Garment Sewing: Who Can Resist a Baby?*
*Or Two
I started sewing in 4-H when I was nine years old. I wish I had a picture of my Quick Trick Skirt. It was a tube with a casing at the top and I wore it with a white blouse and a kerchief tied around my neck. I know I sound super cool.
The skirt was made of brown calico like the one above.
This is the idea, but I wasn’t cute like this girl. I was awkward and I had cat-eye glasses.
Even so, I fell in love with sewing during the second and third years of 4-H and I never looked back. In the 60s and 70s, you could save a lot of money by making your own clothes. My mom said I could have all the clothes I wanted if I made them. So I did.
But there came a point in the 80s when garment sewing was over for me. There were a couple of factors.
- I had small children (see photo, above).
- It became less expensive to buy clothes than to make them.
- I discovered quilting
Anyway.
Throughout that decade and into the 90s, I made the occasional garment. But each time it felt like a failed 4-H project. These clothes didn’t look right or feel right, and it was costing a lot to make things that landed in the donation box.
Front of the unwearable coat
One of the things I made during the transition out of clothing was this Asian-style coat. I guess I thought it would work because it was kind of quilty. This was well before the internet. I bought the pattern and then gradually found Japanese fabrics, one at a time, as I attended bigger quilt shows with international vendors.
Back of the unwearable coat, with detachable hood
But even after spending several hundred dollars on supplies, I never wore it. I still put it on every so often to see if it might work, but it never has.
So you can understand my reluctance to sew garments again even though I have six-month-old twin granddaughters. Before they were born, my daughter asked if I’d consider sewing for them.
“Probably not.” I tried to let her down easy.
Each time she asks, I gently decline.
HOWEVER.
They’re so sweet. And they’re full of love.
And soon they’ll have hair.
And the little girl patterns are almost irresistible.
What’s not to love?
Resisting…resisting…
I am toast.
If you are thinking, “This was just an excuse to post photos of her grandchildren…”, you are absolutely right.
But I truly might maybe sew for them.
Have a great week!
Tags: garment sewing, grandchildren
Sarah B
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Go for it! Children’s clothing patterns are more forgiving than adults. I remember having a master pattern with lots of variations, and making my daughter five or six different dresses, and none of them required very much fabric 😊
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Diane Harris
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Oh Sarah, that’s so encouraging to hear. Thank you!
Diane Spaulding
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I can prob help you out with a couple – now that my grands are 21 & 18 – LOL
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Diane Spaulding
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Oh i have the criss – cross dress too!
Carol Weber
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Beyond what Sarah B. said, all that matters is that it’s not too small! Sew, sew, sew: it’ll be FINE!!! (Says the woman who sewed lots for her kids when they were little, and is starting now to sew for the new granddaughter!)
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Linda P
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I also learned to sew in 4-H .. then on to home EC.. and made a blue herringbone drop waist coat.. tailored.. the end. After daughters came along, I made lots of dresses on a machine that made more mistakes than I did… hand smocked several… might still have them… and embroidery on jackets and bib overalls… and then came the US Bicentennial and fell in love with quilting.. haven’t looked back.. grandkids are boys, no garments for them but several quilts.. have fun with your twin grand, so many cute patterns now to download. Your babies are cuties!!!
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priscilla conger
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I think it’s great and I would definitely sew for precious little granddaughters. My problem is that my daughter doesn’t iron so I can’t make the beautiful little cotton dresses I’d like to. It has turned me into trying something I have always been fearful of. Sewing with knits. So now I’m giving it a shot and making very simple skirts- (my youngest granddaughter is now 5). The first one didn’t turn out well at all. I went on youtube and watched a few more tutorials and I’m getting the hang of it. The one thing I’m excited about the most is that my 9 year old granddaughters are showing interest in sewing and I’m teaching them basic sewing. I got goosebumps when I took them in to an enormous fabric store in Lancaster PA and saw their eyes get huge and get excited. It was day I’ll never forget. Enjoy and sew those precious baby lots of things!!!!!
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Diane Harris
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That’s a great story, Priscilla! Can’t wait until mine are old enough to be introduced to fabric. 😊
Meylonie Schatz
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Hi Diane,
I got your prize package last week. Thank you so very much. It came within a day of attending a small guild I belong to. They mentioned that they are considering looking for professional presenters for a couple of their guild meetings. So your package arrived at exactly the right time. I will bring your program literature to the next meeting I am able to attend. I’ve already sent your blog info and have told them about your programs. They are very interested.
Thank you for your generous gift!
Meylonie
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Diane Harris
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That’s great news, Meylonie! Thank you so much, and I’m happy to hear you got the package. 😊
Linda Garcia
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i made some really cute faux-sewing for my granddaughters by using a fat quarter to attach a little skirt to a onsie. Very quick and super easy. Can’t hardly make a mistake. If you are interested in this, I could send you the info. I looked at a picture and made them up on my own. A friend was interested, so I have a hand written instruction sheet and some pictures of ones I made in the past. I would share my instructions if you would like them. E-mail me if you are interested.
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Diane Harris
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Linda, that sounds great! I’ll send you email in a bit.