Getting a head start on KCW: Stash-Busting Edition.

Yeah, I know that Kids' Clothes Week doesn't technically start until tomorrow, but with a Planning Commission meeting and a City Council meeting happening this week, I decided I was entitled to cheat a little. Sewing for an hour every night this week is not going to happen, so I should be allowed to get started the weekend before, right?

Right.

I decided to make this "KCW, Stash-Busting Edition" - I will be sewing only with fabrics and patterns that are in the stash. Preferably fabrics I've had for a long time and patterns I haven't tried yet. There may also be some KCW/Halloween overlap, because dudes, Halloween is coming up fast! In fact, as of now, my only plan is to make a pair of pants for both kids and PJs that will double as Halloween underthings. We'll see if I can even accomplish that much ...

First up, a pair of denim Field Trip Cargos for Joe. I bought this pattern when it was first released, but had not sewn it up yet. There are two reasons for this: (1) Joe, at age 4 and five months, is between sizes and between size ranges right now. He's sturdy and stocky, but not overly tall. I opted to go for the larger size range (5 to 12) and I (rightly, as it happened) suspected that size 5 might still be a hair big for him. (2) Joe has been off-and-on refusing to wear things I make him lately, especially pants (he wears pajamas and t-shirts without complaint). But recently he's been more willing to wear his mama-made pants, so I am feeling cautiously optimistic about sewing pants for him.

The good news: This is a fantastic pattern. It is truly a joy to sew a new oliver + s pattern. The instructions guide you through the process headache-free. Other good news: Joe seems to like them! He's calling these his "working pants" because they look like Daddy's work pants. I hardly had to bribe him at all for this photo shoot (I let him play with his Nerf guns). Score!

Not so good: They're big! Way too big. I have to roll them up a bunch and they're pretty baggy. I guess Joe is probably still a size 4 in this one. I don't know what size patterns to buy for him these days! Oh well, Joe seems to think these are comfy.

This is not a "super fast and easy" pattern. This is a "topstitch every seam to within an inch of its life" pattern. It pays to take your time and to have a good, strong needle to get through all of those layers of denim. But it still didn't take me that long, and the pay-off is a really great, sturdy pair of jeans that will hopefully last a good, long time. I really love the way Liesl designed the cargo pocket - it's so clever and fun! I used scraps of car-printed fabric to face the pocket flaps, because these are obviously car pockets - the perfect size for Hot Wheels!

Some thoughts: Next time, I may try to reinforce the knee - the way the pattern is drafted, it looks reinforced (like it's two layers of fabric), but it's not really. I also always want to carve out o+s hip pockets a bit more than drafted. I like a big pocket with a nice big opening for chubby hands.

Seriously, who let me cut this poor child's hair? In my defense, he will. not. stay. still.

Watch out, Joe has a Nerf gun!

And he's aiming it right at you! (No mothers were hurt in the making of this blog post, I assure you.)

*Runs for cover.*