Make Your Own Childrens Clothes... For Free

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At this point, lay the shirt out flat and pin the facing to the top-right side to right sidemaking sure the neck openings line up. (See Fig. 3.) Sew over the pins 1/2" from the edge of the neck opening. (This is the only 1/2" seam in the garment . . . all the others are 3/4".) For a wear-resistant top, sew the seam twice.

Finally, remove the pins and clip the curved neck seam almost to the stitching, as shown in Fig. 4. (A curved seam naturally tends to bunch and pucker. Clipping prevents this.)

Now you're ready to sew the top's sides. Fold the shirt in half at the shoulders, right sides in . . . then pin the edges together as shown in Fig. 5 and sew a 3/4" seam along the garment's sides. (Sew these seams twice if you want a finished article of clothing that'll stand up to hard use.) Clip the underarm seams as you did the neck seam.

To finish the top, all you have to do now is [1] hem the sleeves and the bottom o the shirt, [2] turn the entire top right side out, and [3] turn the facing under, press and hem the facing's ragged edge and/o; tack it to the underside of the shirt. Congratulate yourself: You've just created a "brand-new" child's top . . for free!

THE SLASH NECK

Rather than sew a scoop neck as de. scribed above, you may prefer to make a neck with a slit opening at the front or back (that is, a slash neck). To do this, proceed according to the direction: given above until you're ready to cut the garment's neck opening . . . then-with the shirt folded-make a 4" to 6" cut (depending on your child's size) in the material as shown in Fig. 6.

Next, open the garment up and fold it sleeve to sleeve as depicted in Fig. 2. Mark a neck curve in chalk (on the front of the shirt only) to match the neck curve of the shirt you're using as a pattern. Cut a semicircular neck opening in the fabric as shown in Fig. 7. (The curved part of the semicircle faces forward . . . the flat part faces the back of the shirt.) On the "wrong" side of the material, mark an "F" for "front" and a "B" for "back" in chalk.

Now find a 10" X 16" (for a small child) or 12" X 18" (for an older one) piece of matching or contrasting fabric to use as facing material and fold it in half lengthwise. Assuming, for the sake of illustration, that you want a back opening (a front opening can be made just as easily), place the facing material on the folded garment as shown in Fig. 8 . . . then [1] pin the facing to the shirt, [2] cut the neck opening in the facing, using the shirt as a guide, [3] remove the pins, and

[4] trim the facing's edges as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 8. All right. Open the facing, lay it wrong side up on a flat surface, and draw a chalk line down its center, beginning at (and perpendicular to) the "flat" part of the semicircular neck opening. (See Fig. 9.) Open the garment and lay it out . . . then spread the facing on the shirt, right side to right side. Pin the two together as shown in Fig. 9, sew over the pins, and then remove the fasteners.

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