Making an Art Smock for Your Child

The kids just went back to school, and that means I've been busy. Each year the school supply lists come home filled with things you can and sometimes have to make at home. Bags on hangers. Drawstring gym bags. Art smocks. The list goes on and on. I have two children in elementary school and both of them need things made every year. And because I'm well known as a seamstress, many parents from the school ask me to make things for their children.

The most popular item I've been asked to make this year is the art smock. The supply list says to use an old T-shirt, but not a single child wanted to be caught in a dirty old shirt, starting with my own seven-year-old. So the art smock got my attention this year.

I, of course, started with the smock for my own son. He had some specific requirements. It had to have "jaggy edges", it had to have holes under the arms so he wouldn't get sweaty, and he had to be allowed to paint it. Knowing it had to last the year, I chose a light denim to work with. He wouldn't be too hot and it would last.

So how to you make a smock for a child? With four pieces of fabric, some thread, a good length of elastic, and a sturdy sewing machine. To make one yourself, follow the directions here. Consult the rough sketches if you need a little help. These instructions assume you've done things like insert elastics and sew seams. Detailed directions for these things will not be given.

1. Start by measuring your child (all in inches). Measure the width of the child's torso (A), top of shoulder to top of knee (B), and top of shoulder to wrist (C).
2. Cut two pieces of fabric measuring A+20 inches wide and B inches tall. These will be for the body of the smock.
3. Cut two pieces of fabric measuring 24 inches wide and C+6 inches tall. These will be for the arms of the smock.
4. Lay out the fabric as the diagram suggests, keeping right sides together. Each sleeve piece should be folded in half to make a single sleeve. Raw edges should face down.
5. Study the sketch carefully. Notice the diagonal lines drawn on the pattern. Duplicate these, measuring 6 inches across and down from each corner indicated on the diagram. These lines will be exactly where your seams are.
6. Pin the required pieces of the pattern together, right sides together, lining up the lines you drew in Step 5. You should have four seams. Sew them together.
7. You should now have something that looks a little too big. That's okay. Keeping Right sides together, stitch the side seams. Start at the wrist area and sew until you get to the bottom edge of the smock. Then stitch the other side. If you want to give your child more room, sew only to just past the hip area on both sides.
8. Now you'll need some elastic at the wrists. Measure carefully. You don't want to make the wrists too tight. Sew a channel for the elastic, leaving a large enough space to pass a safety pin through. Attach the elastic to the safety pin and thread the pin through the channel. Once you have the elastic in place, sew the ends of the elastic together so it doesn't come out again (because that would mean you'd have to start over and that's annoying). Repeat on the other side.
9. Now you have to decide how to finish the piece. Start with the neck. If you notice in the picture at the top of the post, I just hemmed the area. No elastic, nothing fancy. You can do the same. You can also add an elastic if you want to tighten up the neck, but I tend not to. It's easier for the kids to get the smock over the head if the opening is large.
10. For finishing the other areas, I used pinking sheers to cut out holes under the arms (you don't have to do this; my son asked me to). I also cut around all the unfinished seams (still using the pinking sheers) to give it a "jaggy look" just like my son asked for. I frayed the edges a bit and used a decorative stitch just to make sure the denim didn't unravel.
11. Finally, my son broke out the fabric paint. He wanted it to look like he'd just come away from the paint table, so he put lots of paint splotches on it. He also added his name.

And voila! He had an art smock. Apparently all the kids loved it because I've made 11 more, all in the same style (though fabrics have differed). I've also provided fabric paints for each child. They decorate the smock when the come pick it up, then play with my kids while the paint dries. Tons of fun for everyone!

This project is easy to do yourself, though most people don't. It can be made with more fabric, increasing the width of the body pieces and giving it a more 'flowy' look. I do this for the girls so they have something that flounces. For the boys (like my son) something more streamlined works better.

Sewing a Stitch & Trim Seam

There are many types of seams, some more common than others. While the plain seam is the most common, it is also over-used by amateurs. A plain seam is only suitable for delicate fabrics that will not fray. If you're using a delicate fabric that might fray, the classic stitch & trim seam might be your best choice. It can really be used on any fabric weight, but those that fray easily would benefit from a different finish.

Like most seams, the stitch & trim begins with a plain seam. This is simple enough. Place your fabric with right sides together and pin. Put your fabric in the sewing machine and sew a straight line ⅝" from the raw edge of the fabric. Don't forget to backstitch for ¼" at both the beginning and end of your stitch so the thread doesn't unravel. Press the seam open with a warm iron so it lies flat for you.

Once you've done this, it's time to create the stitch & trim seam. Sew a line of straight stitching ¼" from the raw edge of the seam allowance. Do this to each side separately and press flat again. Make sure you backstitch to keep your stitching in place. It does you no good if it unravels as soon as you've pulled it from the machine.

Once you've flattened your seam, it's time to trim. Cut away the excess fabric at the raw edge of the seam allowance using a pair of sharp scissors. Get close, but not so close that you clip the stitching. Once you've trimmed, press the seam open again so it lies flat.

Mastering this seam allows you to move on to more complex seams such as French, bound, and Hong Kong seams.

Sewing a Straight or Plain Seam

The most common seam in the sewing world is the plain or straight seam. In fact, most other types of seams, including many of the fancy seams, begin with this simple process. So you absolutely must master this seam if you're going to do any amount of sewing at all. The good news? It's so simple my four-year-old can do it.

Before you begin the seam, check the pattern you're using. The standard pattern you buy at most stores will have a ⅝" seam allowance, though the clothing you buy off the rack will usually have a ½" seam allowance. A proper seam allowance is essential to ensuring the garment fits as intended, so make sure you know your measurement and that you've set your machine accordingly. See your manual for directions on doing this.

Pin your fabric pieces with right sides together. Make sure the fabric is lined up and that nothing is backwards (picking out a seam is a pain). Place your fabric in the sewing machine and stitch a straight line at an equal distance from the fabric's raw edge. Do this for the entire length of the seam. Backstitch ¼" at the beginning and end of the seam to keep the seam from unravelling. Once you've done this, press the seam open so it lies flat inside the garment.

Once you've mastered this seam, you can start finishing your seams using any number of finishes, including hand overcast, zigzag, or pinking.

The Importance of Seams and Seam Finishes

Seams are quite possibly the most important part of your sewing project. Think about it for a moment. You do all this work to designs, pattern, and cut your garment. You pin it all in place. That's already a lot of work, especially for more complex sewing patterns. You owe it to yourself to make sure the seam is of good quality, and that you're using the right seam finish for the job. After all, you don't want that gown or blouse falling apart the first time you wear it!

Your seam will make or break your project, so understanding seams will help create an item that will have both form and function. A seam finish is used to make the raw edge of your seam allowance look cleaner, but it also keeps fabrics from fraying or unraveling. But before you choose a seam finish, there are three important factors to consider.

Fabric Type and Weight

Some fabrics are more delicate than others. If you're working with a finely woven lace, you'll have to use a different seam finish than you would if you were using a heavy wool. You might only pink the wool, but you'll probably have to hand overcast or even tricot bind the lace. A knit fabric may need an overlock seam. You must take your fabric type into account when choosing your seam finish.

Garment Type

Almost as important as the fabric is the type of garment you'll be creating. If seams are visible during wear, you might opt for welt, fagotting, cord, or even hand pick when finishing the seams. Standard seams are fine for any project where the seams are hidden inside the the finished product.

Frequency of Use and Laundering

Wearing and washing garments slowly weakens all seam finishes. If you're going to be wearing something every day, you might choose an overedge seam or even bias tape binding to get the most life out of your garments. If you're hardly going to wear it (or if it's home decor project), hand overcast  or topstitching might do.

In the coming weeks I'll explore the thirty most common seam finishes. Some of these are practical, some are decorative, but all are useful when sewing, either for the beginner or the seasoned professional.