My poor daughter is built much like me. Cute as a button, but round in the middle. Which means that today's kids fashions designed for thin-waisted waifs do not work. Especially when the only difference between a 4/5 and a 10/12 is 3 inches in length.
And that truly doesn't break my heart, because much of what is in the store is not what I would consider appropriate clothing for a little girl anyway, but it does leave Mama getting creative when the need for new clothes arrives.
So enter my latest fix: the side gore.
First, we begin with a knit shirt (even better if it is a 90% clearance shirt, lol).
Then we find a complimenting fabric (here I used the sleeves from a shirt that was too small). One note, if you are new to sewing, it's best to use knits with knits, and wovens with wovens. The two don't mix very well.
Cut two long-sided triangles that will reach from the underarm seam to the hem of your shirt, with a little left over to turn up and match the shirt's hem.
Using a seam ripper, undo the side seams from the hem to the underarm. Sew the triangle into place. If you are blessed with a serger, here is the place to use it. If not, use a wide zig-zag stitch that will allow the seam to stretch as the shirt stretches. Then turn up the excess to match the existing hem.
And there you have it. A cute, swing-style top suitable for comfortable, modest play and ease of motion.
2 comments:
Too cute! You're such a creative, talented mama. :-)
You rock!! That's a GREAT thing to do, as I have one who is a bit round in the middle too. I will remember this! Bookmarked!
Post a Comment