Monster Face Pull-over

Another fun project with the kid!

A few weeks ago I saw this on my Tumblr feed:

SAKUN cat sweater with zipper mouth

AMAZING! (Also, I am now in love with Korean fashion blog seoulrhythm. check it out.)

I showed the pictures to the kid and it was a hit. So, naturally, we made our own.

with a few changes...

A few things I learned about doing a project with your kid:

• Plans go out the window I don't know about you, but my kid changes his mind every 5 seconds. I cut out the exact same shape of the cat eyes (in the same color!) only to have him ultimately decide to flip them upside down. He also decided that he wanted a giant brown nose. And then he didn't. Then he decided it was going to be a monster. The choices are endless - and I let him have free reign with creative choices so he feels like it is 'his' project. Ultimately, though, I have to cut it off so that we can actually finish the project. The key is trying to gauge that point correctly.
• It will never be 'perfect' And it shouldn't be! Perfection usually comes at the price of many tears and your kid not getting to be as involved as s/he should be. I have to remind myself to not be worried about the end product - that kind of professionalism is lost on him anyway. 
• Keep it cheap We made this out of scrap fabric, scrap thread, and a pull-over he is on the verge of outgrowing that is no longer a staple of his wardrobe. The only thing I actually bought was the zipper - $1.99 at JoAnn's. Since it's a novelty item and I wasn't sure if it would be successful or worn often, I couldn't afford to put much money (or time) into it. 

We had SO MUCH FUN. I couldn't get it completely finished before bedtime, but we had it all cut and pinned and I promised when he woke up it would be completely sewn. All in all it took just one evening.

And he won't stop wearing it. :)