Red Dots Part 2

Remember this?

red dot top FAIL!

This top totally did not fit my daughter. It is the garment that got me to realize that she inherited my narrow shoulders, though, before we passed it along to someone who will wear it and enjoy it.

BUT Raine really liked that fabric, with all those red dots. So, I tried again. I cut it out by a pajama pattern that had a yoke.

Yeah, this is the one.

Only I changed it up some, and instead of buttons, I extended the front pieces and crossed them over each other. Oh, yeah, and I shortened the sleeves.

She looks thrilled, right?

I like the detail of the cording where the yoke is attached. If I make another one, I'll probably do some kind of embellishment around the neck line to define it more. It crosses over so no closure is needed, but it opens to slip over her head just fine, glasses and all. I think the fit is good, too, thank goodness. I'm happy with it over all. Now, I'll be even happier if she will WEAR it! (or any of the tops I've made her this summer... sigh)

Flames and Cats on Motorcycles - A Kid's Clothes Week finish

One last summer post of KCW for me. I know, the week has passed, but I wanted to share what I started last week, and didn't finish until today. A button down shirt in a fun fabric for Raine.

I started with this pattern:

Short sleeves, mandarin collar

and some fun fabric. I think clothes can and should - where appropriate - be fun. A happy fabric makes a happy garment.

Here's where we were today. I searched through my button stash and found the perfect ones...

Orange buttons!?!?!

Want to know how long they had been in my stash? (and probably my mother's stash before that?) Check out the price on these babies...

On sale for 19 cents!

Crazy, right? I felt like the buttons had been in the shelter for SOooooo long, and they finally found the right forever home.

Button holes and buttons sewed on later, Raine tried it on (over her t-shirt, sigh) and discovered that it has pockets!

Hey! Two pockets! and crazy hair from the pool...

One fun shirt!

and it even fits!

Kid's Clothes Week Summer - RED!

This summer has felt more like "Kid's Clothes Summer," and most of my posts have been about what I've been sewing for my daughter and neice. So, I'm happy to get to participate in this round of KCW.

The first thing I finished this week was a red A line skirt for my neice. It is simple and basic, and just what she asked for.

Bright!

I would have had her model it, but of course she all ready went home. I kept the hemline straight this time, even though I used the same pattern that I did for the denim hi-low hem skirt I made for her while she was here. I hope I got a good start on her school clothes for this year! I packaged it up, and even got it mailed today.

Then, there were these red pants that Raine wanted. Definitely not school clothes, as she has a uniform dress code at her school, and red is not on that list. Red is, however, her favorite color, and she would have had shorts from the above fabric, too if there had been enough of it...

Yeah for red pants!

I went back and measured her again before I cut these out, and I think it helped to deal with the sizing issues I've been having this summer. She is 10 years old and 5 feet tall, and not very big around... I have to modify which ever size I chose to sew with. I did get these a little long, so after the photo shoot, I made them a little shorter, and easy enough fix.

The fabric for both of these pieces is a cotton twill with spandex. I liked the idea of a little stretch and movement. I had to be careful not to stretch the fabric while sewing, though. I did pretty well, except in a few places on the skirt hem. That was partly due to also trying some hem tape for that. My first time for using that, and it was some I had laying around (inherited) not some expressly bought for the purpose. It was Iron on hem tape, and this fabric isn't really iron-friendly. A little experimentation for me, though, is good for the learning curve.

Raine's pants are fairly light weight. Good for summer, but I debated about putting the cargo pockets on. I consider them to be one of the details that makes Raine like this pattern, though, so I did, and I think they look pretty good. So, I'm glad I went ahead with them.

side seam and cargo pockets

Most important? Raine was thrilled with her new RED pants, and she had a little bit of fun with the pictures.

Stop! In the name of love... 

Did I mention that she is 10?

Some Crocheted Projects Finished

I don't just sew, ya know. I have nimble crochet fingers that get itchy if there is nothing to work on. The other day, I finished a lap blanket that I had started last fall with random yarn from my stash. Odds and ends and skeins that needed to be used up. It is a fun pattern that I like a lot, and is easy to do. I like the zig zag pattern that develops. It is all single crochet, but you pull the thread through lower stitches than normal.

colorful zig zag motion

This blanket is destined for donation.

My second project has all ready been donated as a prize for an SCA (Society for Creative Anacronism) event next month. They needed a prize for a kid's activity, and I said I'd make a small dragon.

Raine named him Pebble

He'll be going to his forever home soon...

Some Basic Kid Sewing

Before I drove Shelbi home today, I finished up a couple of basic pieces for her. I had good length of denim on hand, and what could be more basically useful that denim shorts and a denim skirt?

My consultation with my neice brought this pattern to the fore

Make it like this, Aunt Dina!

 It is a pretty basic pattern but there is nothing wrong with that. Unlike my sewing for Raine, this summer (still working on that), I got a pretty darned good fit on my neice. And, of course, I added some personal details even on these basic pieces.

Pockets from a lovely batiked fat quarter.

Shelbi wanted a hi-lo skirt, so I cut the middle of the front as short as the size smaller (about one & a half inches) and the back about that much longer in the middle. I hemmed with some denim bias tape I had gotten to finish the armholes of a denim jumper I made earlier this year. I thought that would make the changing hemline go a little more smoothly. I don't know how much it helped, but it certainly didn't hurt. Then, while I was sewing it, I wished I had some cute polka dot bias tape or something to hem it with for a cute little flash of hem. I might actually try that some time... if I can get to it while the hi-lo hems are still in style.

Hi-lo hemline on the skirt.

She had fun modelling them for me. Can you tell? She called her dad to tell him what time to expect us, and told him the would have to have a fashion show as soon as she unpacked her suitcase... or probably more like, AS she unpacked her suitcase. Kinda fun to sew for someone a little girlie for a change!

I haven't given up on Raine's clothes, though. Got a batch cut out and ready to sew up!

Cute top for Shelbi

I did get to sew for Shelbi this year. Not as much as some times, but she likes new clothes made by Aunt Dina. AND I get to sew something girlie for someone, yay!

We went to JoAnn's, and Shelbi picked out some wild, neon colored fabric. Fun! I showed her some patterns I had, and she liked this one.

cute pattern on hand

the one she liked

The top had an upper and lower part, which allows darts for shaping. They are pretty small, but I think they add a nice touch for girls who are beginning to need it. The ruffles are three different layers that all attach to the upper bodice with the lower bodice. It makes lots of layers for me, and makes me hot just to think about it (especially with a summery top) but it really looks cute, and lots of girls layer shirts and tops these days. My main challenge was the sleeves. I guess these would be cap sleeves. The piece was basically a half-circle and left the bottom part of the arm hole uncovered.

finished sleeve detail

 Since I like to finish sleeveless tops with bias tape, I decided to try a little something. I hemmed the sleeve with the bias tape and then finished the arm hole/sleeve all the way around. It looks very finished, although it adds an extra seam around the top of the sleeve.

finished sleeve inside detail

 Not sure that matters. They make cute little summery sleeves that she can wear to school.

Fun top!

I'm happy with the result, and it fits her well. If I were going to change anything, I would probably make the top longer. Maybe next time. I love the bright happy colors and the overall shape of the top.

Tied Blankets

My niece is visiting this week. As usual, we enjoy a variety of activities, including some sewing. I enjoy sewing for her, and she enjoys new clothes. I also have tried to encourage some sort of crafting opportunity while she is here.

This year, Shelbi asked if I could make her a tied blanket. I was confused, actually. A tied quilt? I can make that, but not in just this week... and it didn't really seem like what she was wanting. Well, we talked about it for a little while, then ended up in Joann's. She drooled on the fleece. She fondled the fleece. And, I FINALLY figured out that what she was wanting was one of those fleece blankets where you cut strips in two layers and tie them together. OOOHHHHH! A tied blanket! We got a couple of pieces, and as soon as it was washed, she was at work trimming the edges. She finished it in a couple of days.

neon tied blanket!

Before she was even done, she was wanting to make one for her dad, who had a birthday this week. Back we went to Joann's, and more fleece came home with us. Since he LOVES fishing, she got a bright and cheerful fish print, and some mildly tie dyed green. She got to work on it today.

watching TV and tying a blanket

It didn't take her very long to finish it up too. This turned out to be an awesome craft for a 12 year old! It doesn't have to be perfect to look awesome, and I'm sure she and her dad will get lots of use from these cozy blankets.

Raine also did a little crafting, and made herself a tail from the edges that Shelbi trimmed...

I have something to tail you...

It's been a good day!

The Thing for This Summer

For Raine, the thing she seemed interested in having this summer, was tunic tops. MY thing, sewing for Raine this summer, seems to be sizing.

I've made her long and short pants, and she likes the long shorts with a cargo pocket, and cargo pockets on her long pants as well. She's tall. Almost as tall as I am (not that I'm all that tall, per se, but she is 10), but not very big around. Evidently she has my narrow shoulders as well, which wasn't an issue in my making things for her until this year.

Neck opening WAY TOO BIG!

So here is a tunic top that worked a little better, but still could have been more fitted.

She wore it the day after I finished it, a good sign of liking it!

Better fit, and a more forgiving garment on the whole. Still a little big around. I made the grey pants as well, intentionally long, but they were really longer than intended, and pretty big on her. Sheesh. You would thing I hadn't measured, but I did, and USED the measurements. Sheesh. The dragon fabric makes up for a bit, I would thankfully say.

I do have some more of the red dot fabric, and my intent is to try for a different tunic type top with that.

ready for modifications...

I thought I would start with this pajama top, but instead of a button closure yoke, I would do a cross over in front. That would allow some "give" for her to put her head through, and create a notched look, but not make the opening too big. I'll also go with short sleeves, maybe even a little shorter than the top above.

That way, I can work on my thing, and her thing, at the same time.