Kid's Clothes Week: Roller Skate High-Low Top

This post is a little late, but it was actually finished last week! I made this pattern as an Easter dress last year, and the armhole ripped out after a couple wears. I saw the exact same thing happened to Gail's dress, and came to the conclusion that maybe I shouldn't clip the curves so closely. Because of the early demise of the dress, I have been hesitant to use this pattern again, but my 1 yard stash busting plan won out.

I wanted to make this top a little more interesting, but didn't want to spend the time embroidering anything. I decided to attempt a high-low hem line. I used the original length of the top for the front center, and tapered down with a small curve to about 3" below the original hem line. The back is pretty much just 3" longer straight across. I wasn't sure as I was putting it together if it was enough of a difference to be noticeable in the finished top, but thankfully it is! I like the finished top, and so does Miss H.

Pattern: Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress + Tunic
Fabric: Priory Square Clover Field from Art Gallery Fabrics
Size: 6
Changes: I used a snap rather than a button closure in the back, and I created a high-low hemline.

Kid's Clothes Week: Class Picnic Blouse

As I was looking through my bins of stashed fabric, I kept finding that many of my pieces are only a yard long. I used to be able to make a dress for Miss H with just a yard, or maybe a yard and some contrasting solid pieces. Now it takes closer to 2 yards. After looking through my patterns, I realized I can make tops out of single yard pieces. It's been about 3 years since I've used this pattern, so it was fun to resurrect!

Pattern: Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse
Size: 6
Fabric: Alison Glass Handcrafted Plus in Strawberry for Andover
Changes: none!

Miss H loves this shirt, I think because it is pretty loose and doesn't have exposed seams around her neck. She asked me to make her a couple more just like it.

Kid's Clothes Week: An Ice Cream Dress

It's been about 2 years since I've made an Ice Cream Dress for Miss H, and this fabric was screaming for one when I saw it. Miss H loves the loose fit and the lined yoke that hides the "scratchy" seams.

Pattern: Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress
Size: 6
Fabric: Doodle & Buttons from the Noteworthy collection by Erin McMorris for Free Spirit
Changes: Just my normal button to snap conversion
(Sorry for the front porch pictures, that's as far as we could go with a sleeping baby!)

Kid's Clothes Week: Mini Southport Dress

I haven't sewn much for the kiddos this spring or summer because we have had a new-to-us foster baby for a few months. She has had a lot of appointments, and keeping up with house stuff and trying to finish kindergarten has taken most of my "free" time. I've had a few piles of fabric eyeing me for a while, and some slightly less busy evenings that have enabled me to sew a little the last few weeks!

Kid's Clothes Week is being run by someone new, and the dates were hard for me to find, so I actually started sewing last week and finished a couple dresses for Miss H before I realized I was a week off. My first dress this time is a Mini Southport, which I love! It is pretty easy to sew, with fantastic instructions, and it doesn't require a lot of fabric in big girl sizes.

Miss H likes the loose, easy fit of the dress, but she still finds Moda fabrics to be "scratchy" to wear until they have been washed a few times. These photos are from our weekend trip to Point Reyes National Seashore at the Marconi RCA Wireless Radio Station.

Pattern: Mini Southport Dress by True Bias
Size: 7 (Miss H wears a 6, but my notes from last time told me this pattern runs pretty small.)
Fabric: Leis in Hibiscus (main) and Lanai Shirt in Hibiscus (bias trim) from Aloha Girl by Fig Tree for Moda
Changes: Based on my notes from the first time I made this, I shortened the elastic length in the waist band so that we won't see it peeking through with the front ties. Also, I used snaps rather than buttons and button holes down the front.