Nicole

Lucy, I was hoping to make a video to demonstrate this step but haven’t had a chance yet. The trick is to sew only one shoulder at a time and then turn it right side out before sewing the other shoulder. If you reach in through the sewn shoulder you can pull the dress right side out through the shoulder–it sounds crazy and will feel wrong when…[Read more]

Nicole, please forgive me not thanking you sooner for all your helpful suggestions. My ninety-year-old mother gave us a scare last week, necessitating a stay in the hospital. Thankfully, she’s well again, or at least we’ll enough to come home, but everything else went by the wayside. Sewing has been put on hold for now, unfortunately, but I’m…[Read more]

Nicole, your jacket , and daughter, are adorable. Did you have to do much re-sizing on the pattern? The fit looks perfect.

Thanks for the suggestion, Reeni. This is supposed to be a surprise for her and my DD is clueless about sewing (by choice). I might manage to borrow and measure a well fitting jacket, but we’re not there that often, and it would definitely not be able to do it secretly. As to asking my DD to do it, she’s so allergic to tape measures, she bal…[Read more]

Thank you Nicole and Reeni. These are great ideas! I have made the sketchbook for my little boy, but I think the collar stands up more so for a teeny 17 months old, buttoning up will completely cover his neck.
I don’t have the music class pattern yet and I’m thinking of getting it…but it looks like the collar is shorter?

I’ve never made this pattern before, but this link might help/give you some ideas-

lemon drop dress

Kristin made a couple alterations to the pattern, including making it sleeveless.

Thank you for checking in, @motherof5 ! Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to proceed yet. I’m a student and have a lot of homework, so my sewing has to happen in small increments on the weekends. Hopefully I can get a little more done this weekend, though! After this version for myself I’m planning a roller skate in lace for my best friend’s…[Read more]

Thank you for your response, Nicole! I didn’t understand that staystitching is meant to aid in the sewing process, and doesn’t matter after that. I’ll now confidently clip to the seam line.

Mmmmm. Maybe I’m trying to make it too hard for myself. I was thinking that I’d have to lengthen the armhole and the sleeve head by 1/4” – 1/2” to make enough room for her long torso. I may make up a quick and dirty muslin of just the bodice – no sleeves – before I make up the real thing. I know it sounds like a lot of work for a child’s jacket bu…[Read more]

And as always, I recommend the book Fit for Real People, which covers every aspect of altering dresses and blouses, including narrow shoulders, etc. You’ll feel confident making changes when you can refer to it.

So funny. 5 years ago I made this post. Today I measured my daughter and she’s 51″ tall. Has a 23 inch chest. 4T chest and a 7 in length, but I’d prefer the 8 so it lasts. She’s so narrow!

And I thought, didn’t I have this similar problem before and I wonder what the forum has to say. Voila!

I didn’t look at the sizing, but since Maggie’s been helpful and done so, then yes, just make the size 8 and add length.
I think your daughter and my son must be the same shape. He’s nine and I generally make a size 8, lengthened to 10-12 then throw on an extra 2 or 3″ sleeve length again!
Lengthening will be easy as the sleeves are quite straight…[Read more]

Based on your granddaughter’s measurements, I’m wondering if you really need to increase the width at all. Her chest measurement, which is the most important measurement for a jacket, is within the size 8 measurements, and her height corresponds with a 10, only one size bigger. If there was more of a disparity between height and chest sizes you…[Read more]

Thanks for your suggestion, Lightening. I must say, starting from scratch sounds a little daunting. I do have the Sunday Brunch Jacket pattern and I would feel more comfortable starting there. I’m not ready to start drafting my own patterns yet, although I do appreciate the suggestion. I feel the changes, except for length, are going to be under 1…[Read more]