Fisherman's Hats

I've been looking for a simple bucket hat pattern with as few pieces to sew together as possible. Then I noticed that the latest summer issue of Ottobre Design had a hat pattern called Fisherman's, that actually had only six pieces to sew together (ok, six pieces times two, as there's the lining too). I made two of them, as usual...

On one side of the first hat I used Marimekko's "Silkkikuikka" fabric in lime green and on the other side plain lime green linen.

The second hat is made of some light-weight striped linen and Ikea cotton. Love them, as do the boys! They're always competing over who gets to wear which hat, so I guess there's a third one in the makings.

Monkey Shirt

Another t-shirt from a fun monkey knit. I'm still not sure I like the turquoise ribbing, it's a bit too much of a contrast to the brown. Might have to go back and change it. Or make another one! I'm getting much faster with sewing with the new serger, this t-shirt I made in less than an hour (and I even stitched the hem with a twin needle on my regular sewing machine).


I got complimented on the clothes my boys were wearing when we went to a family party last week. Both wore only self-made clothing (i.e. the Owl shirt, and Summer shorts). Couldn't be happier :)

Pattern is from Ottobre Design 3/2011.

Summer Shorts

More summer projects! 

My mom gave me an old denim fabric that she’d used for my brother’s favorite coat some twenty years ago (wish I had a picture to show you, my mom's a really good seamstress). The denim is pretty soft, and has a nice black-grey color.

There wasn’t enough of fabric for two shorts, so I bought a piece of stretchy blue denim for a second pair from the local fabric shop.

I added big side pockets from heavy Ikea cotton, just to give them a bit of character. I’m afraid the pockets will be filled up with sand every time we go outside to play… Can’t wait. For the summer, that is!

These shorts have been added to the Celebrate the Summer Boy Flickr group. 

Owl T-Shirt

I bought this owl interlock fabric right after I got my new serger, just couldn't resist it. The fabric is maybe slightly darker than what I thought (bought it from an online store), but it still makes a nice summer wear. The close-up shows the colours best, it was a bit dark to take good pics.

The t-shirt pattern is from Ottobre Design 3/2011, but unlike the striped slim-fit shirt, this is a "regular" t-shirt, and I like it better that way. The slim-fit t-shirt turned out a bit too slim, although my kids are quite skinny. Or maybe I'm not used to the serger yet, and have been cutting too much away, ha!

Striped T-shirt

This is a slim-fit t-shirt that I made with an Ottobre Design 3/2011 pattern. It's a bit too slim fit, but otherwise looks fun to me. I made it from a knit that was left over from this hoodie.

Fireman Helmets

Why is it that small boys love fire trucks? I’m so happy I made these fireman helmets for my boys last Christmas. Initially they weren’t too excited about them, but this spring they’ve started playing fireman almost every day, always following the same pattern: the alarm goes off (i.e. a button on the stairs) and the boys run to get their helmets, slide down the fireman’s pole (a round pillow), jump on the fire truck (the sofa) and douse the flames with water. It’s the funniest thing to watch!

The helmets are made of red wool felt of two different thicknesses (the brim is a bit thicker to keep it better in shape). I used a summer hat pattern and simply adjusted the brim measurements a bit, so that it’s wider at the back. And then I sewed a yellow badge to the front to keep the brim up.

Striped Shirts

My new favorites are these striped shirts I made for the boys. I’ve been terrified of sewing stretchy fabrics (apart from college and velour type of fabrics, such as in the Dotty hoodies), but I’ve finally found a solution.

I experimented with all the different stretch stitches my sewing machine has, and none of them would work on thin t-shirt knit. I googled the problem and tried new settings again and again. Nothing would work. Then I found out that a twin needle (with ball points!) might do the trick, tried it and – just like magic – it worked! No rolling, puckering or holes, just a nice, even line of stitches. Pheew.  

The two striped knits have been in my stash for a few years. I bought them from Marimekko's outlet shop in Sulkava on a summer holiday trip, and now I could finally make something out of them. Both fabrics are really soft and lovely, and I can say that frequent washing hasn’t changed them a bit. Marimekko still has the quality they are known for, it seems.

The shirt pattern (Ottobre 4/2007) is pretty basic except for the detail on the back side; the keyhole snap closure fits my boys' big heads. The ribbing is in contrasting colors, lime green and brown.

Bean Bag

Here's one project that I should've made double right away - the bean bag. It's the favorite TV watching spot for my boys and something that is fought over quite often.

The bean bag is stuffed with small styrofoam beans (about 1 cm in diameter) which tend to be very static and fly all over... Here's the best tip I got for handling them: cover your hands with a fabric softener, at least up to the elbows. It reduces the static and makes filling the bean bag a lot easier.

I also made a second bag from an old sheet inside the cover, so that curious little boys can't just open the zipper and spill the beans, so to say ;) There are also two loops for handles for jumping around like a Hippity Hop. The pattern comes from Moda magazine 1/2008, and fabric is from Ikea.

Striped Pants & Teddy Hoodie

One of the lovelier sides of being a crafter is definitely the joy of making presents for friends and their kids. One of my best friends has a little boy who is only five months younger than my boys, and I often sew him the same things I sew for my kids (just because I know that his mom will declare her love for all things hand-made she sees my boys wearing!). So this time it was his second birthday, and a pair of striped pants and a "furry" teddy hoodie were the presents.

The pant pattern I drew myself, and the hoodie pattern comes from Ottobre (4/2007). It was a slightly tricky pattern, but let me say that after the third time it got a lot easier ;) I really like the round pockets in the front, and how they accentuate the striped jersey.