Sewing for My Son & Pattern Giveaway

Sewing for my son is not easy for me.  He is difficult to please, and I get easily frustrated if he doesn't want to wear something that I have spent hours making for him.

But I love him very much, and he desperately needs some new dress clothes for Easter.  So when Amy from Nap Time Crafters asked me to participate in her Spring Pattern Shop Tour for her Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop, I jumped at the chance to sew up the Little Gentleman Pants and Vest Pattern for my son.

Doesn't he look handsome?

The Little Gentleman Pants and Vest were pretty simple to make and definitely appropriate for an intermediate beginner who has buttonhole making skills.  The pattern is for sizes 3 months to 12 years, so you can get years of use out of it!  Always a win in my book.

The pants have inseam and welt pockets, a flat front with a faux fly, and elastic waistband in the back.  I sewed on a button and belt loops (not a part of the pattern) to the pants to make them look a little dressier since my son will wear them to church.

My favorite part of the pants--the functional welt pockets on the back!

Amy's pattern instructions show you a super simple way to make welt pockets!  I've read other tutorials on how to make them, but her method involves just one piece of fabric.  The trick is all in the folding! Genius!  

These pockets definitely dress up these slacks and give them that store bought feel.  Don't you agree?

I made both the pants and the vest using the size 8, but the pants were a little long.  Instead of trimming off the excess length, I cuffed the bottom edge of the pants.  These pants should last a while since I can always let out the hem when he grows taller!

I'm not sure about other 8 year olds, but my son enjoys wearing a vest.  He has another one that is more casual and has a guitar applique on the back shoulder, so he was most excited about me making him a new vest.

Ella was jealous of all the camera time Connor was receiving!

When I bought the khaki twill fabric for the pants and vest, I didn't think about buying any fabric for the lining.  My fabric stash at home is rather limited when it comes to male acceptable prints and colors, but luckily, Connor was pretty satisfied with this navy blue and green print that I had.  Whew!

The vest is reversible if you sew buttons on both sides, and the pattern instruction pictures are great at showing you how to sew it together with no exposed seams.

I'm so pleased with the ensemble; however, I did not make the shirt.  It's a Polo that I picked up at a consignment sale last week for $3!  Can't beat that deal!

If you have a little boy who needs some new dress clothes like mine did, then I hope you'll try out the Little Gentleman Pants and Vest Pattern, too.  Or, if you need to make your little girl an Easter outfit, then maybe you'll consider the Evelyn Dress Pattern.  I remixed it to make Ella a Christmas dress last year, and I use the same pattern all the time to make reversible A-line dresses and swing tops to applique (in fact, I used it to make Ella an Easter swing top I'll be blogging about soon).

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers participating in the Pattern Shop Tour.  I can't wait to see what else everyone is making!  Just click the blog names below to be taken directly to their blogs.

Want a chance to win all the patterns showcased in the tour?  Then be sure to enter below.  I'd really appreciate you following sewVery if you don't already! Two winners will be announced after the contest ends on March 16th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And for Thursday only, Amy is offering up her Elaina Pintuck Party Dress pattern for only $4!  This would be great for a little girl's Easter dress!

Linking up at these great parties and others shown here.

    

Valentine's Day Dolly Outfit Tutorial

Last month, I guest posted over at Nap Time Crafters in Amy's Dressing Up Dolly Series where I shared this fun tutorial on how to make your American Girl doll her own Valentine's Day outfit.  Now that Valentine's Day has come and gone, I thought I would repost this tutorial to give you some inspiration for making your dolly another seasonal outfit--like St. Patrick's Day or Easter!  Have fun!

A few months ago, I visited a friend who asked if I could make her daughter's doll an outfit.  You can read all about the matching skirts and bag here. When Amy announced her series, I thought of that post and decided to make an outfit for another friend's daughter's doll.  I know I could definitely use the practice making these tiny outfits.  This time, I documented each step of how to make the doll skirt and bag so you, too, can make a similar outfit for your little doll's doll!  

First, here's what you'll need to cut out to make the doll skirt and bag.  

Starting with the doll skirt, place the fabric right sides together and sew the side seams (the 7" long sides) using a 1/4" seam allowance .  Finish the seams by your desired method.  I serged the edges.

Before you begin sewing the purse, fold the main fabric and lining fabric in half so that each is now 5 1/2" W x 3" L.  Along the fold, cut out a 1" x 1" square.  Your purse fabrics should now look like those above.

Next, fold the purse main fabric in half as shown below with right sides together and sew the short edges together with a 1/4" seam.  Do the same with the purse lining fabric.  Press open the seams.

To create the purse straps, fold the fabric in half with wrong sides together and press.  Open this back up and fold in the raw edges toward the fold and press.  Fold the strip of fabric in half again along the original seam encasing the raw edges.  Sew along the open edge using a 1/8" seam allowance.

Now to finish the skirt...

Sew around the top using a 3/8" seam allowance making sure to leave at least a 1" opening for inserting the elastic.  Take a 10 1/2" piece of 1/4" elastic and run it through the casing you just created.  Sew the ends of the elastic together and then sew to close the opening in the casing.

Hem the bottom by stitching all the way around the skirt.  The skirt is complete!

Now, to finish up the bag, pinch the fabric at the holes in the bottom with right sides together so that the raw edges line up.  Pin and then sew together using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Do this for both the purse main fabric and the lining.  

Next, cut about 3" off of each purse strap.  We'll use one of these leftover pieces a little later, so don't throw them away just yet!

Sew the main fabric to the lining fabric using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Be sure to leave an opening that is at least 2" wide for turning the purse inside out. Once you have flipped the fabrics the right way, press the opening and then topstitch around the edge of the bag using a 1/8" seam allowance.  This will close the hole you used for turning.

At this point, I decided to make a simple little fob to attach to the purse handle.  Take one of the 3" long pieces that you cut off of the strap earlier and wrap it around one of the purse handles.  Stitch the ends together.  Then cut out two small hearts (mine are approximately 1" x 1").  

Now there are two ways you could do this next part.  I put the two hearts wrong sides together and then stitched around the edges leaving an opening at the top of the heart large enough to insert the end of the fob strap.  I then stitched over the fob strap when I finished sewing the hearts together.

Another way I could have done this is to have cut out a piece of heat and bond lite the same size as the heart and fused it to the back of one heart. Peel the backing off the heat and bond lite and place the end of the fob between the two hearts.  Iron according to the heat and bond lite directions and then stitch around the edge of the heart.

Now onto the t-shirt.  First let me say that I am very new to sewing with knits, and so far, I haven't been very successful.  But I'll keep trying! Anyway, I found an American Girl doll free t-shirt pattern online from Liberty Jane, and I used an old white baby onesie for the fabric.  

I had major problems sewing a nice hem at the bottom and neckline of the t-shirt.  Even though I used a double needle, both areas stretched out as I was sewing.  Also, I realized after the fact that I should have hemmed the sleeves before I sewed them onto the bodice of the shirt (I admit I did not follow the pattern instructions).  I became so frustrated with the neckline stretching out that I opted to just leave the sleeves as is.  The shirt is not a total loss though.  It's just not as nice as I'd hoped it would be!

I cut out two more little hearts and used heat and bond lite to fuse them to the fabric.  For the back closure, I sewed on a narrow strip of velcro.

Now my neighbor's little American Girl Doll, Maggie, is all ready for Valentine's Day! 

Linking up at these parties and others shown here!  

  

  

Valentine's Day Dolly

Do you know a doll that is in need of a special outfit for Valentine's Day? Then you're in luck!

Today, I'm visiting with Amy of Nap Time Crafters where I'm sharing a tutorial on how to make your dolly her very own Valentine's Day skirt, bag, and shirt!

Head on over to read the step-by-step tutorial and to check out some other amazing doll clothes being shared in the Dressing Up Dolly Series going on all this month!

Nap Time Crafters Dressing Up Dolly Series

Next Thursday, I'll be guest posting over at Nap Time Crafters as part of Amy's Dressing Up Dolly Series!

 

Throughout February, some of your favorite sewing and crafting bloggers will be sharing with you great ideas, patterns, and tutorials for making doll clothes and accessories.

Here's a little sneak peak at part of what I'll be sharing with you next week.

It all starts today at Nap Time Crafters!  Don't miss it!