Ottobre Design Pattern Hack: Easy Toddler Coat

My now 2yr old needed a versatile little jacket that could stretch from fall to spring.  Something that would keep the chill out in the milder weather, but could also comfortably fit with bulky winter sweaters and fleeces worn underneath this time of year.  So I did what us sewing moms do - I hacked a pattern to make one on the cheap!

I sifted through my pattern & fabric stash so I didn't have to buy anything new.  

For my base design I borrowed from a pattern I've used several times before, Ottobre Design's Funny Dots Coverall.  The last time I made it I used minky lining with an interlock knit outer.  I originally made it for my now almost 4yr old and he & my little lady each wore it for an entire season and it still looks almost new:

For this jacket version I used anti-pill fleece for the lining with a fun print corduroy for the outer fabric.  The fun colors mean it works for fall, winter and spring seasons:

Since my daughter was almost 2 when I made this, I used the largest size (74cm) and added an extra 1/2inch or so to size it up a bit.  The European shape always gives extra growth room too, which is a big plus when sewing for smalls.  

I turned the original "snowsuit" style into a simple jacket by cutting the pattern pieces just below the waist area and skipping the placket front of the coverall - instead just extending the length of the front pieces to match the back.  Then I cut those and the hood pieces out from both fabrics.  Since I didn't have to worry about direction for either one, I was able to easily cut everything from a single yard of fabric for each layer.

Assembly was pretty fast since you just need to stitch the front halves to the back from shoulder to sleeve cuff along the top and from lower sleeve cuff to hem at the sides.  No sleeves to set in!

The trick to easily bringing the lining & outer jackets together is to baste the hood (with both fabrics already stitch together at the front) onto the outer:

And then, with right sides facing, stitch together the outer and the lining all the way around, leaving a gap at the bottom for turning. 

To attach the sleeves, I use this technique of folding over the lining like this and inserting it into the corresponding sleeve opening of the outer fabric and stitching the right sides together.

It looks crazy, but when you turn it right side out from the gap in the bottom, it puts everything perfectly together.

I used plastic snaps to finish the front.  I had some cute heart shaped ones in my stash, which echoed the small hearts in the fabric print and in the perfect matching color too.  These durable snaps make it really easy to get a restless toddler in and out of it.

This little coat has been nice and roomy.  We turned up the cuffs at the beginning of the fall season, but I'm confident it'll comfortable fit her into the beginning of next fall by turning them down.  Not bad for a thrifty stash-bust!

Winter Wear for Baby: The Funny Dots Cuddle Suit

Things got chilly around here pretty quick this year.  We had snow the week before Thanksgiving and the frigid temps look like they're here to stay.  Time to sew the winter wear!  

Our littlest one is 8 months now so ferrying him in & out inside a carrier car seat isn't an easy feat.  Having to carry him sans seat nixes the "toss a blanket over it" easy option, so I needed something that would work better and not cost a fortune either.  So I made this:

I call it a cuddle suit, but bunting, romper, snow suit, or whatever other name it does by, this is my ideal item for this time of year.  Outerwear in snowy climes is tricky with a bigger than newborn baby.  I know because this is my fourth baby in Michigan.  You want to keep them toasty warm, but they HATE being bundled up in something extra puffy.  They loathe most factory made versions.  Babies get squirmy and whiny instantly in most snowsuits because they overheat fast.  This one however is just perfect.

I did a soft interlock outer so it's not heavy and is still breathable:

With a cuddly minky lining to add warmth that keeps the wind out without adding bulk. Strapping him into a car seat or stroller isn't a wrestling match:

The snap front design is genius.  The whole thing opens right up so you can easily lay baby on it and then just snap it up.  No wrangling required with putting it or taking it off on while baby is wearing shoes, which is another plus.

I used the Funny Dots pattern from the Autumn 4/2009 issue of Ottobre Design.  

I'd made it once before when my now 9 year old was just a few months old.  

Of course, I was a sewing newbie back then and stupidly sewed a stretchy velour lining to a quilting cotton outer which was less than ideal.  I couldn't figure out why things wouldn't line up when I was stitching the seams not realizing one fabric had no give and the other was like a rubber band.  Shaking my head at the idea now.  I also was too scared of snaps then too, so I'd used velcro for the front closures which stuck to everything.  PSA: don't do either of those.  

That first version was done in the smallest 50cm size since my daughter was a newborn, but this time I did the largest 74cm for my 8 month old.  Ottobre Design offers generous sizing so I can see this lasting the whole season.  

I kept it inexpensive by using interlock knit for the outer and minky for the lining that I got at JoAnn Stores.  A yard & a half of each was plenty and came in about $18.50 total and I've got enough left of both to make some soft shoes and a few accessories.  The nice thing is that it works with a variety of other fabrics too - fleece, corduroy, even PUL. It's a great sew because there are just 4 pattern pieces.  No set-in sleeves so very beginner friendly.  You'd think it would be more complicated with the placket front, but it's not.

I will say it looked massive until I tried it on my little guy.  I'd been working on it during naps and had this horrible feeling it was going to be miles too big, but putting it on it's totally true to size.  No matter what he wears underneath.  I also like that the sleeves can be cuffed or worn down, so there's some growth room:

We've been using it for weeks now and it's been great.  He likes wearing it and getting him ready to go out the door is so easy.  Despite the early winter weather, we're off to a good and warm start!

Mommy & Me Leggings, a Free Pattern Find & DIY Matching Top

This winter I'm getting totally into making & wearing fun prints.  Nothing helps get rid of the dullness of the cold & clouds like putting on something that makes you feel good inside and out.  It's even better when you can do it together!

I think this may even be the first "Mommy & me" outfits I've ever made.  My daughter really likes the idea of us wearing matching things, so making them was a lot of fun and pretty quick since leggings are a simple sew.

And with a DIY'd matching top we've got a complete look going on:

I'd bought a yard and a half of this awesome reindeer cotton lycra knit when it first was released (it's Golden Dreams by Sahara Fabrics BTW).  I'd planned to make a shirt with it, but making leggings for both of us ended up being a better idea.  The combination of gold, yellow, black and white in the print means we can wear them with lots of different wintery tops and sweaters too.

To make my pair I used McCalls 6173.  They were quick to make and fit pretty well.  I just lowered the rise about 5/8 inches out of personal preference.    

Ready for the FREE pattern part?  This is where I share details on a free pattern I've found and add my experience trying it out. 

For my daughter's pair I used the Classic Leggings Pattern from Naptime Creations.  It covers sizes 18 months - 12 yrs and is super easy to use.  I've tried and bought a number of girl's legging patterns, but none was just right.  This one is ideal for the rise, fit, waistband width and, most importantly, the leg holes.  Big gold star.  I was just a couple of inches short to make hers full length, so I ended up using some of the scrap fabric to make cuffs that gave us just the right amount of length and with the busy print you can't even tell. 



At the last minute I decided a wanted to upscale the basic black long sleeved t-shirt I had for my daughter.  I searched for reindeer embroidery files and found this pretty one (it's called Inky Christmas Reindeer) that was pretty close in style to the fabric design. It stitched beautifully thanks to my new best friend, my Brother PE-770 embroidery machine.  I used gold embroidery thread to really make it really pop: 



Throw in the felt hippy hat we got her for Christmas and my little miss has a total wintertime chic look going on:

The shirt & leggings look so nice together - like an outfit I'd bought in a boutique instead of something I made myself for a lot less.  The shirt alone was only about $5 total, which makes my thrifty self proud.  I feel a DIY leggings & top addiction coming on for 2017.  And I'm planning to share all my machine embroidery know-how in a series of upcoming posts so you can do 'em too and get in on the fun!  

Warm for Winter: Faux Fur Lined Muff Tutorial

With chilly weather upon us, what better way to stay warm, than with a classic look from the winters of past eras: A Faux Fur Lined Muff!

Muffs are such a nice, warm and toasty alternative to mittens.

Added bonus - they're a lot harder to lose than gloves or mittens thanks to being a single piece and having a handy neck strap (which is a way to show off even more of the little deer print cuteness too):

I used some cute reindeer print cotton for my decorative outer fabric and ultra soft faux fur to coordinate.  The cuddly faux fur not only looks pretty trimming up the ends, but it continues its coziness inside as a full lining.  There's also a insulated batting interior between them that means the muff isn't just for looks.  It keeps hands as warm as thick gloves, only now with a retro feminine style:  

The nice thing about this wearable is it doesn't require a lot of fabric either, so there's plenty to use on other winter projects like stockings, gift bags or quilts.  A big thanks to Kawaii Fabric for providing me with the cotton reindeer Christmas fabric.  They have loads of high quality festive prints over there, so whether you like classic, retro, rustic, modern or kawaii (aka cute), they'll have the holiday season fabric you want!    

~~How To Make A Fur Lined Muff~~

Materials:

- Cotton fabric (I used Cozy Christmas Reindeer) 

- Faux Fur  (I used Luxury Shag in Ivory) 

- Insulated batting

- Ruler, rotary cutter/shears, pins, iron, hand sewing needle

Mine is child-sized at 9 inches in circumference and 11 inches wide when finished.  If you want adult sized, just add a few inches to the width and height. 

Cut the following pieces:

- From the cotton, cut a rectangle 8 inches wide by 13 inches high and two vertical strips that are 2 inches wide by 13 inches high.

- From the faux fur, cut a rectangle 14 inches wide by 13 inches high.

Cut a piece of insulated batting to the same dimensions as the outer fabric as well.  This is usually available in the stabilizer section.  It's polyester batting that is needle punched with mylar, which makes it great for retaining heat:

Place the insulated batting behind the wrong side of the outer fabric.  I find that the texture of the batting clings to cotton well enough not to need to baste them together:

With right sides facing, stitch together one short end of each of the neck strap pieces with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  I made sure to have the direction of the print going downward on both, so one side of the strap wouldn't look upside down when done:

Fold the strap in half lengthwise, wrong sides facing, and press, then open and fold each raw edge inward and press (as you would make double fold bias tape):

Edge stitch down the open side to finish the neck strap:

Find the midpoint of the fabric and baste the raw edges of the neck strap to either raw edge at the middle of either side:

With right sides facing (and fur nap direction going downward), clip, then stitch together the length sides of the outer fabric to the length sides of the faux fur, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Now a long tube has been created:

This is what it will look like turned right side out:

To do the seam turning into a cylinder: with the muff wrong side out, match up the raw edges of the faux fur and outer fabric and clip/pin together to form a short tube like this:

Stitch all the way around, but leave a several inch gap on the outer fabric bit for turning.  Turn right side out when done.

Then slipstitch the opening closed and the muff is done.

Now this cozy muff is ready to keep hands warm:



It's a perfect companion to the new Veruca Faux Fur coat I recently got for my little lady too. In case you're wondering, it's from Mini Boden's Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl collection.  We're huge fans, so it only seemed right to make a cute fur muff to go with it!





I was not financially compensated for this post.  I received fabric from Kawaii Fabric, to review & use as I desired.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.   For my complete disclosure policy, click here.