Seeing the pj photo’s was a true delight. Mainly because it brought to mind my son’s comment back circa 1964. He was going on 6 yrs.
I was sewing for my daughter when he came by the machine and asked what it was I was making. My reply to it being clothes for his sister, his immediate expressed thought was my never making him anything. He took me by surprise and I gently reminded him I just finished 4 new pairs of pajamas for him the day before. His quiet comment as he turned to leave – yeah, well I can’t wear pajamas outside.
He especially like the knit shirts popular in those years. Hard for me to find the fabric. But the two of us sat down that evening, with him wearing his new pj’s, and looked at sweater patterns. He chose V neck cardigan, shown in red/white/blue horizontal strips. The next evening had me out yarn shopping at a store known as Mr. Bigs in Norwich, CT. While the sweater was coming together, son stood by now & again and watched the progress with much interest. Once completed the sweater was worn to shreds.
Eventually I was able to get fabric for some shirts.
me
Replies
This brings back memories, the same thing happened to me when sewing all my daughter's clothing. First I made him a Smurf quilt, didn't know how so I just hand tied it here and there. (He still has it, his wife loves it! Then I made him alot of Hawaiian style shirts. He loved fabric with lizards, cartoon characters, and animals on them and still loves that style shirt now that he's a grown man, but prefers different fabrics of course! It was so hard to find boys patterns in those days, now at least there are several choices.
I'm glad the pajamas brought back some fond memories! I have fond memories of making pajamas for my kids, too, and a nice ruffly long flannel nightie for DD when she was about 6........she loved it! The boys wore their flannel jammies till there was nothing left!
Kay
I guess we all get a little flak from the male side of our families when so much is produced from our sewing machines, but nothing for "him". It was so much easier to buy boys clothing and I was really sewing for the fun of it not the need! So they didn't understand. Thanks to the Stretch and Sew craze I did make a lot of knit tees for the men in my life, but on looking back I wish I had done a lot more. My oldest son took a fancy to some very colorful, flowered knit jersey I had stashed and wanted me to make a shirt for him out of it. WHY didn't I do it? He was probably in the fifth grade at the time and I thought he would get laughed at if he wore a shirt out of that. I'm sure he just thought I was being selfish and wanted it for myself. I should have made a pillow for his bed or something. But, I didn't. That piece finally went to a thrift store somewhere and I hope someone got it who wanted it! By the way... I did make a fake fur pillow for him a few years later that he seemed to enjoy immensely so I hope that helped. I never made any structured clothing for him or my other son, but I did make a quilt for the younger one and he still has it. It was the only quilt I ever finished.
Oh want a tear jerker. I'm next to tears over this wonderful story. I was just explaining what a professional was, and see here you are.....making some professional love in a sweater. Oh my.....my heart is swollen.
Those are great memories you shared.
It is a true joy to read through the posts about quilts made and other sewing adventures for the "boys" in our lives.
My son acknowledges my sewing ability to this day and has asked for a variety of items other than clothing. Most recently he opted to have his name placed on his volunteer rescue jacket.
Thank you everyone for adding to the thought. Even though I psoted it in an off-topic Thread.
me
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