M6633 and Simplicity 1435: floral velour for my girls

As much as I'd like to sew myself fabulous, fashion pieces every day, other duties have been calling around these parts. I've been hard at work topping up wardrobe essentials, darning holes in woollens, and making Christmas gifts. It's not the most exciting kind of sewing, but in doing so, I've been making use of a couple of TNT patterns for kids that have been worth their weight in gold.



Miss Four desperately needed some easy, comfy pants to wear over her gym leotard and home from the pool. Tights just don't work well for this job. Now Miss Four doesn't do pants, unless they are covered with a skirt. But she does apparently do cotton, floral velour. I would too. It's the snuggliest, softest cotton and it should keep her little legs nice and warm.

The pattern I used was M6633, the same pattern I used a while back to make Christmas pyjamas for my girls. I made them up in a size 5 for my exceptionally tall 4.5yo. The pants are very long. I shortened the bottom panel by about an inch but Miss Four still has to hike them up past her belly button to prevent them dragging on the ground. I added a little bit of leftover lace scraps to the hem and a false fly, partly as an attempt to lose the pyjama look. They still look like pyjamas to me, but I can't argue with the little lady who has taken a liking to them. I'll call it a score for me though since I managed to get her into pants.

 

Miss very-nearly-three is a similar kettle of fish. She insists on wearing sleeveless ballerina leotards and summer frocks in all kinds of weather (most often the dresses don't even belong to her, having been raided from her sisters' wardrobes). I layer her up and within a blink, she's stripped down to the bare essentials again. She was short of long sleeve tops, so I thought I'd make her something pink and flowery that she might be inclined to keep on her little body. I'm afraid to say that I'm still having trouble keeping her fully clothed. I think she may be part Inuit.

I used Simplicity 1435 for this top. It's the fourth time I've used this pattern now. For this version, I used the same long sleeves that I'd modified earlier. I also lengthened the bodice by an inch and added contrast ribbing bands for the hem, neck and sleeve cuffs. Size 3 is a perfect fit for my perfectly average-sized and scruffy haired very-nearly-three year old.