Seeing as it is near impossible to find cute little boys’ patterns, it was a total delight to open up Little Things to Sew by Oliver + S‘s Liesl Gibson and find this great vest with lots of pockets to stuff treasures and curiosities.

One thing that usually really works when choosing fabric to make things for boys is to peruse the Kokka home decor weight linens.  Even though it isn’t made for clothing, it works just fine for garments that have a bit of body to them, as boys’ clothing so often does.  The prints, like this robot print we chose for the Little Explorer’s Vest, are cute yet cool.  The colors tend to be a little bit more sophisticated than most of the fabrics I come across that are made for boys, but not at all boring.  Once you wash these linens a few time they soften up and feel good next to the skin.

Liev’s vest is lined with a narrow slate blue and white striped seer suckered cotton.  We couldn’t resist adding something that wasn’t included in the pattern in the book but definitely adds to the design: a small, secret inner robot pocket to put that extra treasure that you might not want everyone to know about.  Liev is obsessed with this little pocket and whispers things that he will be putting in it.

As for the large back pocket, we’re still working out what might live in there.  In time, without doubt, my little dude will figure something out.  For now, he is feeling good about finally, finally getting something sewn especially for him.