Today I’m super excited to be part of the Knock it Off series at Elegance and Elephants.
I’ll admit, I have a hard time shopping for regular priced clothes for my kids. Not only do kids outgrow their clothes ridiculously fast, but seriously… $25 for a pair of shorts that they’re going to get mud all over in five seconds? Um, no thank you.
So with a combination of upcycling and from scratch sewing, I knocked off this GAP outfit for my five-year-old [ahem, five and a half...].
I am loving the bright colors of spring! I had some green denim from JoAnn’s that was perfect for these simple flat-front shorts.
And I added some faux back pockets, just for fun. :)
The sweatshirt was upcycled from an XXL hoodie that I snagged at a thrift store a long time ago. It’s suuuuper soft. Upcycling tip: use existing pieces of the garment to create your own. I re-used the hood and part of the pocket. I also cut off the waistband and re-attached it onto the bottom of my sweatshirt. Such a time saver!
The hoodie wasn’t a henley, so I added the placket and buttons. I did my stitching in a green thread to match the shorts… just because I liked the green so much.
The gingham shirt was one that had been retired from my hubby’s closet. Have you ever sized down a button-up for your kiddos? So easy.
Place a pattern piece [or a folded shirt] on top of the button-up shirt. If your pattern piece is for knit fabric [like mine was], give some extra seam allowance. Cut around the pattern piece, cutting through both the front and the back. DO NOT cut through the button placket or the collar. Leave those in-tact.
Note: Unless you’re making a shirt for something super formal like a wedding, you can most likely get away with leaving the collar in-tact for an older child. Or if you have a smaller child, use a smaller shirt. It will be a little big, but not so noticeable that you need to go through the trouble of messing with the collar.
Cut off both sleeves and cut them to match your sleeve pattern piece [or use a shirt that fits your child]. Re-use the hem of the sleeve to make it an even easier sew.
Enter super fancy graphics…
Unfold the body of the shirt and the sleeves – sew the sleeves on. 
Sew along the bottom of the sleeves and down the sides of the shirt. Seriously easy.
Thanks for popping in today! Happy sewing. :)
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Just this last weekend, I found a good stack of vintage patterns – including this fabulous flared pants beauty.
And this stack of fabric – fabric! Not just a bunch of things to upcycle [which of course makes me so ridiculously happy], but yards of fabric. I think that top home dec weight fabric needs to be living room pillows.
And the baby wearing it. Obviously.
Chevron detail!
Plus some vintage lace trim and vintage blue buttons.
A- 1.5 yards, Mini Dot in Sunspray by Lotta Jansdotter, B- 1 yard, Paradise Garden in Periwinkle by Amy Butler, C- Florescent Pink & Gray Striped Jersey Knit, D- 1/2 yard Heirloom Tile Flourish in Garnet and 1/2 yard Heirloom Opal in Fuchsia both by Joel Dewberry, E- 1 yard, Houndstooth in black by Michael Miller, F- Pink/Orange Stripe knit, G- 1 yard, Orange and Light Heather Gray Stripe Cotton Jersey Knit, H- 1 yard, Light pink linen, I- 1 yard, Mustard and Ivory Stripe by Girl Charlee, J- 1 yard, Rally Cream/Grass by Dan Stiles, K- 1 yard Riley Blake Ombre Dots in Aqua, 1 yard Target Polka Dot Sheet Fabric, 1 yard Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet in Persimmon and Michael Miller Happy Tones Charm Pack, L- 1 yard, Remix Triangles B/W by Ann Kelle, M- 1 Yard, Novella Rain Rayon in Aqua by Valori Wells, 1 yard, Lush Running Stitch in Purple by Patty Young, and 1 yard, Porcelain Tile Garden Wall in Olive, M- 1 yard, Mustard cotton sateen, O- 1 yard, Summer Totem in Grapefruit by Anna Maria Horner, P- 1 yard, Black and white chevron, Q- 1 yard, Parenthetical in Berry by Anna Maria Horner, R- 2 yards (1 yard each), ABC 123 by American Jane for Moda
And just to sweeten the pot a little, every reader who submits a guess will be entered in a fabulous pattern bundle giveaway. The prize- The 
You’ll love how easy it is…
1. Press the self-adhesive stencils to your tin. Especially if your surface is uneven, you’ll want to make sure the entire stencil is completely pressed down. Otherwise, your paint will leak through. [not that I would know from first hand experience or anything...]
