What to sew for toddlers?

July 6, 2022

Toddlers are a great source of inspiration for new sewing projects and always need new clothes. Wondering what to sew for these tiny tornadoes? Whether its a pinafore dress pattern or simple baby hat projects, these little sewing patterns for kids and fun and can be really quick.

Here’s are 10 tips I’ve learned along the way:

getting ready to sew pinafore dress pattern

If you want something that will really get used, look for a basic pattern like a shirt. With a sweater in the cooler months it’ll look great. Throw on a pair of shorts and that shirt is now a cute summer look.
For pattern look for busy fabrics they hide stains. Especially if the scale (size of the pattern) is small and density (think lots of small things) is close together. Kids are messy and you probably want something that will last beyond its first time being worn for lunch.
That being said, it is also a joy to make something really unique for a special occasion. Yes it might not get as much use as something for everyday but it's so sweet to have something really special. And the pictures will last even if the look doesn’t get worn often.
Look for fabrics that launder well. Any hand wash only or specialty delicate fabrics will ask you to do more to maintain them. And hey if that’s your thing, great. Personally I throw everything in the wash so I won’t use any fabric that won’t hold up to the washing machine.
Avoid solid white fabrics. Unless you like showing off stains. Look for darker colors and your make will look great for a long time.
Sewing patterns for kids are small. And that means some of those small curves can be tricky. Armholes and sleeves can get tiny in smaller sizes. So you can make a muslin to practice if small curves aren’t something you already have in your skill set.
You can use a short stitch length to help manage those curves.
Small projects are fun. Yes they are cute but you can get a whole shirt out of 1 yard of fabric. So they can be pretty cost effective and a great way to use up your fabric stash.
Because they are small, they are often quick to cut out and sew. You can bang out a new project in a couple of hours, especially if you have a last minute project that you need to finish as a gift.
Just because you made it, doesn't mean they will actually want to wear it. This one hurts a little but it happens. My daughter picked the fabric for her birthday dress and still doesn't want to wear it. So it hangs in her closet waiting until she changes her mind or outgrows it.

I've been sewing and designing kids clothes and I'm happy to share my knowledge and hear what you love (and hate) about toddler clothes.

Check out my selection of toddler sewing patterns here ready for your next project. All the sewing patterns for kids are available in sizes 1-6, perfect for growing toddlers. And they are available as a paper version or as a downloadable pdf.

So there's some advice and learned experiences. What's your favorite part of sewing for toddlers? Or least favorite?

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What to sew for toddlers?

If you want something that will really get used, look for a basic pattern like a shirt. With a sweater in the cooler months it’ll look great. Throw on a pair of shorts and that shirt is now a cute summer look.

For pattern look for busy fabrics they hide stains. Especially if the scale (size of the pattern) is small and density (think lots of small things) is close together. Kids are messy and you probably want something that will last beyond its first time being worn for lunch.

That being said, it is also a joy to make something really unique for a special occasion. Yes it might not get as much use as something for everyday but it's so sweet to have something really special. And the pictures will last even if the look doesn’t get worn often.

Look for fabrics that launder well. Any hand wash only or specialty delicate fabrics will ask you to do more to maintain them. And hey if that’s your thing, great. Personally I throw everything in the wash so I won’t use any fabric that won’t hold up to the washing machine.

Avoid solid white fabrics. Unless you like showing off stains. Look for darker colors and your make will look great for a long time.

Sewing patterns for kids are small. And that means some of those small curves can be tricky. Armholes and sleeves can get tiny in smaller sizes. So you can make a muslin to practice if small curves aren’t something you already have in your skill set.

You can use a short stitch length to help manage those curves.

Small projects are fun. Yes they are cute but you can get a whole shirt out of 1 yard of fabric. So they can be pretty cost effective and a great way to use up your fabric stash.

Because they are small, they are often quick to cut out and sew. You can bang out a new project in a couple of hours, especially if you have a last minute project that you need to finish as a gift.

Just because you made it, doesn't mean they will actually want to wear it. This one hurts a little but it happens. My daughter picked the fabric for her birthday dress and still doesn't want to wear it. So it hangs in her closet waiting until she changes her mind or outgrows it.

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