It’s hard to believe that school starts in a few short weeks! I realized that I have been so busy sewing for me, that I have neglected to add my daughter’s wardrobe with handmade items (which only matters because right now she loves them – and prefers them over store bought)! I’ve decided to set that right, and will be adding several new garments to her wardrobe. This will be part 1 of a series (until I have sewn them all up) – can’t wait to share everything I have been cooking up!
Clothes for Work and Play
My daughter is now officially OBSESSED with twirling skirts – so its a no-brainer to add circle skirts to her wardrobe! I used the Ellie and Mac Girls Be Smart Jumper Pattern for the skirt and paired it with this Double Brushed Poly Stars – Plum fabric from Sly Fox Fabrics. The DBP feels soooo good against my daughter’s skin, and she is always asking if I can use the “soft fabrics” for her clothes – so this was an instant hit. For the waistband, I used this Cotton Lycra fabric in Dark Denim – and I love how well it keeps the dress neutral, but breaks up the print. I also added a super fun button – because – why not?
Circle Skirt Hemming Hell
As you can see from the photo – I did in fact hem the whole thing! Since the fabric is a polyester, I knew it wouldn’t take to the ironing too well, so I opted to serge the edge and then use a 1/4″ narrow rolled hem foot to help me complete the task quicker. It’s far from perfect – but I do like it better than a raw edge so I will take it!
My daughter is super slim, so I mashed up a size 3T width with a 5T height. I’m starting to think I should have ACTUALLY followed the size chart and do the 2T bodice (since that’s closer to her actual size), but I wanted to give her some room to grow both up AND out! The straps cross in the back, and you anchor them into the waistband. I think I am going to have to do some thinking about whether I need to hand stitch the straps in next time, because I don’t love the visible top stitching on the waistband.
A Playdress and Leggings fit for a Princess
For her second outfit, I used two love notions patterns: the Everyday Playdress * and the Leggin’s* (affiliate links). I used this strike off fabric from Little Roots Fabrics (you can order through their facebook group here) – and I was BLOWN AWAY by the quality! The pear fabric was used for the neckband and the leggings. It is an organic cotton lycra fabric made in the USA! I love the idea of supporting WAHM (work at home mom) small businesses domestically AND that the fabrics are organic. These leggings are so soft and comfy – my daughter outright refused to take them off when we got home! The fabric is from round 6, which opens 8/15 and closes 9/1. Take a look at all the goodness in the round:
I seriously had SOOO much trouble picking! I can already see that I’m going to need some of the smaller mustard gradient dots and the navy print,… I already have the multi-colored small dots and will be showing you that in my next post!
Stable Knits are AWESOME!
I used a cotton interlock from Jo-Ann’s for the wheat/tan fabric – it’s 100% cotton (so no recovery), but I LOVE how easily it sews up, and because its cotton – its breathable. The pattern has both a crossover and a regular rounded neckline – but this crossover has my heart (my next version I will share is an exact replica of this – just in a different set of colors)!
For this dress, I mashed the 3T with the 5T, and the dress couldn’t be more perfect – she will have plenty of room to grow into in over the school year. I think it will also move into fall well with a nice sweater and undershirt.
Overall – I am THRILLED to have finally gotten back to sewing for baby girl, and can’t wait to share more as I finish them up! Anyone else sewing for their littles?
Harper + Lu 