Sunday 6 July 2014

Sandbox pants for school

One of the things I was looking forward to, as my children started school, would be the end of sand in their pockets! I swear if I had bought an empty sandpit the day they first started in childcare I could have filled it at least once by now. As it is, we don't have a sandpit at home, but we get sand in the washing machine, sand in the shoe tubs, sand on the bathroom floor....

Obviously a sewing pattern called Sandbox pants which had pockets made no sense to me at all. But when I found a paper copy of this out of print Oliver + S pattern I had to have it.


I had also passed this one over as it seemed a bit simple. But, like all Oliver + S patterns, the delight is in the detail. The finish of these pants with their patch pockets on the front, buttoned down back pockets and drawstring waist, is fantastic.
 


I guess another thing that put me off the pants previously is the hard to resist temptation to use a novelty quilting cotton for the patch pockets. That makes a cute pair of toddler pants but just isn't my style. So here I was, using a pattern that I thought was going to be dull, with some plain navy terry knit, in order to make some school pants for winter. And you know, I was really enjoying myself.


To make it even more interesting I decided to do flat felled seams everywhere. I've learned not to cut big notches in seam allowances and then try to do flat felled seams, but I think with thick fabric like this it would pay to even cut them with an increased seam allowance. They looked perfect when first sewn, but after a few washes there are spots where I didn't quite catch the folded under top seam allowance properly. Still, check out the insides:


After flat felling the outer leg seam it was a bit of a challenge to do the inner leg seam as well. I hadn't thought it through very well and it was only as I was sewing down into the thick, fluffy tunnel of the leg that I realised what was happening. It was slow going but oh so satisfying, and I may have shown my husband more than once how neat they look on the inside.

I now can't recommend the pattern highly enough!

Since P only has one long sleeved school polo and one official school bomber jacket, he desperately needed some pullovers. I tried my Flashback Skinny T hack that I used for his Kenzo jumper again and made two pullovers in school red.


This is a size 9/10 in width, with the neckline of the size 6 and size 6 length for sleeves and hem. I also did a bit of an armhole hack to try and deepen the armhole, and it works fine, but I think I'm asking the wrong question of this pattern. It's a fantastic skinny T pattern, it's not meant to be enlarged to a blouson style pullover. I just can't bring myself to buy a pattern this simple, I'll keep trying....

The pants have been an absolute favourite. Although, since P can't yet tie a bow himself, I might make the next pair without the drawstring. I scored some more of the heavy, navy terry knit for a second pair, as well as some navy moleskin for a pair of Field Trip cargo pants and the last of the navy twill for a pair of Figgy's Banyan pants. I hope I'll find some interesting sewing in that pile.

Notably, the Banyan pants will be my first ever zipper fly. Isn't it funny when you read someone's blog and think, "have they really never done {insert thing you do yourself all the time} yet?".

... Oh, and you know what?... P's school has a sandpit!  Aaaarrrrggh!!

12 comments:

  1. I think the Sandbox is probably my most used pattern. I've made them long, short, with a frill at the bottom, with pockets without pockets but never in a knit...genius!

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    1. Thanks Peta. S'funny what counts as genius. They always looked a bit like track pants to me, so a knit seemed obvious. I imagine with all the pockets left off they'd be a really quick sew and a frill on the bottom sounds like perfect pyjama pants to me. That's genius!

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  2. Maybe you can get one of those little plastic things that holds the waistband string. You know, the one you push down to loosen or tighten the string? That could work for him, no? Do those freaking things have a name?

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    1. Toggles! You're a genius too! You know I just cut some off an old duffel bag before binning it when emptying out the closet the other day. perfect use for it. Great idea.

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  3. I love the sandbox pants, except that the fit never quite worked out for Joe - the rise was too long or something. I wonder if it would better now that he's a big boy?

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    1. They certainly are generous in the rise aren't they. I would have imagined they'd be great for baby in cloth nappies. They're a very different fit from a snug-but pants like the After School, but the kid thinks they're very comfy.

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  4. those pants look great, i love them in knit! great for running around at school. cute sweatshirt too - i thought you'd tried the field trip raglan as sweatshirt...? worked great for me!

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    1. Thanks Kristin. I did try the Field Trip as my first attempt at a sweater (here: http://bartacksandsingletrack.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/ive-got-another-one-of-those-ideas.html) but the neckline was too big when I went up a few sizes and the idea of redrafting a neckline on a raglan sleeve T just got me completely baffled. I think I'll try the School Bus T-Shirt next as that may have happened to and in my inbox recently....

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  5. oh I can so relate to the sand issue. when jude and indigo were in preschool, the school had sand dumped on almost the entire playground making it more like a beach. no matter how much we tried, sand inevitably got everywhere. it especially made my husband crazy. he has a ban against glitter in the house for the very same reason. haha
    such a great, cozy and practical outfit. the fact that you enjoyed it is an added bonus. :)

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    1. Oh how I smiled when I read that Dan, who knows how to use Burlap ribbon and wield a hot glue gun, has a limit when it comes to craft, and that it's glitter! That made my day. I used to pick my kids up and hold them upside down and shake them (gently of course :) ) before leaving the daycare centre.
      Thanks for the compliments, I think P is doing alright in his winter school duds!

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  6. The Sandbox pants look great! It's one of my favorite patterns...and one that I really wish went up to a 12.;)

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  7. These are awesome - SO much nicer than the standard-issue boys' school trackies. I'm with you on the sand in pockets issue, though. K had a favourite trick he used to do to amuse his friends: fill his schoolhat with sand and put it on his head. Nice. But even worse was a friend's son who used to collect snails and fill his pockets with them. His poor mum had to deal with all the crushed snails... I'll take the sand over the snails any day!

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