Tag: Kid’s Bottoms

Tween Capsule

My daughter has come into the size range where it’s hard to find patterns that are sized for her, this age range is known as the tween ages. Being a tween is when you’re no longer an age that is a single digit, but also not yet a teen. You’re probably thinking, yeah, I already know that. The other definition of tween is between, and in the PDF pattern world, there are only a fraction of the patterns available for between child and adult sizes.

When searching for designers, I found a lot that said they were tween, but many really only went up to size 12, which in my eyes doesn’t quite make it to adult size. For those who do, there aren’t a ton of different designs available. And with all honesty, if I’m going to buy a pattern for my daughter, I don’t want her to be at the top of the size chart, I want to be able to use the same pattern for a few different sizes.

With my daughter’s clothing she weighs in on these three things equally:

  1. How does it (the fabric) feel? She loves anything soft, everything from Phee checks this box, so I never have to worry.
  2. Do I like it? Sometimes I’ll show her patterns to see if she likes them, other times Pinterest when I see something cute. As long as she likes it, this box gets checked. I also like just going my idea, and seeing what happens, this works most of the time.
  3. Is it comfortable? She refuses to wear anything that isn’t comfortable. I don’t blame her.

When working on her capsule I knew that she needed basics that she could mix and match together as well with any prints that she has. One things she lacks is solids, so adding these solids that don’t look basic are perfect for her.

Jumper and Basic Tee

Violette Field Threads Maddie Jumper in Black Stretch Twill and Hey June City Park Tee in White Rayon Spandex

She said she wanted overalls, but I kept seeing really cute jumpers/pinafores all over, so I really wanted to make one. I chose Phee’s stretch twill (black) because it’s durable and super easy to wash. It also doesn’t wrinkle, so she can change for PE if needed throw it in her locker and when she puts it back on, it won’t look like a mess.

Basic tees were definitely needed, and the City Park Tee was a perfect patch to Phee’s 13oz Rayon Spandex. She will definitely outgrow this t-shirt well before it shows any signs of wear. I love that the fabric is easy to sew because of its thickness, is super soft (which she loves), and doesn’t pill after repeated washings.

Joggers and Basic Tee

Hey June City Park Tee in Turquoise Rayon Spandex and Sofilantjes Domi Sweat Pants in Black Rayon Spandex

Surprise another City Park Tee in you guessed it, rayon spandex. Seriously, the best part of this outfit is these joggers. She put these on and couldn’t get over how soft and comfortable they were! And her favorite part is the pockets. I chose to use some scraps from my leftover tee to bring some color to the joggers.

Overalls and Fancy Top

Abby’s Overalls by The Wolf and the Tree in Charcoal Supplex and Sew a Little Seam Brynn Top in Orchid Rayon Spandex

She got her overalls, but she won’t be wearing these for much longer. Don’t forget to double check measurements before cutting your fabric and sewing. I thought I was using the correct size, but I actually cut out the pattern that I had from months ago. I promised her that I’ll be making her a bigger size though, because they are too cute and she’s not off the chart for these yet.

Phee’s supplex is my favorite when it comes to making bottoms for my daughter. I don’t have to worry about holes, as the fabric is super strong yet really soft.

When the Brynn Top was first released I was excited for all the different options. When we were on a flight I was looking at the pattern and she started oooing and ahhing at the different tester pics. I knew one way to let this pattern showcase itself was to use Phee’s solid rayon spandex and let the design speak for itself. I just love the way these sleeves drape.

Leggings and Knotted Top

Jalie Clara Leggings in Black 18oz Supplex and Sew a Little Seam Brynn Top in Light Heathered Gray Rayon Spandex, with Orchid Rayon Spandex trim

This girl loves leggings from Phee’s supplex, I think because it’s just like the Ivivva (Lululemon’s brand for girls) leggings she has. This also isn’t her first pair of Clara leggings, and I love how fast these are to sew since they don’t have a center front seam.

Another Brynn Top, as she had other feature requests which were too many to do all in one shirt, so I opted for two. I used some leftover of the orchid rayon spandex which works beautifully with this light heathered gray. If you can’t tell I also used it as a contrast on the side knot and the hem facing, which adds a pop of color.

Bonus Sweatshirt

Sinclair Patterns Demi (one of my favorites) in Oatmeal Cozy French Terry, Oatmeal Rayon Spandex, and Medium Pink 2.5″ Stretch Lace Trim

She’s finally in the size chart for Sinclair Patterns! I used the Petite size and shorted all pieces even more in multiple places throughout to get a pattern just right. I couldn’t be happier!

This sweatshirt was a labor of love for me. It all started with a Pinterest picture and I instantly knew I had to make it for her. The new Cozy French Terry is so soft and fluffy, so it was perfect for her list. The oatmeal cozy French terry and the medium pink lace look sooo good together!

There’s a few hacks I made to the Demi, I didn’t just add lace to the sleeves, I cut away part of the fabric from underneath the lace. I used a narrow zig zag to attach the lace while the sleeve was flat.

I also added thumb cuffs, because I know she loves them. I had some oatmeal rayon spandex in my stash, so I opted for that on the neckband, thumb cuffs, and bottom band. I’m so happy with the way this turned out.

Her Favorites

We all have our own favorites, but I just had to ask her what her favorite item was. She couldn’t give me a straight up answer, I think it’s because she likes everything so much. Instead, this is what she said:

  • Outfit: Jumper and Basic Tee
  • Top: Orchid Brynn Top
  • Pants: Rayon Spandex Domi Joggers

If you stuck with me this far, please let me know what your favorite outfit or item is. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links to products. All opinions and thoughts are my own. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

by Categories: Rayon Spandex, Stretch TwillTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Summer is for Fun!

Summer is in full swing here in Far Northern California with all sorts of craziness between hail storms, mountain snow, earthquakes and sizzling temps of over 100 degrees! Add to the daily fun of school being out – what working parent doesn’t love trying to figure out ways to keep the monsters occupied and active when it’s hotter than the surface of the sun?

My original plan was to get pictures of this Mairin from Sew a Little Seam while out on the boat this past weekend but with so much snow runoff from the late, heavy Spring snowfalls that water was COLD!!! No one was going in and I know better than to bring out the suits and expect the kids to stay out of the water.

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I made sure to grab this inflatable pool from Costco while they had them in stock because around here, once the pools are gone, they aren’t restocked so if you miss out, you are S.O.L. and in for a long, hot season. It made for a great time in the backyard while the husband cooked a tri-tip and I snapped some pictures to show off the solid tricot and Insane in the Membrane Nylon spandex from Phee Fabrics.

It took me a bit to decide which colors to use. The Tricot, which is perfect for swimwear and so amazing to work with, comes in a bunch of awesome colors and with half-yard cut options available it is easy to have a nice on-hand selection of beautiful coordinates for whatever may come up! The Nylon-Spandex “Insane in the Membrane” is a fun, wild, black-and-white print that can really be paired with anything but for this suit, I chose the Cerise and Neon Coral to add lots of brightness to match my little’s ones sparkling personality.

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This is the second Mairin I’ve made for little missy and I had forgotten how “fun” the teeny, tiny pieces of elastic were to sew in for the arm and leg openings. It did require a few deep breaths and taking a break from my machines but those are really the only parts I found of the suit that was a touch stressful for me. Even the gathered ruffles are easy with the Tricot.

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Despite the elastic giving me a hard time, I feel fortunate to be able to provide my daughter with a perfectly fitting suit as I find that RTW suits have a tendency to sag in the booty/crotch area and are not comfortable for her to be able to play like she wants! The quality of the fabric really compliments its beauty with the way it holds up to abrasion and chlorine making the time and effort invested into a hand-crafted suit worthwhile.

I hope you have a wonderful Summer filled with lots of laughs and memories made. Kiddos just grow way too fast! Thank you for reading! ❤

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Pattern: Sew a Little Seam – Children’s Mairin Swimsuit PDF Pattern

Fabrics: Tricot in Cerise from Phee Fabrics, Tricot in Neon Coral from Phee Fabrics, Nylon Spandex in “Insane in the Membrane”, Swim Lining in Bisque

This post includes affiliate links that might generate some income that would be wisely spent on … more fabric.

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Bell Bottom Hack

Spring is in full swing here so the mornings are still chilly but the afternoons are warm.  I’ve had a really hard time finding some lightweight clothing that she can wear outside that will keep her cool and still protect her from the sun. 

Tricot is one of my favorite summer fabrics. It’s  great for swim but it’s also good for just tops, pants, underwear, sports bras, and workout tops. It feels cool to the touch, which I love on a hot day. It’s perfect for playing in the water because it dries so quick. The tricot from Phee Fabrics is very high quality and super easy to work with. Using high quality fabric makes my projects go so much smoother and they end up looking better. If you’re wondering what the heck is tricot, it’s a type of nylon spandex that is knitted in such a way to make it abrasion resistant. It’s moisture wicking, antimicrobial, and very breathable.

The bottoms I used the cerise tricot and omg! It’s sooo pretty!  On the top I used the light pink with cerise bands.

While she needs to be protected from the sun, this diva also needs to be stylish. I’m not sure where she gets this from because I usually look like I’m homeless. Atleast one of us has to look good, right?!   My friend found these super cute bell bottoms for her and I knew I had to make her some for summer. Plus I need a nice tricot shirt to throw on her when she heads outdoors.

 

To hack leggings into bell bottoms, it’s super easy. But the outcome is so freaking adorable. I used the Bonny leggings from Made for Mermaids, but you could use any legging pattern. The Bonny’s are a free pattern. Now if you’re toddler is like mine, you can measure a pair of pants instead of the toddler. It’s so much easier. I compared the measurements of a pair of well fitting leggings to the pattern. It has a cut line for shorties. I added 1.5” of length to that. The little flares that come out from the side for the hem line on the Bonny pattern, I just cut off.

So you construct the leggings but don’t hem the legs. Then you’re going to cut two pieces of fabric. I did 26” wide x 8.5” long.   The length I compared with her jeans. I should’ve added another inch to them so that she could wear them longer. They are   the perfect length for bare feet now.  The width, I guessed at. I would Atleast double the width of  Math is not my subject. Sew the right sides together and I went ahead and hemmed here because I hate hemming. Then you’re going to find the quarter points of those pieces. Match up the seam with the seam on the legs. The other half matches the other side. So you’re left with all this excess fabric in the middle of those points. I put that extra material into a pleat on the front and on the back. Then I serged the pieces to the legs. Super easy!!

 

For the top, I just made a Stella (Made for Mermaids also) and just left the bottom band off And hemmed. I also did 3” arm bands. I can’t remember what the pattern calls for. 

 

If you’re looking for a super fun project, this is it!  And it’s super cute! Thanks for reading!

 

Please note affiliate links may be used. There is no extra cost for you, but you’d be helping me fund my fabric addiction. Thank you!!

by Categories: TricotTags: , , 2 Comments

I’ve been sewing since I was six years old, and when I lived at my last place, there wasn’t really any space for me to sew, so I took a few years off. I’ve always been one to sew wovens, it’s been a love for almost 30 years of my life, but when I came back to sewing, Phee was hosting the Green Tee sew-a-long.

During the sew-a-long, I fell for the community of the Phee Facebook Sewalong group, as well as the rayon spandex I was using. This is when I was able to create my first lululemon replacement of the Love Tee with some hacks from the sew-a-long. From there I started researching the different fabrics Phee carried, and knew that I needed to start, or should I say stop, my lulu habit, and start making the things in basically identical fabrics.

After I made my first pair of leggings with one yard of supplex (I have short legs), I was sold. That’s also when my daughter asked for some, and I knew that I wouldn’t have to buy her ivviva (lululemon’s girl brand) or Athleta Girl leggings again.

My daughter is 10 years old, and has recently taken up aerial, she’s never been active before, but she loves the way that her expensive ivviva and Athleta Girl leggings and bras feel. So for Christmas I decided to make her a matching set in the peacock supplex, since teal is her favorite color. (The last time I made clothes for my daughter was when she was 4 years old.)

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It was really hard to photograph the Peacock and get an accurate color, and I’ve taken all sorts of photography classes in college. I don’t know how they do it Phee, but the color on the website is spot on!

For both items, I used Jalie patterns, this is a company I have never used, but have had my eye on over the past couple of years as I have become more active myself, and kept thinking of sewing activewear. The bra is the cropped top with criss-cross spaghetti back straps from 3247, and the leggings are the Clara high-waisted leggings (3887) that were released in June. I am an experienced sewer, and the minimal instructions, not trying to over explain everything was amazing for me!

Criss-Cross Crop Top

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The crop top called for a folded elastic, but I couldn’t find any that would match the peacock supplex to my liking. I added a ¼” seam allowance and was going to add an elastic to the seam allowance, but that was a complete disaster. I’m happy to say that if you are making both of these items for a slender 55” child, you can get away with 1 yard of fabric, and make 2 bras. Yes, I cut out a second bra and started over.

So I then opted to try my hand at a binding, which I have never done before on knits. I cut 1” wide supplex strips in the length required by the pattern. I opted for a zig zag stitch to top stitch the binding. For the lining I used a scrap of rayon spandex, because I know she’s going to wear this bra for everyday wear, and not just to aerial, she’s 10, and likes soft things.

The spaghetti straps were fun, I saw a video somewhere that showed an easy way to sew and turn right side out, so I completely ignored the instructions on this. Using your serger, sew a long chain stitch the length of your strap by sewing without any fabric and pull it to lengthen it. Without cutting from the machine, lay the chain stitch down the middle of your fabric strip, and fold in half. Serge down the raw edges of your fabric strip all the way to the end and cut from machine. Pull the chain stitches that are in the tube of fabric till it comes right side out. With the supplex being more compressive, this will take some time, but I found it really easy, and satisfying!

Clara Leggings

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I was intrigued by the lack of front seam in the Clara Leggings, that I thought sewing them up for my daughter would be a good test before making some for myself. The lack of this front seam makes these leggings sew up super-fast! I asked my daughter which style of waist she liked best out of all her leggings, and of course she pulled out her ivivva rhythmic tights which have a contoured waistband, so I used that option for hers.

The contour waistband calls for 3/8” elastic to be added to the seam allowance. It didn’t specify if this was to be clear elastic, like most leggings patterns I’ve used, or if it should be something else. I decided to try a knit non-roll elastic to see how that would work since I had some on hand, although next time, I think I’ll go with some clear elastic to reduce some of the bulk in the waistband.

The instructions have you top stitch the gusset’s seam allowances before attaching the legs. This isn’t something I would have thought about, but I can see the benefit of those seams not bothering you while you’re wearing the leggings.

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The overall fit is amazing, and she loves the feel of the supplex. I know they are a little long on my daughter, but her feet just grew 3 full sizes, so I know she’s about to hit a growth spirt, and I’m hoping the extra length will help these last her awhile.

The Verdict

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She wore both items to aerial, and they worked out great. I think the bra is also her new favorite because I saw her wearing it again yesterday. I already have another bra cut out for her in the neon stripes with the baby pink circular knit as the lining. This same supplex styled set in the brands she’s used to would have cost me anywhere from $70-$92 (excluding tax and shipping), but the fabric for this set was only $18 (excluding shipping), that’s a savings of at least $52!

I plan on making both of these items for myself with some modifications to the bra to make it more supportive. I’m going to add powernet between the supplex and the lining, as well as adding a ¼” clear elastic to the spaghetti strap. I think adding both of these things will help make this more than just a crop top, and more like a sports bra with support. I’m needing more strappy bras with lighter support for yoga, and since Jalie patterns include so many sizes, I figure I might as well try it out.

by Categories: Fabric Types, Rayon Spandex, SupplexTags: , , , , 2 Comments

Tricot.. what’s that?!

Tricot pronounced tree-co is actually a blend of nylon spandex and the tricot refers to the knitting process. Tricot is made on a warp knitting machine that uses fine yarns to create wales (vertical columns of stitches) on the surface and crosswise ribs on the back. There is a horizontal texture on one side and a vertical texture on the other. Although this is invisible to the naked eye for us fabric inspectors you can see it haha.

tricot 2.jpgTricot is run resistant which means that is resistant to pulling and pilling. It also is stretch and shrink resistant so it has AWESOME recovery.

It is moisture wicking and anti microbial so it is perfect for bathing suits, sports bras, undies, all the things. haha I use it for leggings or hoodies for the girls and they totally love it and color blocking on leggings is perfect since it comes in so many colors.

Tricot is smooth, lightweight, breathable, soft, flexible but also so durable!Tricot 5.jpgTricot 4.jpgTricot 3.jpgtricot 1

New fabrics can be confusing but I hope this helps!

-Whitney

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All the yoggers

Yoggers are by petite stitchery and they’re FREE for members of the Facebook group. I’m always on the hunt for cute boy pants and while these are labeled “girls” they are 100% unisex!! I was first apprehensive to try them but now I’m wishing I started making them sooner because they are my newest favorite pattern.

I’m making them in all the lengths with tricot from phee fabrics. I decided to do a the shorts first, now the pattern calls for bands on all versions but I didn’t want banded shorts. Simple fix! I just went straight when the pattern calls to curve for both front, back and lining pieces. I’m lining the neon yellow tricot with white liner and chose to line them because my son is basically captain commando! With the pants and capris I didn’t line them but I also used darker colors and prints.

Now, while Captain Commando would prefer to live on a nudist colony he does need to wear clothes, ya know, that whole ‘going out in public’ thing. He prefers to have enclosed seams when I line stuff, so you will want to assemble the legs and crotch of the pattern for the outer fabric, same with the liner, insert the liner into the yellow tricot (wrong sides together) and clip or pin. Badge the legs together. Attach the waistband, treating the outer fabric and liner as one. Then I fold hemmed the legs about 3/4″!

For the Capri and full length, they’re done with bands so it’s simple to just follow the pattern instructions and I added pockets. There’s a solid cut line for the front piece that you will want to cut if adding pockets. The left pocket is before adding one piece, the right is once it’s finished and topstitched.

After attaching the angled pocket piece, topstitch

Add back pocket piece by serging together

Then follow the instructions within the pattern to assemble the rest. While I have found this pattern for be true to the measurements I did find the cuffs to be slightly loose. But that’s an easy fix. Stay tuned for some amazing final pics …. ya know because school can’t start soon enough 😉.

Melissa

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