Kids Clothes Week Challenge --------- Days 6 and 7

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in the Kids Clothes Week Challenge (KCWC). The goal for KCWC was to work just one hour per day (or more, if you have the time) and see what you could create.

During Days 1-5, I did the prep work for two items - a skirt for Sophia and kuspuk for Olivia.  By the end of Day 5, I finished a skirt for Sophia. 

On Days 6 and 7, I concentrated on finishing the kuspuk for Olivia. What is a kuspuk...you may be wondering?  A kuspuk is a Native Alaskan outfit that is like a dress with a hood and pocket that can be worn on its own or over clothes/jacket. 

Olivia in the kuspuk I sewed for her.

On Day 6, I sewed the bodice together; gathered the sleeves and made the cuffs; gathered the skirt and attached it to the bodice; sewed the pocket (it's lined with matching fabric); and sewed the hood. 

In sewing the hood and trying it on Olivia (without attaching it to the bodice), the girls and I both agreed that Olivia looked like a gnome with it on.  The pattern makes the hood rather pointy and gnome-like.  That's okay if you're going for a costume.  However, when making an outfit that I want her to wear, I knew that attaching the gnome-hood would ensure that the kuspuk would never worn.

So, I opted to attach the zipper and finish the top of the bodice.  The fabric for the hood will be used for something else - doll clothes...a quilt...something small.

Olivia and her sister use the apple tree that fell down

in the November ice storm as a balance beam

and lateral climbing tree.

On Day 7 (which actually ended up being earlier this week since I had to drive 40+ miles to find a zipper that was the right length and color), I added the zipper, pocket, and finished the top of the bodice. 

The sleeves and skirt are a bit long since it's a size 10 and Olivia has just started wearing size 6 and 8 (depending what the item is - pants run smaller while dresses and shirts she can wear in a larger size).  She likes longer skirts, so she prefers the length (rather than having the skirt be at knee-length).

She says the dress is comfortable, and that she would wear it as a dress with capri leggings on under it (or without leggings...depending on how warm it is outside.

Olivia wearing capri leggings

under the kuspuk.  Kuspuks are meant to be worn

as a dress over another outfit

(as a way to keep it clean and dry).

I'm so happy I did KCWC because it challenged me to make two new items of clothing that I had never made before, and to use a pattern that I had been holding onto for years, but had not gotten around to using.