Project Run and Play: Season 26 Week 3: Turnip the Beet

Are you ready for Week 3?!?!!? Today's looks are going to make you drool...literally! This is such a fun theme, and the designers each have SUCH fun takes on it!

Be sure to make it to the end of the designer looks so you can support them with your VOTE.

Southern Magnolia Design - French Patisserie

This week was so much fun! I enjoyed thinking outside of the box for a food-themed design, and how to interpret it through fashion. I actually found my inspiration from my oldest son and a homework assignment that we did together. Because he and I love watching The Great British Baking Show, he decided that he wanted his report on French culture to center around their cuisine. And for extra credit, we made French Macarons for his teacher and class. I fell in love with the small round pastries, their beautiful pastel colors, and sweet, sugary cream center.

I started thinking about how those rounded shapes and light colors could translate into clothing and was struck by how perfect the French fashion matched the style and feel of the macaron.

I used light-colored linens to create this wardrobe for my daughter and my youngest son. While she is wearing the pastel colors that symbolize the outer cookie, I chose to use neutral colors for my son, for the vanilla cream center. Although my youngest son is the loudest and craziest of all my children, he definitely loves to look his best (he's the kind that likes to wear vests, ties, and fedoras when we go somewhere special). So I knew that he wouldn't mind volunteering to model for me if it meant that he got to add some nice clothing to his wardrobe. His shirt was made from Little Lizard King's Bayfield shirt, though I modified it to have a mandarin collar in order to add a bit more Parisian charm. The shorts are the Mendoza pattern, also from Little Lizard King, and paired perfectly for this classic look on my handsome little man.

My daughter absolutely loves the color pink. For the dress, I used a beautiful blush pink linen from Topknot Doll and the Dahlia pattern from Wild Seeds Patterns. I heavily modified the top for a ruched lace bodice and shortened the skirt so that a tulle underskirt would peek out from underneath; mimicking the "feet" of the macaron cookie. I also made a beret to match, tying together both the French culture and the rounded top of the macaron. But of course, I still felt that my daughter needed one more accessory. So I made her a small round handbag to match her outfit. And because it looked so much like an oversized macaron cookie itself, my daughter and son felt it would be funny to pretend to eat it.

Both of my kids loved getting new outfits to fit their style, and I hope that you also love the results! You can check out more photos and fun on my blog post at Southern Magnolia.

Posh Pilar - Citrus Segment

I’m so happy to have made it to week three! This week my collection is called Citrus Segment. When I found out the theme for this week I immediately thought of citrus fruits. Citrus actually grows well here in the desert and I wanted to stay true to my home. Although I love fruit print fabrics, I wanted to think outside the box and incorporate the theme in other ways. Inspired by fashion and popular colors from the 60’s and 70’s- I created two looks, one for my eldest daughter and another for my youngest son.

My oldest daughter is 9 years old and she’s now really forming her own opinions on fashion and what she wears. I wanted to create something more mature and subtle, but that still features all of the citrus fruit details and inspiration. Those citrus details shine through a timeless dress she loves and will actually wear. I drafted an A line dress and used one of my most favorite fabrics, linen. It’s made from a floral print linen from Califabrics and a solid linen from my stash. This dress is based off of a vintage pattern from 1971, but I adjusted the size, construction, drafted a collar, and created a full button up back. I also color blocked the front. The idea for this solid blocked piece front is to draw from the shape of the segments when you cut into citrus. It has a collar I drafted to resemble a slice of citrus. The collar features hand embroidered segment details. The dress is finished with vintage buttons from my stash and in true vintage children pattern fashion, I included an extra deep hem.

For my son I started with a vintage woven button up collar shirt pattern and completely re-worked it into this knit half zip collared tee. I used organic cotton spandex French terry in shades of pastel lime and olive green. It has a contrast yoke back that is topstitched at the seam and a collar that really pulls in that vintage fashion vibe. This citrus inspired tee features a pocket I stitched with the citrus segment design. My son mentioned that he loves how big this fun citrus pocket is. His shorts are self drafted and are relaxed fit with a gusset. They are made from an all cotton French terry that matches the color of the linen of big sister’s dress. The shorts feature a fun kangaroo pocket. I’ve used the opposite large loop side of the fabric on the kangaroo pocket to show texture and mimic citrus peel. I hope you love my designs and that seeing them added some zest into your day! If you’d like to see and read more about them, please head over to my sewing blog poshpilar.blogspot.com. You can also find me on Instagram @poshpilar. Happy Sewing!

Emily Sews Stuff - Let it Grow

This week's theme coincides with our favorite time of year: planting season! The first thing that came to mind when I heard of this week's theme, Lettuce Turnip the Beet, was our vegetable garden. We grow a variety of vegetables every year: tomatoes, peppers, herbs, zucchini, cucumbers, peas, beans, and yes, lettuce and beets (I'm not sure I'd know what to do with a turnip though). This theme let me combine two of my favorite things: gardening and sewing!

We spend many hours of our spring and summer weekends working in our garden--planting, weeding, watering, playing with the neighbor's cat when she comes to help. So my plan was to make something that would be comfortable and functional for all of that. I love my kids in overalls, but they don't always find them very comfortable, so I wanted this one to be a little loose and drapey to trick Juliet into thinking it was just a romper. I made this one from double gauze, and used the VFT Maddie for the straps and back, and then drafted the rest myself. I added a scooped bib and elasticized the sides to give the waist a little shape, I've talked about Juliet's strong pro-pocket stance, so I added a big curved pocket with elastic in the top to each leg, so they'd be sturdy enough to hold gloves and seed packets without falling out when she's helping me plant. She couldn't let me stop there, so I added a bib pocket as well. I searched my button collection for a variety of flower buttons and added those, and some embroidered stems, to the pocket.

Juliet insists everything over 60 degrees is "hot" so underneath is a ruffle-sleeved dolman top in cotton Lycra rainbow stripes. The ruffles keep the sun off of her shoulders, but she's happy because there's no real sleeves. Speaking of sun protection, I've made a bucket hat using a tutorial and pattern from Orange Betty. I extended the brim an extra inch to make it more of a sunhat. I used denim from Cali Fabrics, which was a perfect weight for the outer layer, and a cotton woven for the lining. Because they're considered good luck, something we can always use in the garden, you'll find a ladybug hiding on her hat. The self-drafted apron I’ve actually been thinking about for some time, but never got around to making. It has pockets for tools, but also has buttons so the bottom can be folded up to use for harvesting. It has long ties so she can tie and untie them in front herself, and it’s made out of canvas so it’s sturdy and washable.

Visit my blog or Instagram more details and pictures.

Sewstory by Nele - The Apple(s) of my Eye

I can’t believe week 3 is already here and I can’t believe I won last week… THANK YOU all so so so much! I have no words to express how grateful I am and this whole experience has already been incredible! To be honest when I saw the announcement of this year’s themes and I read this week’s theme ‘turnip the beet’ my mind went blank. I couldn’t think of anything to fit this theme, but I also figured it was week 3’s theme so chances were I wouldn’t be in the competition anymore 😉

The last couple of weeks we had the most lovely sunshine and warm weather and that’s the cue for my husband to eat outside, every chance he gets: he wants to eat outside… So I figured it would be fun to celebrate the changing of the seasons, the weather turning warmer and the possibility to eat outside again. So I made my two littlest the perfect outfit for a picnic and a day at the park 😊

For my boy I made dungarees in this olive green denim tricot and I used the Zeke pattern from Made for Mermaids as a starting point. I changed the front & back bodice slightly to make it a little broader/wider. Then I changed the pockets to patch pockets because I think that looks a little more outside-style. And lastly I also changed the fit of the pants and made them more loose, especially at the bottom.

Underneath his dungarees I made him an apple shirt. I used the Alder pattern from Sunflower Seams as a starting point, changed the sides so it would be more fitting and not so loose and changed the collar. I only wanted a collar stand, so the shirt would have a more casual look.

And to finish his look I added some ribbon & a bow to his favourite summer hat, using the same fabric as that of his shirt.

For my girl I found this strawberry fabric and pink broderie that matched, so I wanted to play with that combination in designing her dress. I used Canterbury from Little Lizard King as a starting point for the bodice. I used the shape of the back of this dress for the front as well and then I added length to the top of the bodice so I could have a fake pinafore look of her dress (front & back). I added a short, puffed sleeve with a shirred hem so I could use the original scalloped border of the fabric.

When I was drawing the skirt I wanted it to have this overlay in the front so the underskirt would be showing and then I added some extra ruffles to the overlay so it would look more playful. I also wanted the bottom of the underskirt to be visible from all view points of the skirt to show of the border of the broderie fabric. I gathered both skirts separately so her dress would have a fuller look. And I truly love how it turned out and when I saw her smile when I first put it on her, that made my day!!

A picnic isn’t complete without a picnic blanket so I made a quilt blanket for them. I found this matching pear fabric from the same designer as the strawberry & apple fabric and combined it with matching solid & colour fabrics. I have never made a blanket like this but I made a few sketches of how I could make a simple pattern in the quilt and when I was happy, I started sewing. Truth be told: it was way easier then I had anticipated.