Replies

1. 
   Sarah_Kayla | Dec 20, 2001 12:09am | #1

   *
   COTTON, COTTON,COTTON, COTTON,COTTON, COTTON,COTTON, COTTON,COTTON, COTTON,COTTON, COTTON,COTTON, COTTON,

   Cotton Knits are great. They don't need ironing and are soft. Clothes should be soft inside & out. Velour is great for fancy wear. Make diaper changes easy. A zipper across the crotch seam is easier than snaps. Remember that a parent is changing clothes with only one hand. Velcro just gets full of lint. Teeny snaps are frustrating. Generally babies are big in the diaper area and small in the arms & legs department. The clothing is much more comfortable if it reflects that. Elastic in the cuffs at ankle & wrist (or ribbing) makes the clothing wearable for longer. Most kids wear the teeny sizes (0 -6 months) for about four and a half minutes. The teeny clothes don't get very dirty or worn so they are likely to get passed down. (My kids wore some of the infant clothes that I wore) There is one dressy outfit my daughter was given when she was born (red velvet pinafore with a white slip/blouse - ribbon tulips on the pinafore) that MANY of the girls in my community have worn over the past 13 years. Make something extavagant along with all the rompers.

   The early months of motherhood are so hard. It is nice to have some frivelous things to cheer you up.

   Sarah

1. 
   kiwa | Dec 20, 2001 12:44am | #2

   *Thanks, Sarah! I had never thought of the zipper idea. I'll definitely use that! K

1. 
   Sarah_Kayla | Dec 20, 2001 05:58pm | #3

   *We had some fancy baby clothes that had zippers rather than snaps - Just don't put in the king that you have to do up the bottom.Some more thoughts.... stuff that worked like sweats - a top & pants worked better than rompers for diaper changes. The best of it worked like sweats but looked all dressed up. When we had a naming ceremony for our daughter I stupidly bought her a beautiful knit lace romper with millions of teeny ribbons that had to be tied and untied for every diaper change. Teeny ankle ribbons, teeny wrist ribbons ,teeny waist ribbons, teeny neck ribbons that all had to be done up while my baby was screaming about a poopy diaper. I learned fast about what makes a good baby outfit. Have fun!!!! There is not much more fun than making girl-baby clothes. Too bad i didn't know how to sew when my daughter was a babe. She tells me that it's ok - I can make her wedding dress.....Sarah

1. 
   Jean_ | Dec 20, 2001 08:20pm | #4

   *I had lots of fun making things for my grandsons.They were big boys, but short....sort of square. :)DD could not find ready-mades to fit them, so gramma got to sew--lots.Here's one (not even one of the cuter ones)

1. 
   karen_morris_ | Dec 22, 2001 09:03am | #5

   *Jean, thanks for the pic! What gorgeous hair he has (and the custom overalls aren't bad, either....)Kiwa, baby and kids' clothes are some of the quickest, MOST satisfying sewing you can ever do. Just look at catalogs like Biobottoms, Garnet Hill, Lands End, and Hanna Andersson for inspiration, check the prices (!), and then have fun creating your own versions of these beautiful things. Cotton knits are usually 60 in. wide, so you can make a whole layette from a yard or two of fabric! Little jackets made from two layers of cotton knit are very versatile (bind edges, add snaps). Feel free to borrow ideas from RTW for color combinations, cute pockets or embroidery, and using coordinating fabrics.One of the favorite things that i made for my daughter--i bought soft cotton knit in two different black/white stripes (one skinny, one wider), and made a short-ish T-shirt dress using one stripe for the dropped-waist body and sleeves, and the other for the gathered skirt. Then made long-ish bicycle shorts from the first stripe. And bright red ribbing at the dress neck. It couldn't have been easier, and she just wore it and wore it and wore it. A favorite. (She was a bit older, maybe three or four, but you could do something similar for a baby). Cotton velour is also great for everyday one-piece baby suits (i forget what these are called? rompers?) Add a cotton ribbing at the neck in a bright, contrasting color and use a long zipper that goes down one leg; this makes diaper changes easy.I made lots of clothes for my son, too, and he loved them. When he got a little older, i noticed that he'd wear those things again every time they were clean. i think it was like taking mom with him to preschool. We found camouflage cotton knit, a soft, washed red denim for long baggy shorts with pockets, and cushiony thick cotton waffle knit in teal and chartreuse for a zip-neck sweatshirt. Also, Polarfleece is ideal for baby and kids stuff. Have fun! Soon enough, she'll be wanting clothes from Abercrombie and Fitch....

2. 
   kiwa | Dec 24, 2001 03:16am | #6

   *Thank you, Sarah, Jean, Karen! This site has the *most* knowledgeable folks! I wrote down all the ideas...and I'm ready to go! Kiwa

3. 
   Jo_Verity | Jan 01, 2002 12:55pm | #7

   *If you can find viyella ( 80 %wool and 20% cotton blend) it is a beautifully warm fabric that doesn't crush ( but it shrinks so don't put it in the dryer) ... I also use another fabric which is called snowella and has less wool and more cotton ( proportions might be reversed) ... look up some of the heirloom sewing mags ( sew beautiful, creative needle) and some web sites ( sarah howard stone, handmades etc) ... corduroy is nice in winter and cotton is nice in summer... enjoy

4. 
   Jean_ | Jan 01, 2002 01:48pm | #8

   *I'd hesitate nowdays to make anything for kids that can't be machine washed and dried. What happens to the viyella if you prewash and dry before you cut and sew??

5. 
   Sarah_Kayla | Jan 01, 2002 07:38pm | #9

   *I could see using Vyella for fancy clothes (visiting grandma clothes) for cold weather. How about light weight polarfleece for every day. I have made my boys several pairs of balooney pants out of the stuff. It is really comfy and needs little finishing & is really warm.I haven't even heard the word Vyella for years. i rmember my father had several vyella shirts whn I was a kid. My parents had matching plaid vyella bathrobes. They were cozy but fussy to care for.sarah