Pattern Parcel #4: Let's hear it for the BOYS!

Any Maker Momma of a little dude will tell you how the wee men get the shaft when it comes to sewing patterns. Really, all clothing in general. It's usually nothing but boring basics. Well, I want modern. I want hip. I want fun and comfort all rolled into one. Our sons and grandsons ooze character and they deserve better!

So we wrangled up our favorite digital indie patterns for boys and, BAM! Introducing Pattern Parcel #4!


Pattern Parcel #4 includes:

Schoolboy Vest by Sew Much Ado
Maxwell Top by Shwin Designs
Small Fry Jeans by Titchy Threads
Zippy Jacket by Blank Slate Patterns
Jet Pack Bag by Betz White

Choose a price of $26 or more (which, hi, that's still only 50% the retail price of the first five patterns, never mind that you'll be getting six!) you'll get the Bonus Pattern, the Knight Hoodie by Charming Doodle. This pattern is so awesome. I want one for me!


Remember, you get to choose the price you pay for the Parcel. Show your love for the indie designers in the Parcel and choose to share some of your price with the charity, DonorsChoose.org. We take our portion of the sales to pay all the costs associated with running the sale then give the rest to DonorsChoose.org as well. Get freaking awesome patterns, shop independent artists and feel good doing it.



Follow along with the Parcel #4 Inspiration Tour Schedule:

Friday, August 22 casa crafty || Lulu & Celeste || Keep Calm and Carrion

Saturday, August 23 Max California || Amanda Rose

Sunday, August 24 little betty sews

Monday, August 25 Kadiddlehopper || Radiant Home Studio

Tuesday, August 26 La Pantigana || Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts || Friends Stitched Together

Wednesday, August 27 Make It Perfect || Modern Handmade || GYCT Designs

Thursday, August 28 Needle and Ted || Mae & K || Mimi's Mom

Friday, August 29 Pienkel || Once Upon a Sewing Machine || Friends Stitched Together

Saturday, August 30 FABulous Home Sewn || Gray Skies || The Crazy Tailor

Sunday, August 31 Nine Stitches || Max California || Oliver's Fancy || Friends Stitched Together

Monday, September 1 a happy stitch || lady and the gents || Our Family Four || Swoodson Says

Tuesday, September 2 verypurpleperson || Things for Boys || The Crazy Tailor

Wednesday, September 3 Our Family Four || Rebekah Sews || a happy stitch

Thursday, September 4 Sew a Straight Line || la inglesita || Made by Sara || Knot Sew Normal

Friday, September 5 Knot Sew Normal || Gracious Threads || Sofilantjes || Max California

Pinterest junkie? Follow the Official Perfect Pattern Parcel board to add the latest Inspiration Tour creations added to your pin feed. Upload your Parcel creations to your Kollabora profile and make sure to tag the Parcel as your Supply!

Happy Friday, y'all!

Prefontaine Shorts for Kids into Track Pants

If your kids are anything like mine, they love their Prefontaine Shorts. I recently went through Jimmy's dresser to make a box of hand-me-downs for his cousin and to cycle in the larger sizes in anticipation of warmer weather. I did this in the hopes of sending winter away, but it snowed one more time. Grr... In any case, while were were cleaning shorts out Jimmy saw these:


Unfortunately they are obscenely too small for him now, never mind when he would wear them three months for now. Into the hand-me-down box they went. Cue the tears. Huge, pathetic tears. So I promised him new ones. Lots of new Prefontaines.


Since it's a bit too cool here for shorts I lengthened the pattern in to Prefontaine Track Pants. Success! They're great comfy, wide leg pants. Or hell, even jammies. Lord knows Jimmy would wear them day and night if I let him.


Here's how you do it:
Use a clear gridded quilting ruler to mark a line 1.5" above the bottom of the front pattern piece parallel to the bottom edge. Make sure the line you makre is above the entire retro curve of the side seam, but below the crotch point. Mark a second line on your back pattern piece the exact same distance up from the bottom hem. Cut the bottoms off of both pattern pieces along those lines.

Measure your kiddo's hip to ankle length. Tape paper to your both pattern pieces. Reattach the retro curved hems of the pattern pieces so that the length of the pattern's side seam is your child's hip to ankle length plus 1.5". True the inseam pattern lines to match crotch points and bottom hems.


You will need to make a longer length of "bias" tape tshirt trim but one upcycled tshirt was still more than enough. Then just assemble your track pants as you would the Prefontaine Shorts. Easy, peasey. Now I've got one happy boy.



Don't have a copy of the Prefontaine Shorts for Kids pattern yet? It's part of the Pattern Parcel #2 sale as the Bonus Pattern. Or you can get it directly here.

Winter Wonderland Collection

If you have little ones to sew for this holiday season then you should consider getting yourself a copy of the Winter Wonderland Collection of sewing patterns by the ladies at Pattern Anthology.


The collection is everything from hats and capes to a blazer and party dress and all sorts of garments in between. It's everything you need for your little ones to take you through the holiday seasons. The pattern collection will have you dreaming of crisp cool air, warm holiday baking, sparkling lights, and cozy evenings with family.



For Jimmy, I sewed him up a Johnny B. Good Hoodie (it also comes with a hood collar option) and a Trapper Hat (which also has a pilot style hat option too.) The Trapper hat sews together so quickly and easily. I'm in love. I would recommend sizing it up if you are going to use a fluffy lining fabric, like minkie, fleece or fake fur. Jimmy loves his Trapper hat. I see many versions of these to come.

The Johnny B. Good hoodie shirt is an adorable retro style shirt. I just love my little man in a collared shirt. This pattern makes it super easy to make too, with less pattern pieces than a normal collared shirt pattern. But I've got to tell you my favorite part about this pattern is that it includes instructions on how to upcycle a men's dress shirt into one for your little dude! I used one of my husband's old shirts that he had gotten a stain on, then added the contrasting front and back yokes. The pattern has pieces to make your own cuff plackets, but I just used the ones on my husband's shirt sleeves. So much easier than sewing a dress shirt from scrap, and you get to have nice shirting fabric for your boys without paying an arm and a leg.



Jane looked through the Winter Wonderland Collection and chose the Juliet Capelet. All of a sudden she has decide she is big enough to be deciding what I will make for her. I sense trouble. We decided on the rounded hood option with no ruffle. I lined the hood and capelet with creme minkie for extra warmth. To make this piece more cape than capelet, I cut the neck of the pattern at her true size, but cut the bottom hem at a size larger. The toggle closures are from Joann's. I think they finish the look off nicely and bonus points that they are kid "I can do it myself" friendly.



The Winter Wonderland Collection is a good deal because you're getting a bundle of patterns that you can use for years. The sizes span from 18 months on up to 8 years. The patterns are great styles than can be easily remixed to reflect whatever look you (or your opinionated kids) are going for. Plus, you're getting the patterns for 25% thank retail once they have been bundled. You can even snatch up a Mini Bundle of just the girls or boys patterns.

The Winter Wonderland Collection is only available for a limited time and you only have two days left! Do not delay. You can have adorable outfits for your kiddos for each holiday through the cold weather season. And that means no ugly polar bear dork sweaters have to be worn.

Click the image below to be taken to be taken to the Winter Wonderland Collection site.


Disclosure: I received a copy of the Winter Wonderland Collection in exchange for my making something to share with you all. All opinions and ideas my own. End of story.

Crochet Skull Cap and Upcycled Jeans: KCW Day One

I'm dedicating this Kid's Clothes Week to Jimmy. Sewing for boys is fun, and then there is this boy! Who knew a two year old could ooze so much character? His smile just slays me and he knows it. Plus, little dude loves him some new clothes.


Case in point: Jimmy's new skull cap. The boy won't take it off, which is a huge sigh of relief. Last winter this kiddo wouldn't keep a hat on if his life depended on it. I'd put one on and before I even turned away it was off and thrown somewhere. A few weeks ago, Rachael was cleaning out her stash and had tons of yarn she wasn't likely to use, so I told her I'd take all her natural fiber yarns. The ball of olive green wool yarn was just perfect for a Jimmy sized hat.


Yaaar! It's his pirate face.
When I make hats, I use this awesome guide to double crochet a circle just smaller than the person's head size. Then I stop increasing and double crochet until the hat is the length I want it. I finish with a few rows of single crochet with a size smaller crochet hook to tighten the brim. It's such an easy, no brainer crocheted skull cap pattern. So easy, I'm working on one for my husband, who can never find a large enough hat for his head and next in line is hat for Jane. She is feeling left out already!


Jimmy's jeans are upcycled from my favorite pair of maternity jeans. I am a huge sucker for a good pair of jeans and if I could have figured out how to un-maternity these jeans I would have. I never send a good pair of worn jeans to Goodwill. Instead they sit in the sewing pile until the kiddos need new jeans. Both Jimmy and Jane are long and skinny waisted kids. Store bought jeans are either going to fall off or be too short most every time. Upcycling adult jeans in to kid jeans is great. You get to use the original hem and side seam, so they whip up quickly and look store bought. Add pockets and a encased elastic waistband, and your done.



Moose antlers. Don't shoot!
I would love to be able to make a shirt like this flannel one for Jimmy. Anyone know of a good yoked shirt pattern for little boys? This one is one of my favorites in his wardrobe, but as you can see, the sleeves are already too short for him. Any suggestions? Also, do you know of a good shop to get pearl snaps from? I've only got the ring kind.

Kid's Clothes Week Day One done, and my little dude is so ready for fall. I just want to go apple picking with him, carve pumpkins and roll in leaves. Sigh. He has that affect on me.

Beach Bum Bimaa for Boys

We're spending a few days in Southern California. So when Sarah of Emmyloubeedou asked me to join her Bimaa tour I decided to whip one up for Jimmy. The pattern is offered by Lou Bee Clothing patterns and I've got to say, it's a good deal. The pattern comes with a shawl collar, a cowl neck collar, and a new hoodie finish, too. It seems like every pattern tour I do it for girls, so I was psyched to make something for my little dude.

I used a light weight red thermal fabric and a star print thermal as an accent. Okay, so I didn't have enough red to do the entire Beach Bum Bimaa, but I like the contrast effect.



I complimented Jimmy's new Bimaa hoodie with a pair of Prefontaine shorts for our beach adventure. The fabric is a Robert Kaufman pin up girl print with Hawaiian hibiscus. The colors match so well and Jimmy loves a new pair of Prefontaine shorts. The fabric was left over from a Hawaiian shirt I made for my husband last year.



I used the shape of the Bimaa pattern front to draft a kangaroo shape pocket for the front of the hoodie. My kids are suckers for pockets. Jimmy was delighted to keep his hands tucked in.

My favorite part of the Bimaa hoodie pattern is that I sewed the entire thing with my serger. Knits and my sewing machine don't seem to play together well. But my serger loves knits so I kill two birds with one stone.



Want to make your own Beach Bum outfit? Grab a copy of the Bimaa hoodie pattern here and the Prefontaine shorts pattern here. Hope y'all are enjoying nice weather and a great weekend!