Parachuting into the Art Museum

Some time ago, Sarvi (who's dress I just made) made the suggestion that those of us who sew Oliver + S patterns should endeavour to photograph our kids wearing the garment and doing the activity that the pattern is named for.

And then Liesl, with delicious humour, went and released a pattern called the Parachute Polo and Sweatpants. I've already made the pants here, but today I'm teeming the Parachute Polo shirt with the Art Museum Trousers. That would make for a hilarious Mission Impossible style photoshoot at the gallery. Or we could just ham it up at home instead...

Let's talk trousers first.

I've made the trousers only once before and they're still in rotation as school pants. The old ones were a lengthened size 4 and are getting pretty slim fitting. These are a straight size 7. No, there's no sound reasoning behind my jumping 3 sizes. I almost never get around to measuring the kids and apart from sleeve length I know they're pretty much smack on the age sizing in Oliver + S patterns.

The trousers are generously long and kind of an old fashioned trouser fit. By that I mean there's room in the crotch and hips but they're relatively narrow in the upper thigh. Exactly the kind of pants that I can't wear but that small boys wear very well!

I used some of my little iron on faux rivets and a single line of edgestitching on the pockets and seams. Sewn in a stretch denim they've come out as a halfway between casual jeans and more dressy trousers.

The great part of this pattern is the instructions for sewing welt pockets. I didn't sew the world's neatest welts here but they're not too bad and they really aren't half as hard as they seem.

Barely visible in the photo above are the belt loops which P loves. Completely unseen are the pocket bags and waistband facing which I cut from a light tan coloured cotton that formerly was a pudding cloth. Even though it had been washed, as I was ironing the seams the pants began to smell slightly Christmassy and very delicious!

 The Parachute Polo shirt is designed to be made in knit with a woven collar and placket, but it works perfectly well if use the knit all round!

This is a pretty stable knit and behaved quite well, although trying to neatly edgestitch a knit collar is not quite as easy as woven collar. I failed for the record. But couldn't be bothered making it any neater.

If your sewing machine doesn't like knit buttonholes then you'd certainly want to leave off the one that's right near the edge of the band portion of the collar. Otherwise you can do it exactly as per the pattern. Or can you?...

It was only as I was finishing the placket and was unsure about the length of my placket (the very next step said to trim any overhanging length) that I checked the forum and pattern for errata. There was quite a bit of discussion about how the collar fitted and an errata was issued to help with any trouble.  Too late for me as I'd already cut everything, but the errata finished by saying that if you follow the pattern it still works anyway.

I couldn't really understand what the problem had been and so the remedy didn't make a lot of sense and it worked perfectly when I did it as per the instructions. I'm still none the wiser. I've already cut another one and it will also be done as per the original pattern.

Nailed that sleeve length! The shirt is size 7 with 2&3/4" added to the sleeves. They probably don't run short but this kid has ultra long arms.

The only thing I do want to change for the next one I've cut out is where the interfacing on the back of the placket is positioned. It was very visible on the inside of the underneath placket. I've peeled it back and trimmed it right close to the edge of the placket, but if he was to wear it completely unbuttoned there'd be an ugly, visible strip of white interfacing on show. Is that what the errata was about?

I hadn't intended for these to be worn together, but he's chosen to do it that way each time they've been worn, and I'm kind of digging the autumnal colours. Honestly, it's almost springtime here and I should probably be getting excited about other colours but I just love these earthy tones all year round!

Both of these garments were needed, but were also test runs before making some others. That will be a more mad fabric that could prove to be quite an eyeful.

A fairy attempted to photobomb the shoot and was mostly smothered. Another will visit tonight to pay out on the first ever lost tooth! Last ever photo with a full complement of baby teeth: