Sewing for kids is not only great fun – these small items are usually also quick to sew. When my daughter was little, I sewed lots of baby clothes for her, from babygrows to bibs, as well as a fur coat and practical romper suits. You don’t have to be an expert sewer to make children’s clothing; you can gain experience of sewing by making things for your child. And over time you will get lots of sewing ideas for kids clothes, believe me 🙂

When you are sewing for kids, it is important to pay attention to the following:

1. Children’s clothing sizes
2. Choosing fabrics for children’s clothing
3. Sewing patterns

Children’s clothes and their sizes

Normally, children’s clothing sizes are stated as the body height in centimetres. Sometimes age information is also given on labels, but it is often very inaccurate and is probably intended more for grandparents. It is better to measure either the chest or the hips and waist depending on the garment (including the nappy if applicable  😉 ), and to compare the measurements with the corresponding table.

Various tables of baby clothes sizes are available on this website.

Sewing for children: Fabrics for home sewing

By sewing for children you should look out for low-emission textiles. It is particularly important that the fabrics are washable, preferably at 60°. Unfortunately, some fabrics for children’s clothing run, which can be a problem particularly in garments made from a mixture of different fabrics. It is therefore generally a good idea to wash all the fabrics beforehand!

Making children’s clothes is normally straightforward: to ensure success, novice sewers should only use woven cotton fabrics initially.

If you do not want to sew using low-emission or organic fabrics, it is also possible to use second-hand fabrics when sewing for kids. Men’s shirts made of cotton, sweaters and similar items have already been washed many times and are good for your baby’s skin and your wallet as well as the environment. You can find a nice example of this in another blog article:  Upcycling. 

Why not try it with some fun things.

Free sewing patterns for kids

One of the many sewing ideas for kids in our Inspiration Magazines is in Issue 58: a romper suit made of jersey, including the sewing pattern and instructions. You can buy Inspiration Magazine from your BERNINA dealer or order it here. We have also free sewing patterns for kids: please follow this link and download there our patterns as zip-file.

Look for practical sewing patterns! A top should pass over the baby’s head without the need to force it. Measure the baby’s head circumference carefully and compare it with the size of the neck hole.

When changing nappies, garments that allow you change your baby without completely undressing them are recommended. Items with poppers or zips at the crotch are therefore ideal.

You can find baby and toddler patterns in special sewing booklets, for example by Burda. You can often also find what you’re looking for on the Internet, for example right here on our blog. Instructions are available for

• Baby shoes
• Baby blankets
• Baby jackets
• Baby trousers

and lots more. And we are constantly adding new Patterns (please use online Translation for those articles).

Sewing ideas for kids

Embroidery or child-friendly appliqué designs make baby and young children’s clothing truly individual.

Below I have compiled a collection of some sewing ideas for kids and babies (embroidery) from previous editions of the BERNINA sewing magazine, Inspiration, that might interest you:

• Owl
• Flowers
• Toadstools
• Ballerina
• Rabbit
• DesignWorks/ DS shirt

There is also a wide choice of patterns available in the BERNINA Embroidery Design Studio for those of you who are already experienced embroiderers. Alternatively, you may also find something at embroideryonline.com.

If you have been inspired to sewing for kids, there are lots of things you can sew for your child!

With love and best wishes to you and your little ones

Claudia Giesser