Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Boys Can (Still) Wear Pink blog tour - Year 3!

Ok, so technically it's Year 4 - but we missed last year due to a family vacation so it's the third year for us. I'm happy to be back, and happy that my kiddo is still willing to throw a pop of pink into his wardrobe! He's nearly 6, midway through kindergarten, and "boy stuff" and "girl stuff" is still very much a part of the conversation.


As someone who teaches about gender and sexuality in my professional life, I know that it's developmentally appropriate for kids to be sorting and labeling as they make sense of the world around them. But I also know what our family values are regarding these topics, and want to add those values to the conversation. It's important to us that our kids know people come in all different shapes and sizes and even genders, and our differences are to be celebrated and above all, respected.



Now, about this kid and the inspiration for our tour outfit this year. He has been obsessed with Hot Wheels cars since before he could walk, and he'd carry around one of his little cars with him everywhere we went. They took a backseat to Lego for awhile, but now that he's discovered the Hot Wheels Raceoff app on the iPad, his race car love is back full throttle. (See what I did there?? You're welcome.)

*Me, melting.*


This Hot Wheels-inspired knit is a custom print from MK Designs that I picked up last year when the designs were run (through their Facebook group). The panel set has 4 panels, each with a different featured car, and I'll admit that I wondered if the pink car would actually get used. I made one for Archer recently (also a Love Notions Vanguard tee) that had the green car and some fun coordinating prints, and I wasn't sure how his buddies would react to it - since the main print has all of the cars, there's a fair amount of pink. He has mentioned on occasion that two of his classmates in particular are very vocal about their gender labeling - but he loved the shirt and we prepped for school like this:

Me: If anyone says your shirt is a girl's shirt because of the pink cars, what can you say?
A: I can say if I'm wearing it then it's a boy's shirt because I'm a boy. Also, I like it.

Well, okay then. ;)

After school, I asked him if anyone said anything about his new car shirt.

A: Yeah, ALL of my friends said something!
Me, heart dropping: They did?
A: Yup, they LOVED it and thought it was so cool! <3

Still working on the wink. ;)
He's been wearing that shirt constantly this winter and I decided it was time for another. I asked him if he wanted to join the BCWP tour again and make a new shirt with the pink car and he was all in. We used the same pattern - the Love Notions Vanguard - and this time I did the pieced long sleeves with some dark indigo waffle knit and scraps of the cars print. Photoshoots with this kiddo are always an adventure, but he's definitely not short on personality OR style!



I hope you've been able to check out all of the other stops on the tour so far; it's always a lot of fun to be a part of this one. Raising kids is a new adventure every day, and I think it's amazing how a conversation like this can be had across the globe - the intersection of our love for our boys and our love for sewing is a pretty fun place to be. Thanks for joining us!




He's even cute when he rolls his eyes at me. Ask me if it's still cute in a few years. ;) 










Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Blog tour time: The Wendybird dress for girls and dolls

Happy 2018! I hope your year is off to a good start - ours has been cold but good so far. I was excited to jump onto this blog tour since I've been wanting to add to Miss P's wardrobe a bit but found myself in a bit of a sewing funk after the holiday gift making frenzy had passed. Wendybird to the rescue!



Miss P thought the dress was adorable, and any chance she has to match her dolls is a winner for both of us - taking pics with the dolls makes for a very easy photoshoot without fail.

        

Her only request for the dress was that it be purple to match the streak in Luciana's hair. She's the new Girl of the Year doll from American Girl, and Miss P bought her with her own savings two weeks ago. Last summer I started offering my kids $1 for each photoshoot that they did, providing they cooperated and kept the shoot short and sweet. Usually we can grab 40-50 pics in about 10 minutes, and they know I need to get photos from a few different angles. The longer it takes, the more frustrated everyone is - including me! The "payment" has been a great motivator and allows them to save up for something they really want. Miss P added a little birthday and holiday money and was able to buy herself this doll, and she's been so proud of herself. I used to give her a little Shopkins or other small treat and this has been a great transition as she's gotten a little older but isn't quite ready for an allowance yet.

    

I've sewn a number of patterns from Stitch Upon A Time (SUAT) - their underwear patterns are fantastic! - but haven't sewn a dress of theirs in awhile. The Wendybird was a great sew, and fit just as the finished measurements chart promised. I sewed up a straight size 8 for Miss P, and the fit was spot on. Her chest measured a little closer to the size 6 but I knew there was hardly any ease and was ok with having a little extra in exchange for being able to wear it a little longer. This kiddo of mine has been growing like a weed lately, and isn't showing any signs of slowing down!


I used a custom printed brushed poly from So Cheeky Fabrics that I'd gotten in a scrap pack recently, and used a Laguna Jersey from Robert Kaufman in Amethyst for the solid. It doesn't get much more purple than this! The drape of the fabrics were perfect for this style dress and the skirt had a nice amount of twirl without being too heavy.



There are a number of different sleeve lengths and styles included in the pattern, and the gathered accent portion of the skirt can be pleated instead. I cut the short sleeve at the bubble lining line and hemmed it as a cap sleeve for both dresses, and it looked super cute on both my girl and her doll. The dolly dress was an easy sew and came together nicely. It uses a larger seam allowance than I'm used to for doll patterns, but the final fit was perfect. We'll definitely be using these patterns again; they'd make a great birthday gift for Miss P's similarly doll-obsessed friends!


Today is the last stop on the tour, but make sure to check out the other stops too! And you can find the pattern here in the SUAT shop if you haven't already. :)
Jan 24th: Larissa from Connected By a Thread
Jan 25th: Rebekah from Pattern Revolution
Jan 26th: Rachel Nelson from Once upon a Sewing Machine
Jan 27th: Jennifer from Stitch Upon a Time
Jan 28th: Tasha from Sewn at Seams
Jan 29th: Heather from All Things Katy
Jan 30th: Rachel from Handcrafted by Red

You can pick up your copy of the Wendybird Dress for 25% off now through Jan 31st, it is already marked down on the site! Be sure to share your version in the SUAT Facebook group! Comment below with your favorite Stitch Upon a time pattern and one lucky winner from each blog will be announced when the tour wraps up on Jan 31st!