Free Tutorial: Foxy-Loxy Lacey Pants

Don't you love it when abstract ideas meet inspiration?  Well that's how this project came about.  I'd been pondering about making a little pair of knicker-bocker-type pants for Hannah that were based on a little pair of gorgeous Sprout-brand pants both my girls wore when they were babies.  I loved them, and was so sad when I had to finally admit they were too small, and take them out of Hannah's draw.  They were lacey and girly and just plain cute!  I just knew I needed to make a pair in a bigger size, but I couldn't choose a fabric, and the design just hadn't come together in my mind.

Then, one day when I was perusing blog-land, I came across this adorable free pattern by CINO for a cross-stitch fox t-shirt.  And in that instant, this whole project came together.  I knew I had to make this little fox top, and that I had finally made up my mind on the fabric for those pants.  It was time to cut into my stashed fox fabric (you might have seen me previewing it on Instagram and Facebook) ... and here's how the little outfit turned out!

 I love this little outfit almost as much as I loved those original little baby-pants, and we've had some great comments from people when Hannah's worn this outfit too.  My favourite was from a school mum who knows I sew, and asked if I made this outfit, then went on to say that she loves my handmade stuff because it's just so different from anything you can buy in the shops ... for me that's pretty much the highest compliment a crafty Mummy can receive, and what makes that even better is when my kids ask to wear their Mummy-made clothes.  Melts my creative heart, and I'm determined to squeeze as much into these years where they love what I make, before I suddenly become the dorkiest, most uncool, embarrassing person in the world to them and they just can't wait to go shopping to buy the exact same clothes as their friends ... dreading that day, huh!

Anyway, you can find the pattern for this little fox cross-stitch here, and this was lots of fun ... a 1-evening job and I just used a store-bought tank top, and stitched whilst watching TV.  Super-effective! 

And if you want to make your own Foxy-Loxy Lacey Pants, with their little lacey pockets of cuteness, this is for you ...

You Need:
- 1/2 metre / yard fabric ... this is a printed cotton poplin (1/2 metre was sufficient fabric for Hannah's size 4 pants)
- Shorts pattern, or a pair of short / pants that fit to make your own pattern (I used the Kids Shorts Pattern by Made, which is my go-to shorts pattern, but you could always draft your own pattern very simply like I did here).
- 1 metre / yard lace or your favourite trim
- 1 yard 1/4" elastic for the waist and legs.
- The usual: Sewing machine, overlocker / serger (if you have one), coordinating thread, scissors

And here's how I did it:

1. Measure your munchkin from their waist to just below just below their knee, and add 2 inches, then take your shorts pattern, and cut the front and back pieces out, extending the length to your measurement +1" for the hem.  So, for Hannah, her measurement waist to below-knee was 16".  Her pattern pieces therefore measure 17".

2. Grab a scrap of paper, and draw a pocket pattern as per the one below (you could make it a little bigger if you're making a much bigger size)

... then cut out the pocket pattern and use it to cut two pockets from your fabric like so ... you might like to fussy-cut to make a feature of your fabric if you're using a cute one like these foxes.  I decided on a sleeping fox and a sitting fox ...

3. Finish the edges of your pocket pieces with either an overlocker / serger or using a zig-zag stitch to stop the pockets fraying on the inside.  The using your iron, press the top edge to the wrong side by 1/2" and the other 4 sides by 1/4" like so ...

4. Flip your pockets over the the right side, and attach a piece of lace to the upper edge, using a single row of stitching at the top of the lace.  This will sew down the top fold at the same time.  Press the over-lapping edges of the lace to the wrong sides of the pockets.

5. Grab the back pieces of your pants, and lay them flat on the table, with the curved edges in the middle like so.  Then arrange the pockets in the mid-upper section, making sure they are level with each other so you have level pockets in the end.  Pin the pockets in place, then topstitch them around the sides and bottom, approximately 1/8" from the edge, and ensuring the folded under edges are tucked under.  It's also a good idea to back-stitch at the beginning and end to give the pockets extra strength.

6.  Now you can assemble your pants as per the pattern instructions ... if you've drafted your own pattern, you simply sew the two back pieces right-sides-together at the top curved seam, then the same with the front pieces.   Attach the front to the back right-sides together at the inner-leg seam.  Then, right-sides-together sew the 2 side-seams, and you'll end up with assembled pants like this ...

7.  Now for the waist ... press the top edge to the wrong side by 1/4", then fold over another 1" and pin in place.  Starting at the back seam, sew the waist-band down as close to the edge as possible, making sure you leave a 1" gap at the end of your stitch-line to allow space for threading your elastic.  Then, again starting at the back seam, sew a second row of stitching 1/4" from the top edge of the pants to make your top ruffle.

8.  Using a safety-pin, thread your waist elastic through, overlap by 1/2" and sew ends together...  

... You can then stitch across the gap to enclose the elastic.

9.  Repeat this same process with both leg hems, but before threading your elastic ...

10. Pin and sew in place your leg lace/trim approximately 2-3" from the bottom of the hem.  If your using a less-busy fabric, you could even do 2 or 3 rows of lace at the base of the legs ... cuteness plus!!

11.  Then you can insert a length of elastic into each leg which is long enough to comfortably go around your child's calf ... Hannah's leg elastics were 10".

... you now have a cute little pair of knicker-bockers that look like this ...

... and this ...

... and coupled with her fox top, like this ...

 ... and when she's about to jump of the garden wall, they look like this!

These are really comfy versatile little pair of pants that are great for playing and pre-school and generally Hannah-ing around.  I can see a few more pairs of these in Hannah's future!  Hope you like them too!

Tutorial: High-Low Play-time Dress

I know that high-low dresses and skirts have been around for ages, and to be honest I haven't really liked them until now ... well lots of them anyway, especially the ones where the front is VERY short, and the back is VERY long.  Just not my cup of tea ... maybe a little too much like a mullet haircut... you know the old 80's business in the front, party in the back.  Hmmmm!  Anyway, I've seen a few high-low skirts and dresses in the shops with a much more subtle high-low effect, and decided I really liked them.  It's fun when my tastes change and a whole new world of sewing options open up!  I've also found my fabric-matching taste changing lately.  I never would have put stripes with a busy fabric like this before, but I just love this combo right now.

Anyway, so I decided Bethany needed a new dress (stop laughing ... I know my girls never really NEED a new dress!), and one that will hopefully still fit next summer seeing as our warm weather is slowly coming to an end.  I wanted a quick project, and a dress that would be comfy to wear, but also cute for going to a birthday party or out for lunch.  This is what eventuated... The High-Low Play-Time Dress, and Bethany's a HUGE fan.  She loves this dress, and if it's clean and hanging in her wardrobe, she will most likely pick it to wear for pretty much any occasion.

Tutorial: Summer Jumpsuit

Ok, I'm gonna do something that I don't normally do ... and that is to praise the awesome knit fabric selection that's slowly beginning to become available at my local fabric stores, particularly Spotlight.  In recent years I have been so frustrated at the complete lack of anything other than plain colours, and the occasional stripe design.  But over the last couple of seasons there have really been some beauties, and the best thing is they're not too expensive.  Thumbs up to that!

Tutorial: 1920's style Flapper Dress

You can tell it's getting close to the end of the year when you start receiving notes from school telling you to put dates in your diaries for end-of-year activities, and asking you to provide specific items for costumes for end-of-year performances ... and boy-o-boy has this years costume request caused some widespread hysteria among the Grade 1 and 2 Mums.  We received a very detailed note informing us that girls need a 1920's style "flapper dress" with sparkly fabric and/or fringing for a dance item they're preparing.

Now to be fair, we have been given over a month of notice.  Still, the Mums have been in an absolute "flap" about this.  Where would one find a Flapper Dress for a 6 year old anyway?  My first thought was "Yay, I get to make a dress!", then I panicked slightly because I really had no idea what I was s'posed to be making.  But after a little googling, I went back to "Yay, I get to make a dress!"

And here's what Bethany will be wearing ... she's a little excited and would really like to wear this dress EVERYWHERE (you know, to ride her bike, to play on the swings, to feed the chickens!), but I'm forcing her to keep it hanging up to stay clean before her performance!  Mean Mummy!!  And I can't wait to see this performance which is all very top secret apparently.  She's got that 1920s dance style going on for sure!

So, the fabric for this dress is a white lycra with shiny gold spots printed on it.  I bought this in the "dance costume" section of my local fabric store eons ago when I had another project in mind (which I never got around to ... you totally do that too, don't you?)  But it was perfect for this little dress.  I also added 2 rows of gold fringing for added "wow" and a little fabric flower made out of the same fabric as the dress.

The best part about this fabric was that it doesn't fray, so I didn't bother to finish any seams with the overlocker, or do any hemming at the bottom.  It made this project so much quicker.  Also, because of the good stretch in the fabric, I was able to get away with a simple tube-like dress ... yay for no shaping required.  All I did was a quick measure of my little dancer before she went to bed, then whipped this up in about an hour while she slept.  Too easy! 

And here's how to do it ... 

You'll need:

- 1 yard/metre Lycra

- 1 1/2 yards/metres fringing (my fringing is approximately 3 inches wide, but any width would work just great.  Go for the flowy ones, rather than the stiff ones so that the fringing moves well.

- Sewing machine and coordinating thread.

Step 1: Measure your dancer's chest circumference - right at the armpits.  Bethany's was about 24 inches I think.  Then add 1 inch to this to allow for seam allowance.  Also measure the length on your dancer from the armpit to the top of the knee, then add 1 inch to allow for hemming at the top.  Cut  your fabric at these dimensions, then cut your rectangle in half length-ways to create a front and a back.

Step 2. Place your rectangles right-side-together and sew the side seams, allowing a 1/2 inch seam allowance.  BUT, stop 3 inches from the bottom to make some little side splits for extra style.  Open the side seams out at the splits and sew the seam allowance down to finish the edges of the splits. Then sew a little row of stitching (and backstitching) at the top of the split across the seam to reinforce it and stop it from "splitting" any more ... like so .... (note: you won't have your fringing on yet, so just ignore that horizontal row of stitching in the pic below!!)

Step 3: Fold the top edge down 1/2 inch, then another half inch, pin and sew to make a nice finished edge for the top of the dress ... like so ... 

Step 4:  For the straps, I cut fabric strips 2 1/2 inches by 10 inches (you could make the straps longer or shorter based on the size of your munchkin), sewed them along the long edge (right sides together) and used a safety pin to turn them through.  I then folded the ends over to hide the raw edges and stitched evenly at the front and back to the inside of the top edge.  For extra strength, I sewed these by stitching a square with a diagonal line.  You can just see it in the pic below.

Step 5: Sew your fringing around the bottom of the dress, about 1/4 inch from the edge, then sew a second row of fringing above this, with just enough space to avoid overlapping.  At the beginning and ends of the fringing rows, I simply tucked about 1/4 inch of the fringing under and made sure I backstitched a few times to hold it firmly.

Step 6:  For the flower, I found this tutorial, and simply hand-stitched the flower to cover the strap join on one side.

And there you have it ... No hysteria required, only minimal "flapping" of arms, and one very happy little flapper-dress wearing munchkin.

Tutorial or Two - Winter Dresses from a Raglan Top Pattern

One of the things that first drew me into reading crafty blogs was the generosity of some beautiful bloggers who not only share ideas, but also share patterns and tutorials ... FOR FREE.  This was and is so amazing to me as I work on improving my sewing skills.  I mean, the thought of spending money on a pattern if you're not sure you can pull it off just kinda freaks me out.  Well, I've now bought several online patterns ... ones that I new I'd use a tonne ... and use them, I definitely do.  But I would never have been brave enough to try this had it not been for the super-clever sewists out there who are generous enough to share their hard work.  Thanks lovely bloggy-type people out there ... a big cyber-hug to you!!

Oh, and as an aside, have you seen and "liked" my Facebook page.  In an effort to get on top of my Facebook page a little more, and make it a resource that might be helpful, I'm going to be posting regular links to cute freebie patterns and tutorials I find in the blogosphere.  Check it out for some inspiration.

Anyway, one of my favourite things to do in my effort to become more creative with my sewing is to find a good base pattern, then play around with it to make it into something else.  That's what I'd like to share today.  Here's a couple of really quick tutorials I've made, using a basic Raglan-sleeve top pattern to make 2 different style winter dresses for my girls.  I used this Ranglan top pattern that I found for free on Scattered Thoughts of A Crafty Mom.  If you haven't seen this blog, check it out.  Jamie is one of my faves!  I first used this pattern when I made this Disco Diva top for Bethany, and it's a great pattern, and the sizing is really good too.  I'm pretty sure any raglan-sleeve top pattern would be fine for this project if you already have one you like, or if you're feeling brave you could always try drafting your own.  I did it 2 winters ago when I made some Raglan-sleeve PJ's for Bethany.  I found a great tutorial on how to do this here, at another of my all-time favourite sewing blogs!

Anyway, this was my first raglan-dress attempt.  Seeing as it's winter here, I used some gorgeous printed fleece fabrics for these dresses.  This fabric caught my eye the minute I walked into my local fabric store ... it was one of those fabrics that just jumps unaided into your arms, and you can't put it down without buying it ... you know what I mean?  I'm not convinced Daddy believes this story, but I'm sticking to it! 

It uses the raglan-sleeve top pattern, lengthened to a drop-waist length, and with a gathered skirt attached.  I added the navy-blue ribbing to the sleeves and neckline because I only had navy-blue or white ribbing on hand, and the flowers in this fabric are actually a cream colour ... white clashed a bit I thought.  But pink and navy is one of those timeless colour combos, and I love this little dress.  I'll admit that I made both girl's dresses a size bigger than they really need, so they are a tad big on them just now ... well you can't blame me for trying to get at least some of next winter from these outfits too!

For Bethany's dress, I modified the raglan-sleeve top pattern to create an A-line dress, then cinched the waist.  I like it, and so does Bethany (Phew!!).  And who ever said wet-weather should stop a photo-shoot ... how good is wet-weather lighting!!! ... and add an umbrella ... whoa ... both of my girls were fighting for a turn in front of the camera!  Oh, and how adorable is this baby deer fabric.  It's another printed fleece.  I tried to get more because I loved it so much, but it was sold out when I went back ... boooo!!!

Anyway, here's a couple of super-quick tutorials in case you want to modify your favourite raglan-sleeve top pattern to make a dress too ... 

Dress 1: Raglan Dress with a Gathered Skirt

You'll need:

- About 1 metre / yard of fabric.  This would work with any fleece or knit fabric, depending on what level of warmth you want.

- A small amount of coordinating rib fabric (for the sleeves and neckline)

- Raglan-sleeve pattern (like this one)

- Sewing machine and coordinating thread.

- Overlocker / Serger (if you want to use it, though knit and fleece fabrics don't fray, so you can always leave the raw edges unfinished!)

1. Use your pattern and cut all your pieces out (ie front, back, sleeves).  You could add a couple of inches to the length of the front/back pieces if you want to make the dropped-waist a little more ... well ... dropped!

2. Assemble and sew your raglan-sleeve top together as per your pattern instructions, but leaving the bottom edge un-finished.

3. For the skirt section, measure the bottom of your top.  Hannah's was 12 inches wide.  Then multiply this number by 1 1/2.  So Hannah's skirt width was 18".

Measure your munchkin from their hip to knee (or whatever length you're after) and add 1 inch.  Hannah's was 9 inches + 1 = 10".  This is the height of your skirt section.

4.  Cut two rectangles as per the above measurements ...so Hannah had 2 pieces measuring 18" x 10".

5. Place these pieces right sides together and sew the side seams (using 1/4 inch seam allowance).  Then turn the bottom edge up 1/2" and hem around (I find it easier to do this before attaching it to the top!)

6.  Using your sewing machine's longest stitch length (mine is number 6) sew a gathering row of stitches along the top raw edge, 1/4" from the edge, and from one side seam, all the way around and back to the same seam.  Don't backstitch at the beginning and end, and leave some threads so you have something to pull for gathering.  Then pull either the top or bottom thread to gather the skirt to fit the top like so.

7.  Insert the top section into your skirt section right sides together, match up the side seams and pin all around like so ...

... then sew all around, using a 1/2" seam allowance.

8.  Flip your dress right-side-out and sew a top-stitching row around the waist, while pushing the seam allowance on the inside up towards the top of the dress, so that it gets held in the top-stitching.  This just helps to keep it all flatter, and I love a bit of top-stitching!

And you're done!  A very simple, yet effective little dress!  And just as warm as any sweater too!

Dress 2: Raglan-Sleeve Dress with an Elastic Waist

You'll need:

- About 1 metre / yard of fabric.  This would work with any fleece or knit fabric, depending on what level of warmth you want.

- A small amount of coordinating rib fabric (for the sleeves and neckline)

- Some 1/2" wide elastic ... enough to fit around your munchkin's waist, plus 2-3 inches to make it more comfortable.

- Raglan-sleeve pattern (like this one)

- Sewing machine and coordinating thread.

- Overlocker / Serger (if you want to use it, though knit and fleece fabrics don't fray, so you can always leave the raw edges unfinished!)

1.  Measure from your munchkin's waist to her knee (or whatever length you want) and add 1/2".  Then place your pattern on your fabric as per the pattern's instructions, extending the bottom of the pattern by the above measurement to make it a dress.

2.  Draw a line from the armpit of your front pattern piece on a diagonal out from the pattern to the bottom of your fabric like so ... this is effectively making the pattern into an A-line style. I measured approximately 4" out from the edge of the pattern piece, and at the bottom of the dress, and this was a good angle for Bethany's size 7 dress.

3.  Cut along this line, and around the top sections of your pattern piece ... like so ...

4. Repeat for the back pattern piece, and also cut out your sleeve pieces as per your pattern.

5.  Assemble your dress as per your raglan-sleeve top pattern instructions, and hem the bottom.

6.  Turn your dress inside-out.  Measure down from the armpit to the approximately location of your munchkin's waist.  I estimated Bethany's waist to be approximately 7" from the arm-pit seam.  Mark this spot with a pin, and repeat on the other side.

7.  Draw a line from one pin to the other like so.  Also measure this distance.  Bethany's was 17 1/2".

8. Cut 2 strips of fabric that are 1 1/2" wide and the width you measured above (plus 1/2 " to cater for the seams) ... so Bethany's strips were 1 1/2" x 18".

9.  Sew the strips together to make a belt-shape casing like so ...

10.  Thread the dress into the casing and line up the side seams.  Then tuck the raw edges of the casing under, and pin to the dress.

 ... then sew around the top and bottom of the casing, approximately 1/8" from the edge so there's enough room for the elastic to go through.  On the bottom edge, leave a 1" gap at the beginning of your row of stitching to allow threading of the elastic.

11.  Use a safety pin to thread your elastic through the casing ...

... then join the ends of the elastic by overlapping slightly and stitching wiht a zig zag stitch.

And you're done.  

Two dresses, from 1 top pattern, which was available free online!  Yay for that!  Hope you have as much fun as I did!