Ten on Ten: 30

Again, it has been a few months since we participated in Ten on Ten. Today was a great opportunity for this blog follow-along because it wasn't a Sunday like the last few, and it's my 30th birthday! I spent the day with Miss H and my Chicago-livin' sister. We met Tom for lunch and had a fun family dinner. The theme of many of these photos appears to be hands! 

 

Spring KCW: Bicycle Top

My next Kids Clothes Week project is one I've been looking forward to. I found this cute orange bicycle fabric in a sale remnant section a couple months ago. I knew I wanted to make a top for Miss H with it, but I didn't know which pattern. I chose this Oliver + S 2+2 Blouse (I have a paper copy, not digital) last weekend. I made a few of these last year, but they are now too small. This is a 2T, which has plenty of growing room. The only modification I made to this top was to use snaps for the back closure instead of buttons.

Spring KCW: Knit Sailboat Top

Here is my second completed Kids Clothes Week project. I am so so so happy with it! I have been wanting to sew more with knits, but they are expensive to buy, and I have loved the way this Oliver + S Sailboat Top pattern looks for a few years. The pattern is retired, which means it is now only available in digital form. I don't usually like digital patterns because of the extra work involved in taping a million pieces of printer paper exactly spaced together. I have had my eye out on etsy and in local shops for a physical version of the pattern, but never found one. Sooooo, I gave in and bought the digital one.

I used a size small women's Forever 21 sweatshirt that I got at Value Village for $4. It was in great non-pilled condition, 100% cotton, and not stained. Plus the owls are super cute. The blue lining for the neckline and hem line came from an Old Navy shirt that I have cut pieces off of for other projects. I should have found something a bit more sturdy. The blue fabric was too stretchy and flimsy. I had to make a couple extra tucks in it to help it fit in a few places.

I sewed this shirt using both my sewing machine with a ball point needle and a serger. The sewing machine with the ball point needle worked well for the lining seams, and the serger was great for the arm and side seams. I need to learn more about adjusting the serger's tensions to keep it from stretching the knit as it sews. I usually don't care for contrasting top stitching color, but because the lining was somewhat visible, I decided to use teal thread to help tie it together.

Rather than buttons on the shoulders, I used my favorite snaps.

I cut the sleeves for this top out of the original arms with the elbow patches in place. I was a little worried that they would be way too big. They are not as bad as I had envisioned! 

This is a size 2T, which looks like it will fit Miss H for a while. The is room to grow up and out, and room for longer arms.

I will certainly make this pattern again!

Spring KCW: Class Picnic Top

This week is the spring week of Kids Clothing Week (KCW). I participated last fall, and loved getting ideas from the things other people sewed for their kids. This Class Picnic Top from Oliver + S is the first of my projects.

I made a size 2T. Modifications: lengthened the pattern about a half inch (only had 2/3 of a yard to work with), shortened the hem by an inch, and made short sleeves instead of three quarter length. After I had it cut out, I realized the fabric could look pretty silly and old on a little girl, so I decided to add some piping. I couldn't decide which color piping I liked better, so in the end I used both! When I made this dress into a nightgown, I remembered how hard it was to tell the front and the back apart. I added a loop of peach ribbon into the back yoke/arm seam to distinguish the back.

Sewing Stream: Easy Dress

I saw this dress pattern (Sweet Little Dress) used over at Craftiness is Not Optional a few months ago and loved it. It looked easy and it had cute sleeves, so I decided to try it. It is very very easy! There is not much to say about the pattern, except that it uses less than a yard of fabric. I will make this one again too!