Wonder Woman Costume

Jane wanted a Wonder Woman costume for her birthday. I was limited for time so I bought a basic dress and made some pieces to make it more special. With more time I wouldn't have bought any of it, the basic costume was nothing special. But it did have a tutu skirt which I knew she'd like.

To find out how I made my Wonder Woman outfit, read on!

Sewing fancy dress fabrics - some tips

Three of the fabrics I was using for my grand-daughter's Wonder Woman costume were really difficult to sew, so I thought I'd share how I managed them. One was a gold lamé type of fabric, which comprised very thin gold plastic over a thin white backing, one was a similar fabric in white plastic, and the other was shiny red leotard material, which, when I looked at it closely, seemed to be made of millions of tiny tiny sequins or scales. The gold fabric was to be used for the waistband / belt of the skirt, and for the arm gauntlets; the red was for the cape and leg protectors, and the white for the flashes on the leg protectors. With fabrics like these, I always try out on a spare bit first. And I could see these would be trouble!

None of these could be sewn easily on the machine, even with a travelling foot and stretch needle. The thin gold and white plastics just tore, or the needle made big holes; and the little red scales seemed to be too slippery for the needle, which slithered off sideways and stopped the feed-dogs moving the fabric at all. 

For ways of getting round this, read on!

Free PDF patterns links that now don't work - Page 1 - A - G

I do my best to keep updating my blog, especially the links to other web sites. I've been blogging about free PDF patterns for baby and children's clothes for about 5 years now, and it's frustrating when I find the links to some of my favourites are no longer available. 

Sometimes, the designers' web sites still exist, or they have a new one: but their children have grown older, and they no longer want to support children's patterns, or now have only adult patterns. So the previously free pattern no longer exists. Or they've decided only to sell patterns, and no longer to offer any free ones. Occasionally, previous links no longer work, but I've managed to find a new one that does. But often, the web site has just gone, or has gone very dodgy, so you get messages that it's unsafe - or worse, if your security software doesn't catch it. 

Shorts made with Caila Made pattern, from now unsafe web site

However, many of the defunct links are going to continue to float around the internet. In the past, someone has added them to Pinterest. Then the pins get re-pinned, and then those re-pinned pins get re-pinned again, even though they may no longer link back to anything useful. In one sense, that doesn't matter to me, because I've downloaded the patterns anyway, if not the tutorial. But in another sense, it is a problem, because I've recommended the links to others. 

So the purpose of this post is to go through some of the defunct links, and others that have wobbled in the past, to see what I can offer to you. Like me, you may like what you've seen on Pinterest or elsewhere. In some cases, I can help. I may have found an alternative link, I may have something similar I can recommend instead, or I may have one of my own patterns that would work. Maybe I have something already saved that could help you. Others are sadly gone for ever. If you find other links (on my web site or on Pinterest) for baby patterns that don't work, do let me know!

If you are one of these pattern designers and you now have a new web site, where these patterns are available, please do get in touch. I'll be happy to set the record straight.

Free PDF patterns links that now don't work - Page 2 - H - M

This is Page 2 of my post looking at links to free baby and children PDF sewing patterns that no longer work - but are probably still on Pinterest or elsewhere. That's a bit shorthand - some do work but appear not to!  The purpose of this post is to go through some of the defunct links, and others that have wobbled in the past, to see what I can offer to you. Like me, you may like what you've seen on Pinterest or elsewhere. In some cases, I can help. I may have found an alternative link, I may have something similar I can recommend instead, or I may have one of my own patterns that would work. Maybe I have something already saved. Others are sadly gone for ever. If you find other links (on my web site or on Pinterest) for baby patterns that don't work, do let me know!

If you haven't seen Page 1 (A - G) of this post yet, click here.

UPDATE NOTE MAY 2019: Some of the I Candy links below which had disappearted in February have now been rescusitated. I will reinstate them below shortly.

Free PDF patterns that now don't work - Page 3 - N - Z

This is Page 3 of my post looking at links to free baby and children PDF sewing patterns that no longer work - but are probably still on Pinterest or elsewhere.That's a bit shorthand - some do work but appear not to! The purpose of this post is to go through some of the defunct links, and others that have wobbled in the past, to see what I can offer to you. Like me, you may like what you've seen on Pinterest or elsewhere. In some cases, I can help. I may have found an alternative link, I may have something similar I can recommend instead, or I may have one of my own patterns that would work. Maybe I have something already saved. Others are sadly gone for ever. If you find other links (on my web site or on Pinterest) for baby patterns that don't work, do let me know!

Two dresses I made in 2017 from patterns that now have links that are broken.

Or, if you are responsible for one of the web sites for which I have broken links, and you know differently, please also let me know that, and I'll be happy to set the record straight.

If you haven't seen Page 1 (A - G) of this post yet, click here. Or for Page 2 (H- M) click here. Otherwise, read on for patterns from web sites from N to Z.