There are lots of reasons I like to sew.
To be able to wear something I've made with my own two hands. To see my kids looking adorable in their mama mades. To see something that you envision become a reality...
But, I'm realizing more and more that one of the biggest reasons...is so that I don't have to buy the crap tees that they sell in stores!
I'll admit that there are occasionally fun tees to be found. But more often than not they have, as far as I'm concerned, inappropriate text spewed across their fronts.
Call me old fashioned I guess.
But, just because I don't particularly care for the wording used on those RTW tees doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good "holiday" themed tee.
Who doesn't love to celebrate a holiday by dressing festively? These are those moments where I reach into my fabric stash, pull out a favorite t-shirt pattern and sew. And, lickety–split before you know it...a new "festive" shirt is born...
I literally find myself doing this over and over again the day, or in many instances, the night before a holiday...or an event, like "Sneetches Day" at school...
Having the supplies on hand and the ability to sew makes it so easy.
And, more often than not...much cuter! And always, in my opinion, more kid appropriate!
Not to mention the fact that I usually let the kids chime in with their own input and designs...so that they get to truly make it their own and make it something that they want to wear!
Like these Valentine's Day Flashback Skinny tees...kid ideas meet felt and iron on vinyl...
Or, these Bethioua raglans ...
made by "hodge podging" together the little bits of yellow fabrics I had sitting around to make a couple, very unique, Sneetches tees...
In the end, I know, it's because I enjoy sewing so much that I whip these thematic tees up last minute. But, it's also because I enjoy seeing the kid's personalities and their individuality shine through when wear something uniquely their own.
Also, it makes me happy. It makes me happy that they are still letting me make them things and that they genuinely enjoy it!
PS...on a slightly different note...these heart pins!!!
I made more than forty of these sweet little heart pins for each of the kid's classmates. They were the "topper" for the class party goodie bags and while they did take a bit of time, cutting out individual shrinky dink hearts, baking them and then gluing them onto tie tack pins...I just love the way they turned out!
And, in fact, find myself tacking my own little red heart pin onto my collar or shirt over and over again...
Just a little reminder that "all you need is love"!
And, maybe, in the end...that too is part of what drives me to make tees, pins, fun foods...for the kids...it's one of the ways that I am able to remind them each day that they are loved.
Cheesy? Maybe. But I don't care.
