A while back Stacy, of Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy, asked if I wanted to participate in this fun sewing series, Match with Me. It's a mother/son sewing that lets the boys get in on the matching mama fun! I've (not fully intentionally) sewn up a few matching pieces for Violet and I, these skirts and these shirts for instance, but I've never sewn up anything for Henry and I to match and when I told him I was going to do just that he was thrilled...
Henry and I spend a lot of solo time together and while he is certainly not a mama's boy we do enjoy our time together. I will say though that sometimes it can be challenging. He and I are not the same breed. He is always energetic, always talking, and always on! I, on the other hand, enjoy my quiet time and don't like to bounce around 24 hours a day. Sometimes we have difficult moments together (well, of course he is four!) and most of the time they have to do with clothes! But, at the same time he is the sweetest!
It's a good thing that he likes to dress like a gentleman because he truly is one! He's learning the "good man" ropes early from his Dad. He holds the door for me, tells me he loves me all the time and gives me sweet loving hugs out of the blue.
He and I are a good pair together despite our differences.
So, in wanting to make something that the gentleman would wear, I decided to sew us up matching plaid shirts and vests.
I've wanted a plaid shirt myself for quite some time now and I know that Henry is a fan. First, I had to find the right plaid. Not as easy as it seems! I looked online and couldn't quite find what I wanted so I headed to my nearby fabric store. I really wanted to feel the fabric and it's weight before committing. This purple, green, white plaid was the only thing I found. At first I was a little disappointed in my decision. But now that it's sewn into shirts I really like it and the fabric itself is so comfortable!
I used the Archer Button up pattern from Grainline for my shirt. This is my first grainline pattern. I've heard loads of good things about them (especially from Kristin) and I've seen so many great archers floating around that I thought I'd give it a try myself! Of course, I was terribly nervous! But, the sew along is super fab and really the cutting out of all the pattern pieces was the hardest part. I sewed up a 10 based on my bust measurements, but I wished I had gone with my gut and sewn an 8, I'd rather it be a little more fitted, next time.
For Henry, I used the Ethan Shirt from Sis Boom. I sewed his up after mine which was helpful and made his go more quickly because the whole shirt making thing was fresh in my head.
In addition to the shirts I wanted to sew Henry up a new vest as well. He wears his cowboy one all the time and before that he had been wearing this one that is now sadly too small. I used the Schoolboy vest pattern from Sew Much Ado again. This time on one side I used this lovely bradford herringbone (from imagine gnats) and on the other...
This gorgeous shetland flannel (also from imagine gnats) in ocean. I added buttons to both sides so that it could be reversible and when Henry saw the buttons on the blue side to start he remarked how much he loved them...
And then when those red ones on the other side popped out to surprise him he was ecstatic!
I made myself a reversible vest too using the same fabrics and this free pattern from The Purl Bee but I am underwhelmed by it. It's too big, I already took it in some on the sides, but it still seems a bit, eh...I should have made the extra small instead of the medium perhaps...I'm not sure. Anywho, a blurry shot of it...
I'm so happy to have had this little nudge to make something special for Henry and I. I love my new shirt and he is thrilled with his new threads! I will happily wear our matching shirts out in public. I will also happily show him these pictures in front of his friends when he is a teenager!
But, good golly I hope that's not too soon! Look how fast he's growing up, he's such a little dude!
Before I go I have to give props to Violet for the pictures of Henry and I. We were loosing light and I, as usual, had waited till the very last moment to finish sewing and she was the one we turned to as our photographer. After we got the "obligatory" shots Henry and I began to play in the leaves for a bit and she snapped these fun photos...
Not bad for a six year old!
Of course Henry was just thrilled to be playing in the leaves, "We get to take pictures AND have FUN?!"
Everyone wins!
Check out more Mother/Son sewing inspiration from the other participants.
