It’s time again for another edition of KCWC: kids clothes week challenge.  KCWC is a twice-annual event where I challenge you to commit to sew children’s clothes for an hour each day for 7 days. Fall is coming (at least in these parts) and my kids could use some cozy pants and sweaters–and pretty soon we’ll need hats and mittens too! All that sewing is a little overwhelming, but I am always amazed at how much I get done by putting in a bit of time every day.

If you have more questions about how KCWC works, you can jump over to the FAQ page. Then jump back here and leave a comment on this post telling me you are in! That’s all it takes. Then on the second week of October there will be hundreds (really, hundreds) of people cheering you on to make awesome clothes for your kids.

In the mean time, feel free to browse around the elsiemarley flickr group for inspiration–join the group so you can post pictures for this one–and look at my posts from older KCWCs! If you have a blog, you can copy and paste the button below (fancy, html code to come when tech support/husband returns).  So leave a comment and sign up! spread the word! sew like crazy!

kcwc fall 2011 buttons:

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1. pink 2. kcwc day 3 3. mini boden knock off 4. gingham top 5. triangle shirt 6. 7. variation on MADE 8.tee for two dress 9. pear me top 10. pants 11. keyhole top 12. summer breeze back 13. summer kiss dress 14. sweet flower shorts 15. strip skirt 16. little dude jeans

The spring kids clothes week challenge has come and gone and what an awesome week it was! Look at all the amazing sewing you did in just a week! I tried to make a garment a day and got a little overwhelmed in the end. I should have stuck to the challenge and aimed for an hour a day. It’s that little nudge that makes me fall in love with sewing again–the manic sew until 2 in the morning is what burns me out :) But you, you listened to the challenge and quietly chugged along on that machine and turned out some stunning kids clothes. No princesses or googly eyed cartoon characters in sight. Instead you used beautiful colors and bold patterns and simple, stylish silhouettes. Do you hear that, giant kid clothes maker corporation? This is what mothers want their kids to wear!

may sponsors

1.from the red kitchen 2. ida pearle 3.melon dot kids 4.crafty mamas 5.Magpie patterns 6.Fishsticks Designs 7.Wild Stitches Design 8.Gingercake 9.From Somewhere in my Imagination 10.{Re-New} 11.Sew Many Patterns 12. that’s me silly, I just had to make it an even twelve

Every kcwc seems to top the last and this one was made even better by my May sponsors! I am proud to be able to show off all of these wonderful indie shops and blogs. And I would love it if you could visit one or two. It is you (and me) who need to support small, independent businesses, because this is our community. A virtual community, but a loving supportive community nonetheless. And after this week, we know first hand how much work goes into all the designing and drafting and sewing and making! We don’t need Mr. Giant Corporation, we have each other.

For all of you that participated, I have a little surprise. Tell me a little something you liked (or didn’t like) about kcwc this year, or something you made that you were particularly proud of, or how you flaked out completely after that first hour, or what you are already planning for fall, and you will be entered to win one of two prizes: the fantastic Charlie Tunic pattern by Rae and the fantabulous  I Love Paris doll kit by Erika. I’ll announce the winner Friday May 20.Extended until Monday May 23 (5pm CST). Good Luck! And thank you so much for making another amazing KCWC!

I am just under the wire with this post. Today is (was) the last day of the kids clothes week challenge and I am all challenged out. With the little bit of sewing mojo I had left,  I managed to finish–well almost finish–this tank top for my son today. I’m not totally on board with the whole sewing with knits thing yet, but I picked up a bit of the softest blue striped knit at the thrift store and I had to at least try. So I faked it and pretty much made it.

A matching one for his little brother is in the works. The shorts I eeked out from some random thrift store yardage as well. I had to use some scraps for the pocket, but it’s kind of a cool detail I think. They are from the same pattern I’ve been using all week and I think I could sew it in my sleep at this point.

It was a stripey kind of day in the flickr pool. I want to eat that little shiso baby up, she’s so cute. Check out all the matching outfits Mimi made for the whole shiso family!

1. fashion show sunday 2. flat from shorts 3. sailboat top 4. linen pants

It’s been a pretty damn fantastic week, I have to say. But there will be much reminiscing and showing off and patting each other on the back this week, and maybe even a prize or two. Did you have a good time? Or do you never want to look at your sewing machine again?

This is going to be a short and sweet post. Hey, like these shorts. They actually started long, but then looked weird long. So they have cuffs thanks to this fantastic little tutorial, but now I’m thinking maybe they would look better without them. I don’t know anymore. I do know I rocked some serious topstiching action on these suckers (With orange thread, somehow it looks red in the photos). Oh and these are for my daughter. I think my son could rock the purple shorts, but he asked for orange.

1. 015 2. elephant hats 3. damage control 4. bellies are cuter

A little nuttiness from the pool today: elephant hats and dino hoodies! So many amazing handmade clothes on flickr! You guys rock.

The lovely ladies from my craft night came over last night for some beers and a little sewing (the two go together right?). If it hadn’t been for them I would have given up after the first hour of trying to rethread my serger. Seriously. Who designed that damn thing? But they saved the day! And I was able to turn a stained tablecloth into some rockin pants.

I used the same pattern that I did for these pants and these shorts. Except I skipped the back pockets and added cuffs. You are going to see a lot of this pattern this week, because my son likes it and my daughter too. It’s from Happy Homemade Vol. 2, which I can’t recommend enough (if you are down with making patterns written in Japanese). I’ve made a ton of clothes out of it and they’ve all turned out well and been worn a lot.

1. lace dress refashion 2. 008 3. 006 4. …went sailing by ‘wrap’ top

And look at what you guys have made! Adorbs. Obviously I’m partial to my knot shorts pattern, but you have to admit they are pretty darn cute in gingham. There is so much good stuff in the flickr group already and day two isn’t even over yet! You guys rock.