I wasn't going to make my kids anything for christmas (what a horrible mother!) but then dammit, all my friends were making these beautiful robes for their kids. Basically I am 33 and was peer pressured into this sewing project.

Of course I'm glad I did sew them, because my kids look pretty adorable in their cozy flannel robes. The robe pattern came from Sewing For Boys, which I reviewed here.  The pattern comes together very quickly. Leave off the pockets and you could have one finished in a few hours. Make your own fiddly pocket pattern with contrast piping and it will take you a lot longer.

There is one mistake in the book. You must connect the two front pattern pieces before you cut your fabric, but that important step is missing from the directions .  I only realized this after I cut out all my pieces from the PLAID FABRIC! Oh, what's that, you can't tell? That is because I'm the master-plaid-matcher!

The fit of the robe is straight up old man robe. So sizes don't matter all that much. I made the size 6/7 both for my 6 year old daughter and almost 5 year old son.  The fit is great on both. For their 2 1/2 year old brother I made the 2/3 size, but I should have gone a size up. His robe did get a little shorter because of the plaid matching I had to do, but a bigger robe would have fit him better and for longer too.

A few other things I would do to the pattern if I make it again:

• shorten the sleeves a bit.  They are meant to roll up, which is why they are so long, but they roll up a little too much for my taste.
• make the ties a least a foot longer. Makes it easier for little hands to tie (around those big bellies).
• lengthen the pattern a bit--especially for the smaller sizes.

A couple things I did right the first time:

• I made a hang-y up-y loop that I sewed inside each robe. It makes clean up time a tiny bit better.
• I skipped the belt loops and just sewed the tie to the back of the robe in one spot. That way the belt cannot be used as a leash or a jump rope or weapon.
• I read the fabric requirements. Each robe, each one, takes about 4 yards of fabric!

When Rae asked me to talk a bit about sewing with knits, I thought it was odd, because I'm rather crap at sewing with knits. But then I looked back in my archives for pictures of things I've sewn and hey! it's not that bad. My first experience with sewing with knits was pretty horrible.  Now it looks like I remember that failure more than any of the successful knit projects I've made, which is ridiculous. With that realization, I cut out a huge pile of knit fabric for this awesome undies pattern:

I didn't finish them all, because my daughter is a little between sizes so I have to adjust the fit, but oof! the boy undies are pretty damn cute. The pattern is very clear and nicely laid out with plenty of pictures. I noticed she's not selling it at the moment and I'm not sure why, because it's a very popular pattern. It's popular for a reason: you only need a little bit of fabric, old t-shirts are perfect, and if you screw up who's going to see them anyway?

I wouldn't say this is a beginner, beginner project, but if you've sewn with knits a few times then these shouldn't be a problem. They come together quickly, but the waistband and leg holes take a bit of time. And people will look at you funny when (or rather if) you tell them you're making your children's underwear.

But come on, lighting bolt undies?! What little boy wouldn't be excited about that?

Want to see all the kniterviews? Look here! and mine is here.

Whew! You made it! The last day of kcwc fall 2011. I hope it went well for you this year. All the clothes I've showed you so far I made two weeks ago, but this coat? I've been working on this beauty all week. An hour here and there at the sewing machine and finally the baby gets something to wear.

Here are all the details:

• pattern: same as the coat I made for his older brother (that one was still too big)
• elbow patches: from Kristin's tutorial. At first I top stitched a diamond pattern on them, but an oval shape + diamonds = ham. He looked like he had big hams on his elbows!

• fabric: brown tweedy wool (same as these pants) found at a thrift store
• lining fabric: felted cashmere sweater

• buttons: wooden buttons from Joann's plus one green one I've been saving forever.
• pockets: patch pockets lined with green and ironed to make faux piping like these pants again.

Here are some more pictures just because:

Did you have a good time during kcwc? Did you get a lot done? I love this pile of handmade clothes! Makes me want to do laundry (a little). I will be back tomorrow with a big round up of all the amazing things from the flickr pool. Here are the ones from today:

1. wraparound jacket
2. ottobre majava pants
3. ruitjes
4. unicorn dress

Wow, sorry I'm so late with a post today. I forgot about actual work :)

I am pretty proud of this little skirt. It's a basic, a-line denim skirt with a flat front, a bit of topstitching, and some good pockets. Nothing flashy about it, but it just looks right. You know what I mean?

What is it doing in a circle of glittery gold? After kcwc is over and done I tell you all about it (hey, you might even want to subscribe...)

1. kcwc x hoodie
2. little boy jacket
3. reversible corduroy caplet
4. origami pocket skirt

These are a little over the top to be sure. But so are four year old boys. The patterns is from Happy Homemade vol. 5 modified it a bit, okay a lot. I stole the pocket pattern from a different project in the book and I threw piping in all over the place. The back pockets are my favorite.

I also totally wussed out on the zipper fly and just make a fake fly, that got all janky anyway. Being afraid of putting in a zipper is ridiculous, I mean a zipper isn't going to kill me or anything. Whatever, here they are: crazy ass orange tight pants with bright blue piping.

He rocked them.

And here are today's highlights from the flickr group (they are all a little muted today, maybe the rain is affecting me):

1. polaris
2. red riding hood dress
3. library jacket
4. snappy milo cables

only two more days to go!

I'm running a little bit late this morning (and there is sewing to do!) so just the deets on this one:

• idea: blatantly stolen from oeuf
• pattern: tee for two from patterns by figgy (the pattern is also in their new book)
• fabric: one felted cashmere sweater, the neckline and some scraps of another felted sweater
• skill level: easy peasy

When I was making this sweater a friend of mine (hi amanda!) was asking me about the mitten pockets but slipped and called them mockets. Now the top will always be known as the mocket sweater. I think it's pretty catchy.

Here are todays pretties from the flickr pool:

1. lazy days skirt for fall
2. elbow patches
3. no-ruffle rosy pierrot tunic
4. fall basics

Someone commented that all these finished garments are making her look like a very slow sewer. I don't want anyone to be discouraged this week. So I thought I'd tell her--and all of you--that I have been plugging away at a little coat all week and I am still nowhere near done. No plopping on the couch this evening (unless that is where you sew). Keep at it! Make yourself to sit down in front of your sewing machine and I promise you will have a finished garment by the end of the week.

These are the pants with the silly bunting tag I showed you last week. And look! they aren't on backwards! The pattern is from Happy Homemade vol. 2 and it is by far my favorite pants pattern.  I've used it to make these pj pants, these crazy pants, these linen pants, and the exact same corduroy pants in gray (plus a few more I never blogged about). And now these blue beauties. The corduroy is a navy wide wale from joanns and it is so soft.

I found this beautiful brown wool at the thrift store and knew I could use the same pattern for some good, old man pants.Do you think I am addicted to this pattern? I am. I lined the pants with flannel using Dana's tutorial, except my waistband was separate, so I had to fake my way through that. The pockets are pretty much like Dana's too only more rounded and I pressed the top bit so the lining would show--sort of like faux piping.

The fake fly (faux fly?)  is one of my favorite things about the pattern and I gussied it up with two lines of topstitching. I also did flat felled seams along the crotch and down the sides, which you can kind of see in the picture below.  I put the pockets up way too high, so now my little boy has old man pants with a big, old man butt.

And just so you don't think all my garment are perfect (trust me, they are far from it) here is a shot of the inside waistband. That'll be yur Hot Mess. Part of KCWC is screwing up and soldiering on!

These people sewed on and look what amazing things they made! From the flickr pool today:

1. checked shirt
2. recycled hopscotch shirt
3. rust corduroy pants
4. denim jumper with ribbon embellishment 

happy day three of kcwc!

When I started KCWC my kids were much smaller and their clothes did only take an hour to make. Now it's pockets and more pockets and buttonhole elastic and nice, sturdy seam finishes (i.e. lots more time for one stupid pair of pants). I made some baby clothes for a new(ish) baby and wow! you can just crank those teeny things out! The pants came from the sleeves of a felted cashmere sweater and they came together so quickly I did a bias bound seam finish along the crotch seam, because I felt like they couldn't be done already.

I still had more of the hour left, so I made a hat to match. The pattern is from Martha Stewart. Originally, the hat is made from felt and the seams are zigzagged together so they lie flat. I made two hats with normal seams and then sewed them together: cashmere on one side, jersey on the other. I've made this hat many, many times. I like how the orange tag on this one make the hat look like a skate punk blue bird.

I finished both things in about 45 minutes, so I thought what they hell, I'll make a ball with the scraps. Well, the ball took longer than both. The pattern is for a paper pieced, hand stitched pentagon ball. Hand stitching isn't really my favorite thing, but when you do it with your best friends on a beautiful fall day and a hot cup of coffee it's not all that bad.

The flickr group is really starting to fill up. One day and you guys are already on a roll! I already mentioned this on twitter, but one of my sponsors, Too Sweets, is offering my readers a 15% discount on her patterns (they are in pdf form, so you could use them today!) just enter KCWC15 when you check out. And while you are at it, check out my other lovely sponsors--many of whom sell very stylish children's clothes patterns.

1. button fly skirt
2. fake fly pants
3. baby leg warmers
4. tunic or vest from scarf

Happy KCWC!

The first day of the kids clothes week challenge is finally here! Full disclosure: I had my sewing week a few weeks ago so I could have a garment to show you each day, but that was a little challenge to myself. Don't feel the need to finish something everyday. One hour sewing, pattern making, or fabric cutting--it all counts. What's important is that you do it every day. Blogging and laundry can wait a week.

It seems silly to be making a sleeveless top for a fall challenge, but I only had the littlest bit of this awesome stripey fabric (thanks, lil!) and I wanted so badly to make something for my daughter from it. The pattern is from Happy Homemade vol. 5, a japanese sewing book. I've raved about Happy Homemade vol. 2 in KCWCs past, so I thought I'd see what vol. 5 is all about. It is everything you would expect from a sequel: sort of like the original, but not as good. Still, this is an adorable top, that came together quickly and uses just a bit of fabric. So really the book isn't without it's merits.

edited: I get all my japanese sewing books off etsy, search for either of these titles there and you should find them.

Just because I've done a bunch of sewing already doesn't mean I'm not up for more. The good sewing vibes the come out of KCWC are too good to pass up. We are 300 strong and counting this time around! If you haven't already, go over to flickr and join the elsiemarley group so you can show off your fabric piles and patterns and finished garments. While you are there check out the eager beavers who have already posted some gorgeous pictures, like these guys:

1.  de-stash dress
2.  dog shirt
3.  tula pink tunic
4.  stripey pants

This top is made from fabric botched in the dye pot, which was supposed to be beautiful ombre curtains for my dining room, which before that was a lovely soft sheet on our bed, which got horriblly ripped, so I thought it would make nice curtains until I screwed it up the dye job (and turned the bathtub blue) and now, it turns out, is perfect for this top.

The tank top pattern is from wiksten made. Sadly, she's not selling them anymore, but I bet if you scoured the web, one would pop up for sale. (By the way, if anyone has a xs, s, m tova top pattern that they'd like to trade for the tank top pattern--and trade back--let me know!)

The pattern is incredibly simple and nicely done: french seams, all edges bias bound, nicely cut. Because I'm always scared I will make clothes too small, I cut out patterns too large. So with this one I just said fuck it and cut a small. The fit is okay, maybe a little close, but at least I don't have to take the sucker in. I was a little on the edge about the contrasting pocket, but today I saw a lady with a freakin sequin pocket, so I think I'm good to go.