Kids' Clothes for a Clothes Closet

I've been making some kid-sized clothes. I enjoy making them, honestly. I don't do fancy, complicated patterns, I do fun fabrics. Because I love them. Then, because I don't have any elementary sized kids living with me, I donate them.

bug skirt!

These days, many schools from elementary on up, have clothes closets as a resource for their students. Organ Mountain High School created a fabulous clothes closet for students to address their every-day needs, AND specific needs, like having an outfit to go on a job interview in. Students were not questioned about why they needed the clothing, or what alternatives they had, or anything. They were welcomed into the space and allowed to take what they needed. Yes, I have donated to that space, and may again some time. 

Denim pants with a decorative stitch detail

Most of the clothing I'm making this go-around is elementary school sized (more or less). Considering that elementary schools include kindergarten (and sometimes pre-k), to 5th grade, there is a lot of range of sizes. I usually determine the size of the garment I'm going to make by the yardage of the fabric that I am using. Sometimes I'm able to find a piece that will make more than one garment.

Red corduroy pants

I often recommend to new sewers to start with kids' clothing if they want to learn how to make garments. The patterns are often similar, but the kids' patterns can take LOTS less fabric, so if you mess something up badly, you aren't out as much money. I also like that the more you practice, the better you get at some of the details, and techniques that make the clothing nicer. You can practice collars, and button fronts, making a variety of pockets (kids like pockets in their clothes almost as much as I do), and other details. The clothing doesn't have to be fancy.

A skirt with attached shorts AND pockets! Some green leggings behind them

But for kids to be able to choose a new garment when they don't usually get to, it is pretty nice. I know that picking an item of clothing that is "home made" may not be every child's first choice. It won't be what all of their friends are wearing.  But, I feel like there are kids out there that will be happy to have something new, something happy, and hopefully, something in a style that they like.

Short sleeved top 

I've gotten to sew garments that make me happy, too.

Cactus shorts with pockets

I've gotten to practice skills, and build new ones. And share something with my community that I feel is important. Some time this week, I'll gather up these garments (and the ones I didn't take pictures of) and donate them to a school clothing closet, and when I come across a fabric I can't resist, I'll make something new.

Some years, I find like-minded sewists who like adventures in kids' clothes, too. Some years I don't. I appreciate the company, but I don't require it. I do what I like!

 

General Update

 It has been almost 3 weeks since I've posted here. I don't know that I have an entire cohesive post to talk about, but I don't want to loose the habit all together. That's too easy to do. So here are some updates:

I've made additions to the Christmas is in the Eye of the Beholder Collection. Here are a couple of group photos of my progress:

Group shot of 1 - 7

Then we have numbers 8 and 9

I got some gold yarn that I like in the mix. You can see it on the far right in the top photo and in the eye in the lower one. I also got a silvery one that you can't see very well in the left one on the lower photo. I like that silver pretty well and I wish you could see it better. 

It is becoming the eyeball army, and I'm looking forward to picking out some to enter into the fair this fall. I'm still interested in feedback on them.

Next are some sewing projects. I finished this little dress for my annual kids' clothes project. I make kids' clothes because I like to. I donate them for kids who need help getting school clothes. In some ways, I wish I could hear how the new owner likes what I make. On the other hand, maybe I don't want to know... Sigh. Kids are allowed to have opinions, and to decide what THEY like. I'll just pretend in my head that there's some kid out there that's going to have their new favorite outfit. At least they will get to have something new.

A cheerful dress

Finally, I'm going to update the progress that Charitable Crafting has been makin on the second quilt we are making as a group. We are in need of only a few more blocks. Several rows have been sewn together, and I have another one it my bag to sew together. Ok, I also have a couple of the last blocks we need, too. This project has really taught me some about the process of quilt building. Block building, too, actually. While there is no "wrong way" to finish these blocks, some accuracy makes a difference. I'm learning to pay attention to it. It's kind of cool to me, even.

Some blocks

Maybe I'll even take more pictures of the work I've done on this quilt. Or maybe the next one. Of course we're already talking about the next one!!

Basket Full of Projects

 

I finished a couple of projects today. Some that had been sitting in my project basket for a bit. My making process, especially for sewing, includes a cutting out day. Cutting out is my least favorite part of sewing, and I will usually decide on a variety of projects, and then spend a day or two cutting out those projects, and then when I feel like sewing, I can pick something from the stack and SEW it! 

Handy Dandy projects!

The projects are gathered together, and easy for me to find that way. When I cleaned my sewing room earlier this year, I found a few projects that I had set aside before I used the basket. The basket bunny dress was one of those projects. See it back in the basket, waiting on me to sew on the bottom ruffle?

These quilt blocks are another.

Blue star block

Evidently I had only cut enough of the background fabric for one block. but I had cut more pieces for the other parts and here is another version.

Same basic block, doesn't look the same

I got an accuquilt fabric cutter for my birthday, and I want to get some of the dies I got cut out and work on them some, so I thought finally sewing these together would get me ready for that.

Most of the projects in the basket right now are kid's clothes projects. One of the Charitable Crafting yearly projects has been making kid's clothes and donating them to a charity that had collected clothes so kids could choose them before school started. But the charity had to close their kid's room. Then they worked with schools to help them have clothes closets. Many of our clothes last summer were donated to helping families affected by a large fire here in NM. There were still several garments that hadn't been ready to donate when that happened, so I recently gathered those up and donated them to one of our local elementary schools. This week, I finished a little dress that will go in our next clothes closet donation.

Kid's Clothes!

I really like sewing for kids. I feel like fun fabrics are welcome, and I try to stick to "timeless" looks.

Having my project basket lets me have projects ready to work on when I want to work on something. Each part of the project in its own time.