# I could cry



## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

Well - I finally got around to starting my daughter's shorts. Turned up the first pair and on the bottom of the trousers were some little embroidered hearts about 1 inch across. I cut one of these off and sewed it just above the hem on her new shorts. Now these shorts are nothing fancy - I am a very novice sewer - and the heart was a little attempt to make them a bit more than just cut-offs. Anyway I showed them to my daughter at lunchtime and she was over the moon with them. You would have thought i had bought her the fanciest designer item out there. It made me feel a little sad that, although she has had some new stuff this year, these shorts were so important to her. She was SO appreciative, I just wished I could give her something "more"

Any other ideas on how to make her stuff a little special for free or very cheap?

hoggie


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Sounds like you have a special gal, hoggie. I've been in your shoes - when my younguns were little, they didn't get hardly any "special new stuff" unless it was second hand or hand made 'cause money was nearly non-existent and had to go for weird stuff like a roof and food (what wasn't grown) and such. I am SO lucky in that they're such good kids, but it still breaks my heart thinking about how little (they seemed to have).

BUT it gives them a whole different outlook at the world. When they learn the lessons early on, it seems to make them more resilient and less likely to 'follow the pack' (in my opinion. I'm sure there are exceptions and kids who actually rebel.) I think it helps them to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were, on what's _truly_ important and what's just 'stuff'.

What are her special interests? If she journals, maybe a handmade little book. If she's 'girly', maybe a few decorations for her room (frilly curtains, pillows, etc) - or appropriate alterations if she's _not_ girly like my daughter . 

It's more the idea that you took the extra time to make the shorts unique and special _just for her_ than the shorts themselves, you know.

~Falcon


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## CraftyDiva (Aug 26, 2003)

You can try trimming her t-shirts (around neckline and sleeves) with a little lace (slips, remember those, from a thrift shop). Or if you embroider, you can add her intial (remember Laverne and Shirly?). For starters.


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## Sarah Bella (Mar 26, 2007)

My mom used to make all my daughters shorts when she was a little girl. They were nothing fancy but she put a very special pocket on the front of every pair, a gummy bear pocket. Everytime dd went to grandmas she would wear her shorts and my mom would tuck a few gummy bears inside for jess to enjoy throughout the day. She was always so proud of her shorts cuz she was the only kid on the block with gummy bear pockets. 

Use your imagination  

Kids really don't know that they "go without" so don't be sad that you cant give her everything you want to, you give her the absolute most important thing in the world, your love and time and its THAT that she will appreciate when shes older.


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## bgraham (Jun 30, 2005)

> My mom used to make all my daughters shorts when she was a little girl. They were nothing fancy but she put a very special pocket on the front of every pair, a gummy bear pocket.


My kids love pockets! lol. Embroider a little flower on the cuff or the pocket. Or if you are converting worn out jeans or pants you could sew a small piece of pretty fabric behind where the worn spot is facing out.

Beth


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## DayBird (Jul 26, 2004)

My older son just graduated Kindergarten today. My mom gave us some money to buy him a gift with. At first, he wanted his very own "big" Bible with his name on it but then decided that he isn't ready for that yet. He wanted a brand new outfit to wear to graduation. He got a brand new outfit from WalMart: shoes, socks, underwear, pants, undershirt, button up shirt, belt and real necktie that has to be tied. He's so proud. He came straight home and took it all off and tried his best to hang it all up. He even put the shoes back in the box and put them under our bed so his little brother won't mess them up. This has been his first brandnew outfit since he was a tiny baby. (He usually wears handmedowns from a cousin or clothes we get from our church's thriftstore.) 

Doesn't it make you feel good when your children feel so special when they get a simple gift? Mine have everything they need but they're not spoiled. They've never played a video game although they use the computer every day. They're always well dressed although they very rarely get any new clothes. It makes me feel good that they appreciate the little things.


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## Cloverbud (Sep 4, 2006)

Don't be sad, hoggie! When I had the choice between a Mom-made or store-bought outfit, Mom-made always won. Even my wedding dress! The little bit of Mom's heart that goes into the clothes makes them more comfortable (or is that comforting? ) You could draw a little heart on the inside where only your daughter knows, so she has a bit of your heart with her always. If you draw, the fabric paint pens would be fun to decorate her clothes together! And those short *are* a designer original--by Mom, with love.


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

Well, my kids *are* spoiled rotten and they still love homemade things - clothing, food, quilts, all of it. Makes them feel special in a way that all the storebought goodies in the world couldn't do.


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## Aohtee (Aug 26, 2003)

Take a pair of old jeans and make a vest for her. 
Shirley Adams at www.sewingconnections.com/sc9vest.htm gives step by step directions.

Use the legs of the pants to make drawstring or square bags. Use mens ties for belts on the vest or pants and sew to the square bag as carrying straps.

Get a copy of the book "Generation Tee". It will show you how to reconstruct t-shirts into unique designs.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

Thank you everyone for your responses. I suppose I should be glad really that she is pleased with what she gets - although I am only just learning to sew so up to now all her clothes have been bought, she is used to the homemade thing. We always make all our greetings cards together, and i always handmake her fancy dress costumes. At birthdays she always notices if someone has made the effort and made her a card and appreciates it. She also loves to help with her fancy dress costumes so I guess quietly she has been learning the qualities of homemade. 

A hand made book sounds good - she would love that. I am in the middle of painting her bedroom as a coral reef. She has coral, fish and a dolphin all over her wardrobe, and I have drawn the seahorses on the chest of drawers - and this from me that can't draw to save my life LOL. I like the little ways of making things hers too. Sewing lace on sounds like the sort of thing I wold probably make a mess of - I'm still a bit clumsy with a needle. Embroidery might be a bit beyond me too. I idid once sew my name on my karate jacket :shrug: but it was a loooonnnnggg time ago. I might be able to manage an initial. a special pocket sounds good too - all sorts of things a five year old can do with a pocket  on second thoughts maybe a pocket isn't such a good idea - don't know what I will find in there  . And a heart on the inside somewhere - what a clever idea - could even make a little label somewhere with the heart on it hhmmmm.

Aohtee - I followed the link but couldn't find the information on the vest. Sounds like a good idea though.

Thank you again for all the ideas. I will keep working at it. I have been side-tracked this weekend though, she came home from school yesterday saying that they are having an "Indian" day on Wednesday so I am running around like a loon dyeing material to make her a sari :shrug: And then the following Monday she is going to be an "oscar". So fitting in making shorts around sari making today :shrug: 

I suppose at least I can't complain I'm bored LOL

hoggie


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

hoggie - that's so funny - you said an Indian day, and I'm thinking Native American style, then you explound on getting sari together and I realize my brain was being American, rather than international in thinking.

I use to work with a good many India Indian's and a few would occasionally wear a sari to work. They are always so beautiful. I've looked on the Internet for saris to consider buying as a fabric source to make fancy dresses as the fabrics are gorgous.! Have fun with the India day at school.

Also, do you have a sewing machine? Cause that can help you get individual looks by putting on the lace, or rick rack, or ribbons on the edges of the premade clothes for your little princess.

Angie


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## LvDemWings (Sep 11, 2005)

hoggie you can remake her favorite outgrown or out worn pants or shirts into decorative pillows for her bed. For the shirts you turn them inside out and sew up the arms and neck. Turn rightside out and pull over a existing pillow. Sew shut. Pants are done the same way except the legs can be cut off at the top of the inseam.

Pants and jeans can be made into a purse by cutting off the legs, turning them inside out and sewing up the leg holes, attach a piece of wide ribbon, braided cord or what ever you have on hand on each side at the waist. If you would like a closure at the top small pieces of velcro can be used. The purse can be personalized even further by using fabric paints to draw pictures or to seal the edges of glued on decorative fabric.

If she is into dolls you can encourage her to sew outfits for them along side of you. They won't be perfect but they will be something you can eventually put away for her in a memory box to give to her when she moves to her first home.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

LOL Angie - it never occured to me "American Indians" so I guess I am as bad. 

I don't have a sewing machine at the moment. My mum is always telling me to go down and use hers but I am terrified of the thing!! I can use just about any power tool known to man, but a sewing machine  . I think it comes from sewing lessons at school where they didn't bother to teach us how to use it. Just sat us down and said "right sew this". So I never learnt how to even manage a straight line, let alone anything more complex. It does however mean that things like the sari are a longer haul than just running the machine along the seam/hem!! When we joining the bits of fabric together for the sari, I showed my little one how to do a backstitch, drew her a line, and we sat together and worked from opposite ends into the middle. She was so proud of herself for doing "proper sewing" LOL

LvDem Wings - like the ideas for pillows etc. Definitely worth trying.

hoggie


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