Fall & Christmas Sewing Plans for my Granddaughters

It's going up to 80 degrees today but the cooler weather will be here before I know it and so it is time to get sewing & smocking for my granddaughters for Fall and Christmas. I have chosen 2 flannels and 2 knits for outfits for the two of them. The video is below if you prefer to listen rather than read.

Sewing Plans for Buttercup & Rosebud

First up is this fun knit from Stof of Denmark.

I love their knit jersey and have used this knit for a dress for my granddaughter for last fall, Dress pictured is Lil Honey.

But I still have enought left to squeeze out dresses for both my almost 3 year old granddaughter and her newborn baby sister. You can find Stof of Denmark knits at knitfabric.com. (this is an affiliate link - I receive a small commission if you purchase through the link at no addtitional charge to you). For the older granddaughter I will be sewing a Buttercup (coming this Fall from Pink Hollybush) in a size 3, but with the length of a 4, and for her sister, I will be sewing the shorter version of Rosebud.

Buttercup pattern from Pink Hollybush coming this fall.

Sewing Rosie & another Rosebud

 I also have this adorable fox knit for them.

It is a knit that I purchased from JoAnn fabrics last fall and never got a chance to sew up. I only have a yard, so I will make tops for both girl. For the older granddaughter I am going to sew a Rosie top.

The younger granddaughter may receive another Rosebud, or I may make a Lil' Honey top. It will probably be a Rosebud and I may hold off on the Lil' Honey until she is old enough to sit up. Lil' Honey goes over the head so I know my daughter will appreciate a Rosebud, which buttons up the front instead.

Sewing another Buttercup & Rosebud from Flannel

My last fall make will be from this gorgeous Robert Kaufman fall leaf flannel.

I purchased this fabric from Stylemaker fabrics. They are out of this one, but have some other Robert Kaufman flannels to chose from. This is such a warm, soft and beefy flannel and I love sewing with flannel for my granddaughters. (You might want to check out this blogpost (and video) on 6 reasons I love to sew with flannel). When the flannel comes, it can feel a little stiff because of the sizing, but give it a quick wash and it blooms and becomes so soft and cozy. For this flannel, I am sewing a Buttercup for my older granddaughter and another Rosebud for my younger granddaughter. I will size up and sew Buttercup in a straight size 4. When sewing with a woven, it helps to have a little more ease. Buttercup and Rosebud can both be sewn in a knit or a woven. To sew Rosebud in a woven, a few adjustments need to be made to the pattern (see this blog post on how to do that) but Buttercup comes with the adjustments already in the pattern.

Christmas Dresses from Flannel with Polar Bears

Finally, it's time to think about Christmas dresses. My daughter loves polar bears. Her college house mascot was a polar bear and ever since she has been a polar bear fan. I have had this smocking plate saved from Laura Jenkins Thompson and knew at some point I would be smocking polar bears, but when I saw this flannel from Robert Kaufmam at Stylemaker fabrics, I knew it was a match made in heaven!

My plan is to make matching square yoke dresses with inserts and use the flannel for a base. Although you can smock on flannel, I will use either a kona cotton or this broadcloth for the insert. I would prefer the kona cotton because I love how beefy the pleats are, but it will depend on whether my local quilt store has a kona cotton that matches the base fabric. I obviously cannot do a white insert because the bears need to be white, plus I love a colored insert that matches the base fabric. I hope this post has inspired your sewing and smocking plans for the fall and winter. For some help with your sewing plans, check out my free 5 Tips to Sew Clothes Children Adore. Happy Sewing & Smocking!