thank you soooo much to everyone who voted for my sweet tartan dress last week on project run & play! this week’s theme is boy week! yay!
poor boys, they get the short end of the stick in the sewing world. i think it’s just so hard to make boy clothes “special,” you know? it’s easy to draft a flouncier, twirlier, rufflier dress, or use a fantastic print for girls, but boys…it seems that the closer you can come to making them look like adult quality clothes, the better the result. so that was my goal here, for the most part. i wanted to make an outfit that would be very true to where my little guy is growing up (the outdoorsy, woodsy pacific northwest), but i also wanted it to be very comfortable and “finished looking.” though i did throw in a little fun too. gotta have a wink! here’s my sketch (i decided against the fargo hat):
i started with the pants. i used the basic pocket pants from “growing up sew liberated” as my base (what a great book that is – i’d been dying to dive into it). i downsized them from the smallest size given (2T) to 12-18 month size, slimmed the leg width, added a full flannel lining, lowered the front rise, changed the curved front pockets to slant, did a flat front waistband (with gathered elastic back), added button loops, faux back pockets, and did lots of topstitching to mimic a fly and flat felled seams. phew! it took a while!! i needed to use a montage on my PR&P post, but here are a couple better photos of the details…
i knew i wanted to leave the pants long enough to cuff them up to show the lining. oh man, i’m so jealous of him wearing these! the lining really is like wearing pajamas, it’s some of the softest flannel i’ve ever felt. i like the “traditional” red and black lumberjack plaid, too (this is the last of the plaid! i realize i did it last week too but i just couldn’t resist).
for his sweater, i’m a big fan of the shawl collar. i love it on men, and i thought it’d be really cute on a 13 month old boy. i washed and dried my husband’s old sweater to felt it, and it sewed up just fine! it’s 100% merino wool. i kept the existing hems on the sweater, and drafted my own pattern. it was fun figuring out how to make the shawl collar, though. the shape is a big football, pretty much, then it’s folded in half and the raw edge is attached, overlapping the ends. the leather button helps keep it down. i also appliquéd little oval microsuede elbow patches to the sweater (find my elbow patch tutorial for elsie marley here).
after that, i had a good basic outfit but i thought it needed a little something extra. so to complete the look, i made a flannel scarf (it’s a big rectangle that i sewed together and turned, topstitched, then added a big buttonhole in one side to pass the other end through), and a little felt coffee cup! i contemplated many felt portland-y accessories (a hatchet? log? fixie bike?) but figured that with all the coffee i drink to keep myself going after late sewing nights, a coffee cup was the most appropriate and recognizable. however, he didn’t want much to do with it! he kept throwing it. he must prefer stumptown coffee to starbucks…
so here’s the part where you go vote, if you haven’t yet. if you like my Tiny Timber boy look and want to see more from me, head over to project run & play to vote here! the voting was really tight last week, so every last one counts. thanks so much!!
that’s right, he’s pointing at YOU! go vote! 🙂
**Voting is now closed**
skirt as top 
c’mon people get over there and vote. Looks like it will be close again. DOnt be wow’d by over the top looks.
Kristins look is clean, classic, well made, wearable, and something you’d actually want to purchase.
nice job
darci
darci, thank you sooooo much for your comment! i don’t know you but i wish i could give you a hug!!! 🙂
Eek! He looks adorable! And I love that he’s embracing his Portland roots 🙂
Such a great job with the details. And yes, I’m jealous of his warm, flannel lined pants too!
impeccable, as usual! and a fixie bike would’ve been a pretty hilarious accessory to that outfit – HA! you did great, it’s a perfect cozy NW boy look 🙂
Hurray! That outfit is incredible! I love it when little boys are dressed in a manly way . . . this look is so perfect. Love it, love it! Great work, once again!
I love the shawl collar! So sweet.
I totally agree with everything you wrote about sewing for boys vs girls!
how cute that you made a coffee cup accessory! Keep up the good work & have a great day !
PS btw I mentioned you in my blog post today 🙂
Thank you so much, Rachel! I hadn’t gotten a chance to comment on your blog yet, but I’m so flattered! Blushing!
awesome, awesome outfit! Those pants are phenomenal and I love the coffee cup softie! Totally cracks me up. I wish you had been making and selling those the last few years; there are so many families I would have purchased one for! Great work, Kristin. 🙂
Very dapper! My gosh those pants look complicated. They’re making my head hurt just thinking about all those custom features! Very impressive…
They were a TON of work. Phew!
such a lovely outfit, the seater is so lovely. Would love to have this also for my little boy…
the best thing I’ve already ordered the book where you’ve taken the trousers from two days ago…can’t wait to get it!!!
Love,
Penny
You’re my favorite remix again this week! LOVE the collar on this number. Good luck! Looks like so much fun!
I really really really love this, Kristin! Tiny Timber….it’s irresistabley cute!! Good job. You definitely impressed me!
hi kristin! i love your sketches – so cute. im terrible at sketching, thats one of my 2012 resolutions to try at sketching more often. i recently made boys’ shirts for 2 and 4, and it a fun project. i dont usually make children’s clothing, but it is such a refresher and i loved the result. i like the elbow patches on the fleece:)
kristin, love the details on the pants and how cute is that little scarf. looking forward to next week’s look:).
Just linked over from PR&P, and I have to say I love your Northwest style! I moved away from Portland three years ago, and your blog makes me feel like I am back home again! Look forward to seeing you through this competition and beyond!
I really love this outfit. I just found you blog through PR&P this round. Love the design. Any chance of making some sort of tutorial on how to draft that type of collar?