Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Season 26 Week 1: Pocketful of Sunshine

It's here! IT'S HERE!!!  (Thank YOU for your patience!)  We're so excited to share the designers amazing creations for the Pocketful of Sunshine theme!  

Here was their prompt:
Pocketful of Sunshine : Life is better with pockets! This week you will use pockets to add function and style to your look.

If you're ready to be inspired, just take a look at their creations...and be sure to vote for TWO of them at the end of this post.

Emily Sews Stuff - Girls Just Wanna Have fun Pockets!

 The first thing my girls do when they try on new clothes is check for pockets. I am not sure what they need to carry, but it’s very important to them. For this week’s theme, Pocket Full of Sunshine, I went very literal. These girls look like little rays of sunshine—the result of bright colors and pockets, no doubt! 



For Juliet’s outfit, I used this diagonal print and rotated each panel to create a chevron pattern. I used them then to make a flat front skirt with curved slash pockets—with a little surprise sunshine appliqué in each one. For her top, I started with the DIBY club ABB tee, which I love for hacking because it’s a great free tee pattern that fits my girls well. I scooped out the neck a little more and added a center gather. I added a slight puff to the sleeves, along with a keyhole and tie band. Her hair accessory is a self-drafted wire ponytail wrap.


Scarlett is equally cheery with a self-drafted boatneck tunic in Cali Fabrics rayon/poly French terry. I added a pieced rainbow kangaroo pocket that perfectly matched this dbp from So Sew English. I used the Maid for Mermaids Bonny leggings swapped did a lettuce hem for the regular hem. I topped her off with a faux tie headband from the same fabric. 

I hope these outfits make you smile as much as the girls do when they wear them!  Please head over to Emily Sews Stuff for lots more information and photos!


Sewstory by Nele - Too Cool For School


I’m soooo excited week 1 is here and I can finally share what I have made! And I’m also equally nervous, anxious and stressed about it 😉 

When I first heard the theme of week 1 being pocketful of sunshine and when I saw the original dates I noticed that it coincided with the first day of school for my little girl. So I thought it would be fun to dedicate this first week challenge to this special occasion. I chose the colour green as a central colour because to me it represents new beginnings, growth, spring, change, hope… And that seemed perfect for the start of a school career and the start of this competition. I wanted their outfits to be simple and stylish so they could play around in them at school without having to worry. And because of the challenge & theme of this week I obviously wanted to incorporate pockets on every item I made 😉

For my girl I wanted a basic dress with long sleeves, because the mornings are still cold here. I used Iluka from Little Lizard King as a starting point. I changed the neckline to a true sweetheart neckline and added elastic to the bottom of the sleeves so they would stay nice at her wrist. For the pockets I wanted to create this kind of origami-like folded effect with different fabrics and I added them to the skirt of the dress as patch pockets. Next I made a cardigan to match the dress and chose a bright pink French terry so it would have some warmth and softness. I wanted the cardigan to be short enough to show off the skirt of the dress and used Aura from Sofilantjes as a starting point. I added inseam pockets and I used the same fabric for the pockets as I did for the patch pockets on her dress.


I have made all my kids their schoolbags for kindergarten so off course I was going to make hers too. Truth be told: I bought fabric and a pattern for her schoolbag more than a year ago, but I hadn't gotten around the making it. So when the theme was announced and since a schoolbag basically is a large, external pocket I figured it would be a shame not to include her schoolbag in my design of this week. The fabric I used on the inside is called Hilltop Sunrise which seemed perfect to match this 'pocketful of sunshine - challenge 😊

For her schoolbag I wanted the shape of a classic schoolbag but I couldn’t find a pattern I liked… So I actually started from scratch for this one. She’s still so little so I didn’t want to add a whole lot of small and/or extra pockets because she just can’t use those yet. But I did add two pockets: one in the front of the bag which is divided in the middle and one zipper pocket in the interior of the bag so there’s room for storing important papers or documents if necessary. For the closure I chose two tuck locks because that’s something she knows how to use and I wanted to make sure she’s capable of opening and closing her own schoolbag. And lastly I added some glitter piping to the front of the schoolbag to make it a little more girly and just because I liked how that looked 😉

On to the outfit for my sweet boy. I started with a simple and very basic T-shirt to which I just added two breast pockets in different colours and sizes. For his pants I chose the Bacca Bootcuts from Designs by Call Ajaire as a starting point. I changed quite a few things to the original pattern: I shortened the height of the waistband to make it look a little more boyish. I changed the back and left out the back yoke to make it look more like regular pants instead of classic jeans and then added the welt pockets with a twist. I really like the shape of that yellow line going from one corner to the other but I don’t really want to admit how long it took me to figure out how to make them and have them be functional as well 🙈. Lastly I changed the front to add patch pockets and played with the yellow contrast colour.

And for his sweater I got inspired by the Posie dress from Peony Patterns and wanted to create a similar view, but on a sweater. So I chose the Fortuna sweater from Sofilantjes as a starting point and began with drawing a kangaroo pocket in which both his hands could fit. When I had the measurements of the pockets I changed the front of the sweater so there would be cutlines meeting up with the sides of the kangaroo pockets and all the way up to the shoulder seam.

To finish off their going to school outfits they both needed spring jackets and for both I used the Pacifica Jacket from Little Lizard King as a starting point. On her jacket I added a puffed, elastic pocket between the front panels. For his jacket I changed the curve of the side seam to make the waist and hips more aligned and more boyish. Next I changed all the cutlines on the front & back to rectangular to give it a more classic denim jacket look. This jacket has two different kinds of pockets: welt pockets that are functional and also fake breast pockets (because I hadn’t made fake pockets yet 😉).

And lastly I also made her doll a new outfit: the dress matches exactly the one of my little girl and I used the Iluka doll dress from Little Lizard King as well and made the same changes to the neckline, sleeves and pockets. And lastly I also made the doll a teeny tiny schoolbag with one tuck lock, I started from scratch for this one as well. My daughter is always so excited to see she's matching her doll and this time was no exception. I scored some serious mom-points 😉

If you would like to read a more detailed overview of my sew, you can find it on my blog and you can also follow along my Instagram to see more 😊


Posh Pilar - Desert Blooms



Here in the desert where its dry and rocky, we get some of the prettiest spring blooms. My collection for this pocket themed week is inspired by my children. They are blooming and growing and bring me so much joy. I’ve created a look for each of my four children this week, all are self drafted designs featuring lots of pockets.

For my oldest I created a modern shirt dress using a vintage floral denim fabric. It has box pleated pockets at the chest, a collar, and slightly oversized puffed sleeves. The shirt dress is completed with vintage buttons. My second daughter is wearing a boiler suit inspired jumpsuit with mandarin collar. It has inverted box pleat pockets at the chest, front hip pockets, inverted box pleat flap pockets at the leg, a back welt pocket, and back patch pocket. I used a sturdy cotton twill that will endure even the toughest play time. To make dressing easier I used heavy duty snaps at the pockets and front closure. Most of the seams and pockets are topstitched for security and a beautiful finish.


My third daughter is wearing a similar jumpsuit, but with a collar stand and collar. I used a linen cotton blend and accented it with the floral denim pockets at the chest and back. It has side seam pockets and is finished with vintage buttons. The oversized sleeves give it a relaxed feel, while using back darts at the pant waist give more shape and tailoring. I gathered the top part of the jumpsuits for a design twist. It gives a cinched look without the need of a belt or tie, making dressing easy and stylish. 

Last but not least is my son. He is wearing a comfy knit outfit, perfect for his fun, always on the move, personality. I drafted a pair of loose cargo style joggers and sewed them up out of a heavy weight cotton french terry. They have front hip pockets and side flap patch pockets. His sweatshirt is also perfect for everyday. It’s made from a soft organic knit french terry with contrasting rib knit cuffs, waistband, and neckband. I made it extra special by appliquéing a flower from the vintage denim fabric onto the pocket. All four looks come together in a modern collection perfect for my blooming kids. For more details and photos please visit my blog www.poshpilar.blogspot.com. Happy sewing!




Southern Magnolia Design - For Real Life

I am so excited to share my first design with you all! When I heard that this week's theme would be all about pockets, I knew that I needed to create something fun and functional. My daughter uses her pockets for carrying around all her treasures. And right now, nothing is more loved by her than Bluey. She loves watching the show, reading the books, and playing all the pretend from her favorite episodes.

Living in the USA means that I don't have an easy way to access Bluey fabrics or designs, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from making her an extra special outfit that showcased all her favorite characters while giving her pockets for storing her own Bluey toys. I'm sure many of you who also watch the show will recognize all the easter eggs in this outfit.

For the dress, I pulled inspiration from vintage patterns of full-skirted summer dresses with large unique shaped pockets. The pale blue of the dress with the rainbow design was made to match the bedding of Bingo Heeler, Bluey's little sister, and my daughter's favorite character in the show. I hand embroidered the bodice in the sketchy style of "Escape". A touch of lace was added to the layered patch pockets to match the lace from the sewn-in pettiskirt. But then I began to think that two pockets were just not enough. And after conferring with my daughter about what she would like, she told me many, MANY more ideas about items and episodes that needed to be added.

And so began the adventures in creating my very first jean jacket. Would you be surprised to know that it took over a week to make this? Based on a modified version of Little Lizard King's "Detroit" pattern, I upcycled a pair of my husband's old pants then added a Bingo hoodie, touches of embroidery, and handmade patches for this fun look. I reused the back pockets of the pants to make the front jacket pockets easy, but then made the inseam pockets from the famous kiwi and watermelon rugs.

I enjoyed staying up late watching Bluey with my daughter for "research", then brainstorming all the things she wanted for this design. To see more details of this outfit and some behind the scenes photos, check out my blog post at https://southernmagnolia.design.blog/.


Sewing 4 Em - Dog Mom


Remember that scene in 101 Dalmatians (the cartoon one) where they show the owners walking their dogs and all of them look alike? That was my inspiration for this look. When I think of kids and pockets, I think of kids putting random stuff in their pockets for fun. While there's nothing wrong with that at all, I really wanted to think of a way a kid might actually NEED some pockets. Then I thought...dog poop bags! I'm always asking Noemi to carry the dog poop bags in her pockets when we go on walks, because my running shorts don't really have convenient pockets. That led to my second thought...active wear! So I decided to create an activewear look that is both comfortable and has some functional pockets.


I used Sofiona Designs for this look, with a few little tweaks here and there. I used the Clover Hoodie, with a minor change to the sleeves and I left off the bottom band. Then I added the pocket and the adorable puppy patch. For the bra, I used the Wildberries Bralette, but I made the straps thicker, got rid of the ruching on the front, and change the back a smidge to better suit the wider straps. And finally, for the skort, I use the Tamarack Tights for the shorts, and added a little side panel with pocket, and then made an extra wide waistband, with a pinecone skirt over.


Be sure to head over to Sewing 4 Em and my Instagram for lots more photos and details!


This week's guest judge, Michelle of That Black Chic, really has a big task in front of her!

The designer scores are determined as follows:

1/3 of the designers score is determined by the celebrity guest judge(s)
1/3 of the designers score is determined by the panel of judges
1/3 of the designers score is determined by YOU, the audience!

Unfortunately, one of our designers had to "go home" due to some family constraints.  We ALWAYS encourage our designers to put their family first, and wish her the very best of success in the future.  This means that all 5 designers will go on to Week 2!!!
And the designers need your support too!  Use the voting widget below to vote for TWO of the designers.


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