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Sadie got a new outfit this weekend-of the preppy/beach fun variety. I am getting so sick of seeing her low-rider pants fall down. (Why are girls clothes cut so inappropriately?) She is a bit tall, so wears a 5 now and they all seem to be low riders with boot cuts and I think they are creepy and way to "mature" looking. Also, they are not that fun to play in, she's always hitching them up. So rather than buy another pair of boys pants, I finally pulled my head out and sewed some linen pants for her and a matching top to boot. I had always made her pants until about a year ago, not sure why I stopped. . she did have quite a bit of snap and zipper pride with the store-bought pants her relatives got her, but now it's all about comfort. She asked that these be "loose and comfy" and wanted cropped pants with pockets, thank you very much. She also insisted on keeping her socks on for this photo.

I used Simplicity 4206. I have about a zillion toddler patterns like this, but I loved the top (although I need to make it longer next time) and when I get to sewing bigger sizes, altering toddler patterns doesn't really cut it. So, this pattern rocks. Every single option I would make--super easy and fast. I got more linen for the second pair of pants and am waiting for the perfect fabric for the top/pockets (and yes the pockets have to match per Sadie) and I suspect it will come from superbuzzy. I saw a bit of what they just got in that wasn't unpacked yet, and wow. I am really gonna have to to watch my wallet here. I have no idea when the next update is, but it's gonna hurt. Just a warning. Especially for you mamas of little boys.

So, on the money front, the yardage for 2 pairs of linen pants and one top, notions, etc came to about $20. (there was a good sale happening) I got about 1/2 yards extra of linen too in that amount, just to have on hand. So, would Old Navy have been cheaper? Perhaps, on sale, yes. But I love linen and cotton, love the real kid cut of these pieces, and I always maintain that you can't really sew "cheap" clothes and save $$, because it's too hard to compete with the overseas labor, BUT you can save a ton if you are making quality clothes and comparing them to expensive kids clothes. . (I think this goes for adult clothes too) which is why I always stick with the nice fabrics. Plus they feel so much better. This is where I justify making her next top from awesome Japanese fabric. . .

Comments

[Rosa]

Cute pattern and details. You are so right. I've had so many frustrations with girl's clothes. I think the pants are too mature, and the summer shirts are sometimes too revealing. My dd is tall and slender legged, but a pouch on her belly. I tried to find an alternative by buying boys stuff and adjusting them somehow, but boy's jeans are very boy like--usually carpenter style. Great job!

[Amber]

Ditto above... I just bought my daughter a couple jeans from Target and to help them look more "individualist" and creative I put a fun little fabric cuff on the bottom. But I agree, the cut on jeans these days are too mature---it's as if they're trying to add curves to young girls' bodies. YUCK!

Thanks for the pattern link! I'm definately ordering one and I'll be making some linen pants, too! Yippee!

[erin]

i love that top! so cute!

i agree with you about the mass produced clothes being too mature for little kids. my youngest is 5 and wears a size 6 - it is nearly impossible to find appropriate clothes. i will say that i have luck with lands end kids for cords and jeans.

[carol]

love that pattern. I have made about 5 for my girls and people always are complimenting me on them and making me feel like a superstar sewer (which I am NOT)...really, I just am a superstar collector of fabric. I have had fun making sleeves with different fabric from the bodice...and the pants are just so cute!

By the way, have you noticed when you hem the sleeves after attaching to the bodice they match up, but when you follow the pattern direction and hem them BEFORE it doesn't. It drives me CRAZY!

[becky]

That is a great pattern! I think I have the early 1980s version! Or a Butterick that's very similar.

My daughter is shaped like Rosa's and getting pants that fit is a nightmare. She doesn't seem to mind elastic waist pants, so I'll be sewing her some fun summer pants soon.

I love the coordinating pocket!

[jeanetta]

my almost 7 yr old going on 17 had the same problem with the pants these days. between low-rider jeans, belly tops, and the bratz dolls (have been banned from my house) i am dreading life in 5 years. i have no shame in putting her in her older brothers jeans. at least her butt crack isnt showing. and i ad some cute ribbon to them to girly them up.
i had to get her a new swin suit today and wanted to scream at the cuts of those suits for little girls.
i feel with the fashion trends today that modesty in clothing is something we must really impress upon our young girls.

[Margot]

Very cute! I think it is more important that kid's clothes are like great costumes that they remember wearing all of their lives: the color, the feel, the soft comfortabliness (is that a word?) of the well worn and best loved outfit. The cut, the fabric, the trims -- all the things that even from the high end department store brands are cheap and tacky today. You have created something wonderful for them.

[amanda]

seriously cute. the pants and shirt are adorable, of course. but my favorite part is the socks. ;)

[Amy Lu]

I'm so glad you posted that photo. I've been considering buying the pattern, but wasn't sure if I liked it. I do!

My daughter is 6, and is a size 7 slim. It makes me so sad that the inexpensive clothing choices out there encourage little girls to grow up too fast. I mean, seriously, why does a 6 year old need low cut blouses and tight jeans?

If I want to buy comfortable, modest clothing for my daughter, I'm forced to go to Hanna Andersson or Land's End. In which case it *is* more economical to sew her clothes!

Thanks for the inspiration (as I grab my keys and head out the door to the fabric store....)

[martha]

fantastic. I love the diagonal print.

[rebekka]

A dorable.

[Barbara C.]

I love to make clothes for my grandchildren, just need more time. Your daughter's outfit is beautiful.
I agree about the little girl clothes. I actually was in shock when I was looking for some birthday outfits for the gd's. They're trying to make the little girls look like little Britney Spears (sorry Britney)!!! Gymboree is about the last holdout for little girl clothes but they are pricey---oh and The Children's Place isn't too bad!
Barbara C.

[susaninfrance]

i have that pattern too, i make stuff and usually go to boden for inspiration for more wholesome additions to her clothes that i get from oldna--. what is up with the low cut jeans--i accidentally got a pair for her and needless to say she's never worn them--even she does not like them! i'm ordering clothes from france and my husband will bring them back from his next trip over...but how stupid is that, having to go that far to get decent, basic, wholesome clothes!!

[Candlestring]

My little girl is only 2yo and even at that size some of the clothes are too "mature" - if you call showing your muffin-top waist and emphasizing your bust mature. There are some options out there, (google girls modest clothing), but many of them are spendy or way over on the Laura Ingalls end of fashion. Not that prairie skirts and bonnets are a bad thing (love them) but they aren't always practical for the playground or the sandbox.
So besides getting just what you want in fit and color, another way to look at the extra expense of sewing quality vs. buying cheap is: She has a little sister who can wear hand-me-downs! Gotta love that. As long as little sis can be persuaded when she reaches that size...

[Cruz]

How wonderful that your daughter gets to customize her clothes! You can't get that at Old Navy. And it seems a shame to waste your sewing skills on cheap fabric that will not wear well.

[Donna]

It's like that even with the toddler clothing--flared legs, low rise--ridiculous. And for me it's a lot more about the clothes just being silly and uncomfortable. And everything has to have lycra in it. Miranda prefers the boys clothing section anyway, since she can get t-shirts with dragons and tigers on them. Although I will say as much as I love sewing Ivy's clothing from cotton fabric, last summer I spent a lot of time ironing everything. The trade off is worth it though (usually!)

[Dina]

I have a nine-year-old girl who wears a twelve. She's always been tall for her age. If we all hate the night club outfits for little girls, why is that all that the stores carry? I ADORE olivejuicekids.com, everything looks like it's from the 1930's. Jacadi, the French kids store makes adorable little-girl looking clothing that you can buy in the US. It all goes on sale half price twice a year. The website dpam.com is worth ordering from too. Right now I'm living in Africa where I can have Oilily dresses from when she two copied into size 12. It's the greatest.

[Mama Urchin]

She's looking comfy and put-together which is sometimes a hard combo. I have a tall girl too and I totally agree about inappropriate clothing for her, especially now that she's getting into more girl clothes and less toddler clothes (she's size 5 too). Superbuzzy.... that place can empty your wallet in no time flat!

[Susan]

I hear ya on the tall kids - my 4 yr old son wears a 5-6 pant for the lenght, but they are a wee bit too big in the waist. So, I've tried to make him clothes - but he refuses to wear "homemade stuff." *sigh* what he doesn't know is that he loves and wears his "homemade bathrobe" (I made it and then brought it in the house in a random plastic bag)!

[earthchick]

Wow - super-cute! I keep thinking I need to make some linen pants for myself - Sadie's look so comfy. Ooh, and thanks for the superbuzzy warning - as a mama of boys, I guess I get ready for my wallet to take a hit!

[hannah]

She looks lovely, I keep meaning to make the kids some clothes, I need to pull my head out too! And using funky fabric for pockets looks so cool!

[hannah]

the outfit is fantastic as always, but my favorite part is the hand holding...

ps. collette's king pod dress is going on arlo this summer. two for one bonus!

[Grammie]

This was a five-star success! It kills me when the girls assume the model position, no matter who's wearing the new duds. Great job.

[Starlagirl]

How funny - I have the striped fabric as well! I love it! Got it at JoAnn's. I haven't used any of it but was thinking about cutting it for a beachy quilt.

I think you are right about the cost of making things versus buying them. But one way to look at it is your daughters get custom made clothes. Custom made jeans in LA go for $200+. :-D

[Marianne]

Nice job! Regarding little girls' clothes, there's another blog I read that the author's campaigning retail establishments to PLEASE make modest little girl clothes. Sign her petition at the URL below if you agree:
http://www.everydaymommy.net/everyday-mommy/2006/9/5/moms-for-modesty/

[Marianne]

trying to post that URL again:

http://www.everydaymommy.net/everyday-mommy/
2006/9/5/moms-for-modesty/

[Alisa]

Cute clothes. Ottobre Design has a very similar pattern for the top, from spring of 2005, I think. They also have a dress version, with a simple gathered skirt attached. The top is SO easy. I am making several of the shirts AND dresses for my 5 year old's summer wardrobe and she LOVES the way they feel.

[Elizabeth]

You totally can't beat it - I know, I don't know how to sew and so I'm spending that much on just one pair of pants at Lands'End - just to avoid those horrible low-rider, boot cuts. And Old Navy is the WORST about children's clothes - when my daughter was 5, her uncle bought her a t-shirt from there - he had to get a size 14!!!! to get one that actually fit like a little girls t-shirt should - Sadie looks adorable and is much blessed to have a sewing mama with such style! My Isabella is all about pockets and comfort too!

[Rhonda]

How adorable! I wish I could sew. =[

[tiffany]

Very cute!

[Beth]

You are so right. My Emma is tall for age and her mid section is long... so if she wears store bought pants it is hoochie mamma city! Lands End is about the only thing I can buy that is appropriate : ) I may have to try that pattern. I have one for Japanese girl's clothes that I bought Kona cotton for last Friday. I also bought some blue flowery material for tops (one for her and one for me... ).

I have to agree.. it is not necessarily cheaper, but good grief, it fits at least!

[di]

I'm totally with you on the quality fabric side of things- sure you may be able to get something made in a sweat-shop, in lower quality fabric, for less $$, but comparing it to something made with quality materials, tailored to your shape/size and taste, nothing beats hand made. (and oohhh the satisfaction too!!).

[shannon]

I love this pattern and your interpretation is adorable. I have also found that the blouse ends up being too short so I add a band of contrasting fabric that i also use for the sleeves. My daughter lives in these pants, I think I've made her 4-5 pairs and I'm starting another batch for this summer.

http://shannondowdell.blogspot.com/2006/08/sewing.html

[Jennifer]

Beautiful new clothes! I have noted this pattern number so that I can include it in a pattern binge that I am planning when I am back in the States in May. Thanks for the inspiration!

[kelly]

oh man... ditto, ditto, ditto! I just hate where girl's clothing has been going lately - so inappropriate and obnoxious! this looks perfectly cute and age appropriate - well done!

and, I think this next update should be pretty cool too! can't wait to see it all!

[courtney]

THANK YOU! I thought that I must just be a 20 something fuddy duddy because I do not see why little girls need low rider's crop tops and string bikini's.

I also don't understand why 6 year old's need thongs (yes I knew someone who let their 6 year old wear a thong). It is just creep, and disgusting.

[Posidriv]

I was really inspired by this post, and I ended up with making a new pair of pants for our 4 year old daughter. Thank you! :)

[Violette Crumble]

ITA when it comes to making clothes from the best fabrics. They come out way less expensive than store bought. I've been making my 1.5 yr. old son clothes this season with Superbuzzy fabrics and I am madly in love with each outfit so far. And no one else in the playground is wearing them (which I'm sure is totally important to my toddler).

[tommy]

I am really traumatised by the indecency of some children clothing on offer nowadays. I can totally empathise with you and Sadie!

[Amy Lu]

I really did grab my keys and leave for the fabric store after I saw this post. And last night I finished a 4206 outfit for my daughter!

I copied you, I hope you don't mind!

http://somecallthemsticks.typepad.com/a_mile_in_my_shoes/2007/04/imitation_is_th.html

[Jess]

Yes! Girls clothes are terrible! My DD is in a 5 now too and it's awful. I need to make her some play pants... but I've yet to actually figure out how to follow a pattern... maybe I'll have to wing it. Sadie looks so cute and comfy!