Kids Clothing Week

I have an excellent track record with challenges.

Fine, Mr. Sloth. You're right. I do not. But I'm going to try to fix that and I'm starting with Kids Clothing Week. So many great sewists participate and do an excellent job I might add, wresting stirrings of jealously from my cold, envious, black little heart. It just so happens that I have a few kid projects I need to get my little fingers to so a week dedicated to just that purpose is timely.

So what's the plan, Stan?

via Sunday's Child

First up, a good friend of mine recently had a sweet little baby boy and I volunteered to make his christening outfit. Why? Because christening outfits are gorgeous and I never made one for pudding. The little bubble I'm making comes from the May/June 1996 issue of the now defunct Creative Needle and will be made from a cotton/linen blend I bought at Joann's.

Smocked baby owls by Michie Mooney

Next I'll be making at least one version of #134 by Michie, one in brown corduroy with an embroidered pumpkin for Halloween and another in brown sateen with acorns for fall. Remember this post when I said patterns like this are quite versatile? Skip on over to this link to see more. The sateen version will look something like this precious little sailboat romper and the pumpkin one ought to resemble the smocked wagons vs though I'm not sure if I'll have time to turn out something smocked or if I have a pumpkin smocking graph. Guess I'll be figuring that out this weekend.

2+2 Blouse pattern by
Oliver and S

And of course, I can't attempt a Kids' Clothing Week without planning something for pinky, now can I? She's been really into jeans for church lately meaning she doesn't want to wear the two dresses I recently made for her. I only made them because she desperately needed church clothes. So now, she desperately needs church clothes. I think that means it's time to finally make the Oliver and S 2+2 blouse I've had in my stash for three years. Again, I'll need to spend this weekend going through the stash but I believe I have something aqua and something red I can donate to this cause.

Wish me luck!

Are you a KWCer? If so, what's on the books?

I love finding new things

As I was bouncing along the interwebs, looking for something to do, up popped Heather B showing off her son's snazzy dragon jams. After reading her glowing report on the pattern maker, I thought I'd swing by and wouldn't you know it, I fell in love.

You see, I've been trying to decide if I should sew a swimsuit, Burda's Alison pattern to be specific. I added it to my library when I first discovered BurdaStyle but the very idea of sewing a knit was intimidating at the time, much less swimsuit fabric so it joined the massive stash where a hot mess's grand plans fizzle away into nothing. It was briefly awakened by the discovery of an absolutely perfect white on red polka dot swimsuit fabric from Michael Levine Inc but faded again when I found I'd have to buy a full yard of the stuff and let the rest languish. I mean what are the odds that I'll find another use for swimsuit fabric?

By now you're probably wondering what this had to do with dragon jams and for that, I wholeheartedly apologize. I'm pretty sure I'm high on albuterol at this point so you'll have to bear with me. What was my point again?

Yes! Discoveries. Heather B's blog lead me to my new best friend, the Peekaboo Pattern Store because what else should one do with swimsuit fabric besides make another swimsuit, yes?

So here's the plan. I'm going to make my throwback retro suit from the blue and use the white on red for the bust. I'll be needing you keep your fingers crossed that between a structured bra insert and some modification of that back strap I'll be able to keep the sisters in check. Meanwhile, Pinky's suit will be made from the white on blue with navy ruffles to make it entirely too cute. 

Do you think she's too old for ruffles on her butt? Yeah, I really don't care. She's getting them.

Also on my mind from Peekaboo, these baby patterns.

I can't decide which one I like more. The Lazy Days Romper pattern could resolve that issue of never having anything to sew for baby boys that is cute enough to rival what I can find at a store for about the same overall cost. But at just 2/3rds of a yard, maybe less, I could definitely whip up a few cute ones for the bood (rhymes with food.) There are a ton of cute little boy knits out there just calling my name. Like these from The Fabric Fairy.

Fabric Fairy also has some really adorable boardshort fabric that would look really cute in the Pier 49 pants, wouldn't you agree?

This will all have to wait until closer to summer though as we there is waaaaaaaayyy too much crap on my dining room table, too much stuff recently arrived from exotic locals for me to even think about adding to the mess. You can stop laughing now, I really will try. Besides, I'd hit my max for a while. Let's turn out some stuff first. How about that?

Okay, fine. I do want to know. Are nine year olds too old for butt ruffles? Will you feel sorry for my child? Don't bother making the argument that other children will point and laugh, pinky doesn't care. She already takes crap for her Avengers lunchbox. The kids at school say it's a boy lunchbox and therefore, must be one of pete's hand me downs.

Have I mentioned that kids are stupid?

Yes, indeed.

So yay or nay on the butt ruffles?