I get so much pure JOY from sewing for my children. I love creating unique, fun clothing that suits their personalities and body types. In 2017 I sewed more for my kids than ever. I thought it’d be fun to share some of our favorite most worn pieces as well as those that just didn’t work for us. Let’s start with the good stuff!
PS- I’ve left off affiliate links in the post because I want you to know I honestly love and use these patterns. Links to the blog posts describing each piece may contain affiliate links though since I’m not going back and editing them 😉
I rarely sew for my oldest but this tie was too perfect for him. Floral ties are a huge trend here and he’s worn this tie constantly. This Cotton + Steel print was the perfect scale too. Anytime he actually wears something I made him, I do a little happy dance inside.
(I used this free pattern from Purl Soho for this tie.)
2- Love Notions Sloane Sweaters
These basic tops just get worn- simple as that. I let them pick the fabric 95% of the time and this time it paid off. That camo/blush sweater is one of my favorite combos ever! The options with this pattern are amazing and I will continue to fill their closets with them!
3- Raglans
Raglans are such a staple around here- like I feel like a make a new one at least once a week. My go-to patterns are the Jolly Roger Raglan from Patterns for Pirates (with the add-on pack for extra cuteness!) and the Camden Raglan from Hey June for my girls. They are so quick to sew and perfect for all the Raspberry Creek knits I love so much. Add in the fact that they’re perfect for adding a little vinyl to the front and these are the best tops for really showcasing their personalities and style. Looking at this fun collage gives me the itch to sew up a couple of more- the fact that these are almost instant gratification means I just might too!
4- Dresses
My favorite thing to sew my girls are dresses. There are just so many different patterns out there and I feel like I want to try them all! Whether I’m looking for a quick sew or want to take my time and really enjoy the sewing process, there’s a dress for that. These were our favorites from this year:
Clockwise from Top left: Polina Dress, Avenue Dress, Adelyn, Wendy, Isabel, Larkspur, and Joy.
Do you see a bit of a theme? Looks to me like we like things simple and sweet. Tiny details like jewels, ruffles, and bows take them to the next level while still keeping things clean and classic.
5- Swimsuits
Oh swimsuits, how I love thee! Just looking at these pictures makes me miss the sunshine and lazy days at the pool. In the slew of suits that I sewed this year, these were the ones that they reached for again and again. The Mermaid Shores collection just blew my mind- so many darling options! And that men’s suit for my oldest- labor of love that truly paid off.
Misses
I hate sharing these because it does feel like broadcasting my failures for all to see. For the most part these are not pattern issues, just things that didn’t really fit into our lifestyle or sizing/fabric choices were off. It’s great for me to look back on these to really see what gets worn, what designers fit my kids best, and what to sew in the future.
1- Camo Overalls
Guys, I love these and her styling here. This is the one and only time she wore them… Not girly enough for this princess. She’s all about comfort so I was hopeful but these were definitely not her style. These are already in the donation pile.
2- Knit Dresses/Skirts for the oldest
These have nothing to do with fabric choice or patterns and everything to do with what she likes to wear. She swears she will wear dresses to school but never truly does. These knit pieces just sit in her closet sadly. I’m convinced the dress on the right will get worn again come spring (hello, it’s a raglan!) because she does really love it but she has too much of her mom in her. I make knit dresses all the time thinking how cute I’ll be wearing them everyday but guess what? They’re sitting at the back of my closet too!
This dress was born with the photoshoot in mind. I’ve decided that those garments are usually the ones that don’t get worn. When my photographer side takes over the practical sewist side, dresses like this happen. It’s a super fun dress and I think it pairs well with the fabric but it’s just not all that wearable. It’s too over the top for church and she’s not invited to too many fiestas at age eight… Pieces like this are what I want to avoid in the future. I really started to analyze my projects, especially for blog tours. I get caught up in the pretty fabrics and pictures and need to focus more on wear-ability.
Do you like to look back on your past sewing projects? It’s so nice to learn what actually works and where you can improve. It’s great to find the designers that you gravitate too and what fabrics work for your lifestyle.
Stay tuned for my own highs and lows next week!
SewSophieLynn 