[Masha Richart]

I have been on a sewing tear lately – I decided a couple months ago that my older girl’s summer wardrobe would be entirely mama-made, with the exception of underwear and a pair or two of leggings and tights.

Problem is – she resists wearing much of what I make. Maybe I make too much of a production out of “Ooh, look at what Mama made for you?” Or maybe it is that she is 2-and-a-half. Got me thinking, though, since I see many of you make a large portion of your childrens’ clothing. Do they like wearing what you sew?

[sayiamyou]

Poor you. Don’t fret though, 2 1/2 is still little. My daughter just turned 3 and loves what I make for her now, and I think most of that feeling comes from recognition. She likes to go to the fabric store and even chooses her own fabrics from my stash for outfits. Hopefully it’s just a phase. Don’t give up!

[beachmom]

My kids are older (12, 10, 7, and 5) but they will wear what I sew. I try and include them in the process…whether it be picking out fabric, choosing patterns, or duplicating a RTW look that they like.

I think with younger kids the trick is to make sure it’s comfortable and to do something that makes it special to them. Like using their favorite color or using a fun “surprise” print for the linings/pocket insides. If she’s given the choice to pick out what she’s going to wear, what does she choose?

[wendy]

I can definitely empathize. Soon after I started sewing ‘for her’ my daughter started refusing to wear anything but her pajamas and snow suit. This was at the tail end of last summer, just after she’d turned two. I had a guilty mother notion that she wouldn’t wear them because she resented the fact that sewing was taking up too much of my attention, but in retrospect I think that she was just being a strong headed 2 year old and also going through some changes. These days she’ll wear what I make for her although she doesn’t really care about clothing, aside from having a strong preference for things her Grandma sends in the mail. I don’t begrudge my mother in law the giddy experience of shopping for her only granddaughter (especially since she had three boys herself and no daughter) but, oh how those packages are a thorn in my side!

Maybe when she’s older she’ll come to love the things that I make for her, maybe not. Either way I’ll keep making them and enjoying it! For now, though, I stick to more practical clothing. And for the more ‘special’ articles of clothing that I can’t resist making, I’ve bought a bunch of boutique sewers labels!

[Nicole]

My little ones wear anything I sew although Lidia adores her City Weekend Tea Party dress and Matilda would wear her faded Amy Butler Bubble dress everyday if she could.

My 12 year old twins Zara and Elsa have proved a learning curve. There is no point sewing some thing they don’t fancy,they will wear it to church or a family ‘do’ without a fuss but otherwise it is not touched.

I have several things cut for them that I will just leave until Liddy gets older as it is not worth my time to sew what they would rather not wear,

I now check with them and tweak what I sew to their style,it usually looks good and it is great chatting time ‘designing’ pieces.

Hugo is coming up 15 and has no desire to have purchased clothes,he never has,but he is hard to sew for as mens clothes pattern require a lot of work.

Luckily,they wear school uniforms,so the biggies don’t need as many clothes.

While they are happy to wear it,I will sew it and the fabric is certainly not running out!

Good topic!

[violetvata]

My three boys (4,6,8) do love the clothes I make, I do think for the 2-4 age range you may have to “seal the deal” making it in their fave color or putting a kitty on it or letting them pick buttons, since they like to have so much power! The older ones appreciate that I make personalized things, monster t shirts or jeans with pirate patch or slim pants for the tall skinny boy who otherwise would have to wear pants that looked like a paper bag crunched up around the waist which just can’t be comfortable. I have heard that boys aren’t as picky but I do think they like just as much choice as girls. I always involved mine in fabric choices and sometime even online shopping for T shirt fabrics, etc. They choose ribbon for tags and buttons and colors and help me pound snaps, rivets and jean buttons. They also love receiving special outfits as gifts for birthdays which I do each year. All in all, it would be much easier to buy things on deep sale for them but I love to make them happy and I love to see my “art” in motion, it is so fulfilling to know that their favorite things are made by me, from the quilts to the knitted stuffed animals and sweaters to even the teeny tiny boy boxer shorts and skinny leg jeans! It makes folding the 10 loads of laundry each week no trouble at all!

[Tamara]

My son loves wearing anything I make for him, especially pyjamas and trousers. He is only 6 turning 7 so there is still time and I don’t make alot of clothes for him eventhough I too declared I would make all clothing except underwear – still working around time pressures that resist the goal from being achieved.

My daughter on the other hand went through exactly that phase at that age. I was smocking pretty dresses and sewing them for her and one day she decided that particular dress was not ideal and refused to wear it. It put me in a bind but as there were plenty I gave her a choice of two of which she chose one and happily wore it. For me it was her emerging sense of self that dug in the ribs. She has always been that way though. Now as I am nearing the end of sewing for her with O&S patterns because she being almost 10 wearing as size 12 is growing fast, I am facing the dilemma once more. I showed her the new patterns. She loves the croquet dress but not the trench coat and I was so hoping I could get her to agree to have me make one. Alas, it is not to be.

I do let her choose, the colour and the print and I give her a choice of what I would see as suitable but she has the final say otherwise my sewing nook would be messier than what it is currently if she had free range and I would probably find stolen bits under her bed! She has decided to sew her own clothes which I am ok with to a certain extent.

Touch and go with feeling and emotions with daughters especially but hang in there. Give her a choice of what colour and go from there.

Good luck I hope this is helpful.

[mela]

My daughter is the same age, 2 1/2. Her willingness to wear the clothes I make her changes from day to day. It depends on how independent she wants to be that day. I find that adding pockets to anything that doesn’t already have them helps, as does adding a special novelty button (even if it is hidden). Good thing is that I have a niece who is younger than her, so if there’s something she won’t wear, it goes straight to her cousin.

[Masha Richart]

Thanks, all! Wendy – I have had the same guilty thoughts as you, though, like you, I do think it’s not the case.

For the rest, my daughter has a pretty bad case of eczema. I only dress her in cotton. Her favorite pants to wear are her hot pink cotton knit leggings (makes sense, as they are very comfy). She loves pockets, so I thought for sure she’d like the After School Pants I made her, as they have four pockets. Nope. I don’t think I’m going to sew her pants for awhile (too bad, as I really wanted to take another crack at the Sailboat Pants, since the first pair I made ended up too large for her).

She loves to wear skirts but will only grudgingly wear the Sailboat skirt I made. Her preferences for her store-bought skirts changes day-to-day, though.

I made her a few shirred seersucker tank tops for the summer which she liked modeling, so I think she’ll be OK with those (if summer ever comes – we live in Russia and it’s still cold and snowy).

I do think, given the whims with which she seems to choose favored items, that it’s a 2 1/2-year-old thing. I’ll keep trucking. And in any case, she won’t have any choice this summer since all that will be in her closet will be things I’ve sewn. 🙂

[Kim]

My granddaughter just turned 3 and only wants to wear the nature walk pants in the green cafe dot interlock that I made for her last year. They are up to her shins and that drives her mother crazy. Recently I found a yard of the same fabric online and made a new pair for her. I show her an oliver & s pattern and ask her if she would like me to sew this for her and she says “yes, will you make it green?”

[meleliza]

My little one is 17months and seems to be thrilled with everything I make her. She is thrilled with each new thing and wants to try it one right away. She regularly insists on wearing her dragonfly 2+2 blouse and her little gray Sunday Brunch jacket. I don’t sew for the boys too often anymore because they totally destroy stuff. My oldest is sort of happy to wear the School Days coat to church except that I failed to line the sleeves in something slippery and that makes it less than comfortable, so I don’t really blame him. Maybe I’ll fix that before #2 grows into it. I recently made #2 a fabulous super hero cape and he just loves it. I’m sure they’d be happy with shorts or pants too if I made them and they do occasionally ask me for stuff. My kids seem to take it for granted that mommy makes stuff.

[janimal]

My three year old has happily worn the clothes I have sewn for her. When she gets a compliment she proudly announces “My mommy made it!”. It’s been fun to take her fabric shopping too because she picks out what she likes and asks me to make her things. (what am I going to do with the Starberry Shortcake fabric, sigh)

But just recently she has entered a phase where she will ONLY wear clothes that are pink. Purple and red may be included, but the garments MUST BE PINK. (Not a battle worth fighting). I bought her pink shorts with white polka dots and she told me “mommy, that’s white, and white is not one of my favorite colors.” Sigh.

So as long as I stick to her color palate, she’ll still wear what I make. I’ll take it for now.

[justinsbride]

My daughter is three and will wear anything I put on her–thank goodness 🙂 My husband teases me that I must have been deprived of baby dolls because I like to dress her up.

[KarenK]

When I began to sew at an almost constant pace I started to weed out the store bought clothes in her closet so that she didn’t so much to choose from, and so that what she did have to choose from was my sewn stuff. 🙂

[Masha Richart]

Thanks KarenK – my plan for the summer is to stock her closet almost entirely with my handmade items, so she has no other choices 🙂