i did not predict how having a second boy would affect my sewing output. i should’ve – i’m a pretty practical person. but now i know that if i spend time sewing for O, two little fellas will be able to wear it. C now wears O’s handmade hand-me-downs, and it’s pretty darn cute.
plus i’m a firm believer in “boy clothes can be fun and exciting too,” especially when the kiddo has a say in them!
so once again, this guy gets to show off a whole new outfit.
O’s current favorite TV show is The Octonauts, an adorable little animated series about animal underwater adventurers that help save/learn about other creatures. it’s cute and educational and one of the few shows that doesn’t cause an argument at weekend morning cartoon time, because his sister loves to watch it too – bonus!
a gal i follow on instagram, Summer aka @sevenpretty, recently made a couple great pairs of Oliver + S Sailboat Pants (and then a top!). her taste is impeccable and it made me itch to sew O a new Sailboat Top for spring. he’s had one to fit him through most of his life so far (here and here – that second one lasted a really long time). so here’s the next size up.
i remembered when i made this version for Miles that it ran a bit short in the body in relation to the arm length/body width. so for O’s top, which is also a 3T, i added 1” length to the body. probably should’ve made a 4T but this one was already traced, so…
i lined up the front and back body pieces at the hems (which are curved), and used a ruler to slash the pattern across the middle. then i sandwiched and taped an inch of tracing paper in each to create the longer body. the fit seems a bit more in proportion as a “sweater” and should last him a while.
i thought i had gotten this great slubby aqua and gray knit from the Bolt remnant bin but i recently spotted the exact same stuff on a bolt at Modern Domestic, so maybe they both got it? it’s a hemp/organic cotton blend, i believe. it’s a great weight and i love it and it looks quite nautical, eh?
i’ve still never made a Sailboat Top out of a woven material, and i’ve still never made it for a girl. I just love it in heavier knits for boys! i sewed this one with a straight stitch, ballpoint needle, and my walking foot, then i finished the seams with my serger. the easy fit and buttons at the neck make a straight stitch work fine (unless he tries to take it off without unbuttoning, grrrrr).
O is actually way more excited about the shorts than the top. first of all, he’s thrilled that the weather has warmed up enough for us to allow him to wear shorts again on a regular basis (he tried all winter). i had originally thought the color of the top looked very “Octonauts-esque,” so i made shorts to coordinate with it and really sell the look to him.
he asked for a “Calico Jack” on the shorts…a minor character in the show; Kwazii’s grandfather apparently? both kids drew me photos of him which was pretty cute, but i looked some images up online before painting a patch freehand with fabric paint.
O asked for it to be a pocket instead of a patch, so i obliged! smart idea, buddy.
the shorts fabric is a nice twill left over from this outfit, with cream twill tape stitched over the side seams. the pattern is Dana’s KID shorts in a 4T, cut straight across but at the racer length. i opted for the full elastic waist. it’s a super quick sew, doesn’t take much fabric, and i love the fit.
he’s off to save a trapped yeti crab or something.
TO THE RESCUE!
skirt as top 
Explore, Rescue, Protect! We love the Octonuats too. In fact, my eldest absolutely LIVED in a (store bought) Octonauts hooded jumper for at least a year, until the picture was beginning to wear off, and the cuffs were full of holes. He still asks to wear it fairly frequently, but unless I can think of a way of salvaging what’s left, it’s too tatty and too small for him now.
What a great outfit you’ve made though! And long may O’s love of Octonauts last – I think there will be a whole generation of enthusiastic marine biologists as a result of it!
haha! oh that’s so funny – kids get so attached to those favorite pieces of clothing, eh? you’ll have to find a way to replace it! 😀
I love this whole outfit! (The herringbone is great made up as casual shorts.) We watch a lot of octonauts. So much so that when I’m describing whatever report I want students to write, I have to stop myself from singing “creature report.” (I teach college, so they’re probably out of the range for getting the joke.) It also just occurred to me that, because I’m having a boy again, I’m going to get a two-fer out of all handmade clothes. At the same time it occurred to me that I should stop putting my older boy’s name on everything. Heh.
yeah i doubt college kids would get that one! hilarious. it sure is fun seeing the little one wearing his big brother’s clothes, for sure. makes me all nostalgic.
I always love the sandbox top – I’ve only made one, though, out of a really soft sweatshirt fleece for my son.
Anyway, cute outfit! I love the patch/pocket on the shorts.
thank you!
You just gave me an idea! I have never made one of these sailboat tops either but I think I might (or another type of pull over) from an old JCrew sweatshirt that is way too big. I love the octonauts too because the graphics are so cute! You did an awesome job painting free hand!
YES! do it! my original sailboat top was one of my husband’s old j.crew sweaters; it was perfect for this.
thanks jennifer! 🙂
I must make a sailboat top! I MUST! Yours are all so good. And hooray for shorts season!!!
DO!!! thanks!
You may have just inspired me to sew one of these for my boy. Great outfit!
thanks so much. i feel like boy sewing is a cause that needs to be advanced!
i thought I recognized those shorts- it’s because I was just referencing the art museum outfit for your welt tutorial! Clothes for boys are fun :). You know I’m all about that. And I also love knowing that what I sew for O will be passed down. Love that top. I need to make O another one as he grew out of his already.
beautiful. i was so excited to have just enough left for the shorts – it’s great fabric. even if O grows out of this one quickly i’m all “whatevs, C can wear it” versus E’s stuff that feels more like the end of the world! at least one of her cousins can wear her hand me downs (and loves them) though!
Brilliant! Love that it’s not the obvious main character but an obscure bit-part-er.
I must make P a sailboat top before he outgrows it. I’ve been meaning to make him a Tom the Cabin Boy outfit for so long now (captain Pugwash reference)
Perfect painting, well done.
As an aside, I’m currently consumed with the idea of making Tron pyjamas for both kids!
yeah the choice of calico jack was so funny to me!
DUDE!! hold that thought, we are working to resurrect FP and you are on the short list! tron is one of my all-time faves.
He’s so cute! This makes me even more excited about doing hawthornes sailboat top for stylo.
yay for the sailboat!
Ahhh… Octonauts! Grant and I wake up at 6 am every day and he watches it while I make coffee and check emails. He loves it. 🙂 Love the outfit- really love the sailboat top!!!
it is such a kid-pleasing show (and not irritating for grown ups, either). that cartoon time can be such a nice slow warm up on weekends…
thanks E!
So cute! I love the hand-painted patch. Nicely done 🙂
thanks lisa!
Yes! Making things that you can pass along is so, so great! It’s definitely more inspiring that way and maybe one of the reasons I don’t sew for Jude very often. Though I am really hoping to change that by making him some tshirts soon.
I have never heard of that show, but it’s almost not worth it to let my kids watch tv anymore because when I do Tia and Iris always fight over what to watch. We let them watch during naptime on the weekends and it’s so annoying when they fight about it! Maybe they would both like this show.
Beautiful sewing, Kristin. That neckline is impeccable and I spent a good while appreciating the photo from above. 🙂 And the hand painting! What a lucky boy! You did a great job!
i’d love to see more shirts for jude! just gotta find someone else to send them to when he grows out of them, maybe? but at his age he could really play a part in the design, could be so fun to get him involved in making some cool graphics to put on it.
blurg. you could give this one a whirl, they both always seem to agree on it! and thanks so much for the sweet words. 🙂
my grands just started watching that show. This is so cute! I wonder if they’d like something similar…
mine were BOTH so excited that i was making an octonauts outfit for O – i bet your grands would be super thrilled. 🙂
Oh no… My 5 year old was looking over my shoulder and has now declared I must make one of these for him. Luckily I do have the sailboat pattern so maybe I will!
Oh my son would love these shorts! We are off to see Octonauts Live on Sunday! The things I now know because of that programme!!! Great outfit!!
Oh, you’ve inspired me to start making clothes for my boys! I have four month old twin boys and I haven’t yet made any clothes for them because I’m afraid of how quickly they will outgrow them. So I’ve stuck to making them blankets and stuffed animals so far. But, you’re right, boys should have fun clothes, too. I’ll have to get started on that, if they ever learn how to nap! 🙂