calling all kids: cheetah swim trunks
April 16th, 2014
I’m posting as a part of this awesome series hosted by Alida, Calling All Kids. It’s geared toward making unconventional clothes for your little ones who don’t fit the trucks for boys, princesses for girls stereotype.
This is a topic quite dear to my heart because I was never one for princesses, but then I wasn’t really a tomboy either. I was just myself. It took many years of weird-ass outfits to figure out what I wanted to wear. And in the end, my clothes are not girly, but not boy-y either. I JUST WEAR WHAT I LIKE!
And it should be that way for my kids too. I think it’s really stupid that Target gets to decide what my 4-year-old boy wants to wear. He doesn’t want to wear dark depressing colors with angry things on them. He’s 4! He pretty much wants all cheetah all the time. So I made him a whole cheetah ensemble.
He is a finicky kid, not just when it comes to what is on his clothes, but how they fit is super important to him too. The ubiquitous board shorts that most boys wear drive him nuts! He’s constantly fussing with them and can’t stand how they feel. I mean it’s like wearing your pants in the bathtub–not the most comfortable thing in the world.
I knew he would love these swim trunks because 1. they are cheetah and 2. they are comfortable when you swim! Amazing.
I used the Euro Trunks sewing pattern by Running with Scissors and it was great! I thought it would be all zip zip and done–the pattern is comically small! But swimsuit material is slippy and slidey and arg! It took more concentration than a normal pair of shorts, but I wanted these swim trunks to hold up all summer too. I’m super happy with how they turned out.
I even had enough fabric to eek out a matching rash guard (flashback tee, natch). My kids have never actually worn rash guards before, but it was that or put some perfectly good fabric back on the shelf forever. I mean do you have any projects for a fat quarter’s worth of blue cheetah spandex?
He is going to own the pool this summer. I cannot wait.
Check out the whole Calling All Kids series on Aldia Makes. While you are there, enter the ginormous giveaway (at the bottom of this post)!
Oh my gosh meg, the shorts are so great! And his tiny little butt in cheetah! Too much. Board shorts in water does sound pretty uncomfortable. All the drag!
I know. I could have talked about his little, squeezy butt for the whole post, but I thought that might be weird.
Love! My boys feel the same way about swim trunks and are at the tail end of their Victorian-like long spandex shorts, which will get us through this summer. You inspire. Again. Where’s the swim fabric from, or did I miss that in the excitement of this post?!
yes! Victorian! I went off on kind of a “Americans are so Victorian and prudish” tangent, but then it got a little intense so I deleted it. :)
I didn’t say where I got the fabric, mostly because I forget. I bought it last summer. I think from lowpricefabric.com. They have a decent selection of swimwear fabric. Also, the Euro Swim Trunks pattern suggested spandexworld.com, which looks pretty awesome.
Yippee for Cheetah! My youngest is a big fan of the print. He’s got a pair of cheetah harem pants that I have to wash like. every. day. Now if only he’d pair them with something other than green camo. I’m a big fan of the kids choosing and dressing themselves so this series just makes me SO happy. Lovely job on the trunks, Meg.
cheetah AND camo?! Damn! our boys need to hang out together!
This is great. He indeed is going to own the pool!!!
I die. And hooray for celebrating what kids want to wear. Sometimes mine looks like a deranged elderly person, but I love that she’s wearing what she loves.
HA!
I love it! Did you sew up the rash guard in the same size you would choose for a tee?
Good question! No, I sewed a size down, but lengthened it a bit. My 4 year old usually wears a 5, but I made a 4T in the flashback pattern
I loooooove this Meg! I made those Euro trunks for H when he was three and he loved them. I need to make more this summer. You’ve inspired me to let him choose the fabric.
this post made me so happy! i love that you indulged his love of cheetah and eschewed board shorts – they really are weird. i totally don’t understand american swimwear culture especially for teens/young adults – that girls wear way less and boys wear way more material than is practical for actually SWIMMING! i’m totally making these for my little guy this summer too.
I can’t believe this is your baby! What a big kid. The swim set is adorable. It’s so nice to be able to wear what makes your feel like you, esp when you’re 4 years old!
I love these! My boy (who is on the swim team) always is asking to wear his speedo when we are just going to the pool to play. So I know he would love if I made these for him!
Spandex cheetah? Love them – that must be one happy boy!
The cheetah print and fit of the trunks gives emphasis to the cuteness of this baby boy.
Cheetah print looks good on his cute tiny butt.