I wasn’t as productive as I had hoped during summer KCW, but I did manage to finish a couple of outfits for each kid. Here are J’s:
Rocket ship tank with blue linen pants
Airplane tank with brown chambray pants
No new patterns or reviews here — when I sew for J, I pretty much stick to my TNT patterns anymore. He has fairly simple and predicable taste in clothes. Comfy t-shirts and tanks, loose, comfy pants or shorts … do you sense a theme?
Both tanks are Blank Slate Patterns Blank Tanks sewn up in size 5. I used a cotton blend jersey that I from Pick Your Plum. The pattern instructions tell you to finish all the openings by turning under and sewing, but as per my usual, I finished the arm and neck holes with bands instead. I just think it looks nicer.
For these tanks, I tried my hand at freezer paper stenciling. The images are ones I found online and just printed them off in the size I wanted. I traced them on to freezer paper, cut them out with my Exacto knife and ironed them on to the shirts. It worked great! I was careful when applying the paint and let them dry just a little bit (but not too much) before pulling off the freezer paper. Easy peasy!
Looks nice and great for jumping.
The pants are the Made by Rae Parsley Pants, also in size 5. Again nothing earth shattering. I included the front patch pockets but didn’t include the knee pads. The blue pants are made with a lightweight linen that I picked up at Joann’s way back when I first started sewing, and the brown are a medium weight chambray (so still lightweight by most standards) from Michael Levine.
My goal with these pants was to make something very lightweight that he could wear in summer heat to protect his legs from our ravenous mosquitoes. He ran around like a crazy person all over the playground in these, so I think I was successful!
These patterns are a winning combo for me because they meet his comfort criteria as well as my rule that my kids are not allowed to go to school in athletic shorts. I know that’s the style for boys these days, but I went to Catholic schools with a dress code from elementary all the way through high school, and I am a firm believer in the concept that how you present yourself reflects (however subtly) the seriousness and respect you give your activity. So, no gym clothes to school. If that means I have to make his clothes, so be it.
Anyone who photographs boys knows how hard it can be to get them to sit still for photos, much less pose for you. This is about as close as I could get him to a “pose” so I could snap a shot of his tank:
“Mom, I am so over this.”
So I resorted to photos on the monkey bars:
J loves the monkey bars.
It’s all about the leg swing.
Running across the bridge:
Mid-air!
And riding his bike:
Not pictured: The cute blond 9-year-old he was flirting with. Kid is a charmer!
These ones were actually his idea — I think maybe he just wanted to hang out in the shade!
Goofball.
Always the monkey.
I’ll take tips — how do you get good boy pictures?
the creative counselor 