Home sewing patterns for newborns

I received this question about commercial sewing patterns:

Supposedly the XXS size on commercial patterns (McCalls, Simplicity, Butterick) is supposed to be for babies 7 lbs or less, but they swallow newborns up. If you read around the Internet, there are lots of frustrated grandmothers and mothers-to-be that want to sew for their new or expected baby, but can't find a pattern that will fit. I read that doll clothing patterns don't work because the neck is wrong for a human infant. I tried buying vintage layette patterns from Etsy and they were just as bad. I want to know how to downsize a commercial XXS dress or romper pattern so it fits a NEW 7-8 lb baby. I am sick of gowns and knit sleepers. - Pam

It has been a long time since I have sewn children's clothing from commercial sewing patterns. What I do remember is they are big. Too big. The proportions are bit off too. I don't know why either. Those companies have their own pattern blocks and I suspect they have not really updated or checked them in a long time.

Design school does not spend all that much time on children's clothing. I know there are few pattern making manuals that really get the sizing right, though sizing (exact measurements) is less of an issue than you might think. Regardless of where you start, you will have to make adjustments for fit. Only one manual even addresses infant clothing, and that book is Metric Pattern Cutting for Children's Wear and Babywear by Winifred Aldrich. I have a previous edition, but it covers most of what you might need. For Americans, the book is in metric. I didn't really have a problem drafting basic blocks using metric. You just need a metric ruler, though I did convert back and forth to see if I was on target. But even after drafting your basic blocks, you will need to make adjustments to the pattern until you get the fit you want. I have learned quite a bit by trial and error over many years.


For the home sewist, this is probably not all that practical. There is not really an easy way to size down a home sewing pattern that already has proportion issues (even Burda, which I prefer over the others). The biggest problem with some of the sewing patterns are tops are too wide, pant legs are too short just as examples. You could begin by folding out some of the width. But I can't say how much as it would probably depend on the style and desired size. In other words, no matter what, there will be a bit of back and forth. I guess my advice would be don't be afraid to experiment. Measure your baby and the sewing pattern and reduce width and length as needed. It is a bit of a challenge to measure a baby, but it really is the only way to arrive at your end goal. I wish there was some other way. Perhaps there are some indie sewing patterns for newborns? Please leave suggestions if you know of any.

Knitting : Ragg Socks

I recently finished up a new pair of socks. The yarn was gifted to me and it was fun to knit with. The yarn is Trekking (XXL) in colorway 100. I love Trekking sock yarn but I have had a hard time finding it near me. One 100 gm ball has generous yardage that may be enough for a pair of men's socks. I had yarn left over that will migrate to some scrap yarn socks at some point. With this color way, do not expect to be able to knit symmetrical socks. The color changes are random throughout the whole ball. With this yarn it is fun to watch the color changes as you knit. You can see how each sock came out below. Some comments on Ravelry has a few negative comments about this yarn brand, but I found this colorway to be soft, with no knots or tangles.

I knit my usual vanilla socks using the basic sock pattern from Ann Budd in the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I have knit a few things using this book and it is a worthwhile investment. Another nice thing about Ann Budd is she is on Ravelry. If you link your socks to her pattern, she will leave a nice comment. I believe she looks at any project made from one of her patterns.

Book Review: Mending Matters

Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh is a visually beautiful book. There is full color photography on every page. The pages are thick and glossy with a sewn binding in a hardcover book. The layout and graphic design work is really well done. Those qualities alone may justify the price.

Mending Matters is a book with two blended parts. The first part contains essays on Rodabaugh's journey to Slow Fashion. She explains what Slow Fashion is and the values that are important to the movement. There are also essays from other bloggers involved in the movement. The second part involves tutorials on mending with step-by-step photography for each project.

I have mixed opinions on this book. The first involves the discussion on Slow Fashion. Like the traditional food crowd, there are certain values involved with the consumption of clothing and textiles. There are words like sustainability, ethics, social justice, and activism used throughout. I almost felt brow-beaten by the philosophy. For Rodabaugh, Slow Fashion means buying and wearing only biodegradable fibers like cotton and linen. It means rejecting Fast Fashion trends completely and wearing clothing until there is no hope of repairing it. It means buying only clothing at a thrift store and using fabric dyes made from plants. There are a lot of little decisions one must make in order to be a part of the Slow Fashion movement. My first introduction to Slow Fashion was the Alabama Chanin trend, which has many beautiful examples. Rodabaugh's book goes a step further.


But even the author concedes that as you become more aware and educated about how clothing and textiles are produced, you will likely have to compromise on the very values you proclaim. This is because the entire production cycle from fiber to fabric to clothing to retail involves some process that may harm the environment or conflict with some other value. As an example, Rodabaugh wears linen because it is a biodegradable fiber. But the process in creating that linen fiber involves manual labor in foreign countries that do not necessarily pay what we would consider fair wages, followed by bleaching, dying, and transportation across long distances.

But as I have trouble with the Slow Fashion movement, I am actually participating. For me it is less about a political statement or personal philosophy. Granted, I think that we should work to find safer ways to grow and process fibers and find ways to reduce waste. Those are good things. My participation is more about thriftiness and economy. As I read this book, I realized that a majority of my wardrobe comes from the thrift store. There are, of course, certain things I can't buy at a thrift store, and those are purchased new, but on discount. I also repair and mend as needed and up-cycle what I can. Everything else goes back to the thrift store at some point. I never put a label on those activities because it was something that I naturally did.

The second part of the book contains tutorials on how to mend. The tutorials themselves are rather simple projects. Many similar projects can be found through online tutorials from various places. Rodabaugh does have a certain aesthetic and it really shines in the photography. Her mending uses sashiko stitching to elevate a mend or patch to something artistic. Sashiko thread is a cotton thread with long cotton staples and is known for its smooth, lustrous quality. Pearl cotton thread is a bit more economical, comes in many colors, and is pretty much the same thing. Sashiko stitching is precise stitching in a repeated pattern. Rodabaugh relaxes her stitching, though there are many beautiful examples of true Sashiko stitching online that you could follow if you choose.


In the past mending was meant to be invisible, if possible. In this case, it is meant to be a focal point. Some of the projects, such as the bags, lack practicality and would likely not hold up to heavy use. Hand stitching with large stitches lack strength. But, for some things it is probably fine. Below is a link to my pinterest board with more mending ideas.

As I said, I have mixed feelings. It is a beautiful book, no doubt. The projects are inspiring in their aesthetic appeal. It is making me rethink a few mending projects of my own. But is the book as a whole worth the cost? I'm not sure. What are your thoughts on the Slow Fashion movement?

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