Never have I been happier to have made something than when these photos were taken.
We love to go exploring as a family, letting the boys enjoy the great outdoors. A month or so ago we did just that but, as we live in Melbourne, it was a pretty cold day and had been raining a lot, producing many muddy puddles. So as we were bundling the kids back in the car after our exploration, I had to weigh up whether to leave Finn (our youngest, and lover of muddy puddles) in his wet and dirty clothes, or to strip him off in the cold weather in the car and put dry clothes back on.
It was at that moment I had this idea: I needed waterproof trousers to go over his existing clothes, together with a warm, waterproof coat. Easily removed if needed, but wouldn’t make him cold as he got wet.
As luck would have it, I’d already spotted the perfect fabric in my local Spotlight store called Soft Shell Micro Fleece, and one of my favourite pattern designers Made By Jack’s Mum had a sewing pattern for exactly what I had in mind called the Free Range Fun Over-Trousers. Sorted!
I made a pair for both of my boys and they are perfect! I used the elastic ankle option so that they can wear them over their wellies, and I added a drawstring (aren’t they cool! I got them from Birds of a Feather) so that they’d last a bit longer, and also depending on what clothes they’d be wearing underneath it’d ensure they fit well.
The day after I finished making them, we took a drive out to the Macedon Ranges for a day out and Finn had an absolute ball running through the massive puddles in the grass – and I could watch without any concern of him being too cold and wet, instead enjoying the squeals of excitement. Success.
Made by Rach 