Aw
man, I'm so honored to be here for
Sewing for Kindergarten! Is the word "honored" too-over-the-top-much? Like I'm accepting an Oscar or something?
Probably. Forgive me guys. I just mean, I always enjoy
this series and
Mie is just such a phenomenal seamstress and so down to Earth with all her amazing skillzzzz. It's a pleasure and a half to join in on the fun. We're this excited about it. :)
Now onward and upward. It's that time again. Last year, it was Lila and this time around, we sent Ezra's. Good thing Madelyn doesn't go to Kindergarten until 2018, so we can give the school system a break from my babies...for the time being. :) Anyway, Ezra needed a few clothes, so I had a hard time limiting myself to just one outfit. So naturally, I didn't. I sewed 3. The one I'm sharing today is my favorite, but feel free to check out Outfits 1
and 2 for more inspiration. Just click on the pictures to see more!
I made them all inter-changeable so that Ezra can mix and match without me having to worry about things clashing. As if he cares. Ha, that's totally me. But I did use all of Ezra's favorite colors. Or lack thereof. :)
I loved this particular look because I hacked this Skinny Jean Pattern to make some jean joggers and they turned out exactly how I wanted them too. Oh the joy of creating something just how you envisioned. Sewing mama's, you feel me?? Plus this denim was Ezra's pick, not his sisters. More on that here.
The jist on these is that I cut it out based on the pattern instructions except I added 1/2 inch all around and eliminated the denim waistband and used ribbing instead. (not pictured, sorry!) I inserted elastic inside the ribbing so they'd stay on his waist for all the running and jumping this kid does.
This type of waistband is a lot easier for me to sew on. For the bottom I added an ankle band/casing and inserted 1" elastic just to gather the bottoms in a bit. I love the look of jean joggers on boys. I've mentioned this before, but Ezra struggles with eczema, so a lighter bottom weight denim is feels much more comfortable on his skin than regular jeans. I intentionally made them a little long for him to grow into over the year.
Ezra's t-shirt is an oxymoron because Ezra used to be terrified of dogs when he was little. He's growing out of this fear (#thankgoodness) so when I saw this fabric at Joann's, I couldn't resist.
I made the t-shirt by tracing an existing t-shirt, but their are t-shirt patterns and tutorials all over the place if you don't know how to make. Google it and give it a try!
And now for a little Q&A:
- Is this your first time sending a child to Kindergarten? If not, which number child is this?
Nope, this is child number 2 that we've sent to school. Lila is in first grade. And we've got 4 more kids at home. We're basically walking insurance for all future teachers out there. ;)
- Do you feel like crying or celebrating? And what about your child?
Oh no. All the feelings. I have a love/hate relationship with school. And I think every family is so different in their own specific needs. As for me, Jonathon and I feel strongly that we should send our kids to school and help supplement their learning at home. But I miss them terribly and I always feel a slight trepidation on their first few days. I can't say every day goes perfectly smooth for them, but I think that's an important life lesson. Plus, I love watching their growth and I enjoy being able to help them along and talk with them and add to what they are learning, who they're friends with etc. This isn't to imply that you don't get that with other forms of learning/education, this is just what works best for us.
- What kind of school does your child attend? (Public, charter, private or homeschool)
Ezra is attending a public school with a really great duel immersion program. He's learning Spanish and he's absolutely loving that.
- Question to your kindergartner: What have been the best and the worst part so far?
Best: "Snacks, recess, and Spanish."
Worst: "The crying." Sad day. Ezra struggled a little with anxiety in the first couple weeks of school, so he had a few crying moments. We're working with him here at home to be able to deal with his emotions and thankfully, his teacher has been very sweet and involved in helping ease some of his fears. I know that often these kinds of kinks work themselves out, so right now, I'm just trying to love that boy as much as I possibly can. It's not hard.
Overall, Ezra's doing just fine. Plus he's armed with a Darth Vader backpack and water bottle. Can't go wrong with that kind of protection. :)
Keep your eye out for lots of other Kindergarten Sewing Inspo from all these lovely ladies!
Thanks again for having me, Mie!