gift ideas Archives - Merritts Makes

July 9, 2018September 4, 2018

Favorite Sewing Patterns for Clothing the Baby in Your Life

It’s been a while since my baby was an actual baby (he’s 5). Although I no longer sew for a babe of my own, I’m able to get my fill of baby sewing by making gifts for friends and family. Due to a combination of my geographical location (Utah feels like the baby capital of the US) and life stage, I seem to always know someone having a baby. Over the last few years, I’ve found seven baby sewing patterns that I reach for again and again. Today I’d like to share them with you. I’ve decided to list the patterns starting with my most used first. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom because I’ve just discovered a couple new ones that I’ll definitely be using more often in the future.

Alison’s Tiny Harem Pants

I’ve made this FREE pattern at least a dozen times. It takes about 20 minutes to sew and can be made from less than 1/3 yard of fabric. It only comes in one size, but is the perfect size for those teeny tiny newborns. Babies that I’ve made these pants for have usually been able to wear them from their first day until one or two months old. While they’re too small to be worn beyond a few months, the ease of making them and the fact that they’re irresistibly cute make them a baby shower favorite. The shape and style is gender neutral which makes them the perfect gift for every new babe.

Knick Knack Knickers

This is another quick and easy FREE pattern. Just follow the hyperlink above and click on the cute picture of a baby in knickers to download the pattern. These take me a little longer to sew than the pants above mostly because it takes a few minutes to insert the elastic. Don’t worry too much though, they take about 45 minutes to maybe an hour if I’m taking my time. You’ll need just about 1/2 yard of fabric for 1 pair. This is another pattern I’ve made at least a dozen times. I love them because I make the smallest size which works as pants for newborn babes and then as shorts/bloomers until about 1 year old. Babies grow so quickly that having something to grow with your baby is kind of a nice change from pulling out new clothes every couple of months. If you plan to make more than a couple of pairs of these pants; may I suggest buying some of these elastic threaders? They made my life infinitely easier when I had thread 1/4″ elastic through six pairs of these pants.

Piece A Cake Baby Dress

A couple of years ago, it seemed that everyone pregnant woman I knew was having a baby girl. I wanted to make dresses, but didn’t have a lot of time to make them. I stumbled upon this pattern by Anna Maria Horner and was sold. It’s simple shape allows for the use of all the fun prints. The pattern uses about 1/2 yard of fabric and I’ve been able to squeeze it out of a little less when in a pinch. It’s great for using rayons, quilting cottons, double gauze, lawn, basically any woven that isn’t a heavy weight. This is another “grow with me” pattern that can be worn for a long time. A newborn babe can wear it as a dress and then it becomes a cute swing top as she grows. Did I mention this pattern is another FREE one?

Pitaya Bummies

This pattern designed by Sew Like My Mom is worth every penny. The sizing goes from newborn to 5T so you can use it for several years. There are two views and three waistband options. The pattern has even been updated with a fun skirted and ruffle bum variation. I just bought it in March and have already made five pairs (which is a lot when you are only sewing a pattern for gifts). One pair can be whipped up in 15 to 20 minutes using only 1/4 yard of fabric (for the smallest sizes). I’ve made these bummies for both boys and girls and they’ve been worn and loved several times already. If my husband and I ever decide to have another child, these are sure to be a wardrobe staple for my babe.

Field Trip Raglan

I firmly believe that a basic tee pattern is a staple in any child/baby’s wardrobe. You just can’t beat the sweetness of a teeny tiny tee. This basic raglan tee pattern by Oliver + S has been in my collection for years. I’ve used it to make shirts for my son, but hadn’t used it for babies until this year. The size range starts at 6-12 months, but in my experience, most babies can fit in a 6 month size starting at a just a few months old. It’s also nice as a parent to have baby clothing in a variety of sizes since babies grow so quickly. I’ve made this pattern a total of 6 times and twice for babies. Both of those babes have worn their tees and looked like tiny little men. Too cute!

Olli Lined Pants

In May, I made the FREE Olli Lined Pants pattern for the first time. I used a mid-weight denim and lined them with flannel. They’re sure to keep baby’s legs cozy during the cold winter months. The pattern ranges from size 0-3 months up to 2-3 years. It also includes a cute side pocket option which I omitted on this pair. I used just under 2/3 yard of each fabric for these pants. This one is worth mentioning because Misusu patterns also just released the Summer Olli Shorts and Pants pattern (in sizes 0-3 months up to 5/6 years) so your babe can wear these stylish pants year-round. I’ve only made the lined pants once for a baby, but just completed three pairs of the shorts for my 5 year old and they’re a hit.

Lullaby Layette Top

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve owned this pattern for over two years and finally made it for the first time last month. I purchased it after seeing this modified version on Instagram. I had under a 1/2 yard left of this beautiful yarn dyed fabric and used pretty much every single inch to make this top. Sewing time was something between 1-2 hours. I ended up loving it so much that I nearly didn’t gift it. I wanted to keep it for myself. The pattern also includes a sweet jacket, pants and a onesie or romper version of this top. I have the pattern pieces and fabric already set aside for the next baby who is in need of this top. Immediately planning a second version is a great indicator of a good make.

Thanks for reading! Hope you’ve been able to find some inspiration for your baby sewing. If you have, get to sewing and clothe those babies! Do you have a favorite baby sewing pattern? If so, I’d love to hear about it. I’m always looking for fun patterns to make and gift.

December 29, 2017August 29, 2018

My Son’s Jean Jacket and Tips for Working With Ottobre Patterns

Hello! I hope you’ve had a lovely holiday season. Today I’d like to share something that I made for my rambunctious four year old. You might recall that I made a Hampton Jean Jacket (here) back in October. My son almost immediately requested one of his own asking for “shiny buttons” just like mine. The boy was in luck because I had just a little over a yard of Cone Mills denim (purchased from Threadbare Fabrics) left over from my jacket. Since my sewing queue was a bit full of Halloween sewing at the time, I promised him a custom jacket for Christmas. I was able to pull it off just in time as I hammered the jeans buttons in place on Christmas Eve.

I attempted convincing my son to select some unique details for his jacket, (a different color of topstitching thread, different embroidery on the back, etc.) but he insisted that it be exactly like mine. I’m soaking in all these moments when he still thinks my style is cool because I’m sure those feelings are somewhat fleeting.

You may notice, however, that there are a few details that vary from my jacket. These are all small details such as the absence of welt pockets, the jacket front pockets being sewn to the outside instead of the inside, and bias tape on the inside of the collar. These are all differences between Alina’s Hampton Jean Jacket pattern and the Ottobre pattern used for my son’s jacket.

Coming across the Ottobre pattern for my son’s jacket involves a bit of serendipity. I had been searching for a children’s jean jacket pattern, but hadn’t quite settled on one when my friend Lisa asked if I would like to have some of her old Ottobre magazines. I said yes and she brought them to our Modern Quilt Guild meeting the next day. I started to flip through them when I saw the back cover for issue 1/2011. This was exactly the pattern for which I had been searching.

Ottobre is a well-known name in the sewing community so you may have heard of them. Ottobre is a Finnish company specializing in children’s wear patterns. They produce 5 magazines a year containing children’s clothing patterns as well as a special Ottobre Woman issue. In 2017 they also added an Ottobre Family issue bringing their grand total of issues to 7 each year. You can order both subscriptions or individual issues, although I’m not sure how easy it is to come by the older issues. Each issue is jam-packed with fun and stylish patterns. The specific one I’ve used here contains 40 different patterns. As you may have guessed, the sheer volume of patterns included comes with a few drawbacks.

First, in order to fit all the patterns on just a few pieces of paper, they are printed overlapping and on both sides of each paper (see first photo below). I managed to make tracing bit more manageable by grabbing a permanent marker and my trusty Pattern-Ease (more about that here). I used the permanent marker to outline the correct size pattern pieces (see second photo below). This made tracing a bit easier on my eyes.

Second, you have to add your own 3/8″ or 1 cm seam allowances. This isn’t a difficult step, just takes a bit of time.

Third, the instructions can be a bit sparse as each pattern only gets half a page of instructions. This specific limitation might be the most intimidating of the three. My recommendation for this is to select a project with techniques you have previously used. In my specific case, this worked out well because I had already made a jean jacket and was familiar with the top stitching, and other details associated with one. I actually used Alina’s Hampton Jean Jacket sewalong to help me clarify and understand some of the Ottobre instructions.

Overall, these drawbacks added a bit more time to the project, but none of them would keep me from using another Ottobre pattern. The interesting style lines and endless variations on children’s basics mean I will likely turn to them again and again. I also love the fact that Ottobre makes a decent amount of patterns for boys. I’m sometimes discouraged when it comes to sewing for my son because the indie pattern world is largely dominated by patterns for women and girls.

I’ll leave you with few more notes about my construction process. Every bit of my leftover yard of denim was used to make this jacket. This resulted in a serious game of pattern tetris as I worked to fit each and every piece. Cost-wise this was a relatively inexpensive project (less than $10) as I only purchased buttons and topstitching thread. I sized up a couple of sizes in the hopes that my son will be able to get lots of wear out of this jacket. Another concession I made was to use mock flat-fell seams in order to save a bit of seam ripping and time.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this jacket as a present for my boy. I do however, plan to wait a year or two before making another jean jacket because two within few months was a lot of work. Thanks for reading! Did you gift any handmade items this year? What did you make for the holidays?

December 15, 2017

Last Minute Gifts for the Seamstress, Sewist, or Sewing Enthusiast

Hello! Are you in the throes of holiday decorating, parties, and events like I am? I feel like the Christmas season snuck up on me this year and I was caught a bit off guard. I’m still gathering/sewing a few last minute gifts around here and thought you might be doing so as well. Does Santa, your mom, or your significant other help find items for your stocking or do you sometimes slip some of your own selections in there? However that stocking gets filled, here are a few of my last-minute favorites for inclusion. The best part about these suggestions? No last-minute sewing involved.

Pattern Behavior (here): For the seamstress who also enjoys a good meme. Are you or is someone you know a millenial sewist? Have you ever wasted a bit (or too much) time browsing the internet for hilarious memes? No? Just me? If you or a seamstress you know has done this, this book might be for you. It’s not 100% sewing related as it’s photos of vintage sewing patterns with a little bit of social commentary added. I found it quite funny, but I also sometimes have text message conversations entirely using memes. The only caveat is that the book includes a small amount of profanity. Just thought I’d warn you in case that isn’t your cup of tea.

Pattern-Ease: Anyone who sews clothing and traces a lot of patterns should have this stuff. I’ve been using Pattern-Ease for the last four years now and it’s been a total game changer. It is a non-woven tracing material made by Pellon. I’ll just share a few reasons my love for this stuff runs deep. First, It’s sold by the yard and 46″ wide which means I can fit almost any pattern piece into one section without having to join tissue or exam paper. Second, It’s made from polyester and is not easily ripped like tracing tissue. Third, and probably my favorite quality, liquid won’t destroy it. About a week ago, I absent-mindedly left a traced pattern piece out on the kitchen table. My son spilled milk on the table and it ran all over the piece. If I had used tissue paper, the piece would’ve been a goner. Thankfully, I simply picked up the piece of Pattern-Ease, very lightly rinsed off the milk, and hung it up to dry. Within about thirty minutes, the piece was dry and good as new.

Cozy Socks: If you know me, you know that I am a serious lover of socks. They are practically my love language. The sewing community is sometimes a bit divided on their preference of sewing while barefoot, covered with socks, or even wearing shoes. I would say, however, that many seamstresses I know tend to sew at home while wearing socks. I love a good pair of socks for sewing because I sew most efficiently when I am comfortable, and my feet are literally always freezing. Really, socks are my default gift for everyone because they can be both practical and fun. Everyone needs socks and sometimes it’s fun to have a few quirky pairs for lounging/sewing at home.

Mini Wonder Clips: If you’ve been around the sewing community for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard of Wonder Clips. They’re a fantastic alternative to pins in many situations and I use them often in both quilting and apparel sewing. What I LOVE about the mini version is their size and weight. The regular size wonder clips are great for most applications, but I’ve found the mini ones to be extremely helpful when sewing with lightweight fabrics such as rayon, lawn, and voile. Another great use is when sewing with knits. They don’t leave holes and damage the fabric like pins can sometimes do to knits.

Washi Tape: Many apparel sewers (sewists?) use a large number of PDF patterns which means lots of glue or tape. I love using washi tape to assemble patterns, because it is easily repositionable. I purchased this washi dispenser set at Target and then proceeded to buy every one my local Target had in stock for gifting to my sewing friends. Bonus: it’s cute and I’m easily lured into using cute things.

Flatter: This is a fabric smoothing spray that I use regularly when pressing. It reduces static and leaves fabric smelling glorious. My favorite is the pineapple scent, but they have several other scents and even an unscented version. I love the way this stuff makes my sewing room smell like a tropical vacation.

Sewing Treats: This one will need to be tailored for the specific recipient. I love these gummy peach penguins because they aren’t sticky and won’t easily melt, the fact that they’re made almost entirely of sugar doesn’t hurt either. Find out your recipient’s snack preferences and find something that can be easily eaten and won’t leave a residue on fabric.