Posts Tagged ‘boys’

kcwc spring 2012: day five

yellow linen hoodie

My youngest has a thing for hoods. He would be happy if every shirt he own had one (this tutorial makes that a possibility). He was looking a little like the incredible hulk in his old hoodie, so a new one was definitely in order.

hoodie from happy homemade vol. 2

the pattern: the hoodie pattern from Happy Homemade vol. 2. I made this pattern a few years ago and my son still wears his–has it on today actually. Successful boy’s patterns for tops made from woven fabric are few and far between. That makes this hoodie pattern practically perfect.  I added a kangaroo pocket to make it actually perfect.

the fabric: yellow linen from JoAnn’s. I’ve been using a lot of linen this week. I can’t help it, it is just so perfect for summertime kids: sturdy but still soft, lightweight but still durable. Also, my youngest is crazy for the color yellow and there aren’t a whole lot of tasteful options out there for that color. This yellow was yellow enough for him, but mustard-y enough for me.

hood

the sewing: This pattern comes together crazy fast. The elastic in the front is a little fiddly and I know it doesn’t look the greatest, but whatever. The hoods on the last hoodies I made seemed small, so I made this hood bigger. Except I made it bigger in the back and now my son looks like a conehead. I fixed the hood not so it’s not so pointy (after this photo shoot), but it’s still elf-y. An elf is cuter than a conehead, right? I think the hood pattern needs to be made bigger in the front so it covers his forehead. I already cut out another of these hoodies for my five year old son, but I may re-draft the hood before I start sewing.

cute

Here are today’s cuties from the flickr pool:

kcwc day five mosaic

1. kcwc 2012

2. sleeveless t-shirt

3. flat front pocket shorts

4. here fishy fishy

kcwc spring 2012: day three

matching linen pants

I had planned for this post to be a little more colorful, with some nice bright tees and crazy socks, but the boys insisted on being perfectly matchy-matchy (their words) right down to matching bare feet.  This’ll be yur summertime business casual for boys.

linen pants back

the pattern: This is a new pants pattern for me. I wanted to try it because it was a slimmer cut than my beloved pattern from Happy Homemade Vol. 2 and it had a back yoke (you know that sort of V-shaped part in the back of your jeans). The pattern is from a japanese sewing book called Polka Drops, or rather maybe the series is called polka drops and this specific book is called something else entirely. I know absolutely no Japanese, so your guess is as good as mine. If you follow the link, you’ll see the pants on the front cover.

purple pockets

the fabric: The fabric is the same dyed ikea curtain I used for my daughter’s skirt. I also used the same fabric for the purple pockets that I used in her skirt and for her Ayashe blouse too.

side view

the sewing: The actual sewing of the pants went really well. There were pockets and flat felled seams and it all went swimmingly. The fit though, the fit is crap. They are a nice width–not wide leg, not skinny–but they are way too big in the crotch (it is an awful word, I know, but there isn’t any other that works). If I hike them up old man style, then they fit right, but eventually the crotch gets all saggy again. I don’t really know how to adjust the fit so it’s better. Maybe next time I’ll lob off some of the top on the pattern. If you have any suggestions I’m all ears. Even though my boys do like them (and love that they match) and they will get worn, every time they do wear them the phrase saggy crotch will go through my head. Not pleasant!

silly linen pants

Here are some amazing clothes that will have you thinking only lovely things when you see them:

kcwc day three mosaic

1. gingham dress

2. taming the beast

3. beetlebroek

4. knot shorts upside down 

There isn’t room here on the blog to show off all the super fantastic garments in the flickr pool, so I’ve been featuring some on facebook throughout the day too.

 

sewing for boys by shelly figueroa and karen lepage

sewing for boys the book

It seems like forever that I have been waiting for a book about sewing clothes for boys and I know there are many of you out there in the same boat. The women behind the successful pattern line, Pattern for Figgy have come to the rescue! Their first book, Sewing for Boys, is full of nicely designed boy’s clothes for every season and a few accessories to boot.

raglan tee and brick bag pattern

Shelly and Karen have really thought through what boys need and want: the clothes have to be comfortable (even if they are for dressing up), durable, washable, and above all have lots of pockets! And a carrying case for legos and lego dudes is pretty awesome too.

the henry shirt

When got the book, I opened it up to the first page and fell in love with the Henry shirt. The shirt is a short sleeve, snap up, collar shirt with pockets–much like a guayabera shirt, or what we used to call “old man casual” shirts (only because my dad used to wear them). But it is just right for little boys too. And it is just right for showing off that bit of cute boy fabric you have been saving. The Henry shirt in the book is made with a beautifully subtle airplane fabric designed by Daniela Caine of Tangerine Samurai.

sleeve detail

I thought I had chosen beautiful fabrics as well: a double sided japanese fabric with checks on one side and plaid on the other; and a soft cotton in navy. Well, it turns out when you put them together it looks like my son works at a hot dog cart franchise or as a refrigerator repair man. It is a bad uniform.

the henry shirt and the wienermobile

But it is a bad uniform with a stand up collar that I made! The project was definitely above my current sewing skills (it is labeled advanced, but don’t worry there are projects for every level in the book). I was nervous going into it, especially when I didn’t see a picture for every step–I’m more of a visual learner. Turns out it was better that there were fewer diagrams because it made me read the directions more closely. And the directions in this book are clear and very succinct. They taught me how to make this shirt and I didn’t pull out one hair or have to mix up a cocktail to get through it.

the back of the henry shirt

Granted, I still managed to sew the yoke on completely upside down and had to unpick the whole thing, but cut me some slack I’ve never made a button up shirt before. Well, almost a button shirt–it doesn’t actually have buttons on it yet.  I’m trying to find some that will make it a little less bad uniform. The pattern calls for snaps, which is perfect for boys, but I think snaps will take this shirt into even worse uniform territory.

two in one jacket

The directions are good, the patterns are basic and beautiful, and the pictures are pretty cute too. So really, if you sew and you have boys you need this book.   But hoodies, tee shirts, tunics, girls wear all those things too. Even though this book says it’s for boys, whatever, let’s not get all sexist with our sewing machines now.  Next on my list is the two-in-one reversible jacket–it’s labeled intermediate, so I’m not too nervous.

boy and sewing for boy

If you would like to know more about this book or the other craft books published by Wiley, head on over to their site where they have Q & As with the authors and a few free projects too. And you can follow along on the Sewing for Boys book tour:

September 5 Made by Rae
September 6 Sew, Mama, Sew
September 7 The Southern InstituteFilm in the Fridge
September 8 Elsie Marley
September 9 NoodleheadOh, Fransson!
September 10 I Heart Linen
September 11 Anna Maria Horner
September 12 Craft Buds, Pink Chalk FabricPrudent BabySew Much Ado
September 13 Very Purple PersonQuilt StorySew Sara
September 14 The Long Thread
September 15 Susan Beal
September 16 True Up
September 17 All Buttoned UpBolt Fabric Boutique
September 18 MADEWiley Craft

sew a suit!

kcwc spring 2011: day seven

handmade top and shorts

I am just under the wire with this post. Today is (was) the last day of the kids clothes week challenge and I am all challenged out. With the little bit of sewing mojo I had left,  I managed to finish–well almost finish–this tank top for my son today. I’m not totally on board with the whole sewing with knits thing yet, but I picked up a bit of the softest blue striped knit at the thrift store and I had to at least try. So I faked it and pretty much made it.

muscle shirt

A matching one for his little brother is in the works. The shorts I eeked out from some random thrift store yardage as well. I had to use some scraps for the pocket, but it’s kind of a cool detail I think. They are from the same pattern I’ve been using all week and I think I could sew it in my sleep at this point.

orange shorts

It was a stripey kind of day in the flickr pool. I want to eat that little shiso baby up, she’s so cute. Check out all the matching outfits Mimi made for the whole shiso family!

1. fashion show sunday 2. flat from shorts 3. sailboat top 4. linen pants

It’s been a pretty damn fantastic week, I have to say. But there will be much reminiscing and showing off and patting each other on the back this week, and maybe even a prize or two. Did you have a good time? Or do you never want to look at your sewing machine again?

back again

Sorry. I didn’t mean to be gone for an entire month!  Honestly, it’s a little hard to get back on the horse. But better just to jump right back into it (or onto it, if we are still in the horse metaphor), so here goes.

These linen pants were inspired by a fantastic pair little boy pants that popped up on flickr during kids clothes week (see below). I was working on a couple patterns from Carefree Clothes for Girls during kids clothes week and I thought those pants translated that aesthetic–rough around the edges, but still chic; old timey, but modern at the same time–perfectly.  They are made by little bird designs, who also makes some super cute things and sells them on etsy.

I made my pants, well my son’s pants, out of this nice striped linen from Joann’s that I had been saving for another project that just never happened. There was only about a yard, so I had to cut the cuffs against the grain, which actually turned out to be a nice detail.  I did an elastic waist, but I do think that big drawstring on the other pants is more Huck Finn.

Of course right after I washed them my iron broke, which is why they are a mess in the picture–who am I kidding? they probably would be have been a mess regardless.  So are there any good iron recomendations out there? because I can barely sew without one! And I need to get a new one quick, because I’ve been eyeing that same linen fabric in brown for this pattern I picked up:

Granted I have no idea if I can sew this, but we’ll see (it’s V1175, if you feel like sewing along with me). I actually have a few things I sewed for myself I want to show you, but I haven’t figured out how to take a decent photo of myself in them.

And just like that I’m back on the horse.