We're so delighted to be able to collaborate with Emily of @team_orosco to share her Signature Style with you and promote epilepsy awareness. Please read all the way to the end, and then do what you can to support this wonderful cause. (Don't be shy, it involves sewing!!!) Here's Emily:
Hey there, it’s Emily with @team_orosco! Today I feel so grateful and honored to be able to spread epilepsy awareness, and share with you a glimpse of our journey with our sweet middle girl Lucia! (Wearing here @Boo and Lu Pumpkin with an added ruffle) and a self drafted mesh skirt. The purple jersey is @Ph detour orchid Jersey which was perfectly on theme!
First you may be wondering, what is epilepsy? Epilepsy is a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures. There are many different seizure types- Lucia has what are called Focal seizures. Focal seizures occur when nerve cells in a part of the brain are involved. The way the child acts during a focal seizure depends on the area of the brain that is affected- Lucia smacks her mouth, has almost a fearful or concerned look and often jerks one side of her body. Her seizures were several times per day as a baby and now she has mostly nocturnal seizures. When it’s over, there is a state of confusion and she is usually cranky and tired.
Lucia was our second of 4 kids. I noticed something was different when she was about 4-6 months old. She would have long periods where her eyes would look big, she would would smack her mouth and have stiff limbs. I took her to our pediatrician with a video and she referred us to neurology immediately. That’s when we got our first EEG. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a medical test used to measure the electrical activity of the brain. A number of electrodes are applied to your scalp. EEG can help diagnose a number of conditions including epilepsy, sleep disorders and brain tumors! Shortly after being referred to neurology we noticed that she way delayed physically and cognitively as well. She was in OT for several months and began to walk when she was 2! She has low muscle tone so her joints are bendy. This causes her to tire easier than our other kiddos.
We now have routine EEGS. Lucia (lulu) has one older sister, a younger sister, and younger brother. They are her biggest supporters, and best friends!
Lucia is now in Kindergarten! She is just like any other 6 year old. She loves art, science, and anything outdoors! She has a fun sense of humor, and loves her siblings SO much!
In addition to epilepsy, Lulu also has sleep disorders. She has periodic limb movement disorder, and parasomnia which is common in children with epilepsy. She very rarely has a full night's rest. Every day we pray for a cure for our sweet Lucia Jolie, and all of the other epilepsy warriors out there. Her oldest Sister, Sofia sleeps with this special prayer rock that she made for her sister every night.
Lucia is so loved by our family, epilepsy is just a piece of who she is! If you want to learn about Epilepsy please read here Info about Epilepsy
The reason that it means so much for us to spread awareness is because there is no cure for epilepsy. Donating to the Epilepsy foundation can help save lives and get us one step closer to finding a cure. 💜💜 thank you for reading, and showing your support this week!
I hope you liked our final look for PRP, and if you’d like to help us this week in spreading epilepsy awareness sew something purple and use the hashtags #prpgoespurple and #epilepsyawareness
And now we're onto Week 4: Signature Style!! The prompt is: Design a look that best represents your own unique style, taste, and sewing skills.
This week our guest judge is:
Nephi Garcia of Designer Daddy
If you're into cosplay, you've definitely heard of Nephi Garcia! He's a Filipino powerhouse, tearing up Instagram with jaw dropping ballgowns for his wife and the viral transformation dress for his daughter. He designs custom couture gowns, runs a local candy shop and is launching a line of fairytale wedding dresses that are making every princess fan weak in the knees!
Now let's get down to the Signature Style! Be sure to scroll to the end of the post for you opportunity to support the designers with your vote.
A Whole New World - So She Sews
I am so thrilled to make the final two! Thank you for all the love. I couldn’t have done it without your support!
India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru once said, “The history of India may well be written with textile as its leading motif.” Indian fabrics are known for their colorful hues and embellished details. My designs today use the wonderful colored fabrics from back home with an attempt to incorporate Indian styles into everyday wear.
My first sewing garment was approximately 7 years back, when my then 3 year old daughter was obsessed with volcanoes. For Halloween that year I transformed a room darkening curtain into a volcano. As I sat down wondering what I should sew for my signature style, I looked at my now 11 year old - who loves to play dress up with my Indian clothes - and wondered if I should create a play outfit that could be practical enough in her new tween world.
This is how our Indian inspired “Princess Jasmine” outfit was born. In India, “salwar kameez'' (tunic/pant set) is a quintessential everyday wear. I used Cruise Culottes as my base pattern for my salwar (pants) for Ms.11. They were modified to add box pleats, an additional side panel and pearl buttons at the bottom. I used my mom’s cotton-silk saree to make her pants. Her short crop top is self drafted to fit the beautiful silk panel that I had in my stash. The rest of the top is made with cotton gauze. The top is fully lined – comfort being the main factor in this design. Ms.11 is in love with this embellished crop top and has already worn it with jean shorts and ruffle skirts. The salwar pants have also been worn around for lounging with the patchwork crop tee (Created in Week 2 for “Dressed to the 90’s”) as well with the crop sweatshirt (created in Week 1 for “I can buy myself flowers”).
Mr.4 is a born photobomber – I knew I had to make him something as well. His look is inspired by the “kurta pajama” (tunic-pant) that most Indian men wear on a regular basis. The base pattern for the cotton gauze pajama pants (same fabric as Ms.11’s top) pants is the Cargo Pants from Lowland Kids. It has been modified to add some more width to the pants, so that it matches with Ms.11’s salwar pants. These pants are perfect for summer – it is so versatile and looks lovely with the patch tee and the bucket hat (both created in week 2 - for “Dressed to the 90’s”). His kurta (tunic top) is made from a South Indian staple, Veshti (a cotton gauze cloth lined with a golden/red border). The front panel has piping (made from bandhani fabric) and has sleeve tabs to shorten the long sleeve.
For our next look for Ms.11, I decided to create Indian fusion wear out of a bandhani dupatta (a shawl used with the salwar kameez). The base pattern for the romper is Viola from Violette Thread Fields. It is modified for tween sizing by adding additional inseam and removable straps. In addition, the bodice was modified to add the beautiful mirror work panel (this was repurposed from one of my favorite Ms.11’s baby clothing 🙂) and additional elastic support on the back.
For a layering piece, I worked on an unlined shirt jacket – the base pattern being Kids Shirt Jacket from Peekaboo. It is modified to be a crop with elastic at the bottom. The sleeves were a discard from week 3 (Bubble Week) and repurposed for this jacket. The jacket is made from the same fabric as Mr.4’s kurta top. The sleeve cuffs and the back panel for the shirt jacket are made from the jari work in my mom’s saree. This layering piece is amazing and can be worn with practically anything.
We also made a potli bag - from a georgette scrap to tie everything up. This bag is perfect to carry small stuff - a sanitizer and chapstick.
We have enjoyed creating this Indian fusion look! Please visit my Instagram to see behind-the-scenes photos and to read more about what I made this week.
From Old to Gold - Made for Motti
What is my Signature Style? I try to consume consciously in every area of life. Sustainability is very important to me. That’s why I only sew what my children really need and wear. We prefer simple, unobtrusive clothes with love for details. I usually make sure that the fabrics are made of natural materials and do not contain any poly. I love earth tones and an aesthetic overall result. Nevertheless, I always include the wishes of my children (we have a lot of Frozen pajamas for example :)).
After having such great fabric sponsors in weeks 1-3, I wanted to face a special challenge for week four: Sewing three matching outfits while only using old clothes. Reduce, reuse, recycle! Because that’s the epitome of sustainability and how I started sewing many years ago. I regularly collect old clothes for this purpose and found some pants and shirts in my collection, which matched my preferred color scheme perfectly.
It was like a broad hint that the materials for the backpack I bought two years ago and never processed, matched the chosen colors so well. So I decided to finally sew the backpack for my son. I used the pattern “Der andere Rucksack” (a free pattern by Mein-anderes-Ich), but added some (zip) pockets on the inside, changed the strap attachment and reinforced the back with quilting. The outer part is made of dry oilskin, for the inner part I chose canvas. The straps are made from cotton webbing. Since two of my children do not have average measurements, the right fit is always an issue for us. My oldest son is very skinny and cannot wear any off the rack pants. That’s why I have been sewing his denim pants since when he was two years old. I designed a pattern where the pants can be adjusted exactly to the child's measurements and published it as a pdf pattern. It is named “Mottis Jeans” and is the most popular of my patterns. Of course I used this pattern for my boys’ signature outfits, but made some modifications. For my oldest son I added self constructed cargo pockets on both sides. He is so happy about his new pants, because he loves the color purple so much. Thanks to my follower, who some weeks ago sent us her purple pants (which had holes at the inside leg) to upcycle it! You probably know how fast the knee area of toddler pants is getting destroyed. That’s why I reinforced the pants of my youngest son with some additional pintucks (two fabric layers over the knees). Both boys got a matching color blocking shirt, made out of four old shirts, which were once discarded by my family. I used the pattern “Raglanshirt” (Klimperklein), divided it into different sections for the blocking and added a self designed breast pocket on the smaller one. For my youngest child I sewed a pair of sandals as well. It is made of leather scraps, which once were sent to me by another follower. I had no pattern for it and only used the measurements of his feet as a guide (had to try them on him again and again). I have already sewn other barefoot shoes before and had some leftovers for the rubber sole. I love how the sandals turned out!
My daughter has very short arms and a small head due to her disability. I have to adjust every hat and top for her. I know that for many people with down syndrome (children and adults) it is very difficult to find suitable clothes. It’s a huge advantage for us that I can sew everything she needs myself. I took an old muslin bedding to make her a new dress. I once again used one of my own patterns. The upper part of the dress is “Miss Mottis Kleid”, but I shortened it so that I could add an additional skirt panel. The dress is closed with coconut buttons at its back (urgently had to add coconut buttons somewhere, because they really belong to my signature style!).
I'm very happy that the sun came out this weekend, because most of the time it’s still pretty cool in Germany. So we actually didn’t need the cardigan I sewed for her to complete her outfit. She put it on for one photo anyway. It's my pattern “Mottis Cardigan” with rounded corners and an additional volant at the neckline. If you want to see how the old clothes looked before, come over to my Instagram Page!
I am so proud of myself that I’ve made it so far in this competition. But to be honest I am a bit exhausted as well 😄 How do you like my last creations?
Now it's your turn! Use the voting widget to support the designers with your vote.
This is how their scores are determined:
1/3 score = public voting 1/3 score = panel of past Project Run & Play designers 1/3 score = celebrity guest judge of the week
Please use the voting form below to support these designers.
If you are inspired to sew along link up here for your chance to win prizes and create amazing clothing for your kids!
Wow, where did the time go? Week 4 is here, and you are going to be so amazed by each designer's Signature Style!
Be sure to support the designers with your VOTE at the end of this post.
Emily Sews Stuff - Wildflowers
I can't believe it's week four and I'm still here! I am a sonographer and NOT a designer; I have never done as much modifying and drafting as I have in the last month, and no matter the outcome, I'm happy. Also, I'm very tired--since I didn't expect it to make it this far, I was finishing these up on Sunday morning. I kept my theme of song titles for my fourth week's designs, Wildflowers, which is also my inspiration--summers in the prairie. We live in the middle of Illinois, and the flowers are starting to pop up everywhere. Unfortunately it's been a cold spring and we don't have a scenic wildflower field yet for pictures, so use your imagination.
For Juliet's outfit, I thought back to what I made when I first was learning to sew. I started with pillowcase dresses, and soon my oldest daughter, Claire, had a bunch of them. I had that in mind when I drafted this top. Instead of the standard pillowcase/rectangle shape, I wanted it a more fitted and less bulky but wanted to keep the halter neck. I used the front and back bodice pieces from VFT Teagan as my starting point, and made modifications to add casings and a gathered neckline. An elastic casing keeps the crop length in place, and the tie neck is tacked in place for safety. For her skirt, I used the remnants of the Kaufman chambray double gauze from Cali Fabrics left from my week two dress. I know a lot of people despise it, but I love gathering, so I drafted a tiered ruffle skirt. One of the first tricks I learned was how to do elastic shirring on my machine. I was shirring everything I could get my hands on to avoid buttonholes and zippers (to be fair, I didn't have all the appropriate presser feet for my grandma's machine to do those things). So for that reason, I did a shirred waistband for Juliet's skirt.
As you can see, I brought in my 14 year old daughter, Claire, for the last week. She was my motivation for starting to sew in the first place, so it seemed appropriate. Sewing for teens is hard; they have lots of opinions and they can change their minds without much warning, or outgrow their clothes overnight. But you feel like you've hit the lottery when you make something and they love it. I don't (and probably never will) have the confidence to make jeans, but I used VFT Remi tween shorts to make some jeans shorts using Cali Fabrics denim. Remi has a relaxed fit, so it's less intimidating fitting them. I modified them by adjusting for her height, adding back pockets, omitting the patch pockets and changing them to diagonal seam pockets, and swapping the tie belt for a tab waistband. I added topstitching to the seams and pockets, some embroidery, and distressed the denim a little bit to soften it up. For her top, well, I just wanted to make a wrap top. She didn't have one yet, and it turns out she really likes it. I used Made For Mermaids Isabel dress bodice as my starting point. I modified it by eliminating the shoulder seam and adding front and back yokes with gathering. I increased the waist tie to make it both wider and longer so it would wrap all the way around her waist, raised the neckline, and swapped out the fitted sleeves for the long flutter sleeves from the Poppy pattern. I also extended the bodice several inches for a little more coverage.
Wow! I can’t
believe it’s already signature style week and it’s incredible to still be here!
Thank you all so much, I have no words to express how grateful and excited I
am! It’s been so much fun to sew for each week’s challenge and this week was no
different. I feel like I’m still figuring out my true signature style (or maybe
that will always keep evolving 😉) and one of the things I actually
love about sewing is how you can create a whole different vibe using different
(types of) fabric or patterns and you can go retro once, romantic the next or contemporary
another time.
So to find my signature style, I thought of what I love most about sewing: working
with beautiful, colourful and different types of fabrics and making items my
kids love and wear a lot. I also wanted to make something for all my kids this
week, so they each got a new outfit. As a starting point I asked them individually
what their favourite colour is and I used that as a base for their whole look. I
also love matching looks & details, without it being too much the same (though
I have to admit I do love some obvious twinning looks as well 😁)
For my boys
I wanted to make tops with some extra details and they all got different animal
printed fabric to match the colour they chose. My youngest got a Lion tee. I
used a basic tee, changed the neckline to a boatneck and added ¾ sleeves. My
middle boy got a fitted shirt in knit. I have always wanted to try making a shirt
in knit and this seemed the perfect occasion 😊 I used Alder from Sunflower Seams as a base, changed the sides and added
darts to the back to create a fitted look. I changed the sleeves and added strips
of double gauze to them, and to the pocket, the collar & the collar stand. And lastly
my oldest boy got a polo shirt, using the same pattern as a base but changing
it to a polo and for him I used the same linen fabric of his pants for the
collar, collar stand & pocket.
I love
using different types of fabrics, so for my boys I used double gauze, linen &
corduroy. My youngest got dungarees, using the Zeke pattern from Made for Mermaids as a base. I changed the back completely and made them shorts. For my
middle & oldest boy I used the Prose & Poetry cargo pants from Project Run & Play as
a base, changed all the pockets and the lengths. My oldest got them to just
above his ankles, my middle to above the knee. I also made a reverse hem to
both their pants.
And for my
girl I really really love using florals, so when I saw this gorgeous colourful
rayon from Art Gallery Fabrics At Minerva (thank you Minerva!!), I knew it would perfect for her! I
used the Mackinac Island dress from Little Lizard King as a starting point but
I love dresses with a beautiful backside. So for this dress I created a V-shaped
back, with the V all the way to her waist. And for the skirt I added a circle
skirt that’s gathered at the waist.
And then
their jackets: it’s something I love making! I love how you can add fun details
and it’s something they wear a lot. And I’m a sucker for denim jackets, so to
start I searched for denim in the colours of their look and made them all a denim
jacket. And then for my youngest and oldest boy I also used them same cotton lining
in a different colourway, so they can secretly twin 😉 I used Pacifica from Little Lizard King as a starting point for all of
them. I changed everything for each one of them to add more or less details
like ruffles, a zipper, inseam pockets, patch pockets, chest pockets, different
pieces and views of the front & back, elastic at the waist, simple sleeves,
sleeves with a placket, sleeves with elastic… I really had so much fun creating
these!
If you want
to read more details or see more pictures, you can follow my instagram or visit my blog!
And thanks for reading along this last month, it’s been so fun!
Southern Magnolia Design - Spring Romance
First, I want to say thank you so much to all of you who voted for me and helped me get to the finals! I have thoroughly enjoyed pushing my sewing knowledge and creativity to make new designs for the various themes throughout this competition.
With this week being "signature style", I knew that I wanted to make an outfit that showed off everything I love about sewing. One thing that is unique to me, is my use of floral illustration in embroidery. Even before I became a pattern designer for Wild Seeds, I loved to adorn my daughter's clothing with "sketchy flowers". It was a fun way for me to use my background in the arts while adding texture and beauty to solid-colored fabrics.
Another thing that I love is classic beauty and simplicity. While I can admire bright and bold patterns and fabrics, I prefer to use solid colors for most of my own sewing designs. Then I usually add embroidery, lace, or trims to the fabric to bring contrast and character.
This week, I made a skirted white romper with a romantic pale pink high-low skirt. For this outfit, I sketched out a floral design across the entire bodice, front and back. Hours and hours of hand embroidery and beading give this plain white cotton a couture style. While the top of this romper is self-drafted, I used Wild Seeds' Tulip pattern for the culottes of the romper, then added a circle skirt on top of it for a bit more fullness. My daughter really loved having the freedom of the romper while still feeling like a princess.
But with Easter only a couple days away, I also wanted to have the option to dress up a bit more. I used Wild Seeds' Primrose skirt with pale pink linen and a swiss dot tulle overlay. The skirt comfortably fits over the romper, turning a fun day outfit into a glamourous dressed-up look, making this outfit perfect for all occasions.
To see more behind the scenes photos of my embroidery and beading, head over to Southern Magnolia Blog.
Thank you again for this wonderful experience!
Wow, this week's celebrity guest judge, Brittany of BrittanyJJones and Melanated Fabric really has her work cut out for her.
And the designers need your help too as this is how their scores are determined:
1/3 score = public voting 1/3 score = panel of past Project Run & Play designers 1/3 score = celebrity guest judge of the week
Please use the voting form below to support up to two of the designers.
If you're inspired, sew along to win prizes! Details here.
It's always bittersweet to announce the final week of a Season...but that's where we are! Week 4, Signature Style. Don't you think we've been seeing these ladies Signature Style all along? But just wait until you see this...
As usual, make sure to get all the way to the end of the post so you can support TWO of these talented sewists with your VOTE.
Made by Kates - Simply Summer
Wow! I can't believe I actually made it through all 4 weeks. It's been a whirlwind (and my sewing room looks like it!). Deciding what to do for this week was MUCH harder than I anticipated! Looking back at weeks 1 through 3, I covered winter, fall, and spring. So it was only logical to include summer in my final look! Plus, when I asked my daughter what she thought my signature style was she didn't skip a beat and said, "swimsuits and rompers!" Those are her favorite things I make for her so I wanted to be sure to include that. I'm a pretty practical person and like to make things that can be worn more than one way. Summer plus practical put the idea of a little summer capsule in my mind and we are already definitely dreaming of summer. This look 100% sums up my signature style - clean lines, classic styles, fabulous fabrics, coordinating colors, and fun little details. This look can go from resort ready to everyday chic seamlessly. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Let's start with the swimsuit. Just this week we wrapped up construction on a backyard swimming pool so I was all for making another swimsuit for my girl. She has been begging me for a zipper swimsuit just like one of her favorites from a popular company. We took our own twist on the design and the Breakfast at Tiffany's vibe is my favorite! I started with the Mairin swimsuit pattern from Sew a Little Seam and changed the neckline and added some color blocking to the front. I redesigned the back to include a high back, cut in shoulder lines, and a circle back cut out. I also added a tie to go around the back. The gold zipper down the back to get in and out of the suit easily is her favorite feature - I personally love the contrast with the white neck ruffle. It's fully lined and made from high quality swim fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I love that she has a well fitting, unique swimsuit she feels amazing and confident in.
When we aren't swimming, I wanted to create some pieces she can mix and match and feel comfy, cool, chic, and classy in. She definitely has an opinion when it comes to what she will wear and her style is becoming a little more sophisticated. She absolutely loves all the looks she can get with these pieces. I love clean, classic lines and little details so I made sure to include that aesthetic. The white linen top started with the bodice of the Fringe Dress from Chalk and Notch. I added three vertical pleats in the shoulder as well as arm ties at the sleeves. The skirt is a self drafted a-line skirt with an elastic back and a flat front with an inverted pleat. I designed rounded patch pockets with the same pleat design from the top, and included white trim on the pocket as well as outlining the belt with the white linen. The fabric for both pieces is Robert Kaufman Linen from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. She requested a romper, but was ecstatic for the faux romper we made out of one of my favorite fabrics- rayon challis. It's so dreamy to wear! This is a retired club print also from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. The faux romper look allows her to wear it so many more ways! I used the Linville Romper pattern from Hey June for both pieces, modifying them to be how we wanted them. I made the pants joggers with an elastic ankle and a paperbag waist - of course they have pockets too! The top has a cascading circular sleeve, with a white contrast facing and white poms attached. These brought a huge smile to my girls face, but they also warm my heart. A friend of mine passed away unexpectedly and I got some of her sewing stash - including these. I've been waiting for just the right project to use them for and I know she is proud! I also added a back placket with a tie for a little fun in the back.
Thank you Project Run and Play for allowing me the opportunity to push myself and take time to create some things I wouldn't have made time for otherwise. Sewing for me is connection, resourcefulness, memories, and community and I have felt each of those things during the past four weeks. For more pictures and details, check out my blog post HERE.
Deriving Mommyhood - Encapsulating Style
I'm beyond honored to be here for the final week! This competition has been a challenge but I'm so happy with what it has pushed me to try (Pattern making, looking at you!). Let's dive in to my final look....well, looks. Because when I thought about my signature style, I realized that I often sew in mini capsules. I have made so many mini capsules for each season, for each kid as well as myself because all of us can struggle sometimes having amazing clothing items, but nothing that coordinates. Any designer I have worked with knows that I think in full wardrobe, not just single piece. So of course, I made her a mini capsule to take her from fall to winter as my finale. Another big part of my process is that my little muse gets a say in absolutely every detail of everything I make her. We sit down and look at inspiration together, pull fabrics together, and sketch our designs. I love having her involved in the process as she genuinely has great taste and loves wearing what I make her so much more if she has a say.
This capsule encompasses both of our style, but it also shows my absolute obsession with clean finishes. I would gladly wear every piece I created for her myself, and think that they will stand the test of time and be great for her little sister in a few years. It also shows how I take inspiration from fashions from the past and try to bring them into modern looks using edgy details like metal and leather. I'll start with the jeans I made her, using gorgeous stretch denim I bought in Paris. I decided to do a more tailored version, starting with the Stay + Stitch Avenue Flares as a base. I made them wide leg instead, and changed the top to be a high waist sailor style (with pockets!). I did facings in satin from Minerva and subtle olive topstitching, with jean tack buttons and a nice deep hem. Next, her pixelated print top. It makes the artsy mathematician in me quite happy to have a geometric floral print (stretch chiffon from Joann's). I made her a simple, tailored top using the Juniper from Sew a Little Seam for the base. I left off all plackets, choosing a faced keyhole instead. I used french seams throughout the shirt and topstitched every little seam, as well as making split sleeves (she is currently obsessed with bishop and bell sleeves and all flavors of flowy sleeves). I tacked the elbow as I originally had chosen to do a wrist tie but she really wanted them open instead. I finished the neckline with narrow self made bias and did a narrow curved hem.
For the skirt, I started with a basic half circle skirt, and slashed and added to the pattern to have knife pleats around half of it. I chose to do a wrap style, borrowing a little from a kilt look (and did some mitred hems at the corners to reduce bulk). The waistband is also self created, a contour waistband that encloses all the seams at the top. For the closure, I used rose gold vinyl pieces with some metal purse hardware, and little metal snaps that mimic the look of rivets but also help stabilize those closures. The fabric is some mystery textile my husband purchased in bulk for me from one of his many Thailand trips...I assume it's a ponte though. The second top I made is from some soft white french terry provided by Minerva. I started with the Knoxville from New Horizons Designs as I like the general ease of it for a sweater, then changed the front to have a curved placket of rose gold grommets that I made a tie to go through. I echoed the skirt pleats by adding a few deep knife pleats on the sleeve caps and now desperately need this whole sweater for me. The facings for the grommet strips make for a nice finish inside the hem as well.
Last, she of course needed a layer for some warmth. I had originally decided I wanted to make a leather moto jacket, but those split sleeves meant I needed something easier to get on and off, so I drafted a capelet from some wool coating (Mibs Fabrics). I started with a circle, cutting the neckhole offcenter for a high low effect, then added a deep funnel collar inspired by Violette Field Threads Alba dress. There's a keyhole with another tack button closure on the back. I used self made satin bias to finish all the seams as the mustard wool is fairly bulky, so I understitched the collar to catch that binding on the inside, then did a thicker binding around the hem so that it peeks out. Last, it got two rows of snaps so that she can choose to cinch it in and create sleeves. She and I are both obsessed with all the mix and match looks she can make from these 5 pieces! Check out lots more pictures and info on my blog!
Annie Sewzalot - Stripes Go With Everything
I am so excited to be here for the final week! Signature Style is something most would find easy, but this was probably the hardest week for me, thus far. I would say my taste is somewhat eclectic, as I love a variety of styles and fabrics, but the one thing that has always been a constant for me would be stripes. I LOVE stripes of all varieties but black and white stripes are my all time favorite. So, I decided to make a practical look this week, incorporating some of my favorites, as well as some of Dalilah’s.
I knew I wanted to start off with a basic pair of jeans. Dalilah doesn’t love jeans because we can never seem to find a ready to wear pair that will fit her. She has the waist of an 18 month old, the hips of a 4 year old and the height of a 5-6 year old! It has been a while since I made a pair of real jeans and have yet to actually draft a jean pattern, but now seemed like as good a time as any to do both! I started with my basic block and drafted a slim fit, boot cut with a fully functioning zip fly. Since they are fairly basic in design, I decided to add striped bow pockets to the back. The stripes are made from the same fabric as the jeans (stretch denim from JoAnn Fabrics) along with the white from the jacket fabric, topped off with a mustard bow. I love how they turned out and she loves the fit!
For the top/shirt, I wanted to go with something I knew would be worn over and over again. Dalilah’s all time favorite fabric is double brushed poly. She is seriously obsessed with it so when I saw this floral at JoAnn’s, I knew it would be perfect! It is super soft and had all the colors I wanted. I started with Magnolia by Little Lizard King as the base. I straightened the waistline and adjusted the neckline to a slight “V” neck. I am, always have been and likely always will be, completely obsessed with ruched sleeves so I drafted a ruched sleeve and added a basic gathered skirt. Dalilah is happy with the fabric and I love the look!
For the jacket, I started with the Hamilton jacket I drafted last week as the base. I took out the princess seams in the back and reshaped the bottom of the bodice. For the front, I omitted the removable plastron, added width and reshaped the bottom. I added a gathered skirt which is longer in the front and back and shorter on the sides. I added an embroidered heart patch with her monogram so there would be no mistaking who the jacket belonged to. The sleeves on the Hamilton jacket were a standard set in sleeve, so I redrafted the cap as I wanted a high gather to accommodate the ruched sleeve on the shirt. I decided to go with a pointed hood to exaggerate the chevron look on the back. I think the view from the back is my favorite but now as I type this, I realize that I really love the front as well! I am obsessed with how the sleeves and bodice align! The jacket is fully lined with the same soft double brushed poly as the shirt and we decided on a zipper closure, as that is what Dalilah prefers.
I have had quite a bit going on throughout this whole competition and I am so pleased with everything I have been able to accomplish, as time has not been on my side. The looks for each week have all been completed within 1-2 days! I am surprised that I have made it through without completely losing my mind and have learned alot about myself and what I am capable of, so win or lose, I am happy. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and will continue to support me this week. If you want to see more, please follow me on Instagram at Annie Sewzalot.
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