Perfect Pattern Parcel #4: School Age Boys!!!

I know I am not the only Mom who has bemoaned the lack of good patterns for boys, particularly those in the "in-between" ages.

Fortunately, the Perfect Pattern Parcel has our backs. They have put together a collection aimed specifically at our school age guys!
A complete wardrobe, all on one shot. And, as with all the Pattern Parcels, you name your own price and you can choose to allocate a portion of your purchase price to the charity Donorschoose.org to help classrooms in need.

For my guy, I went with the Zippy Jacket by Blank Slate Patterns.

Logan is an active dude, and he prefers his clothing comfortable and easy fit. As we're moving into fall weather, sometimes the tee shirts and shorts that he loves are just a little too cold for the nip in the air, so a light jacket is just what he needed.

The Zippy Jacket is just perfect for that. It's a simple style, designed to be made from mid weight knits. I used a 12 ounce Chez Ami interlock and it could not be more perfect. It is soft and comfortable, but keeps Logan cozy.

While the jacket itself is simple, the pockets are all fun. The rounded openings are bound and the pocket bag is stitched down from the inside, which is a great opportunity to use the decorative stretch stitches on your regular sewing machine.

Or if you have a coverstitch machine, you can use it for the entire operation! I used my coverstitch binder to bind the pocket openings and then stitched on the pocket bags from the wrong side with a three thread coverstitch, so that the looper threads were exposed on the right side. I love the sporty look!

Another great feature of the pattern is that the zipper goes all the way up to the top of the collar. If it's windy or chilly, you can zip it all the way up, but it has a great casual look partially unzipped.

Logan prefers it slightly unzipped, so he doesn't feel choked at the neck. He likes to have the control over his comfort.

As for the fit through the body, it really is perfect. I made Logan the size 7/8. He is turning 8 next week, and he's pretty average sized for his age. The sleeves are an excellent length and the cuff is snug enough to keep them in place and cozy. The waistband is also comfortably snug.

I did make a few minor changes to the pattern construction for reasons of personal preference. The pattern instructions for the attachment of the cuffs, collar and waistband all include zigzag topstitching. The pattern method does result in a nice smooth inside finish, but I personally dislike the look of zigzag topstitching. Instead, I stitched the waistband and collar facings onto just the inner seam allowances, and attached the cuffs via the alternate method in the pattern, which is the "usual" cuff method I generally employ.

The other change I made was to add interfacing to the zipper area at center front. I really think a zipper is easier to insert in a knit with a bit of interfacing for stability. I used Pro-Sheer Elegance in black. It's light enough to have no affect on the hand of the fabric, just make zipper insertion less fussy.

The end result is a great jacket that Logan and I both love. He loves it so much that he tried to sleep in it the night after I made it, and he's been wearing it nonstop since. Logan is pretty picky about his clothes so that is an epic win.
Head over to the Pattern Parcel site and get your own! And don't forget that if you spend over $26 on your parcel, you'll get the Knight Hoodie as well.

Be sure to also check out the other talented sewists taking part in the Pattern Parcel #4 Tour!
Friday, August 22 casa crafty || Lulu & Celeste || Keep Calm and Carrion

Saturday, August 23 Max California || Amanda Rose

Sunday, August 24 little betty sews

Monday, August 25 Kadiddlehopper || Radiant Home Studio

Tuesday, August 26 La Pantigana || Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts || Friends Stitched Together

Wednesday, August 27 Make It Perfect || Modern Handmade || GYCT Designs

Thursday, August 28 Needle and Ted || Mae & K || Mimi's Mom

Friday, August 29 Pienkel || Once Upon a Sewing Machine || Friends Stitched Together

Saturday, August 30 FABulous Home Sewn || Gray Skies || The Crazy Tailor

Sunday, August 31 Nine Stitches || Max California || Oliver's Fancy || Friends Stitched Together

Monday, September 1 a happy stitch || lady and the gents || Our Family Four || Swoodson Says

Tuesday, September 2 verypurpleperson || Things for Boys || The Crazy Tailor

Wednesday, September 3 Our Family Four || Rebekah Sews || a happy stitch

Thursday, September 4 Sew a Straight Line || la inglesita || Made by Sara || Knot Sew Normal

Friday, September 5 Knot Sew Normal || Gracious Threads || Sofilantjes || Max California