kids clothes, sewing with knits

wiener dog pajama shirts

Confession time, I haven’t sewn any clothes for either of my girls since August.  As I was packing up summer clothes in the fall, I was folding up lots of things I had made them.  Things I thought they’d love and use, but most got worn once or twice and then promptly forgotten about.  It made me kind of sad in a way. Although Emily might be able to wear some of the things Natalie hardly ever wore, I still felt like I was heading the wrong direction.  So I stopped.  We had plenty of clothes for the winter, so I didn’t feel compelled to make anything.

My kids go for the obvious, comfort.  Who can blame them?  I’m the same way.  When I get home from work, I quickly change into my comfy clothes. The other day I was digging through my fabric, trying to make sure to use things I already have instead of buying something new.  I pulled out the infamous wiener dog interlock knit I had gotten at my local Hancock Fabrics maybe a year or more ago?  I had gotten it to make some pajamas, so I got busy.

I pulled out Rae’s Flashback skinny tee and did some quick little mods to make a bigger size for Natalie (she’s about a 6-7 in girls now).  Although Rae does have the big kid version available now, I only had up to 5T.  I also made it a little more a-line so it wasn’t quite as snug around the tummy and loosened it up in the sleeves.  Pajama shirts!  I had intended to make some pants too, but I ended up having only enough fabric for two shirts and another little project I’ll have to wait and show you next time.

I used my twin needle again, not breaking it this time thankfully!  Some of the threads did snap already though on Emily’s sleeves when she wore it, so I’m not sure how to avoid that in the future, if you have any tips I’d love to hear about them!

Here’s to more knits in the future, more comfy and more having fun!  ps, I’ve gotten on this crazy sewing with knits kick again, it goes in streaks, but I seriously have a lot of fun with it once I get started!

40 thoughts on “wiener dog pajama shirts

  1. Andrea says:

    They’re adorable =) The pajamas look great too. My kids definitely don’t wear anything if I make it from a woven. The knits get worn every day, however. I’ve made so many cute dresses that just sit… Very sad.

  2. Ann says:

    Those are really adorable! I think your girls will get *plenty* of wear out of them.

  3. QuilterMary says:

    Have you tried a real narrow zigzag with the twin needle – might add a little “give” so the stitches don’t snap.

  4. **nicke... says:

    I really love that fabric. The way their little tails curl up into hearts is so adorable! Your girls look like they really are happy with them.

  5. Lise says:

    They are sooooo cute! My boys would love that fabric.

  6. Truly Myrtle says:

    I’ve had this problem with snapping twin needles lately too – isn’t it frustrating!! In the end, down to my last needle, I sewed SUPER SLOW. It seemed to the trick but I’m sure there must be another way?

  7. mle says:

    Too stinkin’ cute!

  8. Super cute! Love that fabric.

    This is why I’ve always sewn PJs, nightgowns, and t-shirts for my kids. It’s the most inexpensive stuff to buy, but it seems to bring the most joy when I make those items, and they get worn all the time. You can’t beat knits for kids.

    I’ve never been able to get a twin needle to work well, so I finally invested in a coverstitch machine. It seems like overkill, but it does a fantastic job with hems. I’ve been happy with my decision.

    Have you tried wooly nylon in the bobbin when you’re twin-needline? Might give it the extra stretch you need.

  9. Rebekah B. says:

    Cute! cute! Looks like the girls LOVE them. Can the double needle do a very narrow/long zig-zag? I don’t know, haven’t sewn with one yet.

  10. your sewing is impeccable ~ the stitches are perfect !

  11. traci says:

    It’s hard to make them something that they might not wear. You did a great job finding a perfect match with them and your sewing. Your stitches look better than ones from the store. So cute.

  12. QuiltyGirl says:

    I have had the same issue with stitches breaking when I use the twin needle. I’m curious to see what others have to say.
    These tops are adorable! (And I’ve gone through the same cycle with handmade clothes!)

  13. Just Me says:

    These shirts are really cute! I wish I had little kids to sew for 🙂

  14. erica says:

    Darling! Knits are on my list…that long, long list.

  15. The weiner fabric is adorable! My problem with uding my twin needles is that I end up with skipped stitches, and then still end up with snapped threads. If I can just serge a cuff on then I always do that.

  16. Cindy says:

    Love the pictures of your girls- so cute!! The pj shirts are adorable- love that fabric and they look like they do too! You are sooo good at sewing knits- your shirts look store bought- great job!!:)

  17. Looks very confortable and they are sooo cute.

  18. Nienke says:

    adorable girls, adorable shirts!

  19. Vanessa says:

    Those are really sweet! Syd likes to stretch out the hems of her knit tops and dresses so both handmade and store bought items end up with popped stitches. I do think I’m going to try to get some wooly nylon to try out – should give a bit more stretch hopefully.

  20. Amanda says:

    I hear you about not wanting to sew clothes your kids don’t wear! At our house knit clothes have a much better chance of being worn. I have used that same print from Hancocks for a t-shirt for my little guy. Cute shirts! 🙂

  21. You had me at weiner dog. These are the cutest pjs ever Anna!

  22. Linda S. says:

    I have never broken a twin needle, but I have had the threads snap. Then I realized that I have what’s called a “triple stitch” function on my machine — it’s perfect! Gives the stitches some stretch, but does use up a lot more thread.

  23. adorable shirts! you did such a good job on the sewing. love your blog too.

  24. I went through 4 needles last week, one of those a twin needle, I pulled apart my machine twice before I could fix the issue- still not exactly sure what it was ha. Even my overlocker has tight top threads like that, I had to fiddle with the tip thread settings to stop it unintentionally ruffling my boys pants haha.

  25. Those shirts are adorable! I wish I knew hw to sew knits.

  26. DKB says:

    Cute cute cute! Love the dogs and the girls

  27. kristin says:

    Way cute, Anna! Your girlies sure do look happy in them – and that print is awesome. 🙂

  28. Trisha says:

    Cute! Where did you get that fabric from? I LOVE wiener dogs!

  29. Ashley says:

    super cute pj tops, and absolutely adorable girls! 🙂

  30. Janelle says:

    Those are super cute – I wish I could find cute knits locally – I’m afraid of buying online cause I’m picky about how they feel.

  31. Sascha says:

    I love using wooly nylon and maxi-lock stretch. No more popped stitches. Cute wiener dogs!

  32. I love the jamies – but it is the material that is amazing!! Where did you get it?

  33. These look super snuggly! I love pajamas – I’d wear them all day every day if I could.

  34. Christie says:

    Super cute and very perfect-looking. Your girls are just so adorable as well!

  35. These are too cute! Weiner dog anything is awesome, but matching pjs…love!

  36. Lynn says:

    These tops are adorable, when my boys were young I made a lot of knit tops. I never had luck with a twin needle. It could be I had the wrong size for my machine. Now when I sew knits I either use a zigzag or stretch stitch and I pull the fabric slightly when sewing. I also use an overlock which helps a lot.

  37. ayumills says:

    Those pajama shirts are just so adorable and so are the girls! You’ve inspired me to puck up some knit for cloth making, but I am still a bit scared to sew with it. Can’t wait til I can make these awesome looking shirts with knit!

  38. amandajean says:

    Super cute and comfy looking. Your girls are adorable!!!

  39. Delia says:

    Your girls are so so adorable. That fabric is so fun! Your sewing is always impeccable. 🙂

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