Monday, January 21, 2013

Oh BOY! PR&P Sew Along, Week 3

Here we are at week 3 of the Project Run & Play Sew Along challenge! BOY week! And I have a confession to make. Last week when I posted about the stripes and polka dots dress I made for Gracie, I may have said there is nothing cuter than a little girl in stripes. I misspoke. There is something cuter than a little girl in stripes.
It's a little boy in stripes.  
How have I held off on boy clothing for so long?

I get asked quite frequently by my mom friends & customers when I will start selling boy clothes in my etsy shop. Well, I have a second confession to make. Boy clothes scare me. How do I make an outfit my own without making it over the top? You can't just add ruffles and bows and call it a day.

I tried to keep it simple by making a couple of basic pieces, but also adding a few details to make them cute. Or am I supposed to say handsome? I am new to this boy stuff so forgive me while I figure out the correct lingo.
So for this busy little man, I wanted to make him a practical outfit that he could actually get some use out of. I thought some sweat pants would be perfect. I made a basic pair of sweats out of navy fleece, but added the green and white track stripe down the side. {Track stripe? Too 1970's? Again, still figuring out this lingo.}
It was a very easy addition, which I thought about doing a tutorial for, but really...it would be a very short tutorial. I just cut strips of interlock and sewed them down the sides. Just remember to do this before you sew up the legs. Since knit fabric doesn't fray, there was no need to iron the edges under. 
Then there's his top. I actually had made this as a traditional t-shirt. Well let me tell you, something went astray. When I brought it over to Blake's house to try it on, low and behold, no amount of stretching or pulling was getting that shirt over poor Blake's head. So I moved onto plan B. 
I raided the hubby's closet for a polo. After studying how the collar was constructed, I made a button placket on the front of the shirt, and out came a mock polo. 
I wish I could say this was easy for me. It was not. I had to redo the placket 3 different times. But I loved the challenge it gave me, and am happy I stuck with it. There are definitely imperfections, so don't look too close, but for making it up as I went along, I was excited at how it turned out. 
I love that I got to use two of my favorite prints - stripes and gingham. The fabric does all the talking with boy clothes! No need to add buttons or bows or ruffles or sashes. It's kind of like back to basics with the boys. And that was fun! The stripes may look familiar :) but I love that I had all the fabric for this outfit in my stash already! 
So I think I have officially gotten over my fear of boy clothes. My head is already spinning with ideas for a Little Pink Peony boy line for summer....so stay tuned for that! :) 
And stay tuned for the next few weeks of this Sew Along challenge...it has been so fun creating a new outfit each week that I can't wait for next week. Which is a Valentine's Day theme. So excited to show you what I have in the works! :)

Now head over to this weeks Link Party and check out all the other inspiring creations!

18 comments:

Scary @ Shaffer Sisters said...

Oh man, I love this! Stylish and comfortable. Total win, win! The placket is awesome, so way to keep at it.

Olga Becker @ Coffee+Thread said...

Super cute! Love the pocket!

Paisley Roots said...

Love the shirt and the gingham pocket! Looks like your hard work really paid off with the placket too! It looks amazing!

Unknown said...

Ya for boys clothes! Love the placket and material mix.

Anonymous said...

How cute! Love this color palette. Great job.

AmyH said...

Adorable! I had the exact same problem with my looks this. Darn baby heads :) But once I had it all worked out I loved the placket version even more!

Deborah Devine said...

I think the placket really adding to the overall design of the shirt. Nice job!!
Deborah
http://sewmuchmoretogive.blogspot.com

Simple Simon and Company said...

Babies (and toddlers) do have dang big heads! Oh well, that's makes them even cuter.

Your look turned out great...and I love projects like this (when I'm finished with them) where I learn something in the process.
liZ

Chelli said...

Such a cute little outfit. When I started sewing a whole lot more for my kids I found Shauna over at Shwin and Shwin. She sews a lot for her little man and has crazy cute little details. Loved the placket and the gingham. Snaps for getting your outfit done early!

Angie Alford said...

so cute !! simply b sent by :)

Suzanne Winter said...

such a great look - well done, love the colors!

Terra said...

Cute and comfy! I love it.

Stacy @ The Land of K.A. said...

Very cute boy play clothes! Button plackets are a bit of a devil to understand at first, but once you get the hang of them...not so intimidating.

Bonnie said...

So, so cute! (I think cute is totally acceptable until they're old enough to think it's not.) I love boy clothes like these that are stylish but made for play.

jacq said...

love the stripes and gingham!

Unknown said...

Great job.

Unknown said...

Awesome! Love the color combination.....and envious of your work with knits!! We haven't been brave enough to tackle those.

Scary @ Shaffer Sisters said...

We featured you on our blog. Thanks for sewing along! http://shaffer-sisters.blogspot.com/2013/02/prp-sew-along-winter-2013.html
With Love,
Shaffer Sisters