There is a sewing pattern catagory on ebay, listed under crafts. I frequently find what I'm looking for there. Not free, but many are very inexpensive. I also find decent patterns at thrift stores. Hope this helps.

Kwik Sew has a series of sewing books which includes a full set of master patterns in a range of sizes. The Sewing for Baby book might fit your needs.

http://www.kwiksew.com/books/baby/6009.cfm

It isn't just patterns, it includes excellent sewing instructions and specific steps on how to adapt the patterns to produce different styles, closures, collars, cuffs, etc. Scroll down and click the Table of Contents link to see what is covered.

If I remember correctly, the book, which includes the master pattern set, is about $19. You can buy it through Amazon; see link below.

I sewed several entire wardrobes of clothing for my daughter using only the Sewing for Toddlers book and pattern set.

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: Kwik Sew - Sewing for Baby at Amazon

Hello
With a colic baby it's hard to find time to get on here. Just wanted to say a big thank you, I'm off to check out the book! I'm new at machine sewing so it sounds perfect!

Thanks a million!

Keilamarie

Hello!

My book arrived today! I'm excited. I hope I can do this...I'm not scared, lol. It seems like there is so much to learn but hey at the rate my baby is growing I'm going to have to do something :)

Thanks again...I'll be on for questions I'm sure, lol.

Keilamarie

I am desperately looking for a pillowcase dress pattern. I just recently accidently stumbled across one of these dresses and fell in love with it. I have a 2 1/2 year old granddaughter and 2 foster daughters, ages 5 1/2 years and 3 months. My fingers are itching to sew. Please help. Thanks, Marjigram

Keilamarie-

I think you'll have fun. The Kwik Sew books have very good instructions, but do let us know if you have any questions. It was such a revelation to me when I realized "Hey, I can change this stuff around any way I want -- use this idea here and this idea there and mix 'em up."

Marjigram,
Here's a link I found to a free downloadable PDF Pillowcase Dress pattern. For more ideas, try googling the phrase: sew pillowcase dress

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: Pillowcase dress pattern

The fabric stores are having pattern sales for $1.99 (multiple items from one pattern) and you can order patterns from the manufacturers. They are usually multi-sized so you get a lot of use from them. Babies grow like weeds and right about now, your child is much more active now that he is out of the newborn stage so you have to think of crawlability and always make a bit larger because he will grow right into them faster than you may want to know.

You will also need to purchase snap tape or a snap tool and snaps to apply the snaps.

Keep in mind that fleece can get awfully warm so you might think about other styles and fabrics to use in addition to the fleece.

Another good item to make is a draw string sleeper thing for night time.

Thank you both for the suggestions. Things are going well so far. I had a heck of a time understanding cuffs but after sewing them on inside out once I got it, lol.

My son has just outgrown colic and still needs to be swaddled alot of the time so yes, I'm going to try light weight material as well. Actually the first pair of pants I made were a cotton lightweight flannel. I do have a snap tool and know how to use it but still have not tried putting on snaps. I even have the interfacing to make the area strong right :) I'm learning!

Oh, I'm having fun alright! I began yesterday and within a few hours had two pairs of pants. I'm having trouble cutting though. I have a fabric only pair on nice fiskers and they cut well my problem is cutting a smooth line with the pattern paper in the way. It goes on top right? Pinned to the fabric? Or am I supposed to trace the pattern onto the fabric then cut out the line. I bet that's it, lol. You'll have to let me know if my guess is correct!

I bought the wrong kind of dress marker I bet because it didn't work/won't mark the material. My mother used a blue chaulk thing but I didn't see that one.

The cuffs thing is still hard to follow like when they say to divide and pin..??? But I do get how to sew them on at least. Hey..Michael is wearing a new pair of pants right now :)

Thanks again!
Keilamarie

Yes, you want to pin the paper pattern on top of the fabric and cut. I can imagine that cutting small pieces is a bit more difficult with large sewing shears. Years ago, I bought a rotary cutter and cutting mat (usually used for quilt making) and started cutting garments with that, sliding the mat around under the fabric so it was always under the section I was cutting. The advantage was that I didn't have to lift the fabric, although I still needed to use scissors in tight spots. Then I bought electric scissors for cutting out garments. Love 'em.

However, you are dealing with such (relatively) small pieces, tracing onto the fabric is not a bad idea; it would certainly work just fine. It's not terribly practical for large items, like a garment for yourself. Another option is a smaller pair of scissors for cutting small items.

From memory (haven't sewn cuffs in ages): The "divide and pin" instruction on the cuffs is just an easy way to mark the cuffs and the sleeve or pant leg they go into so that everything is properly positioned and spaced. When you have the cuffs sewn into a circle, fold the cuff in half. At the folds, put in pins to mark those spots. Now fold the other way, so your pins meet, and put pins in the second set of folds. Now you have the cuff evenly divided into four sections. Do the same with the pant leg so it is evenly divided into four sections. Match the pins on the cuff to the pins on the pant leg to get everything positioned correctly and evenly spaced. Put one pin in each of the four spots; you can remove your "marking pins" at this point. If I remember correctly, you then put the leg and cuff into the machine (cuff side down), and you stretch the cuff between two pins and sew. When you sewn that section (don't sew over the pins!), move your hands so you are holding the next pin - stretch the cuff and sew. Repeat until you finish.

Disclaimer: If your instructions say something different, then follow them.

CMC

if you want to use a multi-size pattern several times, you should use transfer paper and a wheel to mark the cutting line. That way you won't cut through the pattern itself on the smaller line.

I've started using Crayola kids' markers to draw directly on fabric; it washes out like a dream.

I tried to buy tracing cloth but they don't have it near me so I thought I bought tracing paper but by mistake I bought the smaller peices with the tracing wheel...now I just have to figure out how to use it, lol. From what you are saying I cut the pattern using the largest size then using the wheel and the small tracing paper that looks like carbon paper to mark all the other lines? I don't think I'm following you...sorry...I'm REALLY new at this!

Thank you so much CMC for the directions on the cuffs...wonderful wording, I got it now!!! I can not wait to post a picture of my first real project it's coming out very nice so far but my sewing days are Monday and Tuesday.

Keilamarie

All those lines on the pattern are different sizes. Not many patterns mark the seam line on their patterns these days. Years ago, it was standard Home Ec procedure to use your little spiked wheel and colored wax tracing paper to mark each and every seam line (not the cutting line, but the seam line) on the cloth. I've never bothered with that step, and it's been years and years since I used that tracing wheel.

If you look at the pattern piece, it should have the pattern number on it, the piece it is (pants front, shirt back, etc.), how many to cut, and it will tell you that the seam allowance (1/4 inch or 5/8 inch or whatever it is) is included. When you sew, you will use the measuring marks on the stitch plate of your sewing machine to get the right seam allowance. It never hurts to measure from the needle and put down a piece of masking tape or a post it note to mark where that is and make it very visible, especially if the marks on the stitch plate aren't easy to see.

Each color on the pattern is a different size. You only need to trace the size you want to use. For example, let's say you are making size Medium pants and that size is dark orange on your pattern.

Open the original pattern and lay it on the table. Take tracing paper and put it on top. (More about tracing paper below.) If you are worried about the tracing paper moving around, use post it notes to hold it on top of the original pattern (this won't leave any marks on your original) or use weights. (Cans of tuna work well.) Now use a pencil or marker to trace the dark orange line all the way around (a inexpensive set of kids fine-point markers works just fine for this). Transfer the pattern markings to your tracing: Mark any dots or notches for matching. If an edge goes on a fold, mark that. Use a ruler to mark the grain line. In the middle of the tracing, write all pattern info: what piece, the size you've traced, seam allowance, how many to cut. You may think this is excessive right now, but you won't when you pick up the pattern piece a few months from now.

The Kwik sew patterns often have little variations that you can make. If you are going to add snaps to the inside leg seam, there's probably an instruction in the book that says something like: "add 3/4 inches to the inside leg seam". On the tracing paper, take a small ruler and measure 3/4 inch from that pattern edge (which you traced) and mark a few dots every half inch or so, then connect the dots. (If the seam line is straight, you can do this with an acrylic ruler.) Ta-da! You've just added the extra needed fabric for the facing for the snaps.

Take your tracing paper pattern, pin it on the fabric and cut around the outside lines. While the pattern is still pinned to the cut-out fabric, mark the points and notches. Tailors chalk is good for this, but there are dozens of fabric marking products. One isn't necessarily better than another; just pick something that you like to work with.

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Tracing paper:
There are a number of products for tracing patterns. Multi-size patterns are very popular, and a lot of sewers always trace the size they want, then make alterations on the tracing. The pattern tracing product I like the best is Pattern Paper that I buy from Nancy's Notions. It comes on a roll, 21 inches wide and 77 yards long. It costs about $7 for the roll. It's easy to see through, is much stronger than tissue paper, but still flexible, so you can use a pattern piece over and over. Also, it's very inexpensive and you won't cringe if you make a mistake and have to start over.

The other product I buy from Nancy's Notions is Sewer's Fixit Tape (about $3 for a 10-yard roll in a dispenser and one refill roll). This is a 1/2 inch paper tape that I use to tape the pattern paper together if I need a bigger piece. It's easily removed and won't melt if you have to press a pattern piece with the iron. You can also use this to just tape that 3/4 inch extension onto your pattern piece, then remove the extension later.

If you have a medical supply store in your area, you can buy these products there. The pattern paper is the exact same stuff that your doctor uses to cover the examining table. (Maybe the you can get some from the doctors office?) The paper tape is a paper adhesive tape that can be used to apply a gauze bandage (it's made by 3M).

IÂve had good service from NancyÂs Notions, and the prices for these products are very reasonable. The way her online catalog works, I canÂt link directly to a page in the catalog. Go to her website and enter the product codes in the search field: Pattern Paper: PP3 or SewerÂs Fixit Tape: SFT3

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I have traced many, many patterns. You might consider it an extra step, but it means my original pattern stays intact, and I can go back and trace off a different size later -- and I have had to trace different sizes. I can take my traced pieces and mark them, cut them up to make alterations and tape them back together. For me, the extra step of tracing in the beginning is worth the effort later in the alteration and sewing process.

CMC

The hint given for applying knit cuffs can also be used to insert elastic in the waistbands.

Everyone has their favorite method of pinning, cutting out patterns, and marking dots and squares.

You still have to learn the basics without shortcuts as a good sewing foundation, then branch out to the shortcuts so you don't develop bad sewing habits not knowing any different. The pattern guide is one good source, a sewing text from the public library is another(get books to read to your son too, babies love the contact and your voice), and if mom or a sewing buddy is close by, even better.

When you are learning a sewing skill, it is always wise to use scraps of fabric and practice the technique before before using the project fabric...less ripping, minimal frustration, more sewing knowledge and skill with excellent results. You want the thread ripper the loneliest tool you have.

I can't wait until you get to elasticised pants and shorts with hems and get to learn your hand stitches...you can't sew everything by machine. Zippers and buttonholes are also part of the learning process.