Sew-viving and My Other Pants are a Kilt Part 1

Hello Crafty Crafterson's

and also people who like to read about sewing/crafting and not do it. No judgment, just didn't want to leave you out of the greeting.

Today I bring you

Wildeman Holday Challenge 2013 #2

St. Patrick's Day

and also

My Sew-vivor Audition!

 

No bird killing on my blog but if I were the bird killing type I'd be knocking them out all over the place with one well-thrown stone.

 

Let me just remind everyone of the very first rule for the Wildeman Holiday Challenge 2013:

1. Make a complete, themed, ***non-traditional outfit*** for my baby boy for every major, and some minor, holidays...
 

Ok seriously, what the crap Mikelina? A non-traditional St. patty's day outfit? If it's green it's traditional and if it's not green it's not St. Patty's Day! I had a hell of a time with this one until I remembered that it isn't only Scots who have a history of kilt-wearing. Bingo. Plus baby kilts are just so damn cute. It was impossible to resist.

 

Introducing Wildeman in:

My Other Pants are a Kilt Part 1

The Kilt and Vest

 

Yep. White button - down onesie, bowtie, vest, Brian Boru jacket, kilt and sporran. A 6 piece, traditional, formal Irish kilt outfit. And how much did this entirely re-fashioned beauty cost me? Let's add it up:

 

White button down onesie from adult shirt`$1.50

Kilt from plaid skirt: $2.50

Jacket, vest and bow tie from women`s pants: $1.25

Buttons: $ .99

Sporran from scraps in my stash: 0$

 

Total cost: $6.24

Definitely well within the $25 limit!

 

Wish me sew-vivor luck! I have a couple brilliant (ahem...modesty and such) ideas for the themes: emerals, buttons and quilting.

The tutorials:

Part 1 -
Kilt and Vest (You are here!)

Part 2 -
Button down onesie

Part 3-
Jacket and sporran

I made the bowtie using this tutorial.

 

 

Baby Boy Kilt Tutorial

 

Wildeman's kilt started life as a women's skirt (well technically it started life as a plant but let's just move past it) I found at my favourite thrift store on a sale day. All apparel was 50% off!

 

 

 

The first step was to measure Wildeman's short little legs from his waist to just below his knee and cut the bottom of the skirt for that measurement. I took the fabric from the bottom for a couple reasons. 1) The bottom of the skirt was already hemmed proffesionally. Taing advantage of existing details or hems is on of the wonderful things about refashioning. 4) I would not have been able to use the existing waistband on the kilt as it's adult sized. 3)I needed so little fabric that I can acutually wear the leftover skirt myself!

 

 

I measured around Wildeman's poofy diaper and cut the strip of fabric down to size with a small seam allowance. Pinned the sides, right sides together. I only sewed the seam about 2/3 of the way up so that I could sew a closure at the waist band.

 

 

The pants I made the jacket and vest from had these lovely D rings attached. Exactly what I needed.

 

 

 

I sewed the clasp at the opening of the waist band so that the kilt can be cinched in now and let out as he gets bigger. And...

 

 

Ta da!

 

 

Baby Boy Formal Vest

The vest (and jacket) started life as a pair of women's pants.

 

 

 

I cut up the seams so I had four flat pieces and ironed them down. 

 

 

 

I drew a basic vest shape onto the fabric with tailor's chalk. However, on side of the vest will have an extended placket for velcro. Don't cut out two identical pieces or your vest won't have a closure. See the next photo. 

 

Then hem and attatch the chest panels to the lower back piece. That shiny fabric was the lining inside the plaid skirt. You may have noticed it earlier.

 



 

Now take the other piece, which is going to wrap around the back of babie's neck like a halter top. Sew along one side and turn it inside out to make a tube. Fold the raw edges in and sew it to the top (shoulder bit) of the vest.

Trim away the excess, hem the whole vest and add teh closure of your choice. I used Velcro.

From the back.

On the baby.

 

 

Check out the tutorials for the rest of the outfit!







 

May the craftiness be with you!