Something for little boys - Cars

Hello dear all,

my 4-year-old grandson is totally into Cars, those talking cars, at the moment. There’s a movie and books, and also fabrics. I sewed him a T-shirt from this colorful fabric (cotton jersey).

I’m really proud that my neckline bands are turning out better and better. Since I used solid-colored jersey fabric for the band here, I calculated the length x 0.8 cm - that fits perfectly.

For the sleeve hems, I made a lazy-woman’s hem. Since the shirt is colorful enough, the sleeves were supposed to be completely solid-colored. This hem was perfect for that because it’s the easiest to sew. You don’t have to attach anything; you just fold it over correctly.

And I’m also happy that by now I can handle my twin needle too. So, I’ve learned to change the presser foot, thread the two threads, and finish the lower hem with a twin-needle seam . I like that best on the lower hem.



After the shirt, I still had some Cars fabric left over and used it to sew a pillow cover with the 2 fabrics used in the shirt. The pillow insert is 50 x 50 cm and nice and fluffy and puffy, and washable at 60 degrees - so ideal for children to cuddle, squish, and lie on. Since I’ve just been practicing sewing pillow covers and putting in zippers, it was easy for me.

In hindsight, for a pillow cover made of jersey, I would make the dimensions a little smaller than the pillow insert, since jersey is stretchy. The pillow insert would then press into the corners better. Maybe I’ll simply sew another seam along the 3 sides; then the cover will sit better in the corners. Okay, you’ve convinced me! I’ll do it later. The pillow is still here, after all :-))



It really is a wonderful thing when you can sew and make individual things for your loved ones. You just can’t buy things like that.

Best wishes from Ina

Ina, you’re getting better and better at sewing; the shirt and the pillow are unique pieces and really wonderful once again.

Best regards, Inge

Wow, Ina, I’m amazed at everything you sew. That looks great—you’re making your grandson’s dreams come true. He’ll be amazed and absolutely thrilled.

If something like this were available to buy ready-made, it would definitely come with a hefty price tag. It’s really wonderful that you can do all this.

Oh, how absolutely gorgeous! Your creations just keep getting better—it looks really, really good!

I have to make sure Leo doesn’t see this. Cars is a huge hit here, too :) 

Thank you so much, everyone, for your compliments.

The Cars fabric (I bought 50 cm; it’s 1.40 m wide) was enough for the size 104 T-shirt and the front of the pillow. There’s still a small piece left. I paid 8 euros for the Cars fabric on sale. The solid turquoise jersey fabric was from my swap group. The pillow insert is from our own home, since we have (too) many pillows.

All in all, I’ve sewn some beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces at a great price. I would never have found them like this in a store—and if I had, they would’ve been made of polyester and from China. This way, I know exactly what kind of fabric it is and can decide on the cut, size, and look myself. Plus, I get to make wishes come true :-)

My grandson still loves to put on his dinosaur pants whenever he comes to visit us. They’re slowly getting too small for him. But he loves them. It’s so nice to be able to sew treasures like these yourself. Here they are: fire-breathing dragons are pretty cool. You never see anything like this in stores.



Best regards, Ina

Your creations look really cool! I’d love to go fabric shopping right away, but I haven’t dared to try jersey yet. Plus, our oldest daughter is showering her two boys—her two American nephews—and her little niece with awesome shirts and hats featuring dinosaur motifs or funny animals.

Dear Christina,

If your daughter is already sewing clothes for everyone around her, maybe you should consider sewing something for yourself . Cotton jersey fabric is very comfortable to wear and gentle on the skin. It’s no wonder it’s a popular choice for children’s clothing. And what’s good for kids is certainly no bad thing for us adults.

Jersey is easy to sew. All you need is a jersey needle in your machine, good thread (we had a separate thread about that here), and to set your sewing machine to the stretch straight stitch. The stretch straight stitch stretches with the jersey fabric while still remaining narrow. If a seam turns out wavy—which sometimes happens—just iron it flat (while damp).

I also like jersey because you don’t have to hem the raw edges. It doesn’t fray. That’s a big advantage. After sewing two pieces together, you can simply trim off the excess seam allowance. There’s no way it can come undone.

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Dear Christina, you could shop for a patterned cotton jersey fabric in your favorite colors and use it to sew a one-of-a-kind piece that only you will have. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here in the forum anytime. That’s how I got started, too. And it’s so much fun.

I still have a really beautiful cotton jersey fabric from Hilco lying around. It’s exactly in my favorite colors (blue, green, turquoise). And I’ve already found a pattern for it here at CP. Unfortunately, the “Lilette” pattern costs 8.99 euros, so I won’t be able to afford it until next month. But I’m already looking forward to this project.

So, are you inspired?

Best wishes, Ina