Just before my two week flurry of preparation for the Fenton Street market began I received two new sewing books in the mail. I had been wanting them (and countless others really...) for quite some time.
I finally decided to buy these two ("Growing up Sew Liberated" by Meg McElwee and "Sewing for Boys" by Shelly Figueroa and Karen LePage) with the hopes of making some fun fall clothes for the kiddos around here. Violet and I had a blast looking through them when they arrived and deciding what we wanted to make for her and for Henry, but alas kid clothes were put on the back burner for a bit so that I could sew things for the market.
Then, last week, a fellow crafter and sewer, Rachael of Imagine Gnats , posted on her Facebook page about the kids clothes week challenge (KCWC) being held at Elsie Marley. I guess that was the little bit of a push that I needed to get started...
I do not consider myself a clothing sewer really. Most of the time I like to "wing it" and I am not following patterns so to speak when I am making things on my own. Also, as I have mentioned before...I don't make many clothes, particularly for Violet because she, so far, has been blessed by a fabulous wardrobe thanks to hand-me-downs from her one year older cousin!! And, for Henry, he has been blessed by many hand-me-downs and thrift store visits as well. But, there is just something to be said about something home/handmade isn't there? Especially for boys, I think. There are loads and loads of cute things to buy (and make of course too) for little girls, but for boys it seems that all of the offerings in the stores are the same thing store after store, and most of the time it's an applique of something on the front of a t-shirt that I can easily do myself.
So, last week...I poured over my fabric and my two new books looking to see what I could make with what I had on hand. I cut patterns out. Slowly, slowly, slowly I cut patterns out. I cut a few different patterns out because I couldn't decide at first what I wanted to make (I hadn't really known that I was going to jump into this KCWC). Then once I cut the patterns out I tried to decide what fabrics I was going to use. Often times once it's time to bring the scissors out I get performance anxiety (do you?). I buy the fabric because I'm in love with it, but once it's time to actually make something with it, gulp, what if I mess up!
Ahh, so, I made it through that part...I had so many ideas, but my first two projects were going to be from the "sewing for boys" book. An "Easy Linen Shirt" and a pair of "Treasure pocket pants". The sewing for boys book, in my opinion, is great for both boys and girls...and the shirt was being made for Violet. It turns out I had the perfect fabric just sitting there waiting for this perfect pattern and for a perfect fall apple picking day!! I used some of the Little Apples Fabric by Aneela Hoey (that I forgot that I had purchased) to make the shirt.
It was easy to make, although it took many more steps that I probably would not have used had I been making it on my own, remember the "winging it", but I am so glad for those steps because it is a little big and those little steps will help this shirt last a long time! YAY!
I did make a little change in the shirt in that I didn't add the collar to the shirt. Instead I finished it with 1/4 bias tape because I thought it made it look a little more "girly". Also, after trying it on we decided that the opening flap was a bit too deep and big, so I added some "red apple" buttons. Oh, and a little rick rack on the sleeves ;) This little girls loves this shirt! And this mama is jealous of it and wishes she had one of her own!!
Tomorrow...Henry's treasure pocket pants!
