Kids Clothes Week spring edition is officially over, but I’m back with one more project I finished last week.
I knew I must have something on my shelf to go with this KCW’s Wild Things theme, and it turned out to be these dinosaurs. After a couple nights work, they became a little Sketchbook shirt.
I made this shirt in the smallest size when Oscar was 7 months old – I was so excited for him to wear it, but it never really fit right. This one is better, but not perfect. I made a size 2 (lengthened to 3), and I’m wondering if I should’ve slimmed it down to 18-24 months, because it’s a bit too wide in the shoulders. And there’s something not quite right about the sleeves, I had trouble getting them to lay flat in the shoulder seams.
But it’s still a decent little shirt, all in all, and the dinosaurs are pretty cute…even if that red one on the sleeve happens to be breathing fire. (?)
Maybe I just need to play around with this one a little more, but are there other button down shirt patterns people like to sew with? If you know of one with a great fit, I’d love to hear. I do love a little boy in a button down…
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I love the fabric you used. It looks very retro. Have you seen the Weller Shirt by Madeit Patterns? http://www.madeit-patterns.com/?product=the-weller-shirt
thank you, i’ll check that one out!
I made this same shirt last fall but in long sleeves and don’t remember having any issues with the sleeves. I vaguely recall there was a revision that needed to be made with pattern markings or other on the original printing of this pattern. Have you checked the errata postings on the OliverS website? That could have accounted for the problem you encountered with the sleeves.
that’s a good suggestion, i always forget to check the errata! nothing there this time that applied to me…it might have been my own error with the sleeves!
I love it!!! I think it looks adorable. I do think that the Sketchbook shirt pattern runs a bit wide and a bit short for my personal tastes. Sleeves are kind of long too. Haven’t tried any others, though, I have sewn it once and I did a smaller size with a bunch of extra length in the torso and that’s worked.
thanks, Inder! your sketchbook is amazing! 🙂
I think it’s adorable! I’ve sewn the Oxford from Peek a Boo Patternshop before (twice actually). It fit my little guy really well. I haven’t yet made the Sketchbook shirt, so I’m not sure what it’s like in comparison. But all in all the Peekaboo one turned out quite cute. I didn’t love the collar stand, but I’m not sure if that was because of the pattern itself, or just my lack of knowledge in “making a button down shirt”. I have both of my versions on my blog (one of them I turned into a Prince Charming outfit).
thank you Sarah! the fit on the Oxford does look great, thanks for the tip!
i love that Dino fabric! The shirt came out really cute. I’ve used a pattern called summer shirt for boys I got on etsy from lilybirdstudio. I loved the instructions and the size 4 fit my 4 year old like a dream with no mods.
thanks Lisa! I made a dress from one of their patterns once, I’m going to check out the shirt!
I have sewn a couple of the Peekaboo Oxford as well as this one. In fact, I haven’t tried this one on my little guy just yet! I need to do that. I have been making the 2Ts in PAB, and I made the 18-24M in this one. The 18-24M O+S one is wider and a tad bit longer than the 2T in the PAB one. The PAB patterns overall are a bit slimmer to me. You might try that one! The differences are in the sleeve shape, the placket construction and the collar construction. It has a separate stand. 🙂
thanks for the peekaboo comparison, i appreciate it! sounds like a more narrow fit, which sounds good to me 🙂
Well it sure is cute! Bummer about the fit, though. It seems like O+S often runs a bit too wide and too short for my liking. I haven’t made any dress shirts but I remember Shelley had a comparison of the sketchbook to the dress shirt from Happy Homemade Vol 2. It would take adding seam allowances, though 🙂 http://bartacksandsingletrack.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-blog-post-where-we-all-got-lucky.html
thanks Elizabeth, excellent suggestion! and i could try that one out without buying a new pattern, very tempting indeed 🙂
I have never sewn for little boys but have seen lots in little “dress” shirts and it seems they all fit like “too much shirt”.
This shirt is so cute on your son. I would just enjoy.
Check out the Zonen09 patterns! http://www.zonen09.com/
yes! that button down looks awesome, and i’ve always wanted to try a Zonen09 pattern. thanks!
🙂 Elizabeth beat me to it! Yep, the shirt in Happy Homemade Vol II is a bit slimmer and longer. I’d sew that pattern, using the Oliver + S instructions for my perfect shirt!
I’m planning on a Sketchbook shirt for a soon to be 2 year old for a gift. Maybe I should go with the 18-24m plus length?…
I love that dinosaur fabric and it does look awesome on.
I like the sound of that combo, thanks Shelley! And yeah, if he’s pretty average in size I might add length to the 18-24m, I feel like that might have worked better for me!
My unaltered Sketchbooks Shirts have been a little short for my son. Next time I will add length. But I have to say, in these pictures, the fit on Oscar doesn’t look bad to me at all! He looks adorable!
agree about the short/wide assessment on the sketchbook; C now fits into O’s zissou shirt and i do wish it was longer on him! i like all of these pattern suggestions up there – some i’ve never heard of!
oscar is such a cute little fella and that fabric is totally rad. fire breathing dinos for the win!