How about that for being completely and entirely amazing??? The Week 2 Cut It Up! designs were so incredible and will be remembered for a very long time!
The results have been tallied and the winner of Week 2 is:
Feedback: Love this take on the cut it up theme. The dress fits well, has maximum utility (its reversibility) and is a wonderful play on the "cut it up" theme without being too literal. I love the way the pink and monochrome play together and give her two very different looks - I did a double take when I realized they were the same dress!
Sadly, only 4 designers get to advance to the next week, and we're reluctant to send home:
Let's head into Week 2 where the theme is Cut It Up! You simply are NOT going to believe what the designers did with this theme!!
Be sure to check out all the details and use the voting widget at the end to support TWO of your favorite looks. Ready, set, GO!
Deriving Mommyhood - Cut up the Runway
Phew, I squeaked through for week 2 and I get to share this sweet boy and his epic duds! The theme had me nervous at first as 1) I'm not a quilter and 2) using lots of small pieces is VERY time consuming.....but I found inspiration in quilting as well as fashion from years past and ended up really enjoying this creation!
Let's start with the jeans, as that's where I started since I knew they would take the longest. Back in my youth I had a pair (maybe 2....) of patchwork jeans so I knew I wanted to do some subtle denim patchwork. I started with two pairs of my own out-of-style and ill-fitting jeans and painstakingly cut them into piles of squares, then cut half that pile into triangles, and then pieced them as randomly as I could to create the textile I used to cut out the jeans, topstitching every joint (special thanks to my hammer for getting me through this, couldn't have done it without you). For the jeans, I used the Grady Pants from Sew a Little Seam, adding a ribbed waistband and full cotton jersey lining so they are nice and soft inside, plus rolled hem (that I can let out as he grows). I reused the pockets from the original pair of jeans, adding some freehand decorative stitching and lots and lots of chartreuse topstitching throughout.
Next up, his top. He drew me a picture of a top he wanted to sew himself and I used it as inspiration for a rainbow inspired shirt. I started with the Dia sweater and added lots of colorblocking to the center front, plus a contrast piece down the center of each sleeve as he saw my sketch and said "more color, less gray". I used contrast stitching throughout, and added a bias strip to enclose the back neckline for a more finished look (fabric on the bias is the same as pockets on jeans and lining on the bum bag.
Speaking of, let's talk about that bag. He often is sad he doesn't have a way to carry his wallet that never seems to fit in his pocket when we go to town, so a shoulder sling bag seemed a perfect fix, using the Dayna Pack pattern from Linds Handmade. He was excited to carry a snack, hand sanitizer, wallet, and whatever other small treasures he found. I pieced selvages together to create the textile for this, loving that it makes a subtle print using something oft overlooked. I cut the pattern pieces on an angle and fused to fleece for some structure, backed the bag in stretch leatherette, and added piping to create some contrast between the panels. I also took apart a zipper to make the perfect one since I wanted navy for the tape and teeth but a bronze decorative pull so combined a couple to make it happen.
Last, it's cold here in Ireland so he needed a little functional warmth. I made him a self-drafted convertible scarf out of jersey lined with star french terry, piecing the jersey into sawtooth star quilt blocks. I added pockets at the bottom of the scarf so he can slip his hands in for warmth (can we all agree mittens and gloves are just always going to be lost in this age group?) and added invisible zips so they can remain functional pockets when he snaps it into an infinity scarf. He definitely felt like a cool dude as we went through town for pics! Check out my blog for lots more details :)
Annie Sewzalot - Master Piece
I have to admit, when the theme for this week was announced, I was not excited. I have made, at the very least,100 quilts in my lifetime, but I have never loved the idea of incorporating quilting techniques into clothing. So, it took some time to figure out what I wanted to do. If you’ve read my bio or follow me, you know that I recently signed on as a pattern designer with Little Lizard King. It just so happens that my first pattern, Darlington, is releasing Wednesday, the 21st. I had a bit of an aha moment when I realized that my first pattern would actually be the perfect pattern to showcase some piecing. The full center panel was exactly what I needed to show off my black and white masterpiece!
I started with strips of black and white Kona cotton cut at 1.5”. I sewed the strips together and pressed in opposite directions. I have found with quilting, nesting my seams is the only way to get those corners to match up. I then decided on a diamond shape and cut triangle pieces from the strips and pieced them together. It was tricky to get the back of the dress aligned and perfect with the overlap and snaps, but I think I did a pretty good job! I always try to get input from my daughter; it may not always be put into action but I will accommodate if I can. Her current favorite color is pink, so I decided to accent the center panel and sleeve bands with hot pink. I kept the sides and sleeves black so the center panel could shine.
The Darlington tutorial is written with two construction methods, partially and fully lined. I opted for the fully lined version so I could make the dress reversible. Strip quilts have always been my favorite kind of quilt because let’s face it, stripes are my jam and black and white stripes are my all time favorite so I decided to combine the tiny stripes with strips of pink and black to make my own stripe design. I wanted the center panel to have a bit of visual interest, so I changed the direction of the stripe. We both love how bold this side of the dress is. The pink really pops against the black and white stripes.
If you would like to see more, please follow me on Instagram at AnnieSewzalot.
Cut, Sip, Sew - Hello Sunshine!
Hello sunshine! First of all, thank you to everyone
who voted last week. This has already been so exciting and
challenging! Some of you know that I first learned to sew (like
seriously sew, beyond elementary years) in a quilting class. When I
heard the assignment for week 2, I was ready to go back to my roots. I
learned quickly that I do not love the quilting process but I knew
that for this week, I could incorporate enough quilting to achieve the
look and still keep the process enjoyable. The description of this
week's challenge said to create something big out of little things. I
took this to mean we didn't have to stick with traditional quilting
methods and styles. I decided to mix things up, alternating quilt
blocks and appliqués to create a look that merged the modern and
traditional.
Garnet's look started with this cardigan. I
actually made it for week 1 but it didn't work with the jumper at all.
When I heard week 2 would be patchwork, I decided to make a look
around it. I started with the LLK Asheville and took the sleeve from the Thistle Dress from Jennuine Designs. It took
some reworking of the sleeve cap but I love the flair of bishop
sleeves. The tee started as a Skiff tee (also Jennuine Designs).
For this shirt, I changed the shape of the color blocking and
gathered up all those tiny tails that are left from knit fabric to
create a chevron look. I love how the raw edges curl and give it a
more modern look. To juxtapose (HEY Mrs. Drake- SAT prep paid off!)
the two modern pieces, I made some pinwheels from half square
triangles and pieced them into a Molly skirt from Peek-a-boo Patterns.
The fabrics are from Purple Seamstress, Knitfabric.com, and my local
quilt shop.
For Harper's look, I carried the pinwheel theme
onto her cardigan but on a different scale. The cardigan started as a
PAB Pine Lake pullover. This pattern fits her well and I knew it could
tolerate the mix of woven and knit fabrics. It took a few
modifications to get this look but my favorite is the deep pockets -
I'm pretty sure a copy of Harry potter would fit in there! I didn't
think she would like the quilting details, but she kept it on for the
rest of the day. For the dress, I used the Crossroads Dress from Call Ajaire (you can
actually get View G, the plain front, for free!) and started layering
pieces of fabric on the bottom to create a sunrise mountain picture.
Once I had the image I wanted, I sewed it all together. I loved being
able to use up some scrap fabrics on each of the pieces I
made.
If you would like to see more pictures, hop
over to Cut, Sip,
Sew.
Tweens Studio - A Tale of Two Cloths
This Week theme really got me. It took me longer to decide on the look I want, and it took me much much longer to prepare everything. I never really do any patchwork before, so after doing this project, I have so much respect for quilters. Once I made my mind on the design, I had to change it because Jade was not too excited about the look. Then
recently I watched this Netflix Series "Emily in Paris", and we both love her looks so much. I asked Jade what she wanted, and she wanted a dress with mini skirt. As usual, I went to pinterest for inspiration and Jade pointed out this style.
The inspiration behind this week's design is to cooperate two cultures. I am from Indonesia and hubby is from Scotland. We both are very proud of our culture and heritage. Hence, the choice of plaid fabric and Batik become the centre of the designs. Plaids have so many colours and designs depending which clan you are belong to. And Indonesia is known for its Batik which also has so many designs and colours depending on the Areas. For this dress, I am using the batik from Bali.
This week, Jade wanted a dress with mini skirt. I used the Mutton Chop from Duchess and Hare as my pattern base. I raise the neckline a little bit because I want high collar. I have to say, I am struggling with the collar. Even after making so many clothes with collar, my collar never turn so good. I made the sleeves using Thistle from jennuine designs. As for mini skirt, I just drafted myself and add ruffles to give the extra length and give the looks Jade wanted.
This dress is fully lined. I added invisible zipper on the cuffs to make it easier to put it on and off. I originally wanted to use rib cuffed but I only have black rib and hubby was not too keen on it. So I changed it by cutting my batik fabric and add zipper. There is no exposed seam on this dress because I cover every seam with batik tape. As always, when I made something, I never 100% happy with it until Jade puts it on. She really makes everything I made turns out so good.
I hope you like my creation for this week. Head over to my blog tweensstudio.id to read more about this week's look.
And please vote for me if you want to see what I am preparing for next week. Thank you!!
Made by Kates - Pieces of the Past
I'm so happy to be back for Week 2 and love the theme of the week! I have always connected my clothing with experiences. It's a joke in my family that I can remember what I wore on the first day of school or my birthday every year. For me, those were big days and I connected what I was wearing with the memory. For years I have saved old blue jeans - the pair I was wearing on my 16th birthday (my beloved Old Navy overalls!), the pair I wore the night my (now) husband told me he loved me, the one pair I took with me while living in Poland, and on and on. I've always wanted them to become a big quilt to create more memories on, but since that has yet to happen, I was happy to use them for this weeks 'Cut it Up' entry. For centuries, quilts were made from the fabric of clothing that was no longer wearable. Sewn into quilts, the fabric had new purpose. Combined with the new stitches, the fabric came back to life. This week, I've combined fabrics from my past into new garments, stitched together with new stitches giving them the opportunity to live on on my children. I present Pieces of the Past!
Not only did little brother get an amazing jacket made of jeans from both his parents, I also incorporated a few different methods of quilting. I used three pairs of jeans to patch together the outer fabric of the jacket. These jeans carry so many memories- paint splatters from painting our first house, a cargo pocket from the jeans my husband couldn't get rid of, and the pair I wore dancing in the streets with my kids on their first trip to Disney World. I used a basic button up as my base (Birch from Sew a Little Seam) and designed it to be a woven pullover. I added a three piece hood with a front quarter zipper. It's fully lined in a soft cotton lycra which balances out the weight of the denim. The hood is lined with 4" patchwork squares and each arm has a band with 1" quilt squares. I used gold topstitching thread at the yoke and hood to tie in the denim stitching. I wanted to incorporate a few different quilting designs in this outfit. The jacket has topstitching in a diagonal pattern on the panel with the zipper pocket. This stitching is repeated on one panel of the joggers. Another panel of the joggers has handstitched pluses reminiscent of hand mending. The mustard tee started as the Driftwood from Love Notions and I added a technique used when making a faux chenille quilt- slicing open the layers through the quilted design. The soft French Terry joggers feature welt zipper pockets and the jacket has cozy inseam pockets as well. The drawstring of the jacket came from the same jeans I used for his sisters skirt.
Sister's outfit also features a couple pairs of jeans. One of them I distinctly remember wearing when being so sick when pregnant with my third child. The other were those coveted Old Navy overalls from 1996! I drafted an A-line skirt with a yoke and invisible zipper and pieced the fabric in a chevron pattern. Over 20 years ago I purchased some fabric to make a quilt. I cut it into strips and sewed a couple of blocks together. I then proceeded to move it across the country 3 times while it was stashed away in a bag. I decided it was time to use them! The blouse started as Simplicity 2689. I used a navy cotton eyelet and in the square yoke, I patched the strips into a herringbone pattern. I added gathers below the yoke and drafted a big dramatic sleeve. The hem and edges of the sleeve are "bound" in the floral fabric, paying tribute to a quilt binding. For accessories I took those old quilt blocks and made a purse and a vest. The purse has a detachable leather strap and includes the pocket from one of the pairs of jeans inside. It has batting between the layers and is fully machine quilted and has a top zipper. She's got it packed with a notebook, pencil, and pack of mints! The vest is fully reversible and shows off the log cabin quilt blocks. The sides tie together with denim ties. The opposite side of the vest is a soft French Terry and shows off the machine quilted lines. Depending on which accessories she chooses, she can completely change the vibe of the outfit!
Seeing my old clothing come to life on my kids so many years later makes me so happy! Be sure head to my blogHERE for more details and pictures!
Now it's your turn to help these talented designers! Use the widget below to support TWO of the designers with your vote.
Today we get to introduce you to the Season 24 judges! These hard working ladies have the extremely difficult job of helping sort through the stunning designer creations! But as you're about to see, they're up to the task.
Celebrity Judges:
The celebrity judges are our guests for one week during Season 24. They bring the wider view of the whole sewing community with them to the table.
For week 1, we've tapped into the talents of Sherri of Mamidesofiona. A jaw dropping sewists, her garments always are technically perfect, whether she's sewing for herself or her gorgeous daughters. Since her own Season on Project Run & Play, she's started the very successful pattern company, Sofiona Designs. Be sure to follow her on Instagram for tons of beautiful sewing.
Mac is the fantastically talented powerhouse behind Harper + Lu and Sew Altered Style. She'll be judging week 2. For her, sewing is more than a hobby – it’s the way that she practices self-care. Becoming a mom to two beautiful (yet busy and active children) while working a full-time job, means that it’s easy to put herself last. Sewing, as well as the corresponding community, is a constant reminder to take time to do something that challenges her, yet is so satisfying! If you follow Mac for even one minute, you'll she how passionate she is about fit and style. Follow her on Instagram for a daily dose of real sewing.
The uber talented Lauren will be our guest judge for week 3! Lauren created the indie pattern designer's best friend, Pattern Workshop. (It's currently getting an overhaul and we hear the updated version somehow surpasses the first class, though we don't know how that's possible!) Pattern Workshop is known throughout the indie sewing and design community as the premier source of digital pattern making education. Since its inception in 2014, 2,000+ students in 69 countries around the world have learned to digitally draft, modify, grade, tile, package, market, and sell PDF sewing patterns. Pattern Workshop's founder, Lauren Dahl, is passionate about empowering aspiring and seasoned sewing pattern designers with the knowledge and tools to create modern, high-quality, digital sewing patterns so they can launch and grow their brands. She has worked tirelessly throughout 2020 to completely redesign, update, and expand the course to help her students meet the demands of today's growing community of sewists.
Lauren also created the wildly popular women's jeans pattern, Birkin Flares. Follow Lauren on Instagram for tons of up to the minute sewing goodness.
Our week 4 judge, Shauna comes to us from the popular site Shwin & Shwin. She participated as a designer on Season 1 and the All Star Season. Shauna has a fantastic line of patterns for all ages. Although her first love was embroidery and she loves creating all the things, sewing is her forte! Follow Shauna on Instagram for loads of sewing inspiration.
Panel of Judges:
The panel of judges keep Project Run & Play consistent as they judge each week of every Season in 2020. Each of them was a Designer themselves on a past Season of Project Run & Play.
Cassie comes to us from Lily Shine Creates. She was a designer on Season 10, and now designs patterns for Violette Field Threads. Who can forget her amazing Shine Brite creation for the 80s Cartoons Theme? These days, she's sewing quite a bit for herself as well as her childern, and it's sew inspiring! It's a true honor to have Cassie make time in her busy life (follow along on Instagram!) for Project Run & Play.
Katy comes to us from Wild + Wanderful. She was a designer on Season 12 and is the boy sewing expert on this panel! You can find her on Instagram here. Katy also runs Thread & Grain, with so many products for sewists! It's so exciting to have her on the panel of judges for 2019.
Carin comes to us from Art Bella Creates. She was a designer on Season 18 and shared her breathtaking aesthetic every single week! A truly talented sewist, Carin is always a 1st pick when we are creating our stunning lookbooks! Be sure to follow Carin on Instagram. It's incredible to have her on this panel for Project Run & Play.
It's such an honor to have these talented ladies giving their time and effort on the behalf of Project Run & Play. Please thank them by following them on social media, and reading and commenting on their blogs!
