Making children's clothes

[SenoraPostrophe]

I've just got the sewing machine out for the first time in about 2 years to make a gym bag for dd.

I'd forgotten how relaxing it is!

so anyway i have an enormous bag of material, and I thought i might make her some clothes, but I'm a bit of a novice - used to make lots of hats and badly finished shift dresses for myself (i.e.things where a wonky seam doesn't show much).

for dd obviously it has to be properly finished or she'll pull it to bits. what should i make? was thinking of a sort of button-up shift dress - would that work? don't trust myself with zips...

so no-one does it any more then?

I'd love to do this - but I'm really bad at setting sleeves, doing zips/buttons and placing skirts.....so everything really

yes - hence shift dress - I thought a straight up straight down thing with v nech and maybe a button. to be worn over a long sleeved top.

I think it would be very easy senora. Why don't you make the fastenings on the shoulders (with buttons?)

Hey SP, I thought I was the only one!

Pinafore dresses are really easy- you can even get her to help. Lie her down on a piece of wallpaper lining, and draw round her. Then use this as a guide to make a pattern- just use straight sides, then "square" the top for the front bib. For the back you need to measure over her shoulders to get the length for the shoulder straps. Use buttons or snap fastners to finish.

Hope that was understandable. I love making clothes for my dd's, especially when people ask where I bought the item from.

I make a lot of dd clothes and agree that pinafores/ shift dresses are the easiest option and you can keep making the same pattern but in different materials/embelishments.

I also make dd nightdresses as it is hard to buy nice night dresses.

if you are a bit of a novice start with making dressing up things as they don't need to be perfect.

OK - I have not sewn since school when I was 14 and made a tennis skirt - badly. However, I have tried in vain to get inexpensive, simple, pinafore things for my dd. The one's in Next are around £ 17 - and Boden is over £ 20!!
My mother used to make A-line button on the shoulder things for me when I was wee - and that's what I want.
Where do I get a pattern?
Is it easy to do?
What's the best kind of material - I was thinking of soft cord stuff.

I recommend Kwik Sew patterns as they have easy to follow instructions and are printed on proper paper not tissue paper. They have a pattern for an A-line pinafore dress, and a summer dress which has no zips just buttons or can be made with just ties.

You can get a lot of inspiration and information from the Pattern Review website. On this site you can see the patterns made up and find out how easy they are to sew, and you'll see that you are not the only one who enjoys sewing.