Mini Maxi

Well this is it! The final challenge of Project Run and Play. I'm so thrilled I made it this far and I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do when it is all over. Maybe clean my house? My time and brain power have been consumed by this contest the last six weeks or so and I have loved all of it!

The final challenge was to show our signature look and it was a great opportunity for me to really think about what my signature style is. I have specific tastes (I know what I like), but I couldn't fit my style into any specific category. So I started thinking about why I create and where my inspiration comes from. I am always inspired by what fashionable women are wearing, even though I am creating for my four-year-old. I usually see something I like in women's fashion and then create a "mini" version for Drew. Hence, my look this week is a Mini Maxi.



Here are my steps for creating mini fashion... (without a pattern)

1. I see something I like. For this look, I own a maxi dress with the same gathered piecing detail at the bottom. I would love to say that all my ideas come from only me, but I don't work that way. I am always inspired by a fabric, a color scheme, a detail that is the starting point. Buying a pattern is a great way to start a creation too of course, but that is not how I ever do it or like to do it.

2. I study that item. When I go clothes shopping by myself (um, when does that happen?) you will see me turning clothes inside out, checking out the seams, and really thinking about how it was all put together. People, this is how I taught myself to sew! By studying the seams in an item you can see how the pieces were put together and what order they were put together in. And if you were desperate you could even rip out all the seams and have the entire pattern right there for you. If you want to take your sewing to the next level, study the clothes that are in your closet.

3. I draw out a pattern. Once you have a basic bodice pattern that you know fits great, you can use this over and over in so many different designs. You can take a top that you know fits well, carefully trace it, and add a seam allowance. Or you can buy this book that changed my life, and taught me all about how to draw out children's patterns. It gives specific mathematical directions, but I wouldn't say it is pattern making "for dummies". I'm kind of a dummy and it took a lot of studying and figuring out for me, but with excellent results.

Also, when drawing out a pattern I make accomodations. Women's fashion doesn't always allow for comfort and easy dressing, which are essential for mini wear. And I always add playful details to keep the look age appropriate. This Mini Maxi showcases my signature pattern style with a very structured look. I like button bands, collars, sleeves, tabs, etc. My dress patterns tend to have a lot of pieces. For easy dressing I also had to add in a side seam zipper.

4. I choose my materials. This part is always fun. I use a lot of solid colors in my designs, but when I am using a print I love geometric stuff like dots, stripes, plaids, and checks. It is also fun to try different materials all together like this cool cutout material I made the little cropped cardi with. That material has been camped out in my closet for a while needing to be used for something great. And now I need that cardi in my size.

5. I sew it together. And the most rewarding part is to see your creation come together. Because I sell a lot of the dresses I make, my creations hav to be perfectly finished. And if I am going to spend all that time on something, I want the craftsmanship to be perfect. Just like it could be sold in a store. Better than being sold in a store. It is even nicer to give it something extra special, something you wouldn't find in a store. To achieve this in my maxi dress I hand embroidered a zig zag pattern of dots in mustard yellow. The possibilities here are endless.


So, are you still with me?...



Because I wanted to go out with a bang for my final week of the competition, there are some great accessories with this look. First is the mustard yellow stretchy knit rosette belt. It is made with elastic and an easy clasp and can be worn with so many things. I made a stretchy bracelet out of wooden beads wound about in yarn. They look like mini yarn balls! I also took an old pair of shoes and transformed them into these amazing summer sandals. The last time Drew wore the old shoes was at the zoo and they left her with two blisters, so it was time for them to go anyway.

See the transformation in a basic picture tutorial...



I made a bias tape for my straps, but ribbon or trim could work too.


And some stand alone pics of my look. Plus a view of their insides...



Now, head over to Project Run and Play and VOTE for your favorite look!

Drew and I are hoping it is the Mini Maxi, although she is a lot more forceful...


And thank you to everyone's support that helped us make it this far in the competition already!

Willy Wonka

This week for Project Run and Play the theme is Let's Go to the Movies!

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of Drew's all-time favorite movies (she also loves the new version), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of her favorite books (we are big Roald Dahl fans). Although I love making costumes, I did not want to recreate a look or make a costume from the movie. Rather, I was inspired by Gene Wilder's fabulous get-up and made something every day wearable.


Ms. Willy Wonka got sick the day we planned for the photo shoot. Plus it rained the very hour that I was to start the photo shoot! It never rains in Phoenix. Just like Charlie Bucket, all the odds were stacked against us! So we waited and took these pictures on the very last day possible (yesterday) and she was still not feeling good. She really wanted to take them though and she was a trooper. I'm thinking the huge lollipop had something to do with it. So if Drew dosen't look as ecstatic as she should be for finding a golden ticket, then you know why! We had to make it work.

On to the clothes...

I should begin with the purple sleeveless dress which will probably get worn every day this summer. It is made of a lightweight corduroy and features a sweetheart neckline, two large heart pockets, and button-up sides for easy on and off. It will look great with any shirt underneath (and tights in the winter!), but for this look I mimicked Wonka's floral shirt and bow tie with this vintage purple floral with an assymetrical bow.



The little cropped jacket is my masterpiece. Literally. I searched and searched for a chocolate brown and white buffalo plaid fabric with no luck. If I could go to Mood I know I would have found it. Or if I had time I could have printed my own fabric from Spoonflower. But I didn't and I wouldn't compromise so I painted my own fabric! I used a soft fabric paint that worked wonders. The twill I painted on is still soft, bendable, washable, and ironable.

The work in progress...





And some more pictures of the individual items...



The top hat was a fun accessory to make for the photo shoot. I used this tutorial for the most part. There are not many pictures in the hat because sickie was less than thrilled to wear it and I was not going to push it.


And some insides...

The jacket is lined in chocolate brown...



So please go and VOTE for Willy Wonka! Next week is the final challenge and I need your votes to make it there!

And then go watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory because you know you want to now.

"We are the music makers... and we are the dreamers of dreams!" -Willy Wonka

Just Peachy

Color challenge! This week for Project Run and Play we picked a color and designed an outfit based on that color. This was not easy for me. I love so many colors. If you follow me on Pinterest, I arrange my boards by color for visual inspiration. I initially wanted to pick a rich shade of blue or green. And Drew said at the fabric store, "First look for a pink, and if you don't find a pink, then a purple. And if you don't find a purple, then a yellow." She then rattled off five other colors that would be okay with her. So yes, it was hard for us to narrow down a color!

Another fabric store later and I found this perfect peach color and the world made sense again. Peach is not pink. Peach is fresh and fun. Peach is perfect for spring and summer. Peach is youthful. Peach is a little bit retro. Peach is a fashionable color right now but not so trendy and overdone. Peach, peach, peach!



I use solid colors a lot in my designs. I love me a good pattern, but with solids you can really see the details and structure of the item. In this dress the details are the tuxedo ruffles in front, ruffles along the skirt hem, the perfect collar, and my favorite, the half flutter sleeves. I also played with the circle skirt pattern again and came up with a "mullet skirt" style. You know, short in the front and longer in the back! Because of this shape I knew the inside of the skirt piece would be very visible and I wanted it to be just as beautiful, so I used french seams (the seam is fully enclosed). It made such a strong and pretty finish that I used french seams for the entire dress (see pics below)... no serger for me this week! If you don't have a serger and still want your clothes to look professional, french seams are the only way to go. And they are simple too.

The perfect accessory for this dress is the braided leather belt. And I made it. And it was SO easy. And it took me about 15 minutes. And it cost me only $2. Can you tell I'm proud of that belt? I am. I'm not sure when I'll have another 15 minutes to spare, but when I do I am going to make me one too. I used leather scraps from an upholstery store near my house and a buckle from an old belt I never wear (last week's recycle challenge has stuck with me!). And just to send this outfit over the top I made a little retro pillbox hat with silver eyelets for insert the bobby pins. I really played off the vintage feel of the dress in the photo shoot, but take away the pillbox hat and the historic Chevy and this dress is also modern too.



As usual, I try to show you the details and insides of the dress. See the french seams. If it weren't for the buttons, the insides are so pretty that the dress could almost be reversible. I love how the peach seems a different shade with the green backdrop of my backyard compared to the bright blue truck photo shoot. Colors are interesting.



And another shot of my cutey. This girl has been modeling for me for so long (since she could barely sit) that I don't even have to tell her what to do any more. She knows how to pose alright. She simply gets behind the camera, works her magic, then sticks out her hand to me for payment. This time it was a dum dum sucker... cheap labor, right?



Oh, and don't forget...



Please go and vote over at Project Run and Play! Every week I talk to my husband about whether or not I will go home from this competition and he says, "Go home? As opposed to you being in New York right now in a fierce TV competition?" So obviously I'm already home, but the competition is fierce and I'd love to stay in it!

Eco-Princess

The Tale of Eco-Princess...







Well, not the end of the post.

This Earth Day challenge was unlike anything I have ever done before, that's for sure! I have a real problem of buying fabric. Sometimes I buy fabric because I love it, even though I have no idea what I am going to use it for. To be earth-friendly this week, my goal was to make an outfit entirely out of t-shirts already in my house, spending zero dollars, and doing something that any other earth-friendly person could do as well. I achieved the last goal and almost the first two, but did end up buying three extra t-shirts from Goodwill and a bottle of purple Rit dye.

I raided our closets and dressers for old t-shirts that were stained, too small, or otherwise haven't been worn in years. The humble beginnings:



Although the construction of the dress came together exactly as I had initially planned, the whole concept evolved as I went. When you're reusing materials you kind of have to just go with the flow, let go a little bit of control, and see what the finished product turns into. It was a lot of fun!

This look is made up of two pieces. First is the dress, pieced together with our favorite screen-printed images and tied in back with a large bow. The neck and sleeve bands are cut from the neck bands of the old t-shirts. It has an elasticized waist and is finished on bottom with a double row of stitches (everyone sewing with knits should have a twin needle!). The second piece is a petticoat I made entirely out of whatever was left of the t-shirts. The dress is perfectly finished in every way, but the petticoat I wanted to leave raw with unfinished edges. I cut out as many strips as I could, sewed them together, and let my ruffle foot gather it all together. I attached the ruffles to two circle layers and then to an elastic waistband, circle skirt style.



My favorite part about the concept of this dress is the many possibilities! Use color dye. Use favorite characters. Use ripped, stained, or otherwise unwearable shirts. Use daddy's favorite team t-shirts! Use her old baby onesies (we used one!). Use the neckbands that are already there for you on the t-shirts. Use any pattern of dress style you want. Heck, even use the tags you cut out to make a bracelet (see below!). Use your daughter in the designing process and you will have a custom dress just for her that she will love. The important thing is that you are reusing what you already have and are cleaning out your closets a little bit in the process.



It is so much fun to see how it all comes together!



I always like to show pictures of my clothes inside out so that you can see all the pieces that came together and to show how important quality construction is to me. Remember when I said the petticoat was raw? Notice the sleeve opening on it's side in the bottom picture. Did I bother to cut it out? Nope. It adds to the funkiness. Plus I was working with only the scraps of shirts I had left so I had to make do.



First, head over to Project Run & Play and VOTE for my look! And second, go search through your closets for old shirts that can be turned into something new and special, reusing things you already have!

Eco-princess would approve.

Hopscotch Romper

Presenting... the Hopscotch Romper! Project Run and Play Week Two is all about sportswear. Not jerseys and gym shorts, but defined as: stylish but wearable, comfortable and interchangeable multi-purpose clothes that combine practicability with style. For children's sportswear I instantly thought of recess. As a former first grade teacher, I've had my share of recess duty and those kids need to be able to swing, slide, climb monkey bars, and play tag (or hopscotch) without worrying about their clothes. And if you can combine comfort with style, then that's even better!

I'm a sucker for a romper. They are so comfortable and wearable, and yet they still look dressed up. For example, she could comfortably wear this Hopscotch Romper to the park and then add a big beaded necklace and look all dressed up for a friend's birthday party (it is definitely multi-purpose!). I made the romper out of a Michael Miller interlock knit fabric. If we are talking sportswear for children, it has got to be knit! This knit specifically is incredibly soft and high quality. It is nice and stretchy, but it keeps it's shape (unlike those cheap t-shirts we all have that become short and wide after we wash them). High quality knits can be pricey, but so well worth it! There's nothing worse then spending time to make something just to have it unwearable after one wear or wash.



The romper itself features a peter pan collar, sleeve and leg cuffs, a button band, and two little pockets, all trimmed with a fun mini pom-pom trim. I added an encased drawstring waist that really gives the whole thing a perfectly comfortable fit. I love to mix vintage elements with modern style and fall somewhere in between. I could see this being worn by a little girl playing hopscotch back in the sixties just as well as I can see it being worn today.



*Stop photo shoot! The hopscotch queen has fallen and has seen a drop of blood! The entire neighborhood is hearing her piercing cry.*



Will she ever hopscotch again?

Only time will tell.

Here are a few more photos of it unworn and some inside out, so that you can see better all the pieces that came together to make this romper. I wish everyone could pick it up and inspect it and feel the softness, to really show it's craftsmanship, but these pictures are the best I can do. Notice from inside out the drawstring waist and the gathering in the back neck and sleeves. This thing came together like a dream... meaning, knits are not so scary to work with and they actually are easier in many ways than regular old quilting cotton!



Oh wait... she does hopscotch again!

Please head over to Project Run and Play and VOTE for my look! I am so excited for my outfit next week (and pretty much every single challenge) so I have got to stay in the running!

Thank you

This is a belated thanks to everyone who supported and voted for me last week for Project Run and Play... thank you! I'm so excited to share my sportswear look on Friday! We were given all the challenges and themes for the contest about a month before it all actually begin, in hopes that we would be able to work ahead and save ourselves some grief. Unfortunately, March (and now April) seemed to be the month where it was one thing after another and I got asked to help with a lot of things. I can't help it... I'm a yes-person! So instead of being ahead of the game, I am taking pictures and writing up posts for Friday's challenge while also designing and sewing for the following weeks challenge, all the while my brain wheels are turning for future ideas after that. Yes, it is crazy, but so so fun. I really don't want it to end!

One of the biggest things I was working on over the last month was costumes. I got asked to do costumes for the Youth Roadshow for my church. A whole lot of work, but remember I am a yes-person? And I will always be a yes-person when it comes to costumes because I looooove making costumes. And I love the youth too.

The play was a fractured Sleeping Beauty tale and characters included a prince, princess, maleficent, a dragon, trees, castle walls, and a rock, among others. Check out most of the costumes in action at one of their practices...

Mermaid for Eachother

Project Run & Play has begun and I am so excited! This is my first look, called Mermaid for Eachother. The challenge was a pattern remix of Dana's Circle Skirt Tutorial, a super simple skirt pattern with a million remix possibilities. This skirt was my sixth legitimate skirt idea, all of the previous plans being super cute, but just not feeling right. Recently Drew has been wearing and flopping mermaid fins all around the house and like every four-year-old girl, she lurves mermaids. In her eyes this skirt is by far the best thing I have ever made her, and I didn't succumb to buying her Disney paraphernalia, so I have done my job!



I definitely wanted to keep this look as a skirt, instead of make it into a dress, because skirts are so versatile and easy for little girls. To Dana's pattern I gave the skirt a lot more gather around the waist for a really full look, gave it a peek-a-boo lining, and added what I believe is the *ultimate* waistband for girls. I would use this waistband for any skirt, shorts, or pants. It looks so professional, is super comfortable, and is fully adjustable to grow with her. She will be able to wear this skirt for 2-3 years I am sure.



Which is great for all the hours I spent on the main feature of the skirt... the mermaids! I drew out the mermaid pattern and using fun fabric and fusible interfacing I attached them to the skirt. Then I painstakingly hand-stitched around each detail of those beauties while my husband and I relaxed together at night, me with needle in hand and him watching ESPN. I really enjoyed getting to work on this part of my look while sitting on the couch next to him, rather than behind my sewing machine. My favorite thing about this skirt is that just relaxed and from a distance, the mermaids make a really cool looking pattern. But spread it out and you can see the individual mermaids and that is cool too!



Not to be overlooked is the adorable gingham top. The best part about sewing clothing is all the fun little design decisions and details you can make. I cut the pockets on the bias along with all the trim and found just enough of the vintage rosebud buttons for the perfect touch. The collar has a secretary-ish tie and I just love the look of this top together with the skirt. Although each piece individually could pretty much be worn with anything else Drew has in her closet. I can't wait to mix 'em up! (I'd try gingham top with skinny jeans, except it is too hot for jeans already here in Phoenix!)











This photo shoot was a blast too. The girl refused to stop twirling and leaping around and being a bit of a dork with her glasses.

Please head on over to Project Run & Play and vote for my look on the top left sidebar!