It's the end of summer, sew what?

Well, I did it.  I finished sewing the boys' summer pj's from a pattern I bought in May.  I really thought I'd have time to start (and finish) both sets in early June while the boys took their daily naps.  Ha!  There are so many reasons that didn't happen.  But I was determined to use the soft flannel fabric I purchased and finish these before Labor Day.

Although this was a very simple project, I only had snippets of uninterrupted time to work on the pajamas.  I cut out the fabric pieces one evening and didn't get around to sewing them together until the next week.  They are accidentally, on purpose, too large.  Once I realized they weren't going to get a lot of wear this summer, I made sure each boy got a set one size larger than he wears now.

the back of Henry's shirt

If you have boys and sew, you know that it is impossible to find cute patterns.  The catalogs are filled with pages and pages of girl's outfits but almost nothing designed for boys.  I had to improvise quite a bit.  The pj bottoms are from a pattern but the top is simply a t-shirt with appliques cut from the same fabric as the shorts.  Nothing fancy. 

I did try working on these while the boys slept but often Henry would sneak downstairs to see what I was doing.  He loved learning how to use the sewing machine.  And boy, did he learn fast.  He wanted to know the name of every part and button.  In fact, he even corrected me when I didn't use the proper terms.  Wait Henry, we need to put the thingy down before we stitch.  It's called a foot, Mom.

I actually made Liam's shirt twice.  All summer I searched for a plain white tee in size 2.  Finally  I gave up and purchased a package of little boys' undershirts in 2T-3T.  Of course, these were a thinner cotton than an actual t-shirt but I decided that would be okay since he'd only be wearing it indoors in the warm summer months.  Then, on the very last day of my summer vacation, I discovered Toddler Tees at my local craft store.  Not in the aisle with the other plain shirts waiting to be be embellished.  Nope.  They were hidden in another aisle on the bottom shelf.  I purchased two and quickly remade Liam's pj shirt.  I think this second one will wash better, although we may have to wait until next year to find out.  The nights are already getting chilly here. 

here's the back of Liam's shirt