Thanks so much everyone!  I have been on a bit of a sewing spree lately.  My kids usually get most of the sewing but I have been trying to "perfect" my fitted top.  Apparently, I need lots and lots of tries, but I am filling out my summer tops now.

Here is a bunch of sewing I have done for me since the last time I posted.  I made most of these patterns from using Glad Press n' Seal to make a pattern off of a RTW item.  The skirts are from a pattern I had already drafted, but just did differently (elongated for the maxi skirt, added panels to the pink skirt).  The fitted shirts are a WIP for the pattern.  Not one of them fits right.  *sigh*  All but the pink one is wearable, though.

Here we go...

Top and skirt - It is some type of one-way stretch synthetic knit.  The top is the top of a dress pattern with a few modifications.  Skirt I drafted myself.  The top band of the skirt is doubled up, so it sucks in the tummy.





A rayon shell of an indistinguishable animal print.  Should be good to wear tucked in or just outside.  Pretty simple pattern.





Leggings made from some thick stretchy, shiny gray material.  They fit great.  I put in a 3" waistband, so they are better than Spanx.



Version #1 of my shirt.  It's just a bit big overall.  It is cotton stretch poplin.



Version #2 - Way to tight in the bust and can barely get it over my head.  Going into the donate pile, but it's pretty right??  This fabric is a wierd one, and didn't have much stretch in it.



Version #3 - A little too tight, but wearable.  It is cotton stretch poplin.  I added the tucks by elongating the pattern and then added a stretch chiffon cowl.



Made the skirt, too.  My usual skirt pattern (I wear skirts most days to work).



It has a cream pinstripe in it and it is a stretch poly.



I think this might be linen.  I've had it for several years.  It ended up a little bit big, so I'm glad I forgot to wash this before I made it.  It has 3 panels on the front and 3 on the back with the waistband cut on the bias.  I didn't need to do that, though.  Hopefully, it shrunk up enough when I washed it.





Version #4 - This one ended up too low cut and is a little big.  It is cotton stretch poplin.



Made the maxi skirt with stretch jersey and a 3" waistband.





A tunic with some of my artwork.  I use the freezer paper stencil method of putting it on there.






Another tunic out of a sweater knit.







A swingy skirt - my own design.  It actually has two circle skirts on the bottom, where one is layered a bit over the top of the first one with some pleats.



Simple stretch twill skirt.




This skirt is actually navy blue with a white pinstripe.  Hard to tell.



Maxi skirt out of ITY knit with a 3" elastic waistband.



Thanks for looking!

Very creative...nicely done!

Very cute stuff!  That 2nd skirt is my favorite, too.  Girly, but still...skulls!

Thanks you!  It is nice that my kids are appreciative of what I make, too.

I didn't sew anything for DS last summer since he was still fitting into what I had made him the previous year.  I did hem a few pants that he blew the knees out of and made them into shorts, though.

These are the things I made him for Fall/Winter.

This vest I made him for the Ren Faire.  It was a super simple pleather vest to sew up, and most of the time was drawing the dragon on the back with metallic ink markers.  I copied it from a shield that he had.  I had to do a clear spray of poly over it to keep it from smearing.  I made his shirt and pants too, but that was last year.


The front




These are some pants I made him (not the shirts)






These are a few outfits I made him.  The pants are basically the same pants for all of these.  I make the pockets different sometimes.



wearing the shirt backwards *sigh*







Nice soft jammies



Pirate jammie top



Wrist wallet



Soft fleece pants (I also made a grey fleece pair and just a regular black pair)



So...that's what I have made for my son.  I'll have to look through his closet for next summer.  I think he will need some shorts but he seems to have a lot of t-shirts already.

Thanks for looking and any comments!

[That bikini is so adorable and child-appropriate (what is with the garment industry these days?)]

Thanks again everyone! I do try to make the majority of my kids' wardrobes.

Holy crow, your daughter is a stylish little fashionista! That bikini is so adorable and child-appropriate (what is with the garment industry these days?), but I think the style might actually look good on ME! Is it weird that I would wear the purple summer set and the burgundy snakeskin set?

I love your posts, every single time

Thanks, Alexus.  So, here's the story on the bikini...

I have made her lots of swimsuits, but mostly tankinis.  I prefer more coverage for her, and tankinis are easier for the bathroom breaks.  Well, during the summer she is in a camp program with some older girls and they called one of her princess swimsuits babyish.  She wanted a bikini (gotta love peer pressure on 1st graders), and I let her look at some online to get an idea of what she wanted.  Wow...those swimsuits don't cover much!  I ended up with my own version that I am quite comfortable with her wearing and it is still "a bikini".

Wow you are quite the seamstress.
I want a pretty dress with silver cording and tulle that fluffs out when I twirl. It is kind of sad how much less fun grown-up clothes are than kids clothes 

Thanks so much!  You know the older you get, I think the less you care about what is socially acceptable.  I wear my fun clothes whenever I want now.  But..yes...little girls do get to have more fun with their clothes than we do.  I also don't put limitations on what my kids wear to school (unless it is gym day, that is).  You are only a kid once and if she wants to wear her party dresses and he wants to wear his dragon vest, then go for it.

Thanks so much everyone!   

Beautiful clothes and your DD is a terrific model!  Do you make clothes for you DS as well (I am guessing because of the Christmas card)  I would love to make my little fellow clothes that are one of a kind but I am a bit daunted.

Yes, I do make clothes for him, too.  You can look at some of my past topics for clothes I have made for him.  I'll get another together for what I have made him in the past few months, too.  I usually make him pants because he is a skinny boy and nothing RTW fits his waist.

Learn how to use freezer paper stencils, if you don't already.  They can really jazz up plain tops that you make them.  I just match the tops to the pants.

Take a look at this group pool on Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/groups/celebratetheboy/pool/

A lot of that is little boy clothes, so not all works for my 8 year old.  It can give you some ideas of how to make their clothes a bit more interesting, though.

Hope that helps!

It looks lovely on you and looks like it fits very well.  Well done!

Here is my 6 month "show-all" of what I have sewed up for the kiddos.  Majority of the clothing are patterns I made.  I'll do another post later of DS' clothes since this ended up a bit long.

Any questions on the construction and I will be happy to answer.  I have blogged everything so it is all mostly written down.

Here goes...

This was DD's birthday dress last May.  It is my own pattern and took many hours hand-sewing the silver cording on the bodice.  She doesn't wear it very often, but looks like a princess when she does. It is very twirly.  






A birthday gift for a friend of DD's.  I have a tutorial and size 5 pattern for this style of dress if anyone is interested.  Just let me know.



She wore this outfit all the time last summer. Fun and comfy!





A flounced skort with bike shorts attached.  Another well-worn outfit.  Able to handle the monkey bars with no undies showing.





She wore this ONCE I think.  Getting out of wearing dresses, unfortunately.  







This one I got the inspiration from Chasing Fireflies (tons of cute girl clothes).  This is a princess seamed dress in stretch denim with godets.



New bikini design for the girl.  I'm going to try to do a tutorial on this one at some point this spring.  I made two others of this style, too.  She wears this one the most, though.




Another few skorts.





Then we have clothes for Fall.




I was obviously making the leggings a bit too long.  Oh well, she will grow.



The Christmas card outfit.  Upcyled the skirt from a dress I wasn't wearing.  I made the vest a bit too tight, so it's not getting much wearing.




Better view of the shirt:



The Christmas card:



Upcyled sweater from one I didn't wear.



Mullet top with matching pants. The brown knit actually has some sparkly threads in it but it doesn't photograph well.





Sparkly holiday outfit.



Comfy - jeggings and minky top





Thanks for looking and any comments.