The Handmade Kids Wardrobe grows again with the Tui Pinafore

I was very fortunate to be able to test Sophie's newest pattern from Below the Kowhai.

'The Tui Pinafore'

What she didn't realise is that I had been looking at Pinafore ideas to make for my girl, only a week before she put the test call out! What perfect timing!!

This Pink corduroy had been sitting in my stash for a number of years, part of it was already made into a skirt for me that I never finished, along with some extra fabric, which unfortunately combined with the skirt, suffered from patches of fade damage from the sun streaming in where some of my fabric was folded in a bookcase 

 note to self not to do that again!

 

But with the bodice, straps and pockets didn't take up too much fabric, so I was able to cut around a lot of the the faded areas, which made me happy to be able to destash a bit more, and at the same time, finally use up this beautiful colour for my girl.....who naturally was thrilled because it was pink!

I had a lot of fun with the process of embroidering the pocket cuff and I reckon that detail finishes it off nicely, especially since I opted for a straight colour. 

I can see this being a favourite as its a great dress to run around in and climb trees, just the kind of thing a little country girl needs!

The top is another wardrobe staple I've added, which actually were a pair of leggings I made and quickly realised were too small because this jersey knit didn't have enough stretch!

Gah! You win some you lose some!

 But not to be defeated, I cut them apart and used them to make the sleeves, luckily I had enough already for the bodice front and back

 

The pattern is from a old Ottobre Magazine I have, and I opted for the contrast fabric around the shoulder and neckline.

 I've been having fun with making her T-Shirts a little different!

 

And while we were taking photos, we realised one of our Mountain Paw Paws has a bounty of fruit!

  

Which was quite exciting for this little fruit eater!

 

 

A Fail to a Fix

A few months ago I completed this rainbow tunic from the book Happy Homemade Sew Chic Kids,  

(this is the same pattern as the middle dress on the book cover.)

 

 It looked cute, the fabric was fun and it worked well as a top  with leggings

but the only problem was the sleeves,

 in the book they sit like butterfly sleeves, but I'm guessing that is likely because the fabric is much lighter and had more drape, so this is where my fabric type and pattern match was a fail, it annoyed me and those sleeves certainly annoyed her! So in the end, this little tunic didn't get much love. 

So I fixed it, and I did it promptly, which even surprised my normal procrastinating self!

 I know my patterns, and if I hadn't, it would have otherwise lingered in the back of her drawers or in fail pile, forgotten, like many of my work in progresses or sewing fails.

Cutting off the old sleeves and turning them under with a top stitch did the trick nicely.

And since then, it's now in regular rotation, along with a pair of loose leggings I made her from a pair of my old Pjays

I must say it's weird looking at her wearing those leggings because its looks like I just shrunk my old pair down to her size! haha