Wonderful Advice From Someone Who Has Survived the Tween Years

So far on this little adventure we have "met" and been amazed at those that still continue to sew for the tweens. I think knowing that others are out there navigating these murky waters gives hope to those of us just starting out.  Cindy is one of those that have navigated it successfully with one of her kids and she still sews for her even though she's a teen now. She also has some great boy stuff, as her boy is now in tween range. You should go check out her stuff. She's here to share some of her wisdom.

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Hello Sew Cool for the Tween Scene Readers! My name is Cindy and I blog at Siestas & Sewing.  I have 4 children between the ages of 14 and 6 who I sew for.  My oldest daughter is 14 and I've been sewing for her on a regular basis for the last 4 years.  I'd say I've successfully navigated the tween years with K since she still "lets" me sew for her.  But there were definitely a few bumps along the way.

Not every piece of clothing I've sewn for her has been a raging success.  In fact, there were a few notable flops that were lucky to be worn once.  Case in point...

Imke top from Sewing Clothes Kids Love

 Made by Rae Flashback Tee

I thought I was nailing K's style as both of these shirts were made from brand name surf apparel fabric (Hurley for the long sleeve and Roxy for the short sleeve).  But I didn't take in consideration that K generally avoids prints.  Lesson learned...always consult before purchasing fabric making any decisions!

One of the biggest obstacles I've encountered sewing for K was for her to give me honest feedback. She would say she liked something even when she didn't because she was worried about hurting my feelings. Well, when that piece of clothing is never worn, a mom gets the hint. When asked, she'd finally say she didn't like it but couldn't articulate the WHY. After a lot of talks and observing what clothes she gravitates towards, I think I finally have an idea of what she likes and dislikes.

Solids or stripes are more her thing:

Both of these shirts were sewn using Ottobre Design 01/09 #34. The stripe shirt is a more recent addition to her wardrobe (last fall) and is worn quite often.

Thanks to Pinterest, it's become a little easier to discern K's style.  2 years ago, I started a "Teen Clothing Inspiration" board for K to pin clothes that she liked on.  I could then look through my sewing pattens and see about recreating the clothes she pinned. 

Both of these dresses were a result of that:

inspired by this pin

 inspired by a Land's End dress (I no longer have the pin)

When I asked K what her favorite pieces of clothing that I've sewn for her over the last 4 years, she picked these 2:

Ottobre Design 06/07 #36 (finished January 2011)

The coat is in it's third year of being worn.  Last year, I added rib knit cuffs to it to extend the sleeve length as they were getting a little short. 

 Ottobre Design Woman 05/12 #7 (sewn just recently)

Most of the clothing I sew for K is from Ottobre Design.  Their children's sizing goes up to a European size 170 (approximately a 15/16 year old).  For the chambray button down, I ventured into the woman's magazine and sewed a size 34 (comparable to a woman's small).  It's a little loose through the bust and sides but fits perfect as far as length.  I've had good luck sewing for a tween (and now teen) with Ottobre Design in both the styles and the sizing. 

I try my best not to push my sewing on K.  I'm happy to purchase RTW as long as it fits and is in our budget. Most of her dresses, shorts, and sweatpants are sewn by me as it's hard to find a good fit in the store.  And I refuse to spend $$ on clothes that I'm going to have to do a ton of alterations on.  Might as well start from scratch!

Thank you, Sally and Major Moma for having me.  Sew Cool for the Tween Scene is a great resource for those of us sewing for older children.  I hope the blog continues to grow!