2017-March: Prototype Rainbow trainers

Here is the first pair of trainers (for C.) that I made using my new design! I like them a lot! All the trainers in my shop have this design.

They have a PUL outer print with stretchy knit sides (the stripes) and stretchy knit waistband and leg bands! Inside is a full layer of bamboo velour and a hidden absorbent layer of hemp/bamboo/cotton fleece. They are just what I wanted them to be! I think C. needs to size up already, though!

2017-March: Training pants and Undies for Shop

A roundup of March's training pants and undies for www.Dorybird.com!

trainers

trainers

trainers

trainers

trainers

undies

undies

undies

undies

undies

undies

2017-Feb: Underpants and Trainers for Dorybird shop

Here are the undies and trainers I made for the Dorybird.com shop launch! Available now!

Size 3T

size 5T

size 3T

size 5T

2014-February: Sunny Trainers #2!

This was another iteration of the Sunnies trainers.  They have fleece side panels and waistband, knit outside (Sunnies!), and a cotton fleece inner.  There is elastic in the waistband, too.  I tried to make these in a different way, with the body constructed more like a diaper.  I don't think aesthetically it was that successful, but these worked great as trainers!!

2013-December: Sunny Sky undies/trainers, or "Sunnies!"

These were made with the Lillestoff Sunny Sky print, which quickly became my daughter's FAVORITE. (If anyone out there has any of this print knit for sale, let me know because I'd love to buy more!)  They were trainers in that they had an inner of fleece and something absorbent in the wetzone (why can't I remember?), but she mainly wore them as regular underpants.

She referred to them as "Sunnies!" and that's what she now calls this print.  I should have bought way more at the time, but a) it was expensive!!, and b) I had no clue that it would become so beloved.  I use what I have sparingly now, to spread it out over as many garments as I can for her!

2013-December: Bear Trainers

I made these for E. for nighttime.  They were ultimately too small for her, so I gave them to a friend for her son.  These were lined with red Polartec fleece . . . I thought it would be stay-dry ("wicking"), but I think it was water-repellent . . . so might not have worked all that well anyway.  I had something absorbent in there, too -- I forget.  And thus began my era of actual sewing!!

2012-December: Story Time Trainers

These were for E!  She has always loved reading and loved having all her favorite characters on these undies.  It's so important with potty training for the child to have FUN with it!  These were really fun to make (out of another pair of white Imse Vimses).  I do love to draw!

2012-November: Toys Trainers

These were for my daughter, decorated with her favorite toys and characters at the time.  I started with white Imse Vimses and used markers and paints.

2012-October: Painted Car and Dog Undies

These trainers were the first thing I hand-decorated for E (with fabric markers)!  She loved her Gerber trainers with cars printed on them, so I wanted to make her plain blue ones more interesting.

This was a pair of white Imse Vimse trainers I bought for the purpose of drawing on them!  She also LOVED dogs at this point so I put various characters from our lives, books, and made-up doggies on them.

E. really loved both of these, so that fueled my fire to make MORE!

An Introduction

Aside from the occasional wonky pair of curtains on the sewing machine I got for my wedding, I really wasn't into sewing until the very end of 2013.  What was my inspiration?  Why, my daughter, of course!

In 2012-2013, I had fun hand-painting clothing/trainers/undies for her and some friends . . . this led to my interest in MAKING cool clothes myself!  I also had cloth diapered her (and currently use cloth for my second, as well), so I eventually got curious about sewing my own training pants for her.

Through careful study of how some purchased trainers were constructed, internet research and ultimately buying some patterns, I experimented with making a couple pairs of training pants for her.  She learned pretty quickly after I sewed these, so I didn't have much sewing to do for a while -- until I learned some friends were pregnant!

Thus in 2014 I began sewing some cloth diapers for their future babies . . . and it was really fun and relaxing!  I learned my machine, got better and more efficient at it, and really loved the sense of accomplishment from the finished pieces.  I kept going, trying patterns and making all sorts of clothes for my girl!

(I should add that I got hooked on fabrics at this point . . . eh heh heh . . . all those amazing colors and prints!!  And soft, comfy knits!  Wheeee!)

So now here I am, sewing every chance I get and trying new things for both my first daughter and now my second little baby girl!  I keep picking up tips and tricks along the way -- I'm no expert, but I love learning and hope to steadily improve.  I have a background in Design, and I think I've finally found the perfect outlet for my skills: making all these amazingly cute sewn things with my own two hands!!

On this blog I want to document the projects I've made from the start (a backlog of sorts, including painted shirts), and keep going with future projects, too.  Sorry about any poor photo quality; I'm trying to get things up here quickly!

Thanks for reading!
Dorothy