Guiding up Girls into Women

A little background "appetizer" to this post:
 
My husband and I are taking a small group study on the book by Drs. Cloud and Townsend titled "Boundaries with Kids". We already read the Love & Logic for Early Years by Drs. Fay and Fay. The Love and Logic book was good but just didn't 'click' with us. We both read the original "Boundaries" book by Drs. Cloud and Townsend and it was very helpful for us!
 
The biggest lesson I got out of this past class was the idea of "are we parenting for the future or are we parenting in the 'now'?".
 

Now to the "main course":
 
This concept is one that I have been pondering in regards to my girls. In this age of wild women celebrities doing, saying, dressing, acting like, in my opinion, no self respecting woman would do. I am the first example of a woman my daughters and son, for that matter, will know. Obviously I am not going around doing such acts or dressing like I belong in the red-light district, but what else can I do to help guide my girls into respectable, capable, women?
 
Now, I refuse to keep them in a little social bubble. We live in the world and it is my job to help them to be responsible, respectable and capable in this world. So instead of hiding and dressing in paper bags, I would like to teach them to be creative and be their own person. It's okay to not follow the crowd!
 
I've been watching since Christmas time, all the spring and summer "fashion" coming out in the stores when I get to town. I am shocked people buy their little girls some of these clothes! Just because it is the only thing easily available does not mean you should buy it for them (or yourself!).
I don't want to see my precious, innocent, little girl dressed in a wrap top showing her little belly while in a mini skirt.
 
When I grew up, the only people dressed like that were scary looking women in a dark part of town in the scary part of the movie!
 
When did this become high fashion?! When did this become fashion for little girls and toddlers?!
 
This is cheapening our children's innocence. This is robbing them of their childhood.
 
No, this "fashion" is not good enough for my girls. This fashion is not good enough for me.
 
As for me and my house, we will dress respectable! 

"Consider the lilies of the field..." -Matthew 6:28b

With that said, let's get to the "dessert":

Since thrifting for girls clothes is not worth my time here, since people out here have a "use it up attitude", (yay! for the people here!). I have decided to repurpose adult clothing and sew my girls their own clothes.

Nope, we're not talking prairie dresses and bonnets here. Although, what little girl doesn't imagine being Laura Ingalls Wilder after reading her books?!

What I am talking about is modest, fashionable, on trend and affordable for our budget.

Here is what I plan on making the girls in their choices of fabrics:
~2-3 Cute lengthy summer tops with ruffles and/or lace with coordinating capris
~Spring dress for each
~2-3 Summery dresses for each that go to the knee or below but will give them plenty of range of motion for all their fun activities
~1-2 skirts each to go with some nice t-shirts

I think that will get us through the summer months and since it will be homemade or re-purposed it should hold up to make good hand-me-downs also!

Now I just need to finish gathering up the patterns I would like to use and the inspiration photos I have and get fabric shopping!

I hope to have encouraged you to get courageous and think out side of the fashion box these designers and stores have tried to put us all in. I'm not an expert seamstress by any means. In fact I still consider myself to be a beginner!

You don't need to have experience to try at something. You just need motivation! Remember that old Chinese proverb "All masters were beginners at something once". If you have motivation you can move mountains, just don't give up and keep on working. It will come together someday and remember, there are always YouTube tutorials to help out if you get stuck! I'm sure I will be consulting the ever wise YouTube on my sewing journey! Feel free to join me in this adventure!

Here's to hoping I can get all this sewing done before baby #4 comes in June to help keep my innocent little girls just the way they are without hindering them with the "fashion" of today!

Happy sewing!
~KT~