I bought a simplicity easy pattern a few days ago and made capri pants for my toddler. When I saw how easy it was (it's my first ever attempt at making capris) I thought I should keep the pattern for long. But it was too late and I already cut the pattern to size 4 and she will outgrow that size in 6 months. Are there any tips for sewing for kids since they change sizes often?
Also, since the pattern sheets are so flimsy do you folks use any other longer lasting medium to transfer the pattern and re-use those instead?
Congrats on the pants! It's fun to make kids clothes! I have a 4 yo and an 8 yo. With their patterns I use a tracing wheel and trace the size I need onto freezer paper. That way I can use the pattern for several sizes. Freezer paper is easy to work with and doesn't tear as easily as a pattern. You also may find that w/ some of the more simple kids clothes you can use a rotary cutter and cut several at the same time. I can cut out 5 pr of shorts in one cutting.
What I found easiest to do with children's patterns was just to cut out the largest size and fold down to the size I needed to use. Sometimes I would have to make small cuts so that it would fold down properly; I was just careful not to cut the pieces off completely. And remember, you can press tissue paper patterns with your iron.
About the only thing I do is fuse freezer paper on the back. I like to still be able to see through pattern pieces for marking darts, etc. So I don't usually do the entire piece with freezer paper. But it's good for repairs. You can also get very thin fusible interfacing and fuse that to pattern pieces. But that makes for one expensive pattern by the time you've done the whole thing. If you think you will be making a lot of clothes for your daughter, you might look into some of the pattern making software. I know you're just getting started sewing for the little bit. But in the long run the software is way less expensive than buying patterns all the time. Take a look at
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and see what you think of those. The nice thing about them is they always come out the right size. You enter the measurements and it creates a pattern for you that you then print out on your printer. Nifty huh? ;) There is one specifically for children called Childs Play (IIRC.) And if you want a really good idea of what the Wild Ginger products are like, you can download Wild Things! for free. That has all sorts of fun accessories in it. Hats, aprons, purses, etc. It will give you an idea of how the stuff works for free. ;) NAYY. There are other software programs out there. I like the Wild Ginger programs I have used. If you get serious about something like that, look around at others too.
I thought about the pattern making software. I downloaded their free software that has the things you mentioned. What I found is that it prints on several sheets of paper and I have to tape them together. Do you find this annoying? Is there a way around it?
I'm assuming you have a daughter. Do you have a recommendation for a skort pattern? I need to make a few for her school uniform. I'm looking for those that look like shorts from the back and skirt from the front. Not the ones that look like a skirt and have an underwear attached in the inside.
I make skorts but they are shorts under and a skirt on top all around. I place the short pattern on the fabric and freehand draw a skirt pattern just a little bigger than the shorts (sometimes, I'll add a pleat to the skirt so I'll add extra room in the fabric for that. I then sew the shorts, sew the skirt, do all the hemming. I put right sides together and sew around the band, then I turn and top stitch and then make another double row of stitching wide enough to fit elastic in. I had a cute pants pattern in my favs ... I'll look for it.
They all work that way. It really doesn't bother me. I have French doors in my living room. Works great as a light box to line up the hash marks. I tape the first piece to the glass, then line things up and tape the others in place. Not that big of a deal to me. But I don't have a toddler running around any more to "help" me either. lol
Suggestion: Kwik Sew's Sewing for Children book... directions, master patterns to trace on nice heavy paper, and lots of ideas that will help set your creativity free from having to have just exactly the right pattern to do something or other.
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thenclick on "sewing for children" in the left column. In my experience, KS patterns go together very well.They sell a special non-woven fabric called "Do-Sew" that is nicefor tracing, but you can use plain old gift wrap tissue (of the 100sheets for $2 sort), or Lowe's sells a roll of something called Carriff "soil separator paper" that's essentially the same stuff, for pretty cheap... works out to about 10 cents a yard. And it's strongenough that you can make a trial muslin out of it quite quickly. Soil Separator paper is going to be over in the plumbing section, around the perforated pipe you put down in the yard to drain around house foundations. Looks like this:
Almost any sort of paper that comes in large-enough sheets will do for patterns. Tissue paper comes in large sheets, but is flimsy. I used a scrap of wallpaper once, and found it brittle -- not to mention too thick to store in an envelope. Quite a lot of my older patterns are on brown wrapping paper, and there's one that's cut out of a non-woven towel.
I bought a roll-end of paper from a newspaper office a few years ago
-- cost only a dollar or two, and I've been using off it ever since.
A few sheets of typist's carbon paper are a great help when drafting or copying patterns. For example, if you are about to make a mark on the top of the paper, put a sheet of carbon paper under the pattern so that the mark will appear on both sides.
If you have a large window or patio door, you can affix a pattern to it with drafting tape or painter's tape, cover it with a sheet of paper affixed with more tape, and trace it off. I prefer to work on a table and hold the pattern down with books. But that does mean all interior marks have to be copied with carbon paper, except those that I've marked with holes for convenience in making tailor tacks.
I am in total agreement with all of you; my 6 DGC appreciate what ever, pillowcases with their school's logo, short pajama pants(boys & girls), dresses for playing "dress-up when they're younger than 10, and the list continues---. Emily
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