Lil needed some new long-sleeved tops. With my limited sewing time at the moment, I wanted the project to be a quick sew but didn’t just want a plain top with no special features.
So I pulled out my Basic Tees pattern because I know it is super straightforward, quick and easy. Then I made some really simple alterations and additions to make it super funky!
The addition of long skinny sleeve cuffs, a hem cuff…
…and a pretty cowl neck were just what we needed!
If you’re a confident sewer, you could probably make these alterations easily yourself. For those of you who need a bit more guidance, I have plans to write these instructions up as a free PDF download to use in conjunction with your Basic Tees pattern so stay tuned!
The tradionalEaster jammies actually got finished in time for Easter this year! I know most sewers have a tradition of sewing pretty Easter dresses and ties for their kids, but for me, Easter always signifies the start of cooler weather and the kids always seem to be needing new PJs so this works for us.
Oscar has refused to wear jammies for the last couple of years and always opts for a comfy tshirt and pair of shorts. His favourite shorts by far are his Long Boards (he’s even worn holes through a few of the bottoms) so it made sense to whip him up a pair for sleeping, the ribbed waistband makes them super comfy. I didn’t bother with knee patches on these ones as they won’t get as much wear and tear so I kept them nice and simple. The tshirt was made using my Basic Tees pattern.
Tommy’s PJs were made using my Slumber Party Jammies pattern. They are big for him now, so he will easily get a couple of years wear from them. And his top was made using my Basic Tees pattern.
Lil got two pairs of PJ pants for Easter. Three years ago I made myself some snuggly flannel PJs and I obviously wore them to death because the bottoms were becoming threadbare and I’d worn holes in them. I thought it was a waste to throw them out because most of the fabric was still in good condition, so I managed to cut them down and make into PJ pants for Lil! If they were store-bought, I wouldn’t have thought twice about throwing them in the rag bag, but I couldn’t bear to throw good quality fabric that could still be put to use in the bin!
And that’s a wrap for this Easter! We’ll do it again next year!
All day long, about every 5 minutes, I hear a little boy asking “what you doing Mum?” Constantly. He uses the sweetest little voice though, so I can’t get annoyed. This question mark t-shirt was inspired by a Mini Boden applique. Perfect for a constant question-asking little boy!
Once again, I used the same Ottobre pattern from Summer 3/2009. #24 “Jungle Tshirt”. I figured I was tracing and cutting the pattern pieces out once, so I should do a bit of batch sewing and cut and sew another at the same time.
And another question mark applique for a birthday present. This time I did a long-sleeved version of my Basic Tees top. I think this will keep the boy going for a little longer – until the winter sewing begins anyway!
SUPPLIES: Blue/Grey Top – Stella knit in Charcoal Marle Stella knit in Ocean Swafing Gitte knit in Kiwi Striped Top – Make It Perfect, Basic Tees pattern Stella knit in Grey Grey/navy striped store-bought adults tee (bargain price!)
The littlest boy was in need of some new tshirts. Great! I love sewing tops for the kids, especially when my collection of knit fabrics is growing rapidly, it helps me to justify my fabric stash when I don’t end up buying any clothes for them at the shops.
I bought this superhero fabric in organic cotton knit from Spoonflower last year. I love the design for bigger boys as it can be hard to find a printed fabric that doesn’t look too young once they start to get older.
I used my Basic Tees pattern, but I was worried about it looking like a pyjama top though so opted to go with the patterned fabric only on the front and used plain black for the back, sleeves and neckline binding. I think I’ve got a winner and will be using this same design in the future…plus, it means that I am left with more fabric for other projects!
And of course superhero fabric requires some muscle poses.
This next top was made using a pattern from Ottobre Summer 3/2009. #24 “Jungle Tshirt” . I like the design with contrast fabric sleeve panels to add a bit of interest. I’ve sewed this size for Tommy before, but for some reason this pattern seems to run a little on the large size. Which I’m pleased about because it means that he should be wearing it for quite awhile.
My new labels stood out a bit too much to sew them to the exterior of the tops, so I used them as an inside tag instead and added a size label to the side. I’m usually pretty slack at adding size labels even though I’ve got them sitting in my sewing cupboard, so much better when I remember to sew in though – good for remembering what size I’ve sewed, and determining the back of the top. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to turn the kids tops around because they’ve been put on back the front!!
I’ve got a couple more tops to share, but this post is getting a bit pic-heavy so I’ll save them for another day!
Sharing a few more Basic Tees today…sewed these at the beginning on Winter for Lil, they have been getting lots of good wear. Both long-sleeved, and I didn’t want gathers at the top of the sleeves so I used the boys sleeves piece this time. Easy peasy!
