As I’ve been steadily prepping to sew more clothes for K this week, I started to think about the early days of hand-stitching outfits for my little girl. My first foray was in 2008. I made an orange top without a pattern, and it ended up looking like a scruffy hospital gown. Who knows where it is now, and I wish I still had a photo of it.
But I did find an image of the first dress I made (again, without a pattern, and the inside is a screaming mess):
I started to buy Japanese craft books around then, and I was officially hooked. I kept sewing and sewing and sewing – K was definitely a source of constant inspiration.
Here are some of my favorites from those early days. K looks so different and grown-up now, and I got a little teary-eyed putting these together…my absolute favorite is the one with the pink and brown graphic top and khaki linen pants, so I had to squeeze in two images for that combo.
these little outfits are darling! I’ve never gotten a Japanese pattern book for kid’s clothes making, but this really makes me want to go out and find some. I love the Japanese simplicity. And oh my, when I think about some of the horrible things I made for my kids when I first started trying to sew…..wow. I still make a lot of mistakes now, but I have definitely come a LONG way. hahaha
Thanks Tara! I highly recommend the Japanese craft books, though they’re a bear to figure out at first if you can’t read the language. The patterns are all pretty easy though! I still feel like a beginner when it comes to sewing (knits scare me!), but isn’t it awesome to see tangible progress? Love it.