Eli’s New Robe

 

Eli's New Robe

 

I absolutely love sewing things for my little boy Eli.  To me sewing is a wonderful way of expressing myself artistically.  For someone who cannot draw to save her life sewing is a great outlet for creativity.  It’s also fairly practical in my case.

I also really treasure the memories that go along with various sewing projects.  The fabric for the robe was bought while spending a wonderful week visiting family in Arkansas.  Puppy dogs just seemed to be so fitting for Eli right now.  He loves it when the neighbor’s dog comes to visit or when he has a chance to hang out with the dogs on the farm.  I chose a nice soft flannel fabric for its softness and lined it with flannel to make it even more warm.  A robe seems like the perfect thing for snuggling on a cold winter night don’t you think?

 

If you look closely you will see a tiny little pocket. Perfect for my little man.

I contemplated for a long time whether I was going to purchase Kwik Sew 3509.  Kwik Sew is a wonderful pattern company but their patterns do not go on sale.  At 10.99 it seemed a little much when I could pick up a Simplicity pattern for .99.  In the end I purchased a Simplicity pattern #3584.  I would not recommend the pattern if you are new to sewing since I made a lot of adjustments.

 

 

I might be biased but I think he looks adorable.

I made Eli a size 2 and added 3″ to the length of the robe and 1/2″ to the sleeves.  I also made a 3″ hem at the bottom instead of 1″ which can be let out as he grows.  Instead of loops and a belt made out of fabric the pattern instructs the sewer to just use bias tape.  I thought that sounded awfully tacky so I made my own.  To make the ties I cut 2 pieces of fabric 3X29″.  I sewed the two pieces together to make one large strip.  Sew a tube, inside it out and press.  (If you follow my notes and make the ties you will only need 1 package of bias tape.)

I also made Loops which measured 2 1/4 X 3/4 when finished.  Unlike the instructions I sewed them on very last and placed them right along the finished side seam.

The pattern did include some wonderful tips for sewing with bias tape.  I never knew that you were suppose to place the wider edge on the wrong side of the fabric!  Wow what a difference that makes.  Recently I have really started to incorporate bias tape into more of my sewing projects.  It gives such a nice finished look to items and is easy to use once you get the hang of it.  (I skipped using it to finish the sleeves.)

 

 

My mom wisely suggested that I sew the belt onto the robe so that it never gets lost. Great idea! I sewed the ties onto the robe right down the back.

 

Although it was a lot more work I lined the entire robe with white flannel to give it more warmth. I just placed the lining pieces on the wrong side of all of the wrong side of the main fabric as I sewed.

 

 

I didn't particularly care for the Simplicity 3584 pattern but I was very pleased with the way that the robe turned out. (I thought parts of the directions were very unclear and would not recommend the Simplicity pattern for a new beginning sewer.)