My son always wants me to sew him something. As anyone who sews for kids knows, just like trying to buy cool boys’ clothes in a store, it is often an exercise in frustration. The selection in stores is usually downright sad compared with the real estate given over to all the delightful styles for girls. When it comes to sewing patterns, the choice isn’t much better, and to top it off, it’s just plain hard to sew the kinds of clothes they want to wear once they’re past the baby/toddler stage. So it’s often a challenge to find projects to make for The Boy (who is very, very big now, he’d be the first to tell you), because I’m sure not sewing him jeans! That is way out of my comfort zone. I fare much better with non-clothing items. In that spirit, I recently made him this Arrowheart hand-embroidered pillow. It has a wee pocket on the back to tuck in sweet little messages and other goodies:
Because, fortunately, although he is very, very big, The Boy is not too old to still want love notes from his mommy.
(I don’t know how R2D2 got in there. He’s wily, that one.)
The best part about this pillow is that it started life as a very well made linen shirt, which had become a bit stained and just generally wasn’t my style. It sat in my closet for years, until a recent purge unearthed it. It made its way to my to-be-repurposed sewing basket, and with a little creative cutting, it’s got new life. I think it’s more beautiful than ever. 
If you feel like doing a little upcycling yourself, or you’ve got some other fabric that’s in dire need of decoration, download my free embroidery template and get to it.
I find that I’m ruthless these days about culling my closet. Anything made of quality fabric is in jeopardy of becoming source material. I’d much rather put that stuff to good use in a sewing project than let it languish in “what if” land in my closet. As in, “What if someday I do want to wear it?” Because more often than not, someday never comes.
How about you? Have to take the scissors to your closet yet? Once you start, it’s hard to stop!
sewthegirl 
Lovely idea! I feel your pain with the unequal boy:girl thing x
Thanks! And yes, the boy-girl cute clothes disparity really bugged me when my son was little! I think it’s a bit better once you get past toddler sizes. But I’m still trying to explain to my son why sewing dresses is so much easier. I think he feels left out, which is sweet. I try to enjoy that now, since I’m sure soon he won’t be caught dead in clothes his mom made him!