Vintage Car Pants

Worked on another pair of Oliver+S pants for Jasper this weekend.

We had found this vintage car/transportation material at an estate sale.

Jasper liked it a lot.  But the material was cut in short pieces so I had to make the cars running up and down his legs.  I was able to line up the pattern so the bottom edge sat right on the selvage.  That worked out nicely.

Close-up of material.  We really like the colors.

Here are the finished pants before he tried them on.  I was working on them in stages.  One of those stages was Friday night.  At one point I sewed the waistband on backwards and had to seam-rip it out and begin again.  That's usually when I know its time to take a break!

I used one of his other pair of Oliver+S to get the hem length right.  We make them a tad long and he likes to roll them up sometimes.

All in all, another stunning success with this pattern! 

We had a brilliant idea as we were finishing these up.  Jasper has been attending Roots and Wings at Wilderness Awareness School (WAS) for the past three years but this year he is at Tracks and Tales.  Jasper goes to his Montessori School on Mon., Tues., Thurs. which leaves Wed. and Fri. for other activities.  WAS's class for 7 year olds is on Thursdays so Jasper can't attend.  But we found Tracks and Tales and he LOVES it!  

In Jasper's first year at WAS he was able to fit into a pair of wool Gap pants I had found on consignment at Booty Land.  They were Awesome pants!  We were frequently asked by other parents where and how to get them.  Nice wool pants are not easy to find for small children!  After his first year, we resorted to snow pants most rainy, wet WAS days since the wool pants no longer fit.

Fast forward to last week when Jasper went to his first day at Tracks and Tales and we were scrambling to locate the snow pants.  We found them but they are finally getting too small as well.  They kept the mud and wetness off him but he looked like he was waiting for a flood!

As I was making this latest pair of Oliver+S pants I had a moment of pure clarity and remembered that the reason I had been collecting umpteen bazillion old wool blankets over the last few years was to be able to felt them, cut them, and make cool recycled wool blanket projects.  Originally I was thinking holiday stockings, dog bed cover, ornaments, etc.  But why not pants?!  Yes!  Pants!!

So I washed and felted a few old blankets on Sunday to prepare.  I am super excited to see if I can make this work!  I think I know a few people who might want some wool pants for their kiddos!  I plan to reinforce the knees with a contrasting wool patch, and maybe even add some rear-end patches too!  Jasper always wears his REI long underwear top and bottom as his first layer so that will help the wool not feel itchy.  As soon as I have a prototype, I will show you.  My only worry is that my machine wont want to sew thru the thick parts.  Maybe its time to take the ancient Singer I have sitting in my garage into the shop to see if she can be resurrected!  The work-horse Singer would definitely get the job done!

Off to test out my new running shoes,

xo

Jennette