Sewing toddler clothes (with few tips)

Hello,

these past two weeks I've been sewing a lot and it has been really fun. I've made one dress for myself (that's another post maybe later) and then I've finally some toddler clothes from my jersey and basic cotton fabric stash.
I can't believe how much different small pieces of leftover fabrics I've stored over the years. Now that the situation is what it is and I'm not able to go yarn/fabric shopping without too much stress, I've had time to use my fabric stash.

Set number 1.

I made a subscription to a Finnish sewing magazine called Ottobre and so far I've been actually quite happy with the pattern quality of the magazine. Their sizing is about right and I haven't had too much trouble following the pattern and doing pattern mashups between the issues has been easy enough. They have really good basic clothing patterns for kids with a special twist or two. (Ok, maybe I'll write a better review later, from different magazines, because I've done my fair share of sewing from different patterns over the years...)

So during my stash busting spree, I ended up sewing three sets for a toddler to wear in the summer. Some projects I've had in progress for a long time and others were just projects for a day.

Set number 2.

Set number 1 is from the latest issue of Ottobrekids. I just fell in love with the toddler patterns and I had to sew something. So I made the summer top and short leggings. I used my old fifties style dress that I tore apart. The fabric was old so it tore quite easily and didn't stretch that well -> I had to add snap buttons to the back, but I just love the flower pattern of the fabric. I made the leggings to go with the top, I bought the fabric from sale this spring (it was 5€/meter) and the combo is just perfect.

 The set number has been in progress for months and I've had pictures of it earlier, but now it is finally ready (some finishing touches are still needed to the dress). These were made from patterns that were in one of my older magazines (suuri käsityölehti), published in 2007.
I bought the jersey from a smaller shop probably 1½ years ago and I like the quality of the jersey, should've bought more than just 50cm. 

The dress is made from leftover cotton from two different dresses. I have bought this type of fabric quite many times, so I have quite many different types of small dotted cotton.

Set number 3

Set number three is a summer hat and a very basic dress. I didn't have a pattern for a basic dress so this is a mashup from a baby body pattern and an overall pattern. It turned out pretty nicely, I'll probably add some extra fabric to the sides of the hem next time, just to make it look better. The fabric is the same as the leggings fabric, just different color.
The hat pattern was also from an old magazine, probably the issue was from the early 2000s and the fabric is also a leftover fabric from an earlier project.

So what did I learn from these projects or do I have any advice for someone sewing toddler clothes?

1. Check the sizing of the pattern, before deciding your project.
It can be hard to measure the toddler, but I've made clothes for babies and toddlers that were way too wide or long. I love it that kids and babies are so different in size, even when they are the same age. But sometimes deciding the pattern size is a bit of a headache and maybe doing a mockup from a cheaper fabric is worth the trouble. And the cheaper version can be used for playing outside or something like that.

2. Think carefully about the material you use
Is cheaper jersey from sale better or the more expensive better quality fabric better? It depends on the purpose I guess. I like to buy good quality fabric for clothes that I want to last longer (like jackets, party dresses) and cheaper to those that are in outdoor use for playing (so I can make new ones the next summer :)
Also, materials that are easy to take care of, are good and I like practical colors that I had food stains.

3. Don't be afraid to tackle difficult patterns or new things in toddler clothes
Like sewing a hidden zipper or adding snap buttons, sometimes the patterns are lacking or there is something that needs to be fixed. Be creative and cute (also safe) details are fun.

 4. Be sure that the clothing is suitable for the toddler in question
 For example: if adding snap buttons, make sure that they are attached properly and don't fall off.

5. Pattern mashups can produce a good result
I haven't practiced making sewing patterns (at all) so I rely on ready-made patterns and sometimes there are no patterns available that match the idea I have in my head. That's when I combine different patterns together, with paper and tape and a ruler. It worked with my shirt dresses and with my toddler dress :)