Sew and Tell with the Metropolitan Pants

 

When I think of the Metropolitan Pants from Terra's Treasures, three words come to mind:  fun, funky pockets!  Now, if your style is a bit more conservative, and it's a solid colored pair of pants you're after, these will fit the bill just fine- just use the same fabric for the pockets as for the pants!  I, personally, am really digging the colorful contrast and think it's a great way to give a pair of kid's pants some spunk! 

 

I think you'll be impressed by everything these pants have to offer!  First off, the price is very reasonable (and even more so since we've got them for 25% off right now!).  Plus, you're getting a lot for your money.  This pattern works well for both boys and girls and can be made as capris if that's the look you're after.  The size range is from 0-6 months all the way to a size 10 (all sizes for each pattern piece are nested and color-coded), so you could just about make a pair for every kid in your house ;)  The welt pockets in the back are phenomenal, and the pattern's directions for how to make them are very detailed and include a lot of helpful photographs.  There are also functional pockets in the front, a flat-front waist band, and an elastic waistband in the back to ensure a good fit.  You'll end up with a very well-made pair of pants that will look great for school, church, or play-time!  Dress them up or down depending on your fabric choices.

 

Elisa wrote an excellent review of these and made her kids some pretty spiffy pants!  Let's take a look!

 

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Hi!  I'm Elisa from CharmingDoodle.com and am excited to be part of Sew and Tell.  I made two pairs of Terra's Treasure Metropolitan Pants, one for a boy, and one for a girl.  This is such a CUTE pattern and an easy sew.  I highly recommend it!

I have four kids (2 boys, 2 girls) and have only been sewing for about a year.  When I discovered the world of PDF patterns, I fell in love!  I'm always on the lookout for new patterns, and if a pattern can work for both my boys AND my girls...well, it's worth getting.

 

My two oldest are in 1st Grade and Kindergarten this year, and they have to wear school uniforms.  Their shirts have the school's logo, and their pants/skirts/shorts can only be black, navy, or khaki.  But the pants can have embellishments if they're small, so I chose to give this pattern a try and add orange pockets (at my son's request) and flowered pockets to my girl's pants to make them a little less 'uniform-y.'  The contrast fabric is the perfect punch to a pair of pants for them both.

 

Let's talk about the sewing details:

 

Overall, these pants are very easy and quick to sew.  Any adventurous beginner can sew these, and expert sewers can have fun adding unique details to this pattern.  From the time I cut out the pieces to the time I was finished sewing (I made both pairs at the same time) it was about 2 hours.  One pair would be even faster!

 

The big challenge in sewing the pants is figuring out what size to make.  There's no size chart with the pattern.  I made a size 7 for my son but they are tight at the waist so next time I would make an 8.  My daughter wears a 5/6 and I made a 6.  It fits her well and there is even some room to grow.  So if in doubt or if your child is between sizes in ready-to-wear, I'd make these in the bigger size.

 

 

There are only a few pattern pieces to cut out, and it's a bit confusing at first to determine which ones should be the contrast fabric for the pockets (if you make them with contrast fabric...you could just make them solid and they'd be cute too).  If you want to use contrast fabric, you'll cut out the pieces shown in the second cutting layout diagram with your contrast fabric, and the other three pattern pieces shown from your main fabric.
 

I admit that I was a bit intimidated at first by the look of the welt pockets.  I've only sewn welt pockets one other time, but it didn't take long to get the hang of them.  The instructions in the pattern are very clear, and if you read it carefully and look at the pictures provided, you'll be a pro at welt pockets in no time.

 

 

 I finished my son's pants first and after they were done I wished I had topstitched them with orange down the sides of the pants.  But I didn't want to pick them apart to do that...so I left them as is and decided to topstitch my daughter's in pink before I finished sewing the legs together.  It was an easy detail you can add to give the pants some personality.

I also made another pattern change to my daughter's.  After making my son's pants, I saw that the waist of these pants sits pretty high.  I actually cut them down over an inch for my daughter. To do that, I just cut the front pieces shorter at the front waist and then made the pocket piece deeper so you'd still see the pretty contrast fabric.  I did not cut the back piece down, instead I just folded it down more than the pattern calls for, and my elastic casing was bigger.

 

 

 I plan on making these pants again in the future and will probably try to add a zip fly to them.  The shape is really nice, and the length is great, so I think there's an endless amount of possibilities for these pants.

 

And oh, the compliments my kids have gotten.  It's pretty unique to have orange welt pockets for a boy, and I'm often asked where I bought them.  Little do they know that anyone can make these great pants with Terra's Treasure Metropolitan Pants pattern.  Hope you get it and whip some up too.

 

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How sweet are those two?  And didn't those pants turn out great!?!  I adore the flower print used for the pockets on her daughter's pants.  If your kids have to wear school uniforms, this might be a great option for you.  The school year has only just begun, and you've got plenty of time to sew up a few pairs to last throughout the year.  And at 25% off, you can count this as back- to- school savings :) 

 

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Pair it Up!!

 

Let's take a look at a few other of our Back To School Favorites!

 

 

First up is the Classic Polo from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop.  This is definitely one of those patterns you need in your collection!  It can be made for both boys and girls, with shorts sleeves or long sleeves, and has an optional chest pocket.  It can be made in sizes 3m- 12 years.  Love the way this one comes together!

 

 

 I think it's the plaid fabric, but this dress just SCREAMS back to school to me!  This is the Colette Dress from Petite Kids Boutique.  It is available in sizes 12m- 6 years.  You can make it with sweet little puff sleeves or sleeveless and with or with a sash.  The back has a button closure, and it features a full, twirly skirt.  Add the sash and puff sleeves along with some fancy fabric, and you've turned your school dress into a creation she can wear to church, for pictures, or any other special occasion.  Very versatile!

 

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 Hope all of your children (or grandchildren, nieces, nephews...) are off to a great school year!  Don't forget to head over to the website and purchase your Metropolitan Pants for 25% off for the next few days.  And if you are already planning to make your little one's Halloween costume, or if I just now made you think that's a pretty good idea, take a look at our Handmade Halloween Costume Contest!  We're giving away over $300 in prizes!  It's going to tons of fun, and we'd love for you to join us!  Find the details by clicking on the banner below :)

 

 

 Go sew something magical!

 

 



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Sew and Tell with the Crayon Art Folio

 

Let's start off your weekend right with a fun little project the kids will love!  This week we are featuring the Crayon Art Folio from Gingercake Patterns & Design.  You'll have plenty of time to stitch it up before school starts back (I know, I know.  I don't want to think about school either.) or your late-summer vacations! 

 

The pattern is designed to hold up to 12 crayons and a 5"x 8" note pad for doodling.  I like that this pattern includes a mini version of the Crayon Art Folio that is perfect for sticking in your diaper bag or purse when you need to keep the kids quiet on the go.  I think just about any kid would love to have one of these to tote around ;) 

 

Here's the super-duper awesome review from Nicole!

 

Hello! My name is Nicole Washburn, and I chose the Crayon Art Folio pattern from Gingercake Pattern & Design to review. I have been married for 18 years (yes, I was a child bride haha!), and we have a three energetic kiddos, 9, 6, and 3 years old. My 6 year old daughter loves to bring her art supplies everywhere she goes, so I knew this would be a hit with her (and all her friends…hello birthday gift)! I would call myself an intermediate sewist. I have been sewing for about 10 years and enjoy sewing goodies for my three children and their friends, as well as household items like pillowcases and curtains.

 

The crayonfolio took about an hour and 15 minutes to cut out and construct start to finish. For the main ‘body’ of the crayonfolio, there are measurements given as a guideline in the pattern instructions as well as a two page guide to print out. The same printed pattern guide is used to create the pockets (the paper is just folded to the correct size). The straps are created by using the measurements given and either fabric or ribbon can be used. Velcro is also required. All fabric pieces require fusible interfacing and a piece of thin batting is also used. Obviously basic sewing supplies like pins, scissors and/or a rotary cutter are needed, too. If you want to embellish the crayonfolio, additional supplies like rick rack, buttons, and ball fringe can also be used.

 

The pattern was very simple to follow, and I think a beginning sewist would have little trouble. The pictures are helpful and have writing on them as well so that you know which pieces are which as you sew. I found it very helpful to refer to her finished picture on the first page of the pattern while reading the instructions. The only tricky part of the entire process was turning the entire thing right side out and topstitching. It is quite thick at this point, but my sewing machine had no trouble getting through it.  

 

 I liked that the pattern includes more than one pocket. It includes a pocket for crayons (8 crayons are shown in her pattern picture but I was able to fit 16 easily albeit tightly), and two larger pockets for paper, note cards, flashcards, or stickers. The handles of the crayonfolio can be made of grosgrain ribbon or fabric but I thought the grosgrain would be pretty flimsy, so I chose the fabric. Two long Velcro pieces keep the crayonfolio together. My daughter has been carrying the one I made around for the past day and a half, and it shows no wear at all. Nothing has fallen out, and she loves it!

She includes a link to flickr so that you can see how others have embellished their crayonfolio. The first one I made I kept pretty simple, only adding rick rack to the outer edge. To the second one I made, I used more fabrics (mostly scraps that looked fun together!) and added lots of embellishments like rick rack trim to the inner pocket and the outside fabric and decorative buttons, and my daughter loved it even more! The second one took only 45 minutes to create.

This will become our go-to birthday gift for sure! It was fun to combine different fabrics from my fabric scraps to make a truly unique item.  

 

A bonus that, at first, I didn’t realize was included is a smaller, mini crayonfolio pattern. It is about half the size of the original and holds four crayons and small pad of paper. I imagine this would be a great party favor to make for a birthday party or as a ‘keep your kids busy while waiting for food in a restaurant’ item. When I noticed the smaller version was included, it got me thinking that it would probably not be very difficult to modify the pattern and make it larger. My daughter loves her art supplies, especially her sketch pad, markers, and colored pencils which are too big for the crayonfolio, so I think I will try to make a larger version next. To personalize it, I think I will add an appliquéd initial to the outside as well.

Overall I am so glad I made this pattern. It was simple to construct, easy to follow, took very little fabric (great stash buster!), and was fun to embellish and personalize. I highly recommend it!

 

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Who feels the urge to make their kids a Crayon Art Folio now?  I know I do!  My kids are coloring maniacs!  Our church is meeting in a restaurant for the time being while our new building is being finished.  That means no nursery/children's classes to send them off to.  This would be perfect to keep them entertained while they are with me for the next few weeks!  If you want to purchase this pattern, you can find it on our website for 25% off for probably the next week or so!  We'd love for you to share pictures of your finished projects over on our Facebook page! 

 

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 Pair it up!

Since the thought of perfectly-pointed crayons always makes me think of the first day of school, let's check out a few patterns that are back-to-school worthy!!

 

 

First up, for the boys (and girls!) is The DrewB Blazer from Cali Faye Collection.  This pattern comes in sizes 2T- Child 10.  Totally adorable and a perfect "transition" piece to carry your little ones from summer to fall in style.  This was designed for boys, but looks super cute on girls, too!  The best part?  It's reversible!  I love when you can knock out two outfits in one project :) 

 

 

This is the Madeline Dress from Sew Sweet Patterns.  Makes your teeth hurt it's so sweet, right?  LOVE the Peter Pan collar and those fun buttons down the front.  This would be the cutest thing to put a little girl in for her first day of pre-school or kindergarten!  You can definitely pair this with leggings as the weather starts to turn cool, and I think a precious little cardigan on top would melt my heart.  This pattern comes in sizes 12m- Girls 8.  I just love it! 

 

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 Hope you all have a great weekend!  We have a giveaway going on until July 26th if you want to check it out!  We're giving away a few patterns from one of our newest designers to join Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops, Kikoi Patterns! 

 

Go sew something magical!!

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