Free Boy Patterns (2) - Toddlers and up

A while back, I did a post about free patterns for boys - baby boys . There seem to be far more free patterns for girls on the internet, hence they are much easier to find. Although this mostly works for me - I have 4 grand-daughters - it seems unfair on those who want to sew for boys. Plus, one of my grand-daughters would much sooner wear trousers and shorts than a dress, especially a frilly dress. And my husband's niece had twins, a boy and a girl. So I started writing about patterns I had found that would work well for boys. Last time, I concentrated on babies up to about 12-15 months. Some of the patterns and pattern authors I recommended do have larger sizes too, so it's always worth checking them out.

Please recognise when I produce these reviews, it has taken a lot of research and late nights, so please don't just copy all of this onto your own web site without acknowledging the source. Thank you! 

This time around, I'll continue with my review of free patterns for older boys from toddler age onwards. With a big thank you to all the people who have so generously posted patterns and tutorials without charge. So read on!

How to adjust a trousers / pants / shorts pattern with the front and back identical

As most of my readers know, I mainly use (and review) free sewing patterns from the internet - that's what I do. Using patterns that have generously been posted for free does require an acceptance that they won't all be perfect, and you may sometimes have to fiddle about with them to make them work. (Not always, of course, there are many that are brilliant, and that I use again and again.) But how much worse to pay for a pattern and then find that one doesn't work either!

And my biggest bugbear by far, is the pants and shorts and trouser patterns which don't have a separate back and front shaping - or rather, the crutch seam is identical for the back seam and the front seam. It's really surprising how many people, even some who also sell their work, produce such patterns. It doesn't take a lot of thought to realise that human beings are not symmetrical when seen from the side! 

(I realise my drawing talents leave a lot to be desired - I should have taken lessons from Picasso. Hopefully you'll get the idea.)

So the patterns I recommend, like this one from Jereli for pyjama pants, result in pants that have a crutch seam higher in the back than the front, and (generally) have a longer curve on the back, so that the inside leg seam sits a little forward of the midpoint of the inside of the leg. If you look at purchased trousers, even jeans, you will see that shaping, to accommodate the wider part we all have at the rear! Even children and babies - especially babies, who spend a lot of time with their legs in the air - need space for bending at the hip. OK, you may just get away with this with knit fabric and a sloppy fit, but it ISN'T DIFFICULT to make a pattern correctly, and make the result more comfortable.

These above are from another pattern I recommend, from Suzi of Bay Patterns at Space. Note that the centre back is higher than the centre front. These were a really comfortable fit. The grandchildren wanted more of them!

However, you will find patterns which ignore this golden rule, so here's what you can do.

MORE BELOW

A summer baby romper

After I had made beach ponchos and hooded towels for the girls this summer, I still had a nice piece of fabric left over. This was a soft stretch towelling.

I thought there would be just enough to make something for the baby, and I had in mind that it reminded me a bit of a little romper suit my daughter had when she was about 16 or 17 months old - though hers was cotton woven fabric - coincidentally it looks a similar colour / design in the photos!

To find out how I made a romper for my grand-daughter, read on.

Child mittens - review of free PDF pattern

Bringing my grand-daughter home from nursery one winter's day, I realised she had left her gloves at home. I thought I'd try and make her a quick spare pair, which could stay attached to her coat. That way, they'd stay with her!

I found this free pattern on the internet from Fleece Fun. It comes in 3 child sizes, as well as two women's and two men's sizes. The smallest sizes is supposed to fit ages 4-6, so I thought it would be perfect. 

To find out how I got on, read on.

Baby sleeping bags foir hot summer nights

This has been such a hot and dry June and July in my part of England. And stifling hot at night, too. So when I delivered a little romper for my youngest grand-daughter, my daughter asked if there was any chance I could make a thin sleeping bag for her as well. She's just turned a year old, and settles much better in a sleeping bag than not. But all her sleeping bags are warm and cosy, so she's been sleeping (or not) just in a nappy.

I wanted to be able make it quickly, as the weather was still very hot - not point in waiting till it gets cooler again. So I looked out the pattern I'd used to make sleeping bags for her older sister, and decided it would be just the right size, at 6-14 months. This was the free PDF generously offered by Small Dream Factory. (There are other sizes, available to buy.) There is a very good tutorial, too. I made two versions, one thin and one ultra-thin.

To find out how I modified the pattern to make thin hot weather sleeping bags, read on.

Variations on a simple A-line dress for girls' summer dresses

A basic A-line dress is a very good starting point for many variations, plain or fancy. This year, I've used one simple pattern to make a 3 different dresses.

For more about how to ring the changes on a simple pattern, read on.

Holiday Sewing

Before our family holiday, I had a mad few weeks of sewing for the holiday. First there were all the 'quiet books' to entertain the little ones while travelling. Then there were the beach cover-ups and a hooded towel for the littlest one. And lots of shorts and skirts. You could say the sewing machine was on fire. For once, because we were all on holiday together, I did actually get a few photos of the clothes being worn - although, these kids move so fast, it's hard to get shots in focus, and a lot of them are back views as they run around. I'm not complaining,  l love to see the things I've made being worn.

Here are a few examples - a small fraction of the total. Three pairs of shorts, and one skirt:

(I told you I get mainly back views!)

To see more, and find out about the free patterns I used, you'll need to click through to these pages.

Summer skirts for little girls Part 1
Summer skirts for little girls Part 2
Summer shorts for little girls
Beach cover-ups and baby beach towel
A-line variations on summer dresses.

Summer shorts for little girls

Summer time, and time for shorts! For one of my grand-daughters, some of her sister's shorts from earlier years have been handed down and are getting a new lease of life. But the older one has outgrown all of hers. This is one of my new pairs for 2018 (on the right), and, on the left, a pair she had originally, that have now been passed down to younger sister. 

As I did last year, I've struggled to find free PDf shorts patterns for the girls now they're older, but by making some patterns myself and adapting others, I've managed to come up with a few pairs.  You can find out more about making shorts for little girls below.