I know it not cold enough for mitten and hats yet, but it will be--even though somehow every year I try to convince myself that it won't get that cold, what am I thinking? I live in wisconsin! We better make some cute things while they are little enough to actually wear them (unlike teenagers) and I've scrounged up some pretty fantastic tutorials for winter gear. I've made the martha stewart hat a bunch of times and if you can get the sizing right it is quick and stylish and warm to boot.

beautiful handmade hats, mittens and scarves

1. Dog Hat I made today toddler, 2. Handmade Holiday: mittens for Avery, 3. 12-09 Brown OrgFlwer Cap 1 Full, 4. Felt Mittens with Knitted Cuffs, 5. Button Me Up Scarf , 6. kid's patchwork scarf::2, 7. snarves, 8. Make It Yourself, 9. Mittens, baby variation

wonderful tutorials for warm winter gear

1. cozy slippers 2. muff 3. felt hat 4. balaclava 5.yarn scarf 6. sweater mittens 7. wool scarflet 8. felt mittens with knit cuff 9. patchwork scarf

I've been thinking about making a kids clothes week challenge FAQ page, so if you have any burning questions be sure to send them my way in the comments or in an email (elsiemarleyblog@gmail.com).

Oops! a little late today with the round up of tutorials and pretty things. You probably don't need any inspiration for baby things.--they are so little and cute and ridiculously fun to make. Be sure to add your favorite baby tutorial (not how to make one, silly, things to make for one) in the comments.

amazing handmade things for cute winter babies

1. Swing Coat, 2. Buttery Alpine Pixie Longie and Hat set made from two different wool sweaters, 3. Felted Wool Slippers - Size 18-24 months, 4. Modified and sewn in knit from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby., 5. Sold 6-12 month Royal Purple Wool Romper with Flower Buttons, 6. Handmade, 7. little winter hats, 8. the sneeze., 9. log cabin baby blanket (folded)

fantastic tutorials for things to keep your baby warm

1. baby legs 2. pompom hat 3. easy peasy swaddle sheet 4. heirloom cut chenille baby blanket 5. hooded baby towel and washcloth set 6. baby bonnet 7. baby booties 8. winter buggie bag 9. baby snuggler

Wow, tutorials for coats are hard to find--understandably so--but honestly after making a few I can say that really they are not as hard as you think they are. I think a wool kimono top--ooo, like this--lined in something soft would be a beautiful fall jacket and simple to make (here is a kimono pattern for 6m0-8yrs).  On the other hand, inspiring images of handmade coats are everywhere! Oliver + S has a beautiful pattern for a toggle coat with a removable lining called the school days jacket + coat. And really you can't go wrong with Liesl's patterns; they are timeless, but somehow modern too and cute as all get out.

amazing handmade coats, capes and sweaters

1. QTPI Hoodie, 2. Swallow Cape, 3. New Fleece Vest, 4. duffle coat, 5. Sweet Pea, 6. Olive Shirt Coat, 7. Vintage Simplicity 5536 pattern, 8. hoodies, 9. St. Chickn

awesome tutorials for coats, capes, vests, sweaters and a skirt

storybook cape and muff, reversible vest, flutter cape, jacket placket, reporposed sweater tutorial, the smartigan, draft your own coat, lengthen coat sleeves, reversible patchwork scribble skirt tutorial

I know the last one isn't really a coat (well it's kind of a coat for your bottom half), but I somehow forgot it yesterday and was kicking myself for it because it's the perfect fall skirt for us to make and for kids to wear:  patchwork (I'm looking at you scrap basket about to take over the world), quilted, wrap around and reversible. Doesn't get any better than that. So go over to Nan's house and tell her just how much you love it.

I'm going to post a round up each day this week of inspiring handmade clothes and tutorials for fall and winter things too. The schedule should go something like this:

• monday: fall and winter clothes
• tuesday: coats, hoodies, sweaters
• wednesday: warm things for baby
• thursday: hats, mittens, scarves
• friday: halloween costumes

If you have a tutorial that you particularly love and it fits (pretty much) into one of the categories above you can email me (elsiemarleyblog@gmail.com) and I can try to fit it in the post or you can save it and put it in the comments on the day of the post-subject it fits under. Get it? I'm trying to keep it so we can all use these inspiration and tutorial posts as reference next week when it's so late we have to choose between thinking and sewing. So tell us all the awesome clothes tutorials you know in the comments and email me the rest. And if you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for?

beautiful handmade fall and winter clothes

1. Untitled, 2. birthday party dress, 3. flannel pants, 4. SOLD Funky Fall Green Repurposed Wool Sweater 12 months, 5. pants pants pants pants, 6. check tunic dress, 7. Puppy pockets, 8. Green Fleece top for my daughter, 9. Snow and Holly bloomers

fantastic tutorials for fall and winter clothes

ringer shirt pjs (made with her own tutorial), pleated skirt, winter jumper, fleece lined pants, pieced shirt, patch jeans, henley shirt, short sleeve to long sleeve, go to dress

After the resounding sucess of last spring's kids clothes week challenge there was a call to have another when the temperatures cooled off a bit and I am glad to oblige.  The challenge will stay the same:

For one hour each day the week of September 20-26 work on making clothes for kids.

I'm going to soup it up a bit with a giveaway or two and maybe even a tutorial (if my camera is fixed by then). Mostly, though, it should be just like last time with scads of people sewing like crazy for their kids. If you didn't participate last time or are on the fence this time, imagine what it would be like to have 200 people cheering you on and well, that's what it felt like in the spring.  Just by working a little each day for one week you could have a beautiful winter coat made or all the christmas pajamas done or finally made something from that cute fabric you have been saving. Doesn't that sound awesome?

I think most of us focused on sewing (and all the pattern tracing, fabric cutting, pinning, hemming and ironing that go with it) in the spring, but I don't see why knitting and crocheting can't count--though they are much slower going, so you can't really be sure you will have a finished product at the end of the week, but then again, maybe the sewers can't either! Warmer clothes can be a little more involved, but really pants are just long shorts--and I know you can make shorts. There was a fine showing of fall fashions from the southern hemisphere last time, so no whining that fall clothes take too long.

O.k. enough of me talking, time to sign up! Leave your name in the comments if you want to play along this fall. Feel free to take a button for your blog (you don't have to have a blog to participate of course) and spread the word.

kcwc buttons:

(copy and paste the code under the buttons)

<a href="http://www.elsiemarley.com/kids-clothes-week-challenge-fall-2010.html">
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<img src="http://d1yops4utenhgf.cloudfront.net/kcwc_fall_button4.jpg">
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kids clothes week reference:

inspiration and tutorial posts

• fall/winter clothes
• coats and sweaters
• warm things for baby
• hats, mittens and scarves
• halloween costumes

frequently asked questions

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After kids clothes week ended, there were a bunch of you who asked if we could do it again in the fall. Well, now fall is quickly approaching and I'm wondering if you still want to do it.  And if so when?  If we do it soon, then it could be a back to school thing, but if we do it later--say in September--then the kids would be at school and we would actually have some time to sew for them!  Tell me what you think in the comments and we'll make a decision soon.

Little Mr. freshly squeezed up there won't be in school, but will kindly wear anything thing I make for him. Or buy: the awesome shirt he's wearing was made by my friend Mo and you and your littles can have one too.

1. McCall's vest 2332 and bow tie, 2. Day 1, 3. Tea towel pants, 4. Kids Clothes Challenge, 5. annabelle in ruffle top, 6. Baggy towel pants, 7. 90 minute shirt with pleats, 8. Princess & the Pea Sundress - 2, 9. Goldfish

I was a little unsure about kids clothes week when I first posted about it. There are enough tasks to get done everyday, I didn't want to add to that list and make mothers out there crazy (or crazier).  But I thought maybe we could eek out a little bit of time each day and that wouldn't be too much to ask.  Then blazzam! You took that little bit of time and ran with it. I am floored by the creativity and skill and perseverance of you all.

1. front, 2. Ice Cream Dress, 3. yellow pants . front, 4. kids clothes week challenge :: day 1, 5. sailboat pants - on alice, 6. WIP - polka dot dress, 7. kids' clothes challenge - y's shirt, 8. kcwc rainbow leggings, 9. Vintage Dress

There is inspiration in the flickr group to last all summer long.  I cut out twice as many patterns as I got to sew last week--and I'm sure I'm not the only one--so the group is sure to keep growing.  Looking at all that you've made makes me want to sew so much more! The list will never be completely crossed off and I'm ok with that. Thank you so much for doing this challenge with me.  I had a blast and my kids were pretty excited too. One of the participants (arg I can't remember who) said her daughter told her it was like Christmas getting all these new clothes!

I will definitely be doing this again next year.  We could beef it up with prizes (most completed projects, most botched projects, most beautiful on a hanger, most beautiful on the actual child...) or we could just keep is as it is.  You guys made this challenge successful, so what do you think it should be like next year? Really, I want to know.

hey look! you made it to the last day of the kids clothes week challenge! One hour left to hem everything you spent all week making. It's been amazing to see what everyone has made by just working a little bit everyday.  Some people worked on one garment all week and other people managed to sew up something new everyday.  I finished up these shorts today. The pattern was from Happy Homemade Vol. 2 and he's wearing the shirt I copied from the book too.

I started these on Friday and I was lucky enough to spend that evening sewing with some of my friends. Friends who were nice enought to join in on the challenge and they made some of their first garments for their little ones.  Sitting around a dining room filled with sewing machines (and cake and wine) talking and laughing was wonderful. This challenge has been like that, only with 200 people around the table!  I am absolutely floored by the things you have sewn and the momentum you created by sewing everyday. A lot of people have asked me to keep the challenge going for a few weeks! And really there is no reason you should stop.

It has taken me all week to figure out I'm making clothes that are a size too big for all of my kids. So even though I got a lot done, most things won't be worn until next summer. I guess I'll have to do the week over for this year's wardrobe, but I honestly don't mind. I've learned a bunch of new things and sewing doesn't feel like so much of a task any more. What about you? Did you have a good time? Did you cross everything off your list?

oh you didn't think it was over did you?

The baby doesn't really need clothes, but how can I not sew something cute for him. Plus it's easier to make new pants than to go get the box of bigger clothes and go through it again.  The knee pad pants are from the illustrious Dana of dana made it. And the purple pants I made from sleeve of a sweatshirt. He had some purple leggings that I was squeezing his chubby legs in because they were too cute to give up. Finally I traced them and made these and there are some yellow ones in the works from the same pattern.

I bet you could squeeze in a couple hours of sewing this weekend to finish up some projects, then maybe take some pictures and put them up on flickr. Next week I'm going to show off some of the beautiful things that people have been making because wow! you guy are amazing!

After some pretty obvious frustration yesterday, I finished some projects. Some I just put away for another time and some I started because I knew I could finish them without loosing my mind.  This shirt pattern is from the super fantastic japanese book Happy Homemade Vol. 2.

There is a little keyhole detail in the back, but except for that it's just a few pieces of fabric cinched together with a tie.  The tie works as the straps too and ties in a pretty bow in the back.  If I didn't have to hem the entire tie  (and next time I'll just cut two, sew them together and turn them out) it would have taken an hour start to finish. I don't know if it fits yet, because little miss is at school, but it turned out so well I won't even mind if it doesn't.

I know for sure these shorts don't fit, but they might in a few years. My son doesn't care though. He wore them yesterday and today and the front is covered in breakfast, which is why I am only showing you the back. To make these you take a pattern for shorts cut the front and back pieces down the middle (slash and spread) so when you cut out your fabric you should have eight pieces total. Then sew the middle seams with the seam exposed and sew the side seams normally.  It's kind of a cool detail, but I'm not sure how they'll look out of the wash. I made them from a knit, so they shouldn't unravel. If they come out ok I'll make some more in the right size. someday. The pattern is "i" from Everyday Bottoms.