[needlewoman]

For the little girls I sew for all of the “issues” mentioned in this topic have arisen. Maybe because the outfits I make “my” children are ‘presents’, I usually don’t have any ‘refusal’ problems. However, just recently, the 5 yr old I made a lovely blue/green Music Box pinafore for has decided that she wants to be a boy, and is refusing to wear anything girly. I’m hoping that when I send the outfits for her older sister that her mother has asked me to make, #5 will be “jealous”. I suspect it’s more of a problem between parents and children – the usual “who’s in charge” stuff- so a non-parent doesn’t usually get the same reaction/arguments. As other people have noted, making something from the favourite colour, pockets, twirly skirts, buttons and/or favourite motifs (like robots, fairies, princess, pirates etc) usually helps with reception. These days I concentrate on better sewing to make sure that it’s comfortable to wear; if it scratches or itches or whatever, it doesn’t get worn. Looking around me, I notice that there is so much ‘pajama’ type fabric being used for kids’ clothes (ie soft/shapeless) that I think a lot of children find it harder to cope with “proper” clothes than we did at their age.

[Tamara]

I was going through my pattern box with my daughter yesterday, she picked some patterns that she wasn’t sure about and I have made a note not to use them but other than that the general consensus felt like she was saying “make anything mum, I’ll be happy with it just as long as it is either pink, blue, green, purple or red” I’ll be happy to go with that then.

[wendy]

My daughter has become surprisingly complacent about what she wears since the last time this thread came up. She’s nearing 4 and will simply get dressed, no fuss. It seems so…rational. Food, on the other hand….well…did you know a cucumber tastes different depending on how you slice it?

[needlewoman]

Of course, it does W! the same way that sandwiches cut in triangles taste different to squares, and broken biscuits/lollypops cannot possibly taste as wonderful as the unbroken treat. So glad you’re not having any real clothes hassles with your daughter at present – there is always another ‘stage’ around the corner to keep you busy.

[Tamara]

Wait until they are ten or older then it becomes more challenging?

[needlewoman]

At least you have several “ok” colours to choose from; better than ‘always’ pink or purple. Although, I do have one little person who likes yellow best. I’ve never met that before but then she is a very special child (but then, aren’t they all?) I didn’t make any dresses for my nieces when they reached about 9-10, but I did have some heart warming successes hand applique-ing birds/apples/flowers from quilting fabric on bought windcheaters. Lady bird buttons were a big hit, I remember.

[Tamara]

I was surprised she said blue and green because up until that moment it was all pink! With the occasional red and purple as they were of course every girls favourite colours. I’m really glad she is broadening her colour choices. The subtle encouragement is paying off.

[Sarvi]

As a non pink-lover, I am lucky that mine is not every girl, and loves blue best. I loved red myself, as a kid. My green-loving sister became a pink-loving adult, so who knows what strange twists fate may hold.

Ladybug buttons would popular here, though, I imagine.

[Nicole]

Well Sarvi,my blue-loving daughter is turning to pink!

I suspect it may be the gorgeous merino cape you knitted for her little sister that she is still wearing and has not handed on yet!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/6965914822/in/set-72157625190470247

[meleliza]

You do know that red and pink are more or less the same, right? 😉

Don’t mind me, I’m just stirring up trouble. I have a friend who says she positively hates pink, but loves red. And shes fun All shades of the same thing, I’m afraid! 🙂

Mine has chosen yellow for her Easter dress and likes something from the stash, so I’m getting on that before she can change her mind. Pink is her favorite, but she does other things too, just like her mom.

[mkhs]

There are a lot of pretty shades of pink, though– from shell pink to coral to deep rose. Seems like all RTW girl’s clothes are Pepto-Bismol or bubblegum pink, so I’m glad I can satisfy her pink urges with other, more interesting shades. I’m challenged by purple– I can get behind a nice, rich, royal purple, and some of the duskier shades, but I find lavender pretty boring.

[Sarvi]

Hehe, that’s like saying dark chocolate is the same as milk chocolate, or black coffee is the same as a frappucino .. them’s fightin’ words!

Nicole, I am so honored, you have no idea. Now I wish I’d made it longer so she could keep wearing it!

mkhs, you make a good point. I love shell, coral, rose — but hate Pepto. On the other hand, I love lavender, but some of the brighter shades hurt my eyes a bit.

Although as soon as I say this, somebody’s going to make some gorgeous thing in a ‘bad’ color and prove me totally wrong. That’s how it always seems to work.

[Nicole]

I loathe fluro colours generally(I wore them in the 80’s) but I love the look of them paired with grey or linen colours.

Sarvi,it will be worn for many years!

[Jennifer1568]

As I read this, I realize that I hate fluro colors, too. I don’t even like them paired with grey.

[meleliza]

Ah, pink and gray, the favorite of art deco! I guess it’s no surprise that’s my favorite too, since it was my time period back in my academic life. In fact, my room as a teen was kitten great and pink.

Of course milk chocolate can’t compare with dark. 🙂 I’m just having fun. I too get sick of the pepto pink. I mean why does every little thing have to be pink? Stupid. And the crazy marketing that insists every tiny object in a child’s life has to be pink create all these pink hating mamas and dilutes what a wonderful color it really is.

Don’t get me started on purple. I can handle only the deep plum shades. The only color I really hate is lavender. Yuck.