Connect Menu

follow

Monday, April 25, 2011

Spring toddler capris

I set out on another sewing adventure and made a pair of spring/summer capris for my niece, Abby. If you are a regular reader you might remember the play kitchen was for her as well as the learn to read recipe book.


My godmother gave me some patterns (stock up on some when they are on sale for $1) and we went through a few to find an easy enough capri pattern - we landed on McCalls M5797. I opted to leave off the pockets to make them easier. She had taught me how to lay out the pattern on the straight of the fabric so the pattern grain line was straight. Of course below you just see one front and one back because the fabric is folded over so I would get 2 fronts and 2 backs.


Something else I learned was that when cutting the markings in the pattern that look like carrots or sideways v's are meant to be cut outward not inward. I just followed the pattern instructions and pinned a lot. First a front and a back got lined up, pinned, and sewn - you are sewing each leg inseam together.



If you start sewing and it looks like this immediately call a handy sewing guru (aka Mom) and explain the issue - it's most likely user error. I hadn't put the bobbin thread through the bobbin case completely correctly... whoops! So much to remember.


Then you do it over the right way.


Then you sew the front to the front and the back to the back by sewing the crotch area up toward the waist if that makes sense.


Then realize that a step was left out of the instructions as they go from step 9 straight to step 11... hmm. Good thing it was easy enough to figure out they never said to sew the outside leg seams so do that. Phew, no need to panic.


So right now they look just like capris (inside out of course) except for doing the waistband and hemming


Sew around the waist, top stitch and bottom while leaving an opening to insert the elastic. I was a little intimidated by doing elastic but it wasn't bad at all.

top and bottom stitch waist
Here is the elastic from Walmart.


Feed it through the opening you left and around the whole waistband with a safety pin and then stitch the elastic ends together a couple of times for reinforcement and sew up the opening.


And hemming... the ironing part of that was my least favorite. Perhaps because I was trying to be a perfectionist about it that it took longer.


I added a little square of heat transfer vinyl so it would be easy to tell the back from the front. It's not a cute tag but hey it works.


TA-DA! A cute pair of capris for an adorable almost 4 yr old. I love the butterfly fabric I got at hoblob on sale :)  I think she will love running around in these in the spring and summer.


Sadly, I don't have a picture of her in them as I am mailing them but perhaps I can snap one next time we see her. Someone as cute as this is going to make anything look good, right?!

I'm pretty sure I gave her a candy so she would sit still for this picture I took haha


Well I hope you enjoyed hearing about the capris... they really do make for cute simple pants so go pick up a pattern and try them out!



Linking up to these parties:

12 comments :

  1. These are so cute! I hope you will like your project up to my link party!

    www.cherishedbliss.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi from your new follower/s via Handmade Tuesdays.Karima from
    www.karimascrafts.com
    and
    www.karimasblogs.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. They are absolutely adorable! You are so precise with your measuring and cutting...I'm ashamed of my hashing together of sewing projects :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Super Cute! Please stop by www.laughloveandcraft.com and link up to my Share the Wealth Wednesday Link Party!

    ReplyDelete
  5. So Cute Emily! I need to learn how to sew :)

    I gave you the Versatile Blogger award on my blog, go check it out :)
    Moore Babies

    ReplyDelete
  6. Too Oober CUTE!
    I would LOVE to have you link up to my Whassup Wednesday Par-Tay! And I have a party button you can grab and put on your blog so your friends can come too:)



    If you are NOT already a Follower of Elements Interiors....HELLEEERRRR!

    Click that Google Follow button and YOU will be ENTERED in my

    "Its a SURPRISE!" GIVEAWAY to be announced EVERY MONDAY! Yeppers! You read it right,

    a Winner EVERY MONDAY!!! With GREAT Goodies you wont want to miss!!




    Hope to see ya at Whassup Wednesday!!!

    *ENTER LINKY PAR-TAY Here! *

    xoxokara

    ReplyDelete
  7. Super cute fabric. Great job making these. I try to make flannel PJ pants for our family at Christmas but I have a hard time following a pattern and my bobbin always does the same yours did and I always have to use a seam ripper. It is a huge accomplishment to make these. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great post. I love that you walked through your whole process and shared your problem spots. I'm sure Abby will love them:)
    A tip you may not know about is using freezer paper for your pattern. I trace my pattern pieces onto freezer paper and then cut them out. You can iron the freezer paper pattern pieces right onto the fabric and cut the fabric out... you never have to pin those paper thin pattern pieces on! The freezer paper just peels right off the fabric once you're done.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely! I have making pants for the little folk on my To Do list, just haven't figured out when to get it done. But your post is inspiring me to get moving on it. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. So, so adorable! Beautifully done! Abby is one very luck little girl!

    So great to have you back at "A Little Birdie Told Me..."! You've been missed!

    Best,
    Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi, Emily! I'm admiring all your creative posts here so can you please share them with us at the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop? Hope to see you there at the party :)

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments and will answer all questions. Note I do approve all comments so it may take up to a few hours before your comment will appear. Thanks for understanding!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...