Kids Clothes Week - Autumn 2014: The Results!

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will already know how much I love Kids Clothes Week - I find it's a great opportunity to force myself to sit down and make stuff for fun, just for the love of it (and love of your kids.) And you can really have some fun too. You can see some of the things I have made over the years in these posts: Autumn 2011, Spring 2013,  Summer 2013,  Summer 2014 

Excuses, excuses but my new little daughter really isn't playing ball when it comes to letting Mama have time to sew but a couple of times this week she did actually go to sleep at bedtime and stay down for the night. Woohoo! It felt so good to be back behind the sewing machine again so I'm hoping that I'll be getting a bit more time now. We'll see I guess!

All my sewing this time was for Ferne (sorry Wiss!). Firstly, I decided to alter this beautiful dress I got from a local nearly-new sale. It's actually a Kenzo dress and it's wonderfully made from needlecord, but I don't really see the point of dresses on small babies: they just ride up all the time as you hold them and you spend all your time yanking them down again. So I altered this dress to become a little romper suit instead. I didn't have enough of the fabric to make a gusset though so it was a very basic alteration. I made the skirt into two legs to which I added elastic, then used bias binding to make a strong facing inside the crutch to take the poppers.

It worked really well, even if I do say so myself but unfortunately, Ferne has grown so much that it is already a bit snug on her (and when she's wearing her washable nappies there is no chance it will fit. Such a shame.)

Next I made her a sleepsack using this fab organic jersey from Birch (collection is called Elk Grove) Mine came from great fabric shop Ray Stitch. The arms and binding are upcycled from old t-shirts. I added a good few centimetres to my pattern as Ferne is very long. I really love this fabric and pattern so I'll definitely be using it to make some more clothes for her soon.

And finally I had time to make her this cute little outfit. I used a pattern for Skinny Harem Pants from Brindille & Twig, and the top is just a short version of the sleep sack. I am planning on using fabric paints to stencil 'Boo!' onto the top as it will be Ferne's Halloween outfit, but I thought it was simple enough to also be worn after the event. Both fabrics are from old t-shirts (I like to pick up shirts from charity shops or primark to use in this way.)

So this week wasn't my most productive ever, but it definitely wasn't a wash-out either. I guess I spent a total of 7 hours over 3 nights sewing. It goes to show just how much you can get done in a short space of time. So, did anyone else join in this season? Or has anyone been inspired to start sewing for their child? The next challenge will be for Winter 2014 so keep an eye on the Kids Clothes Week website for more details.

Happy Sewing!

Kids Clothes Week - Autumn 2014

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Kids Clothes Week is an awesome and simple idea. We all spend an hour a day for a week sewing clothes for our kids. There's loads of inspiration, ideas, tutorials & giveaways on the site but basically it's just one hour a day. That's it! Easy, huh?

Wrong! My gorgeous and still very new daughter is not playing ball. She won't let her mama spend any time away from her and she's even decided napping is for other babies so I can't even sneak a bit in while she's sleeping. Grrrrr! Doesn't she know how many cute clothes I've got in mind for her?! So this is how I spent my hour yesterday!

I've readjusted my expectations of this week and have started by altering an existing dress rather than making something from scratch. I'll be posting a round up at the end of the week (hopefully I'll get something finished!)

Are any if you joining in with this seasons Kid Clothes Week? Leave me links below to your blog or tweet me @thisiswiss I'd love to see what you are sewing. If you're able!

Ta Da! Kids Clothes Week: Summer

Last week was the Kids Clothes Week summer challenge, organised by the fantastic Elsie Marley. KCW has been running for a few years now and the idea is you spend an hour a day, for one week making some kids clothes. Hundreds of people all across the world join in and the website and flikr pages are full of inspiring photos of what's been made, as well as ideas for you to try yourself.

I really look forward to this challenge as it's (usually) so achievable as kids clothes are much quicker to make and it's loads of fun, as well as being a practical way to top up your little ones wardrobe. (You can see my previous KCW posts here, here, here and here...)

I had BIG plans this time, especially as I could make baby clothes as well as items for Wiss. But unfortunately I underestimated the energy-zapping powers of 30 degree heat and being heavily pregnant! But I did manage to make these beauties...

Both are made from gorgeous red & white striped seersucker fabric which is just perfect for summer (and I couldn't resist them being matched!)

The baby trousers on the left are from the Oliver & S Baby Layette Pattern pack. I can't wait to make the whole set for our new arrival, and these trousers were really quick to run up so I'm sure there will be a few more pairs.

Wiss's shorts on the right are made using the Clean Slate Pants pattern from Blank Slate. I have made loads of these before and can highly recommend the pattern. There are 3 lengths for trousers, capris or shorts, plus pocket options and a choice of elasticated waist or a zip fly.

I like to add these great labels to the clothes I make for Wiss, and now the new little one too. I got them from Etsy and they finish off a garment perfectly. Nothing wrong with blowing your own trumpet after all!

Did you join in KCW this season? If so, point me in the direction of your photos. I'd love to see what you made. The next challenge is for Autumn so look out for it!

Help! It's Summer Kids Clothes Week!

Normally I am up-to-speed on the dates, usually I am prepared, and often I'm counting down the days for Kids Clothes Week. But not this time!

It used to just be twice a year, spring/summer and autumn/winter, but due to the popularity of this sew-along it's gone seasonal. Which means four weeks to join in the fun and get sewing - Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Double the fun and double the productivity! I was all organised for Spring, but just like our Great British Summer this year it's sneaked up on me. It's day 2 of the challenge already and I have no idea where I'll be able to find even one hour to sew, however, by coincidence I have been busy making clothes for Wiss over the past two weeks anyway.

I will be posting about the patterns I've been using this time as I'm really pleased with the shorts and t-shirts...and so is Wiss. So much so that they're all in the wash today (ready for our holiday at the weekend). As soon as I get some photos I'll share them with you.

Until then, if you are joining in this season's Kids Clothes Week then let me know! You can follow the fun on Twitter @kidsclothesweek or get inspiration from the gallery on Twitter. Happy Summer Sewing!

Kids Clothes Week - how was it for you?

If you took part in the week-long sewing challenge to make stuff for your kids (or anyone else's!) how did you get on? The flikr pool and Pinterest board (search for kcwc community) are full of amazing clothes. Check them out as they are so inspiring and original, and don't forget to pop over to the Kids Clothes Week Blog too.

If like me, you watched The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC2, I expect you have been inspired to start (or rediscover) sewing clothes. Kids clothes are a great place to start as they are quick to finish and usually much simpler than adults clothes. And hopefully the children will be less harsh judges than Patrick and May!

I have to say I'm pretty pleased with what I managed to achieve this time. It's no secret that my ambition far outweighs what is humanly possible in the time available, but I like to give it a good go! You can see my previous Kids Clothes Week challenges here, and here. I think the key to getting as much done as possible is careful planning and spending an evening cutting and prepping. That way I was able to spend the time on the following days just sewing. The idea is to spend an hour a day, but once I got going in the evenings I usually spent more time than that. Which helped make up the time on the evening I went out!

Wiss has been growing almost visibly so I really wanted to concentrate on making him some clothes this time - my aims were trousers, shorts and t-shirts. But as always, I had some gifts for other little people to make too. Baby Belle was born in November but I just hadn't got round to making her welcome sleepsack yet. These are becoming a little bit of a tradition for us: whenever a new baby is born I make a sleepsack from an old band t-shirt that has meaning for the parents. The Tom Jones one can be seen on this post, and I've made The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for some twins!

Baby Belle's parents were/are big indie kids and so her sleepsack of choice was made from a Suede t-shirt. The pattern is from 'Growing Up Sew Liberated' but you can find tutorials on Pinterest too.

>Next up on my list was a birthday present for a Star Wars mad 3 year old. I made these PJs using some Star Wars logo print brushed cotton (found on eBay) and Dana's Kid Pants tutorial. And instead of making a t-shirt from scratch I just customised a super-soft cotton long-sleeved t-shirt with the offcuts of flannel.

Last on my list of things for other children was a birthday present for a 3 year old girl. She likes pretty things and fairies but is definitely not a full-on pink girl (hooray!) so I planned to make her a Warhol Dress. I love these dresses - they're cute, simple and made from an old t-shirt. A perfect upcycling project! But when I went through my box of old t-shirts I found one that would make a great dress with only a few alterations. The plain yoke and band at the bottom stayed but I shortened the main body by about 5cm, cut new armholes, and reattached little puff sleeves.

So finally, by Thursday I was free to start on clothes for my little man! He requested a pair of yellow trousers (EVERYTHING is yellow at the moment!) and the only appropriate fabric I had was some vintage 70's stuff with a faint rib running through it. I used Dana's Kid Pants tutorial again but had a few problems making her pattern for a 2/3 year old bigger for Wiss, which resulted in a very high waistband or a rather saggy bottom! He didn't seem to mind though and wore them to nursery the next day. I added some concealed side pockets as Wiss takes a car or two with him wherever he goes at the moment!

We had an invitation to a Fairy and Elf party at the weekend (for the little girl mentioned above) and although fancy dress wasn't specified I couldn't resist making a simple costume for Wiss. Using a green t-shirt he already had as a base, I simply added felt leaves and twigs onto a striped patch which was sewn to the shirt. I used the leftover leaves and twigs to make a matching cuff and voila! One 'Tree Elf' costume (or Tree-Fu Tom if you prefer!) There's another picture of him on this SecretSunday post

The week was nearly over, and although I had cut out the pieces for a few Raw Edged Raglan t-shirts earlier I hadn't sewn any together. The pattern is from Sewing for Boys and is super-easy to make as it uses unfinished seams on the outside of the shirt. This is perfect for upcycling old t-shirts too, so Wiss will be sporting a few creations that used to be Papa's! I managed to work out how to sew jersey properly on my new(ish) machine (using the walking foot, and a slight zigzag stitch) and was able to knock this out in just over an hour.

I think the Sewing Bee must have rubbed off on me as I was constantly thinking 'I must make my top stitch neat and even', or 'ease the neck band in gently'. And just like some of the contestants, I had problems reading the instructions especially as I was setting myself against the clock. However, as I heard myself swearing and cursing every time I burnt my fingers with the steam as I pressed, or stuck a pin in my finger, I did think that maybe I'm not quite ready for the BBC!!

The week is over for another season, but that doesn't mean that I will stop sewing. I've really enjoyed getting back behind my machine, and getting such quick results is very good for morale. I have a stack of things left to finish for Wiss, and a head full of ideas of things I'd like to make for myself too. I don't think I'm going to be the only one this summer wearing some handmade creations: The Great British Sewing Bee has inspired loads of people to get making.

If you're making something then please let me know - I'll show you mine if you show me yours!