Fall 2021: What to Make and What to Buy.

My mom told me this is her favorite of my annual posts…so I had to make another 🙂

I can’t sew it all. I’ve tried but I just can’t. Below you will see a graphic of what I’ll be making and what I’ll be sewing for this fall and winter.

Looking at the graphic above, the items on the top are pieces I’ll be buying. I love Peter Pan collared shirts but I cannot make them as fast as my kids can destroy them. I also prefer them in knit but I don’t prefer sewing with knit. For me, purchasing staple knit pieces for the kids makes the most sense, and makes it so that I have plenty of sewing time to dedicate to the pieces I most enjoy sewing.

So here are the items I will be purchasing this fall:

Mitzi sue slacks– I’ve tried a bajillion leggings. These are hands down my favorite. They are “relaxed fit” so they aren’t crazy tight, which makes both my daughter and I more comfortable.

Long sleeve Peter Pan girls -I buy these once a year. They will go under any jumpers that I make, or go with the leggings for a comfortable but pulled together outfit.

Long sleeve Peter Pan Boys– Again, I buy these and the short sleeve versions every year. They go under jon-jons or with a pair of shorts in the warmer fall days.

Turtleneck– These are adorable under Jon-jons/jumpers and transition really well into winter when having their little necks covered becomes more necessary.

3 pack long sleeve polo – you cannot beat these polos. The. Price. Is. Right. I buy the long and short sleeve versions in every possible color, put a little mini embroidery on them and call it a day. Pulled-together, easy, comfortable. I can’t recommend these enough.

Knee High Socks– I’ve bought so many of these knee socks I think amazon automatically puts them in my cart in September…I wish I was kidding.

Cienta Shoes– I haven’t tried these yet but my oldest son has recently grown out of my all-time favorite t-strap keds and I am so sad. I’m not ready to have to tie his shoes all the time but still want a classic look, these seem to be the best alternative. If anyone else knows of a good brand, send it my way!

Another staple I’m looking to purchase is a good fitting crew neck sweatshirt, I want matching options for all three of my kids and plan to embroider them with their names. I’ve yet to find one that hits all my size ranges, has a good fit, and is reasonably priced. If any of you all know of any…comment below or shoot my a message! I’m not sure why this is tricky for me this year.

Now onto the fun stuff: The pieces I get to make!

First off, I got my hands on a size five Children’s Corner Maggie (bottom-right in the graphic above) so that will definitely be happening. Not sure what fabric yet, but I almost always prefer that dress in a check. It’s easier to make, see this post for why that is the case. That pattern is impossible to find or I would link it up! If you ever run across one in any size, snatch it up immediately or send me an email so I can snag it!

I absolutely love this little Blue Overall (middle-right in the graphic above) from Little English. I’ll be replicating it using this Easy Sunsuit Pattern and feather wale corduroy. I have a couple of other blog posts on this pattern that you can find here and here.

Green Jon Jon (middle-right in graphic above)- I’ve drafted this pattern! Hoping it will be my next .PDF offering. I’m working on testing it now! If you’re interested in being a tester please send me an email or message!

Jumper (middle-left of graphic above)- I’ve not seen a jumper like this one, I love it! I’ll likely use Children’s Corner Pattern Lee to recreate it. I will pleat the skirt before I cut it out, then add it as normal. I’ll also nix the sleeves and collar. If it works I’ll make a blog post all about it!

To make the sweet Peter Pan shirts in the bottom right corner of the image above, I’ll use Children’s Corner Pattern Johnny shirt pattern, lengthen the sleeves and add a cuff/band. I’m only doing that because that is my ride-or die shirt pattern. Children’s Corner has come out with some other shirt patterns that could easily be used, it’s just my go to.

I recently ran across this adorable Wiksten Jumper (third from bottom-left in the graphic above) and absolutely love it. I think I’ll do one of these in a mid weight fabric for my daughter that matches a couple of Jon-Jon’s for my son. Jumpers with blouses and knee socks are Fall perfection :).

Last but not least, the Tuck dress. It is the second from the bottom-left in the graphic above. This dress is so good. It goes all the way up to a size 7-8 and its just classic perfection. Trudy Horne’s instructions are incredible clear and the pattern is perfectly drafted.

PHEW! That was a lot of links! Some of them are affiliate links and I will make a small commission if you use them. I hope this helps y’all organize your sewing and buying fall lists! Now its time for me to plan a color palette….off to fabric shop!