Modern baby clothes

I knitted avidly for my GD, now almost 9. Then what did DS do? He put them in the hot wash with the nappies - they used 'real' ones - which did my lovely cardies no good at all!

Speldnan I love to see tiny babies in white and hate to see them in denim and dark colours. Luckily for me my daughter feels the same. We've just turned out the attic for some hand knitted cardigans and matinée coats (white) that my granddaughter wore when she was born 5 years ago. Surprisingly they are still nice and white and lovely and soft. I've just washed them all for her ready for baby no 2 in November.

I don't dislike colours when they are a bit older, especially for when they are crawling around as obviously colours are more practical but there's nothing like seeing a baby all in white laying in its pram.

I do alot of knitting.I knited baby clothes for all of my five grandchildren but sadly I hardly ever saw them wearing them. My grandson was brought home from hospital at two days old wearing tiny denim jeans and matching jacket.The four girls all wore shop bought clothes as well.
I like to see babies looking like babies but my DILs thought otherwise.

When my newest GD is out and about, people mention her pretty handknits and assume that I made them. Occasionally they are right, but more often it's my daughter's work they are admiring. She found knitting very therapeutic during two difficult pegnancies. Fortunately my DD feels equally strongly about denim and dark colours so no arguments or disappointments!

Glad people agree with me. Luckily my DIL has put her baby in mostly white or pink with just the occasional weird hat! My daughter is expecting for the first time and she loves handicraft and traditional things so hopefully she will like the pale knitting I will do for her and her baby.
I have one baby granddaughter who lives abroad and one on the way who will be only an hour away so it is all happening at once for me!

I enjoy knitting and used to make a lot of my children's clothes and toys too -both sewing and knitting [remember Clothkits?]. Nowadays though I just love the little garments you can get so cheaply in ASDA and Tesco - bright and cheerful - which you don't mind them getting mucky or daring to grow into the next size. I still knit little blankets when I get the urge but baby clothes now I find fiddly - the sewing up in particular.

goldengirl I remember clothkits. I didn't make any myself but my sister in law made two beautiful jackets for her girls when they were toddlers and they had lovely little stuffed animals in the pockets!

I loved clothkits and still remember a lovely little pinafore dress in a fine printed cord. I wasn't at all confident about dressmaking but couldn't go wrong with this and both DD's wore it. I still have a little dress I later made for DD (Navy viyella with little red puppies) and she plans to put it on baby GD this winter with red tights! Looking forward to that.

Libradi, goldengirl I still have a clothkits quilted jacket which I made for my youngest son. It is in perfect condition just waiting for my grandaughter to grow into it. Most of my sons (I have two) clothes were handknitted or sewn by me. I loved the French knitting patterns by Phildar. The boys wore a mix of tradditional and funky colourful clothes. When my grandaughter arrived I had many cringe moments at some of the outfits my DIL chose for her.

At our local shopping centre Jan Walton has a lovely display of new born &
toddler hand knitted jackets and pram set's all in traditional pattern's that
you will all be familiar with and love,she sells bonnets and helmets and little
booties and mittens,all the proceeds go to the new born appeal at Liverpool
Womens Hospital,I have bought many a nice piece from her and have alway's
had compliments from others people who remember the patterns.

I agree about denim for babies - not very nice, and not as comfy for the baby, I would imagine, as normal baby clothes.

When mine were first crawling I knitted very bright stripy all-in-ones ie leggings and bib n braces top. These were hard wearing and stopped them crawling out of their (cloth) nappies.

goldengirl, Libradi, Em, Sook I used to love Clothkits and living in Switzerland, got so excited to receive my parcels. There wasn't much for my boys but I made lots of their toys, hobby horse, puppets, wall hangings with pockets, many of which I passed on to my nieces. One of my nieces who is now 24 still uses one of the little bags I made. I wore lots of Clothkits outfits myself - in fact my holiday videos are full of Clothkits dresses! I even made a pilgrimage to Lewes to check out their shop.

One of my pet hates for babies is jeans! They seem so tight and uncomfortable over nappies and it's not good to see their movements restricted as they crawl around.

I don't remember Clothkits, perhaps they were a bit up-market for me as money was really tight when my children came along. I used to knit and sew all of the family's clothes using cheap market fabric and yarns. There was a lot of lightweight Crimplene-type material available - wouldn't consider it now- which was very easy to wash with no ironing (still important to me).I even made patchwork outfits with all the scraps.
I do cringe when I remember making myself a gingham dress and then one each for my baby and toddler daughters out of the remnants. We even wore them on the same day once!!!!
I liked to make matching pants with every outfit to cover the ugly, bulky terry nappies and plastic pants, I was always being complimented on them.
On my first grandchildren being boys I was amazed at the variety of clothes in the shops for them compared to 40-odd years ago,they are so cute, but I agree denim is a bit stiff.

I'm sure Clothkits disappeared but I heard that they had made a comeback and had a look. No cheaper than they were before; the website is www.clothkits.co.uk.

Oh thanks Annobel , I loved Clothkits, and made lots of them, I am a Klutz at sewing and making but I could do that.

I'm expecting (or should that be "awaiting"?) my first next Spring, and have been looking at baby patterns. They do look so different from the layette I prepared for my daughter. And the price of enough fabric and yarn to make for even a newborn!!!
And that's before you get to new-fangled prams, car seats etc etc etc ...

ff, a friend of mine, way back when the DSs were small, used to make clothes using material from garments she bought at jumble sales and washed thoroughly. I often see things in charity shops that I wouldn't/couldn't wear, but the material is really good and usable. However, sewing brings me out in a cold sweat! I am cultivating GD1 who is studying fashion.

I can't resist a bargain, so have been stashing fabrics for years! some of them must come in useful for tots.

I am relearning knitting now that I have a baby GD. I love all the new colours. I did not like all those fiddly handwash white, pink and lemon matinee jackets that my MIL turned out by the score! So far I've knitted a jumper in a rust colour and a beanie hat in denim blue.

I have always enjoyed sewing - dressmaking, patchwork, quilting, embroidery, etc. etc. My younger DD gets married in a couple of months time and I'm making a dress for my GD as well as a bolero for my DD. The one person I rarely sew for is me!
And yes I used to Clothkit like a pro!

My youngest GD is just 13 months and my DD (and I) still prefer pastels. She and I knitted lots of matinee jackets and a couple of shawls. We've had many compliments and the baby looks lovely. Modern fabrics and wools don't need hand-washing just a cool short gentle wash.

Re Clothkits: I loved them as theirs were the only things I could manage to make myself (on an old Singer machine). It was such an achievement for me I had to keep them all. They weren't cheap but so hard wearing they survived my 3 children and my grand-daughter. When she wears them they attract a great deal of comment - how lovely etc, I remember those & wish my mum had kept mine. They are still good for another few generations!They are such a change from the universal pink now and still look fresh and more modern than some of the current clothes.
The new Clothkits have an archive of pictures from old customers - but I haven't yet worked out how to down load my collection.

Our first grandchild is expected in April. I am busy knitting cardies etc (patterns chosen by my DIL!) but she doesn't want to know the sex of the baby until it is born. Which side do I sew the buttons on or doesn't it matter!

Wiz i really don't think it matters. I am expecting first grandchild in March and am alternating sides with each jacket!

I really really HATE the pastel handknits we used to churn out, and LOVE new bright colours and designs. I find it hard to get modern patterns, though. And I can see from lots of the above posts that the older-fashioned cardies are still loved by many. Sigh:-( !