Little Hero tights by Little Titans

My little nephew has swagger, he’s cute, he’s cool. He wouldn’t be caught in a pair of baggy, slouchy, shapeless jogging bottoms, no siree. He saunters around not only in jeans but drop crotch pants, leggings, girl tights and boy tights (not all at the same time, I hasten to add) because he can. Tights shouldn’t be just for girls, boys should also be able to benefit from the cosy comfort that tights have to offer. It makes perfect sense to me.

Leggings are pretty much an extension of the skinny jeans, but in jersey fabric they are more comfortable, cheaper and will fit growing kids for longer. Who knows, it may soon be commonplace for boys to wear leggings, it’s a no-brainer I think. But I’m only talking about little boys, not big boys, for practical reasons of course, come on where would they put their mobile phones?

I was delighted to be asked to join Perfect Pattern Parcel#4, last time it was patterns for girls, this time, patterns for boys. Woo hoo!!!

What a great selection of patterns. I decided to sew the Schoolboy vest for my nephew, it looked easy enough to sew on my ‘toy’ mini sewing machine that I took on holiday. (Yes, that’s right, I took my sewing machine on holiday.)

Knowing that my nephew is a cool dude, who wears tights and leggings as standard attire, I didn’t want to make him a vest that would cramp his style. I wanted to steer away from the formal look (after all he doesn’t often go to posh dinner parties and the opera) and give the vest a more urban flavour.

So here’s what I made

It’s not as urban as I intended, but it certainly looks good on my nephew, don’t you agree?

The great thing about the schoolboy vest is that it is reversible. So you sew one item and get two. Bonus! My sister-in-law asked about washing instructions. Normally I would say ‘Wash inside out at 30 degrees’. But what is inside out on a reversible vest? My brother’s solution was to wash at 15 degrees both sides. That’s the kinda guy he is (hmmm!!).

I made some minor adaptions to the pattern

Colour blocking, piping, two buttons instead of 4, no welt pockets, no buckle at the back but shaped the bottom to form a point, which unfortunately isn’t that noticeable [sad face].

There is one simple rule for wearing a vest or waistcoat as we call it in the UK… ALWAYS BUTTON UP (rather than leave open and flapping), unless you want to look like a child being forced to wear a suit at a family wedding.

Want to make a reversible Schoolboy Waistcoat (or any of the other patterns in the Parcel)? Purchase your parcel today.

About Pattern Parcel

Perfect Pattern Parcel believe in supporting independent pattern designers. It’s their opinion that indie patterns are better than big box patterns, and they are pretty sure their customers think so too. So, they allow customers to show their support in naming their own price for each Parcel. They also encourage customers to allocate part of their Parcel price to the charity Donorschoose.org in order to help classrooms in need. Pattern Parcel donates all profits after expenses from Parcel sales to the charity as well. They have raised $9,800 towards eliminating educational inequality.

Hey look! It’s my other nephew.

Bonus Pattern

Choose a price of $26 or greater for Parcel #4 and you will automatically also be sent the Bonus Pattern! The Bonus Pattern for this Parcel is the Knight Hoodie by Charming Doodle. This pattern is a unique and fun spin on the traditional hoodie. Thorough instructions and pictures help you create an amazing and memorable hoodie that will inspire creativity in your little one.

What are you waiting for? Get your parcel today.