[laura0819]

Hi all, I teach a few beginner sewing camps during the summer, for girls ages 8-12. In a few weeks I’ll be doing an “advanced camp” for girls who started sewing last summer, and are ready to sew from a pattern. I want to start with the free Sunny Day Shorts pattern, and show them how to add side-seam pockets. I need suggestions for a coordinating top pattern! How is the School Bus t-shirt for beginners (but knits…aahhh…not sure if I’m ready for them to deal with that yet)? Any other suggestions? It needs to be fashionable for older girls (these girls are 9-12), and not too many details that will slow us down…we only have a week. Thanks!

[mkhs]

How about the ruffled halter pattern from the free patterns section? There was a really lovely seersucker one in the flickr pool recently using just one ruffle at the top. I think it would work nicely on older girls, and can look really different depending on what fabric is chosen. I bet they could even use knits for the ruffles, on a woven base.

[laura0819]

Hi mkhs, I like that idea and actually just opened that ruffle top pdf to take a look at it, but nixed it b/c of having so many ruffles…I thought they might get bogged down. Making w/just one ruffle at the top is a great idea. It’s so cute and easy to personalize. What about a peasant top, like the Molly Peasant by Sis Boom patterns (avail here on the site)? Anyone make that before? Peasant tops can be so huge and overwhelming, so a little hesitant about that…all 3 of my sewing campers that week are dancers w/very slight builds.

[beachmom]

The ruffled halter can be made sans ruffles. I did it once upon a time for my oldest when she was 12. I’m having trouble linking to it from my iPhone but if you search “unruffled” in the Oliver + S flickr group it should pop up.:)

[beachmom]

Here’s the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/27858004@N05/5934696332/

Cindy

[laura0819]

Thanks, Cindy, that is perfect and will work great for us. Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out, it is appreciated! Enjoy your summer. 🙂

Laura

[Nicole]

Laura, I have a step by step tute for any visual learners.

You are most welcome to print and use any images if they are any help, what so ever.

[laura0819]

That’s a great tutorial, Nicole, and I actually found it on my own (from Pinterest) yesterday! Very, very helpful to have all the photos, especially for the girls at camp. They will love looking at it on the iPad, and I will probably incorporate it into my teaching for that day.

It’s interesting, when I was originally planning this camp I thought, Oh, I’ll take the girls to the fabric store, flip through the pattern books, find a pattern and buy it. Then I’ll take them through the (boring) process of unfolding all those pages, cutting out the right size from the tissue, ironing the pattern pieces, etc etc. Now, I’m thinking, forget that…these girls are in the internet age…we’re going to point and click on pdf patterns! Somehow it’s so much more fun…find a pattern online, print, cut out, and start sewing asap. Instant gratification…it’s not our granny’s sewing. 🙂

[Nicole]

Awesome Laura!

I have a sneaky confession, I love PDF patterns!

I love working with the paper rather then flimsy tissue (I draft my patterns). I love that my girls can chose a pattern and I can purchase and print, on the spot.

I am a complete convert.

[laura0819]

Ladies, my Sewing Camp this week went great. :-). Three girls ages 9, 10, and 11 made fantastic Sunny Day Shorts from lightweight denim… https://www.flickr.com/photos/69693030@N08/14503618579/

It was a really great pattern to teach from, with clear directions they could understand, and was an excellent opportunity to build new sewing skills (for ex., making an attached waistband rather than traditional fold over waistband). Their faces were absolutely glowing when they finished their shorts and tried them on…they fit and looked so nice!!

Thanks, Liesl, for another well-written and beautiful pattern…it exceeded our expectations!

[Liesl Gibson]

I’m so glad it worked out! Thanks for the update and I hope it was fun!

[Mama_Knowles]

They all look so great! What a wonderful teacher. : )

[Sarvi]

Sounds like a fun project, and their shorts all look great!

[cybele727]

Yay you and them!

[Nicole]

Good job!