Monday, February 28, 2011

Reader Feedback

So let's talk about another round of Project Run&Play. I've already started the planning process and am so excited to get back into the challenges. Because this spring/summer is looking pretty tumultous for our family (my husband will be graduating and we will be moving cross-country for either grad school or a job opportunity), I've decided to wait for the second cycle until this fall. Right now, it's tentatively scheduled for September1- October 11. Over the summer, to keep you all from getting bored, I hope to have some tutorials and other fun children's fashion posts lined up. So hang in there!

I would love to get some feedback from all of you readers to see what YOU'RE interested in seeing next round! So please leave me some comments or feel free to email me if you would rather. Is there something in particular you liked or didn't like in the competition? Do you have ideas for challenges (besides the obvious boy challenge- I'm so sorry we didn't have more boy designs. That was my bad.) or giveaways?

In addition to feedback, I'm beginning the search for sponsors! Please email me for rates and stats info. I'm looking for ad spots/giveaway sponsors and contributors to the big prize package for the winning designer. Clothing patterns, fabric, and sewing books and notions are for giveaways and prizes, as well as children's clothing.

And, last but not least, I'm looking for designers. Be sure to continue to upload to the flickr group any of your designs because that could be what catches my eye!

Related Posts

24 comments :

  1. I would love to not just see one week of boy, but a whole competition of either boy or gender neutral. People always create for girls. I do too because it just seems easier.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just loved Project Run and Play. If anything, I would like most of the challenges to be more wearable. Maybe make a few challenges spefically larger than life, but overall it would be nice to see design inspiration that we can translate for our own kids. I know I always ended up voting for something I would want to see a tutorial for.
    Can't wait for Cycle 2!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I enjoyed seeing the projects, but I would never enter unless they were judged by real judges. I did an online voting thing once, and I just don't like that you have to solicit your friends and/or blog friends to vote for you. Some people have many more contacts than others especially if they have an online business.
    That's just my humble opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the feedback Shirley- the designs this time were judged by a panel of judges including a fabric designer, prominent blogger, and pattern designer. The judges scores accounted for half of the overall score- not just the reader poll. I plan on doing things that way for the second cycle as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Based on the time of year, I think definitely some back to school and early Halloween costume ideas would be great.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really enjoyed the contest, and I voted every week, not knowing any of the contesters. I also voted for the outfit that I would like a tutorial for the most - something wearable, so maybe make a distinction between the wearable stuff and the haute couture items - I think Kelly pointed this out as well - That the clothes Ashley made were all wearable.

    Will post some pictures to Flickr, maybe I'll be discovered :)
    Tone

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think the judging/voting thing was more than fair. I know that even though I knew one of the contestants, I voted for the design that I thought most deserved it each week - I think the one I voted for won every week except once. As far as changes, maybe the only thing I would like to see different is if it is titled Project Run and Play --- I would really like to see the designs reflect the ability to run and play in them, while at the same time being fantastic. :) There were a few during this competition that had that potential, but not many. I am just so THRILLED that you will be doing another one - I know I looked forward to sitting down on Saturday mornings with my coffee and seeing the wonderful creations! Great job Mama! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I thought all of the submissions this year were fabulous and enjoyed watching the progression of the competition. I would love to see more "play-friendly" outfits next go around. I would also love to see more anonymity in the submissions so it became more about the designs and less of a popularity contest... maybe ask the designers to promote the blog but everybody stays "mum" on what they contributed?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am so excited for the next season! I would love to see some challenges in which contestants have to use other mediums besides fabric. Like on Project Runway when they take the designers to the party store or give them chicken feed bags to work with. I love the kind of creativity that comes with those challenges!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The only thing I would like to see done differently next time (besides more boys designs, of course) is actual judge feedback each week. I'd like to see which way they voted and how they came to their decisions. It would be interesting to see if, when and how they differed from the general voting.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I agree with Debra, I would like to see more "play-friendly" clothes. Overall, I think you set it up perfectly. I think you picked great judges and designers. I'm looking forward to the next one!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats to your husband for graduating! That's fantastic!

    I loved this competition! I'm a little curious what the judges had to say about each entry. I wonder how it'd go if the judges offered a little bit of feedback before the polls open for readers to vote (ala American Idol).

    I think fall/winter is a great time to have another round.

    I'd be happy to donate a bag of scraps, if that's at all appealing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. oooohhh! I hadn't thought of that...but I like the idea of getting some judge feedback, too.

    also the idea of more 'run and play' friendly clothes.... the tutorials were pretty much worthless to me, because I would never make those avant guard clothes for my kids.
    ... that being said, I LOVED seeing them... and also, typically voted for them. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think the voting was great and so was the fact that the bloggers did not have to keep who they were mum. Considering the judges votes counted for half, that was quite fair and I really don't think it was a popularity contest in that regard.

    I agree it would be nice to hear what the judges had to say. Not literally, I understand it would be hard to be honest and risk hurting feelings if they weren't anonymous. They could also just be positive comments and not negative ones.

    Lastly, the Run and Play thing... in the first few weeks, I voted by what I would actually put on my kid. In the end I voted for whatever impressed me the most. Perhaps there should be a distinct 'haute couture' week theme and one of the groundrules for the rest of the time should be that they are practical for wear? Not necessarily for play but something you'd put on your kid for more than photos. Either that or the polar opposite direction and go with just couture... but I had a hard time deciding which way to vote sometimes, toward the most beautiful creation or towards the one my kid could actually wear for an outing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'd definitely like to see more boy designs (being very pregnant with my first boy!) and agree that although the designs were beautiful in some cases, they just weren't things I would take the time to make. I would love to see more practical, actual play clothes.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I personally loved the couture things, and to me those are the tutorials I would most like to see since I already know how to make a lot of the typical play clothes. But, I do like both. One thing that might be nice is play clothes that look couture, like using some of the fancier elements but making them comfortable for every day.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am so in the same boat with my husband graduating and moving across the country.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really think everything should be anonymous, otherwise its easier to just vote for your fav person.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'd like to know if things are completely self drafted or if they used something as a jumping off point. If so I'd like to know what. Its not that I think everything should be self drafted if anything I think that is often a waste of time if one has a pattern but it would be nice to know.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Not sure I can wait until fall, but completely understand crazy crazy schedules! Love the idea of anonymous voting, and would certainly love the judges feedback, but as a non professional sewer/crafter, wouldn't mind being able to submit for a weekly notice or prize as well! I have both a boy and girl, and while I sympathize with the desire for little boy outfits...I've got to go with open competition! The little girl outfits can be such a tutorial for demonstrating new and innovative techniques, and are just, well, beautiful! Can't wait for the return, and kinda hope there is a short summer session that comes along....!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I agree with the request for more wearable clothes. And I also love the idea of seeing feedback from the judges.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'd love to see a knits (as in stretch fabric) challenge -- since it's definitely a growing movement in designer fabric, and my favorite thing to sew. A boy challenge, of course. I felt like the designer who actually made boy clothes was at a real disadvantage in the voting, which is a shame. Other themes could be something for children over a certain age (8?), a recycling challenge (as in reusing old clothes), a particular color, outerwear ... Posting the themes well in advance would be great for readers who want to participate. With such a short time for readers to work on things, many submissions were probably from something they just happened to have made previously that fit the challenge theme.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I agree with other comments. I would love to be able to read some of the judges feedback as well. I am curious as to what they think and feel about the designs. It would also be nice to know where all of the contestants stand. Tutorials are always a plus. :-)

    I think that a fun theme would be "holiday" - to have the designers make an outfit for any holiday throughout the year. I bet that there would be some awesome July 4th, Christmas, and St. Patty's Day outfits- for example!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I uploaded some photos to your flickr group, b/c I want to be a designer!! I am just hoping that you do not have any repeat designers from last season. Not that I didn't love them, but it is like a show on TV. You get new contestants every season!!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.