In honor of Celebrate the Boy week over at Made by Rae, I thought we would spend a little time today talking about sewing for boys.

At Oliver + S, we make patterns for boys and for girls. Not all other pattern companies do, but we are committed to this. We don’t make as many patterns for boys as we do for girls because, frankly, there is a much greater demand for girls’ patterns. Whenever we release a new collection that includes patterns for boys and girls, the girls’ patterns always outsell the boys’ patterns. I would really love for that to change, however, and I would be thrilled if in the future we can justify producing more items for boys. If you will buy them, we will make them!

As you’re no doubt already aware, boys’ clothing tends to be a bit more restrictive in terms of creative options. Most boys don’t wear pleats or ruffles, and tradition dictates that boys stick with shirts and pants. That narrows the options considerably. But I think the beauty is in the details when it comes to boys’ clothing. Here are a few examples, courtesy of our customers’ photos.

The Sandbox Pants pattern was one of our early patterns, intended for boys and girls. It has an elastic-back waist and a drawstring at the front (more for decoration than for function) as well as front and back pockets. The larger size range of this pattern (sizes 4-8) is still in print, and if you search around you can probably still find the small size range somewhere too.

I love this version of the pants, with striped fabric at the inside waistband and a brown ribbon for a drawstring.

The Bedtime Story Pajamas have been a very popular patterns. This style recently went out of print, but never fear: we’ll be introducing new pajamas with some great details for fall! This style has been popular for boys and girls, and I suspect the boys like it because it’s somewhat reminiscent of a karate costume. The fun details here are in the neckband, ties and waistband. You can select from contrast or complimentary fabric as the trim for a little extra interest and fun.

The Sailboat Top and Pants is a versatile boys’ pattern. The Sailboat Top can be made in woven or knit fabrics, and you can have all sorts of fun with your fabric choices as well as with the buttons at the shoulders and with the facings. I like the red buttons and facings in this classic (and classy) striped version.

The Sailboat Pants (the pattern also includes a matching skirt for girls) have four buttons at the front and a cropped beachy style. This is a stylish twist on classic pants for boys.

Or make the pants in a fun print. Who can resist green and white elephants?

When we expanded our size range a while ago we released the classic Sketchbook Shirt and Shorts pattern, which is appropriate for boys of all ages. The shirt can be made with short or long sleeves as well as a convertible or a band collar. And the pull-on shorts include front pockets and a faux fly. I love the dressy combination of this classic white shirt with refined, striped shorts from Spool Sewing:

Or use the same pattern to make a more casual, sporty shirt and shorts like this one:

One of our most recent patterns, the Nature Walk Pullover and Knit Pants, is a very easy pattern. The kangaroo pocket at the front of the pullover, the piecing (great for color blocking!), and the collar and facing all offer lots of creative opportunities. Here is a classic striped option:

Here is a very fun version of the pullover, with rockets:

So you can see some of the details that make boys’ clothing interesting. You can also find more inspiration for boys’ clothing in our Flickr group. (Thanks to all our customers who contributed these great photos of their work!)

In our newly released book, Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, you’ll find all sorts of things for boys, too: messenger bag, backpack, quilt, bucket hat, mittens, scarf, bento box carrier, explorer vest, and plenty of other items that will appeal. At least three-quarters of the 20 projects in the book are appropriate for boys!

In honor of Celebrate the Boy week, we’re giving away a three-pack of Oliver + S patterns: the Sailboat Top and Pants, the Sketchbook Shirt and Shorts, and the Nature Walk Pullover and Knit Pants. You pick the sizes. To enter the drawing for all three patterns, leave a comment telling us about your favorite thing to sew for boys. We’ll pick a winner on the morning of Friday, February 18. Once the drawing is complete, comments will close down, and we’ll post the winner’s name. If you’re the lucky winner, we’ll contact you by email to get your preferred size ranges and shipping information. Good luck!

Back in design school, one of our best professors frequently gave our class the assignment to go home and each sketch 50 dress concepts before class the next day. To come up with that many unique ideas in one evening, on top of our full course-load of homework, felt unimaginably difficult. But it took that many sketches to really push out new and imaginative designs, and somehow we always managed to complete the task on time.

I recently gave myself the same type of homework and spent the past three full days filling a sketchbook with page upon page of ideas for future sewing patterns. Hopefully when I look back at the designs I’ll find some useful ideas, now that the fall patterns are at the printer and it’s time to start work on the spring collection.

While I was in the studio, looking for some inspiration, I also came across some other sketches and thought you might enjoy seeing them. These are the spring sewing patterns, not in their first incarnation as preliminary ideas but as part of the package I send to Dan, our illustrator, each season, so he can paint the paper doll clothing. Among the many ways that I communicate with Dan are sketches I make showing him what the clothes should look like on the dolls. I also send photographs, fabric and color swatches, and lengthy notes about each garment. But the sketches are the most useful part of the package, I think. I can show exactly what the silhouette is: how long a skirt should be, how closely (or loosely) a garment should fit, where the pockets are placed and how the collar sits. Here is the Ice Cream Dress (sorry for the smudges; I generally work with pencil on vellum so I can draw directly on top of the a paper doll to get the proportions right.):

I get to pretend that I’m an illustrator when I do this, except that I use a lot of words to show what I mean. Dan doesn’t have that luxury. (On the other hand, he’s a professional illustrator; I merely need to communicate an idea, thank goodness.)

Here are the other spring patterns, just for the fun of it:

So I spell out (literally) a lot of information here, but there is one area in which I let Dan have complete control: I always suggest a few props to coordinate with the name of each pattern, and Dan chooses exactly which prop to draw and how to show it. He’s never disappointed me. My favorite prop is still the bunny slippers. After he finished the painting, I found an exact match for them and bought them as a prop for Quilt Market.

Ok, back to my sketches.

We’re pleased to announce that our new Spring 2010 styles are now available for purchase on our website.

View each style’s pattern page to place your order:

• Music Class Blouse and Skirt
• Sketchbook Shirt and Shorts
• Ice Cream Dress

Happy sewing!

Many of you have requested a pattern for boy’s shorts. I wanted to give you something that would be easy enough for a beginner to sew but would look impressive.

The shorts pattern included with the Sketchbook Shirt + Shorts has a simple elastic waistband that can also be sewn to look like a flat waistband in the front. The mock fly looks like a more challenging (and time-consuming) zipper fly but is actually very simple to stitch. And the pleats give it an easy fit while also allowing you to press a crease into the leg for a dressy look.

Boys will like the front pockets (you’ll like them too because they’re easy to make), and the below-the-knee length is appropriate for casual or dress occasions in warmer weather.

This pattern is great for a beginners and would be rated one scissor if it were packaged by itself. So, like with the Music Class Blouse + Skirt, you could treat this pattern as a sewing class. Start with the shorts, move up to the short-sleeved shirt, and finish with the long-sleeved shirt to really develop your skills and sewing confidence.

For the shorts we recommend light- to medium-weight woven fabrics like denim, canvas, chambray, corduroy, twill, and linen.

I don’t want to tease you for too much longer. The new patterns are coming soon, really soon. They will be available on the website and will start shipping next Monday, April 5. Bear with me for one more short week of new style previews before you can get your hands on the actual patterns. This week, I have two posts that highlight our new boy’s pattern.

Last fall I asked a question on the Oliver + S Discussion Forums: What do you want to sew next?

We received lots of great feedback, and I was especially interested to see how many of you wanted to sew a classic boy’s shirt. You’re a brave bunch! Either that or you knew that I wouldn’t give you a pattern that was too difficult to finish. So thank you for the nudge you gave me toward developing this pattern.

Personally, I’ve never liked to sew shirts because the collar and band are usually very tricky to assemble. Traditional sewing techniques involve rolling the collar inside a tiny collar band, which is difficult enough with adult-sized clothing but which is virtually impossible with smaller children’s sizes. So for a little while there I decided that our discussion forum respondents were either gluttons for punishment or simply crazy.

Then I had an idea. Why not incorporate the same one-piece collar construction we’ve used in the Jump Rope Dress and the new Music Class Blouse and translate it into a boy’s shirt collar? It would eliminate the tricky collar stand assembly but still permit the collar to roll and wear the way a traditional shirt collar should.

And it worked! I’m very pleased with how much easier it is to sew this collar without compromising the finished appearance of the classic (but much more difficult) collar sewing technique. This collar can be worn open for a casual look or buttoned all the way up for a dressy or more formal appearance.  And you won’t be cursing at me while you sew it.

The easy shirt-tail hem can be worn loose or tucked in, and you have the choice of a simple short sleeve or a more challenging (but not overwhelming) long sleeve with placket and cuff. I’m quite pleased with the cuff too. It’s much easier to sew than many cuff construction techniques, without the frustration level I’ve always come to expect from sleeve cuffs.

View A includes that nifty shirt collar I mentioned above, the long sleeve with placket and cuff, and a chest pocket. We’ve sewn our sample from a printed stripe that gives a more casual appearance appropriate for school or play. But you can choose to use a solid or a classic shirting fabric with a subtle stripe or check to make a dressier version that’s just right for dressy occasions.

View B gives you the flexibility for doing some other variations on the shirt. Like the Music Class Blouse, View B of this pattern includes a band collar as well as short sleeve. Mix and match the collar, sleeve, and pocket options to create a variety of styles for all sorts of occasions–both formal and casual. Let your imagination go with this one.

For this shirt pattern, which is rated as two of four scissors in difficulty, we suggest light- to medium-weight woven fabrics like quilting cotton, broadcloth, lawn, shirting, poplin, fine-wale corduroy, and linen.

Next, I’ll show you the shorts that are also included in the pattern.

We’ve had several requests for yardage requirements for the new patterns. In response, we’ve posted them in the discussion forums. Here are the links:

• Ice Cream Dress
• Music Class Blouse + Skirt
• Sketchbook Shirt + Shorts

Happy fabric shopping!