Last
year upon donning my Mother
Christmas Costume
for the second time, I asked my four year old niece if she wanted a
holiday costume, too. However, this year when I mentioned it in
August (to give me time to make something fancy), she didn't remember
the request! Fortunately, she stayed with me a few times this fall,
and amid playing dress up with her dolls, she became curious about
the sewing machine. So naturally I pulled out a thrifted Butterick
B4319 costume tunic pattern along with the purple cotton bolt seen in
my Thrift Disappointments video
and quickly drafted a mock-up gown.


I
told her this would be practice pretend and not perfect, and heehaw,
from now on I am referring to all
mock-ups as “pretend.” She agreed that just a ye olde nightgown
was fine and chose additional blue lace from another thrift grab bag
which I used to hide the ugly seams and faded color creases in the
fabric. She also spotted some shiny scraps from my older niece's
costumes in my ribbon drawer and carried them around until I was
ready to sew that sparkle around the collar. After basting she tried
on the tunic and I was able to make sleeve adjustments and pleat the
neckline to make the opening smaller. This meant there was still a
generous amount of room to the tunic but she liked it that way. Next
my niece chose a pink scrap that also came from a thrift grab bag (I
wouldn't have cutesy materials if they didn't come in grab bags!) and
now knowing her waist measurement, it was easy to run the top and
bottom through the machine for a quick hem and an elastic channel.
She also chose some sort of teal lace for this skirt, and I was able
to use other goofy found thread colors I wouldn't normally use
because she wanted everything rainbow instead of matching. Out of the
mouth of babes!
Having
these guidelines on my niece's size, I was able to make more play
dresses and accessories even without her present, changing up the
style or embellishments from the original tunic pattern. First came
another purple dress, this time with a high waist elastic channel and
shorter sleeves also gathered with an elastic cuff. I have plenty of
elastic and bias tape to practice these techniques, and this made for
a more flouncy gathered style dress that I decorated with gasp, pink
lace. My niece said this would be her “Tea Party Dress” and she
loves to play in these silly outfits. She says they are beautiful in
only the way a four year old pronounces “beautiful.” However, I
don't expect these to be as durable as real clothes, and I find them
mostly...hideous. Not only am I aware of the unlined cheap material,
unfinished seams, and fudging to fit hacks via disused supplies; but
the pastels and pink or purple and teal with green and loud lace is
certainly not
my style. Isn't the entire point of sewing for me to be able to make
the alternatives I want? Can I learn to practice better sewing from
projects littered with mistakes unseen through the eyes of a child?


Thankfully,
I'm not interested in making these purple play things to my usual
perfection. My niece's size will change, and these goofy dresses can
change with her. Longer flouncy sleeves can be added, the neckline
gathers can be removed or the back seam opened and panels inserted.
Ruffled tiers can create length and none of it has to be the best or
color match and any magical patchwork will do. With these small scale
frocks, I am using supplies and techniques I wouldn't normally
utilize and gaining practice on a day's garment. Using the purple
scraps from the bolt, I made a longer skirt with the same ruffles and
elastic as well as a pinafore style apron – which I expect my niece
will get the most use out of in our future crafting adventures.
Something like an easy apron has room to grow and will carry the no
fear paint, spills, and memories of what we make!


Is
worry over poor fittings and lacking durability holding you back from
making youth clothes? Fear not I say! With rapid child growth I'm not
sure I want to make proper finished clothes for my niece. Why spend
so much time on that when everyone can have fun with ruffles, lace,
and....pastels? 🤨
Visit Kbatz Krafts on Instagram and Facebook for more project photos or read more sewing adventures:
Another Halloween Dress
Sewing on a Budget for Search Magazine
5 Skirts from 1 Pattern!