Top Social

create classic children's clothing

Knock it Off Series - Day One

Friday, November 2, 2012
Here it is....the first day of the Knock it Off series!  To kick things off, I created a three piece outfit à la Bonpoint, a children's couture house and online fashion boutique.  I have only ever seen photos of celebrity children wearing this brand and it's no secret why...it's pricey!  But I love the clothes: simple, beautiful fabrics, classic designs...it's so up my alley, but I just couldn't justify the cost.  Not on my stay-at-home-mom salary! :)  

So, here's my take on one of their outfits.  I chose it from a practical perspective...Anja really needs each of the pieces in her wardrobe for fall.  To purchase this outfit from Bonpoint would cost the equivalent of $335.00 and the fabric & notions for mine were about $17.00.  Not bad! :) (I didn't make a scarf...it's just fabric for photo purposes)





Here's how I made the pieces.  Let's start with the t-shirt.  I've been wanted to improve my freezer paper stencil skills since I've only tried the technique once before.  Here's how I did the stencilling this time around (I used a mixture of acrylic and silk screen paint):


I used the Ashley Knit Ruffle dress pattern from the Peek-a-boo Pattern shop (I highly recommend these patterns...super easy to follow instructions and flawless pattern pieces).  This pattern was perfect because it has the button closure on the shoulder just like the original shirt.  Final result:



The cardigan was pretty straight-forward.  I used the same pattern as the t-shirt above, but cut the front in two, adding width for the button plackets (rather than separate pieces, and just folded over).  The one tip I would pass on when working with a sweater knit fabric, is to use interfacing for the buttonholes.

Here are a few in-process photos:





And the finished product:


I've been looking forward to re-creating these pants because there are a couple of details I've been wanting to try, especially the gathered side slant pockets and cuffed/buttoned leg openings.  One of the biggest challenges/frustrations with knocking-off a garment from photos is you're missing that opportunity to look at it from the inside out.  So, it's important to find as many photos of the garment as you can and then try to figure out how it was made.  This was my way of re-creating the gathered pockets.  If I were to do this again, I would gather it even more.

I started by cutting my pocket lining pieces smaller than the pants pocket edge/opening.  Then, gather the pants using basting stitches.


Pin and stitch the pocket lining to the pants.  Clip curves.



Turn, and press.  Put the pocket piece in place.


Sew the pocket to the lining.  Sew inseams and back rise.


When sewing the front to back at outer leg, leave an opening at the bottom for the cuff.


I like how the waistband featured a contrasting fabric on the inside.  To make this, cut your waistband with two, lengthwise, stitch together, and continue sewing as you would regularly.


For the tied detail on the front, I only stitched the waistband closed until to the pocket opening.  Using that opening, I inserted the elastic, and pinned it in place on each side.


Then, stitch the elastic on each side, and sew the twill tape on.


To finish up the bottom cuff, I gathered the pants, and enclosed them into a bias tape I cut from the original fabric.  I also made the button loops the same way.  The last step was the back pocket.


Et Voilà!




I hope you've enjoyed the first knock-off of the series!  Can't wait to see what Kimbo from a girl and a glue gun has to show us on Monday...she's a creative genius!




17 comments on "Knock it Off Series - Day One"
  1. Heidi, this is spectacular! I'll be adding it to my list for sure. This series idea is great -- I'm looking forward to the upcoming posts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. love love love - and I like your pants better, maybe it is the color, your inseam and rise visually look better too. Yay for the start to an awesome series!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Absolutely adorable, Heidi! I love your version (even more!) And I added your button to my sidebar! I hope I can have time this month to make a knock-off!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. adorable, you can't beat French chic :)
    and you saved over $300!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like yours better than the original store brand outfit.

    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love it all, Heidi! (I prefer your cardigan :-))

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is quite the knock-off! Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you for all the lovely comments Everyone! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very inspiring! The pants are my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Way to start the series off....pure awesomeness / genius! And, yes....we (like many others) like your version even better :).

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, great job! I too like your pants better! Much Love from SD, CA

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi there! Shannon, from Little kids Grow is Awesome for sharing this exciting series with her readers:) I am glad to be checking this all out:) Your Knockoffs were sew much better. I can hardly wait to see the others:)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Honestly, I like your look better! Well done! Still can't believe the outrageous prices of some of these outfits in the high end kid's couture.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh so cute! I love this outfit and I definitely want to try pants like that SOON!

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's not surprising to find that I prefer your more Heidi!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow wow wow! Heidi you are amazing. I think I like your version better!

    ReplyDelete

Auto Post Signature

Auto Post  Signature