My little guy is so dang cute in his 11th Doctor get up that I think I might turn him into one of those little dandies that wears fancy pocket squares everywhere he goes.
With how adorable kids clothes have become over the last few years, I thought that finding a wee little tweed blazer would be easily achievable. I was totally dead wrong. I searched from one end of the internet to the other, and I only found one, incredibly expensive, designer blazer that I couldn’t rationalize, no matter how cute it was. And I couldn’t really stomach the thought of making a blazer from scratch with all those time consuming tailored details, only to have Atti grow out of it in a few months. So a wardrobe refashion was my only option.
I found a wool tweed blazer at the thrift store, and the first thing I did was wash it. Not dry clean it, actually send it through the washing machine. This has 3 important benefits: 1) it removes the thrift store funk 2) removes any starch and sizing that will get in your way, and 3) it felts the wool and shrinks it, making it a bit smaller but also able to go through the washing machine from now on. I don’t know about you, but buying anything for a pre-schooler that has to get dry cleaned just seems beyond a waste of time to me. Removing the starch will make the lapels floppy, which is good for our purposes.
I used a jacket that fit Atti to get some rough proportions. You can see I’ve got quite a bit to remove here.
Using a seam ripper, carefully remove the sleeves and pockets. You will use all these pieces again, so do your best not to rip or stretch the fabric.
Cut the jacket to the proper length. With all that starch out of the collar, you can reshape it. I took the lapel up as far as I could get away with and steamed and ironed it into it’s new shape. I pinned the front of the jacket together to hold it closed while I worked on the rest of the alterations.
Once you take the sleeves off, you’ll be amazed at all the stuff inside the jacket. I cut all of that right out. Stuffing, lining, shoulderpads, I got rid of it all. For a busy little toddler I need as little structure as possible, so that means all the structure of this jacket had to go. BUT! I didn’t want to mess up the collar or lapels, that’s why I was going to the trouble of altering, after all, so I left enough of the lining to support the collar. To prevent fraying I just sewed a little zigzag stitch around the edge.
Turn the jacket inside out and cut the sides until you get the proper width. Sew the sides together.
Take the sleeves that you removed and cut them smaller in the length and the width. I cut off extra at the shoulder so I didn’t have to redo a cuff. Sew the new seam shut, then recut the arm hole to fit your smaller arms. If you’ve never set in sleeves this might seem difficult, but you can always use another shirt as a guideline.
Sew the pockets back on the front in their higher position, making them smaller too if necessary, hem the bottom of the blazer, and add your buttons and buttonholes.
You might be able to tell from this tutorial, but I was super relaxed about this project. It being for a Halloween costume gave me that license, but I was really glad I took it easy instead of fussing over every little measurement. On a grown-up this slapped together blazer would look horrible, but on a little kid it couldn’t be cuter. Kid’s clothes shouldn’t be fussy anyway, I think a non-fussy approach to a very traditional blazer may just make the cutest thing I’ve ever put on my little guy.
I want to repost this to Twitter as "When nerds have kids" lol!
I think you're amazing, and this is pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen. Tell Atti I said bow ties are cool.
There are no words to describe how ridiculously impressed I am with this post; or how absolutely adorable Atti looks!
how cute, i need to try this! i'm stopping by from tatertots & jello. i'd love for you to stop by and check out the awesome (over $100) giveaway we're having- http://thelovelypoppy.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-f…
I saw your link on tatertots, he is seriously the cutest thing ever! The jacket is pretty cute too.
Rocking doctor and Tardis!!! Love it. Best doctor ever.
This is by far teh CUTEST costume EVER! Love it! Featuring it Wednesday! Have a wonderful week! http://www.johnnyinadress.com
You are the greatest Mom EVER!!!!!!!!! Atti looks like a college professor I once had! I wish I had that ability to pull a jacket together, even it is for Halloween. Boy, do I wish you lived closer to Ohio, you have so much to teach! Huggssss to Atti for a Happy Trick or Treating!
How handsome! He's certainly the happiest Doctor I've seen.
I was so excited to see the tardis chair for Atticus! Brilliant!
I love this. My three year old wants to be the doctor this year I can't tell you how much money you just saved me on a tweed jacket
So glad your son wants to be a hero, because with your creative genius….he'd be a formidable, but super cute super villain Next time…FEZ!
That's amazing! 🙂
Love! He's such an adorable Doctor. Also, kudos on your mad sewing skills!
Just seen one of these pics on tumblr, where it's had over 10,000 reblogs. Atti is a little star and looks so happy in that amazing outfit, and TARDIS. Doctor Who is awesome. I've been a fan for over thirty years – I'm a Davison man – and it never ceases to amaze or surprise me, even now. Matt Smith rocks.
Atti, you LEGEND! You are such a superstar – a true doctor in the making. Well done Mom on the outfit and props 🙂
(And yes – it's true, you are a tumblr celebrity – i got directed to here from there)
Well done on the jacket remake, but fitting a TARDIS over Atti's chair makes this fabulous! And Atti is absolutely adorable.
This is the greatest kid's costume I have ever seen! You are the best mom ever! Fantastic job!
You are the best mom in the world!
I'm doing a month of heros for my blog. This is the exactly the type of story I am looking for. Can I use your picture and story?
Thank you so much for asking! I'd be honored!
I haven’t read your blog in a long time, and was on Pinterest, and saw the adorable picture of Atti as the Doctor! Oh my gravy love it! You did a great job and he pulls it off perfectly!
Thanks for the tute! I'm putting together the same outfit for my five year old, and couldn't find a jacket anywhere – you may have saved my bacon!
Oh my god! Seriously I have an almost two year old named Atticus and am having the hardest time finding a tweed blazer so he can be #11 for Halloween!! I’m not crafty like you but I thought our similarities are uncanny!
You are one talented woman! Id have lost my patience long ago. Came over to visit from momspective.com when I saw your watermark. 🙂 Excellent, and what a fabulous costume.
Awesome. He just needs a tiny Fez to complete the look. Well done.
Just seen one of these pics on tumblr, where it's had over 10,000 reblogs. Atti is a little star and looks so happy in that amazing outfit, and TARDIS. Doctor Who is awesome.
I think you're amazing, and this is pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen.