitch Wear Play Sun Top and Shorts

The Suntop and Shorts from Stitch Wear Play totally redeemed my sewing experience with this book. I love this little outfit! Better yet so does Hannah which is a surprise since she loves her dresses. The top pattern is not to far off from the Oliver+S Popover dress. Add a little gathering to the neck, shorten it to shirt length and add a ruffle to the bottom and you have the popover.

The shorts on the other hand have a unique shape to them and I quite like it. Its most noticeable in the top picture. They have a slight scoop to the back of the leg which make for a really nice fit.  

The fabric is a hot pink plaid puckered woven cotton. I picked this one up at my small local Walmart a couple years ago with this kind of outfit in mind and it worked out perfectly. It frays something horrible so I just surged each of the pieces prior to assembling and that solved the problem.

I know technically it not Summer just yet but it has been unseasonable cold and very wet so this hasn't gotten much use yet. I hope it warms up soon.

This turned out a little bigger than I expected so even if this doesn't get much use this summer I'm pretty sure this will still fit her next year.

I still have one more post for Spring KCW and then I can get focused on next weeks Summer KCW. 

Thanks for stopping by the nest!

Darla

Summer Kids Clothes Week 2015

Where does the time go. I seem to be missing a few days somewhere... make that months! Someone told me that time gets faster the older you get but I didn't realized they meant warp speed. When I reflect (when I have time to reflect) to account for how I spent my time, it never seems like much. I guess life is just busy. I had a YIKES moment today when I realized that the Kids Clothes Week Challenge for this summer starts next Monday. I haven't even posted most of my Spring KCW stuff yet. I guess I need to get my tush in gear and get caught up. 

I debated skipping this KCW but determined that is not an option. Not that my kiddo's are in need of summer clothes (or items for traveling) but because if I don't get started on back-to-school clothes I will never get them done in time. This is a crazy short summer break this year (not that I'm complaining), we only have 1 1/2 months left till my oldest returns to school. 

Well, time to work on my "Make It" list. Thanks for stopping by the nest!

Darla

Spring 2015 KCW: Stitch Wear Play Boy Shorts

I can't believe it has been two months since I posted anything. Since the start of spring it has been go go go and almost half of June is gone. I have managed to fit in some sewing here and there but haven't gotten around to posting anything. I'm hoping over the next few weeks I can do a little catchup.

I need some assistance guys.... I'm not loven' these shorts I made during this spring's kids clothes week. I can't tell if it's the shorts pattern or the fabric that is the problem. The pattern is the Boy Shorts pattern from the recently released pattern book Stitch Wear Play by Mariko Nakamura.

I double checked if I did my measurements correctly and Samuel met the sizing requirements right on. I will admit that I didn't do any special fabric shopping for these shorts and used basic quilters cotton that I had in the stash. I thought that the navy and white stripe would work great and go with his little brothers sailboat themed birthday party. I was even considering making a matching outfit for the birthday boy. The results of these shorts eliminated that idea since I have been short on time (no pun intended).

I need some feed back. What do you think, shorts pattern or fabric? Any quick fixes you can think of that would help? I was considering white top stitching on the navy blue pockets and waist.

There is nothing more frustrating than making something and having it not work out as you hope. I'm not ready to blame the shorts pattern I think I'll need to make these again to be certain of anything. It may just not be a good look for my kid. Constructive comments would be appreciated. 

Thanks for stopping by the nest!
Darla