Sewing Clothes for Kids - Ideas

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Here are some if the things I do for sewing for my son to make sure that the patterns which I buy will last until he completely outgrows them. (Most patterns now are multi-sized)

I have a roll of craft paper that is about 2 feet wide by 30 yards long. When I purchase a pattern for him, I trace the pieces of the uncut pattern onto the craft paper. I then use this "new" pattern for cutting out the pieces for his garmet. That way, I can utilize the pattern for his growing body. I hate the thought of paying up to $11.00 for a single season of shorts or pants. This way, I can use them as he grows.

This is also useful if you may possibly be thinking of sewing for barter later. You can do this with all of the multi-sized patterns so that your "customers" do not have to provide their own as they may not know anything about them.

Fabric stores usually put patterns on sale for about $.99 or $1.99 every few weeks, rotating the brand of pattern on sale at the time. This is the time to purchase these items, instead of spending up to $20.00 for one. Watch the sales adds in the local papers.

Some stores are still having clearance sales for last winters cloth. If you look, you can find great buys on wools and polarfleece and the like.

-- (cannot-say@this.time), July 08, 1999

Answers

That's a good idea. I've been using a tracing wheel and tracing paper to transfer the pattern lines to the cloth, but that's a pain, and eventually the tracing paper is used up and the pattern has so many tiny holes that the lines are perforated. Where do you get craft paper?

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), July 08, 1999.

I got my craft paper at Walmart where they have the markers and crayons. It is plain white paper, and I guess that it is intended for kids to draw on. Also, you might want to see if you can find a partially used role of newsprint (un-printed on) as it would do the same thing.

Sorry it took so long to get back to you... but dinner and all. Hope this helps.

-- (cannot-say@this.time), July 08, 1999.


Donna-Can I share your thread? (no pun intended, lol) Here's a couple of mending ideas that I've used to extend the life of our work clothing.

Worn collar on your favorite work shirt? Remove the collar from the collarband, turn the collar over and reattach it to the collarband.

Lost the knees to your favorite jeans or overalls? Rip out the inside seam of the jeans from above the knee to well below the knee. Use a piece of jean material scrounged from too-far-gone jeans to form a patch. This patch will extend all the way from the in-seam to the outer seam, from above the knee to below the knee. Place the 'patch' on top of your jeans, turn under the top edge, the edge running parallel to the outer seam, and the bottom edge. Pin in place. Start at the inside seam and top stitch the top, side and bottom. No need to stitch the inside seam yet. Turn jeans inside out and close the inside seam. Now you have a double thickness of jean material at the knee of your jeans. (Boy, that was a mouthful!)

Thanks, Grandma! Linda

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), July 08, 1999.


recycling or extending clothing will become very important if imports are not going to be making their way onto our store shelves. one of my favorite tricks is to cut girls pants off 2 to 3 inches from the bottom and place an insert (lace, other co-ordinating fabric, trims,etc.)the size needed to make pants the right length and reattach the bottom piece. This will give the wearer another season without the pants being too short.

-- kitten (kitten@vcn.net), July 09, 1999.

My mother always told us that during the depression my grandmother made their clothes from material reclaimed from the old dresses of the large lady next door. Just a thought if fabric becomes scarce. (Most of our textiles are imported now.)

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), July 09, 1999.


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