Elly’s 1st Apron
July 10, 2011
Pattern:
Basic Child’s Apron
by Sew Liberated
Fabric:
Home Decor fabric purchased several years ago from Wal-Mart
Review:
The design of the pattern is perfect for a young child. I love the elastic neck tie and the velcro waist closure. It makes putting it on and taking it off a breeze.
Plus, the apron went together very quickly once Dan entertained Elly giving me uninterrupted sewing time.
The only negative I have about the apron is how snug it is. Based upon the pictures of the models, I had assumed that the apron would fit loosely. The pattern states that it can accommodate waists up to 24″ in the smallest size (3-5 year old). Elly has a waist of 23″ so I felt comfortable making her the smallest size. It’s true that the apron fits. However, if Elly was of the age where she could put it on herself, I think she would have trouble wrapping the waist tie around her back.
I should have gone back and made the waist strap longer, but I was so proud to have finished a sewing project. I couldn’t bring myself to rip it all out and start over again. Next time, I’ll do better.
Custom Pants v2
April 14, 2011
Pattern revisited:
Ruffled pants
by Little Lizard King
This was my 2nd time using this pattern. I had more fun this time around due to the addition of 2 embellishments.
Fabric used:
100% flannel cotton
It was purchased from JoAnn’s Fabric shop during their Black Friday sale.
Adjustments:
I cut the ruffle 1/2″ shorter than instructed. Rather than make a typical hem, I encased the raw edge with pink bias tape.
Using a cookie cutter as a template, I cut out hearts in the white flannel fabric and sewed them onto the pants using a satin stitch. Even though Elly almost never crawls anymore, I couldn’t resist.
I have enough flannel fabric to make her 2 more pairs. However, it’s Spring. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to sew more flannel clothes. Soon it will be too warm to wear them. So, I’m switching over to cotton fabrics and to new patterns.
Maybe in the winter I’ll come back to this pattern and the flannel fabric.
Custom Pants
January 23, 2011
Finding clothes that fit Elly has become a challenge. Elly is 12 months old, but she can’t fit her big toe into clothes labeled 12 months. Her waist measurement is that of a 4 year old. Her height is on par with 18 month-old children. You can probably guess how difficult it is to find clothes with those specs. My only hope is to find short a-line dresses or capri style pants in size 4T. Otherwise, I have to hem everything (oh, how I love hem tape).
When shopping leaves me frustrated, I turn to my sewing machine.
Pattern:
Ruffled Pants
by Little Lizard King
Fabric:
100% flannel cotton
Review of pattern:
I was thrilled to find this pattern. It offers the ability to pick and choose the width and height measurements – just what Elly needs.
The tutorial is long, heavy on the pictures and overly thorough. It is written for a beginner sewer. If you are an intermediate sewer like me or better, much of the tutorial can be skimmed over.
I found it easier to draft a pattern piece based on the measurements given. It had the advantage of only having to measure once no matter how many pairs of pants I cut out. I do plan to make her at least 2 more pairs. Before I do so, I’ll shorten my pattern piece by an inch to keep Elly from stepping on the hem of the pants.
In conclusion, the pattern is easy to follow, easy to adjust for a custom fit and quick to make.
Xmas present #4 and 5 – Jumpers
December 18, 2010
Xmas present for friend Evie
Xmas present for dear Elly
Stats:
Pattern: AnaClaire Jumper
By Marie Madeline Studio
Pattern alterations: With Evie’s red jumper, I made no alterations.
With Elly’s turquoise jumper, I added the applique flower on the apron along with the ruffles above and below the lower skirt band. Plus, I opted to line the bodice with white muslim rather than the main fabric. The latter decision was made out of necessity; I didn’t have enough turquoise fabric for the lining too.
Fabric: All fabrics are 100% cotton. The turquoise fabric was purchased from Marie Madeline’s website. The muslim was purchased from Walmart. The red fabric was found at my local Goodwill – of all places. I’ve never seen bolts of fabric sold there again.
Review: Once again, Marie Madeline Studios has produced a pattern that is both fun to make and fun to wear. The directions were clear and easy to follow. I only ignored them on how to finish seams (I always prefer to encase my seams). Unfortunately, I did find 1 error in the pattern. MMS had forgotten to include the seam allowances on view A of the skirt. Naturally, I didn’t locate the error until I tried to sew the bodice to the skirt. I had to order more fabric, recut the skirt out for Elly’s dress, baste the ties and apron back on and then continue with the directions. The ladies at MMS were very sweet about the mishap. Not only did they send me a corrected pattern piece, but they also compensated me for the lost yardage with fabric of my choice. (You won’t get customer service like that from the big name companies). Despite the lost time, I’m glad I went back and redid everything. I have a little girl who hasn’t gotten the memo that she is supposed to slow down her growth or thin out. She likes being chubby. It suits her to a T. Thus, losing 1 inch in width would only have nudged the jumper that much closer to the retirement bin.
Error aside, I have two minor complaints with the pattern. First, oh my is there a lot of gathering in this pattern should you opt for the pockets, apron and ruffle like I did. It was made worse by my idea of adding the yellow ruffles to Elly’s dress. I’m not sure I’ll do that again though I love the way it turned out. Thank goodness for MMS’s easy gathering method.
Secondly, I wish the bodice didn’t scoop so low in the font. A higher neckline would allow Elly the option to wear it without a t-shirt or onesie underneath during the dog days of summer. Of course, if Elly keeps growing at her current rate, the dress probably won’t fit by summer!
Final verdict: This is a jumper that I can see myself making for Elly again.
