Kid's Clothing Week: Day 2

 Day 2 of Kid's Clothing Week and it was decided that The Boy needed some new shorts- this in it's self is nothing new- this kid is growing like a weed and always needs new pants! I think I have sewn this pattern- Oliver & S Sandbox Pants- three times already for him in the past few months- blogged about here and here. To say it's a favourite of both the sewing Momma and The Boy would be an understatement- this pattern is simple and straight forward with fantastic details like the pockets and draw string!

      With the temperatures steadily inching consistently towards 20 degrees I decided to make this pair into shorts- or as we used to call them back in the day- which was also a Wednesday- "Jammers"! The Boy spotted this great whale fabric  at Spool of Thread a few weekends ago- it is Set Sail for Birch Fabrics- lovely soft organic cotton in a great teal shade- accented with a pop of green organic cotton at the cuffs, pockets and waste band. Because this is technically a full length pants pattern all I did was shorten it by about six inches and then add the contrasting green cuff- which finishes the leg off nicely.

       It can be really tough for me to sit down and sew for my boy- the patterns aren't as fun and neither are the fabric choices ( as patterns for the gals)- I am so glad that Spool of Thread is such a great resource in Vancouver- carrying not only inspiring boy's patterns but also tonnes of "masculine" fabric selections that my boy totally digs! When I'm working with great products it is easy to get carried away and want to keep sewing more- hence I have another pair of the Sandbox Pants cut out in a super sturdy brown twill for another day this week!

These kids- they are growing like weeds!

     My babies are growing up- figuratively and literally. I know this is what everyone one wants is for growing healthy kids, but all this growing does come with a modicum of sadness for me as I see my little ones growing out of wee little baby clothing into massive big kid clothing. I pack away their cute little clothes, I remember when I bought them and sigh, I give them a final sniff and put them into the box of things I can not bear to part with.

   These babes of mine are no longer babies hey are full on kids, something my 2 year old has been telling me since she started talking; " I no baby, I big kid" was and still is Lo's favourite saying. This one in particular is growing like a weed, clothes that I bought too big last year in anticipation of getting more than one season out of have gone into that box. That brings me to my decision to garb these babes of mine(for really they will always be wee babes to me) in as many home sewn garments as I possibly can.

   






















    It just makes sense economically, at this size a pair of shorts is half a meter of fabric and an hours worth of time. At this age is makes sense to take advantage of dressing them in home sewn goodness as they are not remotely aware of the mega giant retail industry who is out there lurking waiting to convince some hormonal mother to spend $78 on baby jeans- yes I briefly considered them, they were very cute!

    I love Oliver + S patterns, once figured out they are very straight forward and easy, plus insanely cute! I have made the Puppet Show Tunic only once but am planning a few more for the fall. There are a heck of a lot of steps and tailors tacks but it all comes together beautifully. Plus the length is perfect for a gal on the go!

   The bottoms that go with the Puppet Show Tunic are the easiest shorts I have ever made! They have cute little gathered pockets and are really more bloomer than short. Lo paired them here with a vintage chemise that I found at Community Thrift and Vintage. Her hat was found on sale at the Gap- some things are necessarily a justified purchase!

ps- the benefits of home sewing are enormous and political, I could go into depth all my reasons behind home sewing but I chose to focus for the moment on the pretty details like my Grandmother's vintage buttons that grace the back of the Puppet Show Tunic