[violetvata]

Hello ladies, I need some design help. We are attending and participating in a family wedding in sept in oregon. My three boys will be standing up along with their cousins (whose parents are the bride and groom). The bride left dressing them up to me and does not want to be involved with micromanaging attire (didn’t want you to think I didn’t ask her!) SO I picked things I thought would be dressy enough for the wedding, formal family portraits to follow and could also be worn to church at x-mas. The big boys (8 and 6) will have gray pinstripe tropical weight wool pants and vests (already cut out- ottobre patterns) and I am working on sketchbook dress shirts from the radiance cotton silk poplin in deep shades of turq, forest green and aqua (one color for each boy) Now that they are on the hangers I am worried they look like slightly sleezy silk dress shirts typically worn with a big gold chain around ones neck which was the exact opposite effect as I was going for…eeeek! Anyone have any ideas on which kind of buttons might lessen the effect?

Hoping they look better with vests on top….on to my real question…..My youngest boy is 3.5 and petite so I was going to make the tea party playsuit in the gray wool and put a sketchbook shirt underneath (long sleeves) in the aqua color, I would trim the playsuit bodice with the aqua and he has a hand knit cardigan in the same aqua to wear as well…along with gray knee socks and black dress shoes. Is it way off to put him in shorts for a kind of vintage look? Let me know if I am, way off base, I don’t have his cut out yet and I have plenty of fabric to make him anything! Thanks for the help- Katja

[JohannaO]

I think from a fashion standpoint, it would be darling. (And you’re going to put up a picture, right?) However, I have a 2.75 year old (boy), who is potty trained, and every time we put him in his Tea Party playsuit, we risk an accident because we can’t get it off fast enough. (Which we could get around by putting Velcro on instead of buttons, but that didn’t occur to me last year when I made it.) How does he feel about being different from his brothers? Will he be excited, or will he want to look just like them? I would base my sewing on the answers to that.

As for the buttons, what about using the dark side of MOP buttons? I think it would look great, and very classy.

I don’t know what side of OR you’re headed to, but the weather on the costal side can be extremely variable in the early part of Sept. We always pack a little bit for all seasons, expecting to use all of it!

[violetvata]

Thanks- we live in seattle so it should be pretty close (they are in portland!) to what we have here. I made a test playsuit out of linen for summer to see if he would wear it and he does and love it (he calls it overalls!) and he has been potty trained a long time so it hasn’t been a problem so far, but he will have more layers. I would like to have a backup outfit for him just for stains, etc so that is a good idea. I will look for MOP, that had occurred to be too and might just be the best choice! Thanks- Katja

[Nicole]

It sounds very sweet! I used to go all out for my son’s ‘wedding outfits’ silk shirts and wool trousers-boys like to feel smart too!

Now that he is 14 I make crisp cotton shirts and silk ties.

Purl Bee(I think)have a free pattern for a boys tie.

I love the coloured shirts,Have you seen ”7 Brides for 7 Brothers”? There is a scene where all the men are wearing bright beautiful shirts!

It all sound fabulous!

[meleliza]

I’m pretty sure my nearly four year old woud want the same as his big brother. However, they are much closer in age than yours. I would also have concerns about the awkwardness of dressing and undressing the tea party suit. He wouldn’t be able to do it himself. I loved the overall lok on a baby, but gave it up once he potty trained because it was such a nuisance. To me, the tea party playsuit is a babyish look I just don’t see my 3 year old in. But, my 3 year old is not my baby, he’s a big brother and so I see him differently. On one hand, the tea party suit could look cute. On the other, the matching pants and vest is a safe bet.

[violetvata]

I guess I just don’t want three all the same, if I have all boys I need some variety in my life!!

[Violaisabelle]

If you go with the tea party playsuit, I think I would be more inclined to use the short sleeved shirt, rather than the long sleeved shirt. You have a cardigan to help keep him warm if that is needed. The playsuit is one I would picture more with a short sleeve shirt; and a pair of short trousers (shorts) with either a short sleeved shirt or long sleeved shirt, that is if I have the right look you are going for in my mind. 😛 You could use the Sketchbook shorts and short sleeved shirt and button the shorts and shirt together around the waist band. I think that could make a smart looking vintage look. I just did a Google search, here is a page with lots of little boys clothing. http://www.jollyrompers.com/thumbnail.asp?cid=88&offset=0 Scroll down to see lots of rompers.

I think it would be perfectly acceptable to have him dressed differently from his brothers. I certainly understand wanting a variety…says the mum of 4 boys. 🙂

Regarding the romper or shorts buttoned to shirt, there is a little trick mums use to make when having their boys wear these garments. They would make a small opening in the crotch seam, up front and down low, for the boys to do one aspect of their business. 😉 It was only a few years ago I finally saw my first antique garment that showed me how they did that. 🙂

Carol

[violetvata]

I was leaning for the short sleeve shirt when I thought about how he would look once he took off the cardigan…I’m channeling a JFK jr at the funeral kind of vintage look here. Maybe a matching brimmed cap matching the playsuit, he has long hair so it would help keep it out of his eyes for photos since we can’t do hairbands and barrettes (in public!) Thanks for the links, so cute, I wish there were more good boy patterns! . He is fine with waiting to go potty in the playsuit, as I said we’ve been using our linen test model all summer, but I’ll still maybe make a pair of sketchbook shorts in case of any emergency, those are easy to make and would be cute for easter too! Katja