my son’s wardrobe consists of something like 75% hand-me-downs from his boy cousins and sister, 15% gifts or new purchases, and 10% handmade by me.  the great thing about the hand-me-downs are that they’re in great shape, fashionable, and free.  the bad thing is they are slightly the wrong season, because his cousins are spring babies.

O is in need of pants, both regular and pajama.  i have major “sewer’s guilt” and struggle to buy anything but major sale items now since i can make it so much cheaper (i’m sure this is a common affliction!)  i should just spend all of KCWC sewing pants for the little guy, but that would get a bit repetitive.  here’s a start at least.

they’re the bottoms to the (out of print) oliver + s bedtime story pajamas.  i made them in 12-18 month size but 18-24 month length, because i’m sick and tired of how fast this kid grows out of stuff!

also, he always pulls socks off, so i figured longer pants might keep his toesies a little warmer.  i think i made them long enough…

but thanks to the hem bindings, they look cute cuffed too.

the polka dots are michael miller ta dot flannel (again), and the bindings are my happy garden for cloud9 fabrics.  i usually exercise more restraint on prints for boys, but thought it’d be fun to mix dots and stripes on these PJs.  the flannel is sooooo soft and cuddly, it makes me want to snuggle him even more than usual!

that’s two “bottoms” in a row…maybe a top next?  off i go!

this is what a little preparation + day off of work + both kids taking a 3 hour afternoon nap gives me…a great start to elsie marley’s fall kids clothes week challenge!  i learned something after participating in my first KCWC this spring – i do not want to be “wasting time” tracing and cutting patterns during the week.  i spent last week away from the sewing machine, but not away from my scissors.  i have everything cut and ready to sew, and in a couple instances (like the pleated pockets on this skirt) i got a couple of the finicky non-sewing steps out of the way so i wouldn’t get hung up.

the pattern is the oliver + s hopscotch skirt, made in a 3T.  the fabric is pencil tortoises from aneela hooey’s little apples.  i somehow missed her adorable sherbet pips line when it came out and am still kicking myself, but i jumped on this one!  so perfect for fall.  we’re eating a LOT of apples and have plenty of gray skies these days, so it couldn’t be more appropriate.  the buttons have little hearts drawn on them, which mimic the sketch-like design of the fabric.  kind of in love with those buttons.  they’re from bolt.

i finished the skirt JUST as i heard O waking up from his nap, and Em woke up a short time later to model for me before daddy got home.  talk about good timing.

i got even more fired up yesterday and cut out two more patterns (which brings me up to five).  my extra motivation boost came from a comment from jessica, who’s attempting to sew six items this week!  holy smokes!  we’ll see what happens on my end, but just in case i’m a speed sewing maniac, i’m prepared.

well…back to it!