Boy PJs

While Dana and Rae have their 'celebrate the boy' thing going on, I happen to have just finished a boy project. Sadly, this is a relatively rare achievement for me. While there are lots of examples of cool handmade boys' clothes around (just check out the celebrate the boy flickr group), most of them are for younger boys, not gigantic 8-going-on-9-year-olds like mine. The things that look good on K are clothes made of heavy-duty fabrics, with industrial strength double stitching and little details like rivets and eyelets - not the kind of things I feel confident with sewing (and, to be honest, not the kind of things I feel inspired to make). So when I make things for K, I tend to avoid clothes and come up with alternatives: camera cases, cushion, heat pack, wallet. But there is one exception: pyjamas. I have made a pair of these every season for a while now, but I cheat a bit by sewing pants or shorts, then buying a t-shirt and appliqueing something on it to match. Cotton for summer, flannelette for winter. Predictable but useful. Something comfy that makes him feel loved, and that looks a bit smarter than the greying old 'I heart Bali' t-shirt and undies that he's been wearing at night. Presenting this year's PJs (which may well represent this year's boy sewing, too):

I really loved this lion fabric when I saw it in Spotlight last year. And I don't know how useful a pocket on a PJ t-shirt really is, but it performs an important function in preventing it from looking exactly like the t-shirts K wears to school each day.

Lastly, I have learned from my (many) mistakes and put a label at the back of the shorts so he can put them on the right way around.