Children – Page 2 – Zune's Sewing Therapy

Look What’s Coming Soon!

August 20, 2018 No Comments

This is what I’ve been working on lately and I’m so excited to give you a preview! Normally I would just make a pattern in the size that I need but after getting asked if there were other sizes available I decided to have a go at pattern grading and to my surprise I had so much fun doing it. It was my first time grading so I started off slowly with a simple yet versatile pattern in 4 toddler sizes.

I added the finished garment sizes so that you can go up or down a size depending on how loose or snug you would want it. Madeline is 2 but I ended up using the size 4T because she doesn’t like clothes that are snug.

You can also base this tank top pattern to make a flared top like I did here.

Or a gathered dress like this one.

I will show you later how make a shift dress and a flared dress from this tank top pattern. I always believe that you just need one good basic pattern and from that you can create so many designs. I love that the options for this simple and basic tank top are endless…just add some imagination!

Children, Crafts

DIY Bow Barrette

August 3, 2018 No Comments

Adding a cute little hair accessory can really complete an outfit and the bow barrette is one of my favorites! You can make them in any size using whatever scraps of fabric you have. I recently made a matching dress and top for Grandma and Madeline from this beautiful printed knit fabric from Joann and was left with odd little pieces of scraps. I can cut out the bow pieces in any direction of the grain of the fabric and it doesn’t effect the shape of the bow at all so I was glad to be able to use up whatever little bit of fabric scraps left from cutting out the garments.

Originally, I had planned on using the big bow as an embellishment on Madeline’s dress but I love big, statement making accessories so on the head it goes! I use alligator barrettes for Madeline since they’re the only hair accessory that she will tolerate in her hair so I always get the 10 piece packs from Walmart for about $2. I also use a little bit of felt to attach the barrette and whatever design I am using on top. The shape of the felt really depends on the design – for flowers, I’ll cut out a round shaped felt and for something like a bow, it’ll be a rectangle. I will add a tutorial on how to make a barrette using artificial plastic flowers but for now let’s make this pretty little bow for her hair!

Children, Toddlers

Summery Peasant Top with Flutter Sleeves – Free Printable Pattern Included!

June 25, 2018 No Comments

Nothing says sunshine, flowers and all things summer like a cute little peasant top! I love that it’s so cute and girly yet comfy enough to hop, skip, run and climb in. I drafted this pattern thinking of summer play clothes for Madeline that is also easy on my fingers to change her as I’ve been taking a break from Humira for several weeks now because Valtrex wasn’t working well while I was on it. Ugh. Don’t get me started on that *in my Jeannie Darcy voice*

Popsicles, milkshakes, watermelons – drips and stains – yes, plenty of affordable play clothes needed Miss Madeline. I always go through the fabric section at Walmart and that was when I chanced upon this solid knit fabric which was shockingly $1 a yard. It’s quite thin as in able to see the characters on the diaper thin but I think as something to wear around the house or out in the yard it would be okay. As you can see in the pictures in this tutorial, I didn’t serge or zig zag any of the edges and I just threw it in the washer without a laundry bag. Pretty impressive for $1 fabric! It sews pretty well and held nicely in the wash. I think it would also be great for layering under laces. I was able to cut out two sets (2 peasant tops and 2 shorts) so that made it 50 cents a set. Love!

I made the shorts using my toddler bloomers pattern with a slight adjustment on the waist to create a casing for the elastic. But for now, let’s get to the peasant top!

Adult, Children, Toddlers

Custom Team T-shirts with Hand-drawn Illustrations

June 14, 2018 No Comments

I traced off a short sleeved t-shirt that fitted her well and lengthened the sleeves to make them long.

A few months ago, Logan competed in his first ever Jiu Jitsu competition in Oklahoma City. He had been practicing really hard for it so I wanted to show our support for him. Immediately, I thought of team t-shirts.

Children

Adjustable Bow Tie for Kids Tutorial

March 25, 2018 No Comments

A few months ago, Logan’s school was holding a Valentine’s Day concert for the 2nd graders. The theme was Love and each student was asked to wear red. Dressing up little boys is pretty easy – throw on a button up shirt, pull on some slacks, slick back hair with gel and you’re done! I thought to myself -how can I make his outfit a bit dressier? Then I remembered a neck tie I made him a few years back with an elastic neck. The elastic was a big mistake because it had to go over his head thus ruining his hair. I am going to make him another tie but this time with Velcro to the neck straps – that way it won’t mess up his hair. I will be posting the printable template for the Adjustable Neck Tie with Velcro soon so be on the lookout for that.

For his Valentine concert, I decided to make him an adjustable bow tie. The bow required very little fabric to make so you can use whatever fabric scraps you have lying around. I also inserted a piece of fleece to make the bow kind of puffy since I was using broadcloth. If you don’t have any fleece scraps, you can use felt instead or a stiffer fabric altogether.

Let’s get started…

Children, Toddlers

Reversible Fleece Hat with Ear Flaps Tutorial – FREE Printable PDF Pattern

January 12, 2018 7 Comments

Fleece hats with ear flaps are a perfect winter wardrobe staple. They’re so quick and easy to make for your little one and they also make great gifts. I love fleece not just because they’re so soft and warm but also because they’re easy to maintain. I turn the fleece garment inside out to reduce pilling, wash in cold water and tumble dry low.

This hat is a toddler size and because the pattern pieces are small you can use up the scraps you have. I used Blizzard fleece and sweater fleece – the ivory Blizzard fleece was leftover fabric pieces from sleepsacks I made for baby Madeline a few years ago. There is also a video tutorial available for this fleece hat.

Ok so let’s get started…

Children, Toddlers

Toddler Bloomers with free PDF Pattern (Unisex Shorts Option)

December 28, 2017 1 Comment

The bloomers were re-drafted from the Grandma&me matching lounge pants I made

The bloomers can be made into shorts as well. I used 2×2 knit waistband and some fabric paint to decorate it.

Bloomers with matching elastic neck ruffles top

These bloomers are super easy to make and the best part is they can be made into regular shorts for both girls and boys by skipping the elastic-cinched hems. You can add pockets, cute little bows or even lace edgings. The fun is endless! 🙂

I made this pattern based on my little girl who just turned 2 on September 30! The finished garment measures 24.5″ in the waist – Madeline’s waist is 19″ and she was able to wear them all summer and they still fit her quite well. I sized these roughly 18m-24m but each child is different so take the finished garment’s measurements into consideration so that they’ll fit your little one comfortably. Are you ready to make these? By the way, I’ve included a video tutorial as well. 🙂

Let’s get started!

Children, Toddlers

Kids’ Box Pleat Skirt with Elastic Waist

November 21, 2017 No Comments

This kids’ box pleat skirt is part of the Anime Schoolgirl/Sailor costume I made for Madeline for Halloween. It was so easy to make and wear! You can use the same method to make one in an adult size as well. The skirt has 2 inch wide pleats and a sewn in elastic waist so not only is it comfy to wear but you won’t have to worry about the elastic twisting in the casing. 🙂

Let’s make this!

Children

Let’s Make Something Fun Together!

September 18, 2017 No Comments

Welcome to my blog!

Firstly, thank you for stopping by! Whether you have RA like me and finding joint-friendly things for yourself or your kids to wear or making something for your loved ones to wear or for their kids or just for the love of sewing, I hope you will find a bit of something on my little blog to enjoy. It’s hard to live with RA because I never really feel 100% and each day is unpredictable – how much pain will I be in when I wake up in the morning? How long will it take for me to roll my aching body out of bed? Which joints will be swollen today? Will I have yet another fever? How much fatigue will I be in today? The same questions have been rolling around in my head at bedtime since I got in January of this year. My fingers were crooked for 3 straight months – they curled up in a matter of weeks. I was in tears everyday because I couldn’t move – my family had to help to me dress. Even pulling the tabs on my toddler’s diaper was excruciatingly painful.

It took forever to get an appointment with the rheumatologist who put me on Methotrexate and a short-term dosage of Prednisone with Plaquenil. The crooked fingers started straightening but the Methotrexate’s evil side effects were taking over. I had painful lumps under my skin near my elbows. That rheumatologist upped the dosage and insisted I continue taking all that medication. I had already ran out of the Prednisone which I felt was the only thing making me feel any better but I stopped taking the Methotrexate and the Plaquenil. I switched to another rheumatologist who put me on Arava and was told since I have a G6PD deficiency, I shouldn’t take any Plaquenil.

I know that RA is going to be around in my life forever but when my son’s at school and my toddler is napping, I love spending my good flare-up free days drafting patterns or sewing. During my crooked finger days I developed a hatred for buttons – flat buttons, snap buttons and shank buttons, anything where I have to pinch, pull, push – hate hate!

Right now I’m finding knit elastic and Velcro to be easy for me to sew and wear for myself and the kids. I hope to further explore the possibilities of comfortable clothing that are easy to fasten or just pull over for people like me who suffer from joint problems. If you have any tips or tricks on comfortable joint-friendly clothing, please feel free to share them here.