BOY STUFF! Knit Pants and Tie T-Shirts

I have found that, just like every other crafty Mom out there, making stuff for the little boys in my life is always a bit more challenging.  I'm drawn to the girly crafts.  Girl clothes and accessories = cute and super fun.  I can't help it.  Not only that, but the level of reaction I get out of my 3 year old girl vs my 3 year old boy when I hand them a newly sewn "thingamajig" is drastically different.  "Oh my gosh, I love it so much Mommy, it's SOOO cute!", is a very big motivator for me to make her more stuff.  BUT... I've been trying to be good, and have spent some time recently on boy stuff. 

I bought quite a bit of knit fabric in boy colors, with the intent to make pants.  So make pants I did.  I decided to start with a basic blue pant and pair it with a Tie T-Shirt.  I used this wonderful tutorial from Saltwater Kids for the Tie T-Shirt and then just used my PJ/lounge pants experience to make the pants.  Simple elastic waste bands for my boys are PLENTY fancy enough for everyday wear. 

I haven't been able to find a white plain t-shirt in an 18 month size yet, so I'm on hold with Austin's shirt until I can get my hands on one.  But I made Ethan one and also made one for my friends little boy for his 2 year birthday.  I used a thrifted mens dress shirt for the tie fabric and it turned out perfectly.

Here's a look at all the pants, laid out and ready to sew.  Freshly cut and pinned fabric makes me feel all warm and happy inside.

 
And here a few pathetically taken photos of the final outcome.  Maybe if I had a decent backdrop and took a photography class, my pics wouldn't look like garbage. Oh well, it's low on the priority list at the moment.

I did a fake drawstring on the waistband because I like the way it makes the pants look, just a bit more polished then a plain band.  And I made them all really long and gave them big thick hems so that I can make the pants last for a couple years.  With the rate at which Ethan's waist is growing, he'll be able to wear these for the next 4 years.  No joke.

And here are my two super handsome boys sporting the new look.  (Austin minus the tie shirt of course)  Seeing these guys looking so cute in their new duds does help inspire me to make more boy stuff. Come summertime that will be all I'm doing (shorts, shorts and more shorts).

I just linked this post up to Sew & Tell from Amy Lou Who.  This is my first time ever doing this and it's pretty fun to see everything that everyone out there is working on and share ideas and successes!