Mini Season 3: Round 3

 The final round of Mini Season 3 has arrived! This season has been so much fun and we have lots more "Copy that Look" inspiration headed your way!

Don't forget about our sewalong! You have until 9/14/23 to enter! Get the details HERE!

Now let's get to the good stuff... the looks for our final round!

Cherry Berry Cute! - The College Seamstress

I am so excited to be here for this mini season and to be sewing for my kids! “Copy that Look” was such a fun challenge. I decided to browse some children’s clothing websites and found my inspiration from “Janie and Jack”, a children’s clothing company with classic but modern designs. My whole look started from the “American Honey” fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I knew I wanted to make a dress for my toddler so when I found the Every Day Puff Sleeve Dress I knew it would be perfect. It had everything a little girl could want - puff sleeves, a scoop back, and a twirly tiered skirt. To make it I started with the Janie Dress pattern from the Project Run & Play shop. I used the bodice with the scoop back view but I made a neck binding and changed the sleeves to be puffed using a tutorial from Elizabeth Made This blog. I went all out on the puffs making them something Anne Shirley would be proud to wear. The skirt is two tiers and I measured my daughter to figure out how long I wanted the skirt to be from waist to hem. I divided that up into two pieces and made the top tier a little bit wider than the bottom tier based on my inspiration photo. I doubled the length so there was plenty of gathering making a very twirly skirt!

The denim jacket was a labor of love and the piece I am most proud of. I was first inspired by the Janie and Jack Ruffle Trim Denim Jacket. The ruffle reminded me of the Sofiona Designs Raven Dress so I started with that and used the back yoke piece to redraw my own yoke onto the front and back bodice of a Friday Dress. I made a ruffle twice the length I needed for the yoke and collar and gathered it. The bottom of the jacket is the Fashionista Jean Jacket but I cut it apart several times and redrew the back and front panels to look more like my inspiration jacket. The sleeves are a mash of the Friday Dress and the Fashionista Jacket. The only original pattern pieces are the plackets, sleeve cuffs, welt pockets, and bottom band. The back yoke is also something I am proud of. I decided to tie in the cherries from the dress to the back of the jacket by hand embroidering some cherries. I found a free template from Oh Sew Bootiful and traced that onto my yoke before I started sewing. I embroidered the cherries and love the pop of color against the denim jacket. My daughter loves it too and says "look at my cherries!" every time she wears the jacket. I was able to get some custom print fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics so I could match the inside yoke and inside cuff to my daughter's dress. I love the little details even though no one will see them. The hat is a Monet Beret from the Project Run and Play shop and I added a bow. I wanted to use a sweater but the best I could find was this cable look fabric from Etsy. It is a knit so I interfaced the outer fabric before sewing so it wouldn't flop around. I love how it really completes the look. 

My baby boy’s look was also inspired by pieces from Janie and Jack. I first found the embroidered overalls and thought I would embroider the same cherry pattern I used for his sister onto the Flying Fox Overalls. I omitted the front pockets but added a little back pocket. The fabric for the overalls was my husband’s old work pants and I love seeing our son wear it now. I added some embroidery to the back to cover up some holes in the fabric too. I wanted to make a Henley shirt to go under the overalls but instead of a real placket I did a faux placket. I used the Oliver + S School Bus T-shirt but made the neckline wider for my little boy’s big head and added the faux placket. I also added sleeve cuffs instead of hemming. The fabric for the shirt is also upcycled as it was my husband’s shirt. I was able to use the cuffs and neckband from the original shirt too. Finally, since my daughter had a hat I wanted to make my son a hat as well. I used the Fell & Dale Cap from the Project Run and Play shop. I used a corduroy fabric from my stash to make it similar to my inspiration photo. 

Thank you so much for letting me share this and thank you to the Project Run and Play team for asking me to be apart of this mini season! I had so much fun creating these outfits. You can see more photos of my look on my blog HERE

Roblox Avatar - The Wolf and The Tree

I was excited to be part of this mini season. I haven't sewn much lately and this was my way of getting back in front of the machine. It worked!

My girl wanted an outfit inspired by her Roblox character. Her character has a cardigan, shorts, a sweater and a t-shirt. As accessories she wanted the mask and hat that she also has in game. 

With a whole shopping list of things to accomplish I looked in my own pattern files for hacks to achieve these looks:

The sock design is the Just Sew It Socks - she is now in a Women's Medium - gasp!

For the T-Shirt I modified the Abby's Rippled Pearl. Instead of the signature waterfall like neckline I created a U-Boat shaped neckline and I used the accent sleeves instead of the short sleeves. She loves it and says it is so comfortable!

The Cardigan was the first big challenge. I used a lace knit and hand dipped it in fabric paint. I then painted the stripes of and left the edges raw, (with the bottom having a beautiful scalloped hem) just like the picture, as it has frayed edges. The pattern I used was the 

Abby's Ballerina Tie Top, turned into a cardigan.

The shorts were the Abby's Overalls, the shorts length. I used stripey fabric but created the casual plaid look, as well as the requested paint drips with self made templates and fabric paint.

Lastly the jacket was both the biggest challenge and biggest surprise. It was a mystery fabric I had picked up from Walmart that came in a tube. I wasn't sure if it would work because it wanted to roll a lot, but my girl had chosen it, so there was no budging. After giving it a thorough press it laid beautifully and the stripes were transferred with infusible ink rather smoothly. The back features a V-Neck, which I particularly love, and on the front is the paw print that could not be left out, made from iron-on vinyl. I used Abby's Road Trip Tunic as a starting point to create the jacket.

I couldn't be happier with the outcome! It turned out exactly how I had envisioned and my girl wants to wear it without the mask to school, and with the mask to Halloween! Win, win! 

I hope you enjoy the look as much as I enjoyed making it!

Now it is up to you to vote for your favorite! You may only vote once and the poll closes on 9/7/23 at 8:00 pm EST.

Mini Season 3: Round 2

 Are you ready for Round 2?

We have no idea how you are going to be able to decide between these fantastic looks! Be sure to scroll all the way to the end to see them both and cast your vote!

Sharply Dressed - Deriving Mommyhood

I am excited to be back for Project Run & Play Mini Season 3!

For my Copy that Look, I went with a look from Sparkle in Pink, a shop I found from searching previous Project Run & Play pinspirations. I wanted to make sure I selected a look that would work well for her for school as this is her first year going!! Comfortable shorts and tee shirts are school essentials....but that doesn't mean they can't be a little extra also.

I did struggle a little in choosing that it seemed everything was too basic. Nothing particularly innovative for me to try. But ultimately, I tried to push myself to incorporate as much as I could to jazz this one up while keeping with the inspiration.

Now for the details!! For the shirt I used the Little Lizard King Zafra top because really the inspiration was identical. For the pencil design, I used heat transfer vinyl and layered it up. I also deviated from the inspo to add some pom pom trim to the ruffle, it ties into the necklace and adds a little something extra.

Next up, I tackled the shorts. The inspo ones appear to be a knit but I knew I wanted crisp scallops at the hem so I went with a linen blend. I started with the TinTin shorts from the Project Run&Play shop, but cut them wider to have a bubble effect, and added lots of length to the hem to accomodate the scallop finish. I also increased the height of the paperbag waist so that it would really stand out.

I made her a necklace and hairbow to match the inspiration as well. The bow started with Tully from Little Lizard King and I changed it to be shaped like a pencil, adding details in heat transfer vinyl.

Last up....the inspiration flatlay has that big prop pencil so when I saw the Pointillism Pencil Pouch in the Project Run & Play store that aside from adding her name and using some difficult fabrics is pretty much the pattern as is. It is so cute though I wouldn't change it!!

I didn't have black glittery sandals laying around to style it with but her simple black Old Navy ones I think coordinate quite well. Happy Back to School!! Hope you enjoyed my inspiration vs. reality....I think I nailed it, what about you?

Read more about my look here!

Sentiment De Joie - It's Liesel

My girls were so excited to do this mini season with me. They insisted that they would be my models, reminiscent of the last season we did. Now that I knew which kids I was sewing for, I hit up my screenshots album on my phone. Where better to collect the inspiration that floats past when I’m scrolling? The ivory and beige floral print swimsuit you’ll see below, was a recent save, and I instantly knew that was my jumping off point. The design is from Joyfolie, a clothing brand that is full of feminine inspiration. After that decision was made, I found some more looks from them, to inspire both pieces in this entry. My entry is titled Sentiment de Joie, which means Sense of Joy, in French. A nod to the brand I gathered inspiration from, and from my own sense of joy in getting to participate in PR&P with my girls again! They were both a crucial portion of this from approving inspiration, keeping me company while I sewed, and of course, modeling.

The burgundy dress is from a vintage cotton woven solid I collected from my local remnant shop. It’s a beautiful, earthy color, perfectly capturing the vibe I was hoping for. The bodice began from the Timeless Tunic pattern from Patterns for Pirates, thoroughly modified, with a gathered neckline, bias bound openings, fit tweaks, and a cut out back with a bow at the neck. The waist band was inspired by Patterns for Pirates Grace dress pattern, and the skirt was self-drafted, high-low, with a high-low ruffle also. I made those as wide and as long as my remnant allowed. But getting creative within constraint is always rewarding. 

My initial inspiration piece became a dress with a handkerchief hem plus ruffle. The fabric was found after a lengthy search, and ended up coming from Raspberry Creek Fabrics custom print shop. I was able to scale it to match the look I was hoping for. The bodice began from the Hepburn pattern from Patterns for Pirates, again, heavily modified. Fit was modified, the ruffle was self-drafted, neckline and armscye modified, neckband added, and the skirt is a self-drafted gathered circle skirt, cut into the handkerchief hem shape, with attached ruffle. I used nearly all of the 4 yards of knit I purchased!

Thank you for letting me share this with you. It was such a rewarding project! If you want to see more pictures, and descriptions, you can head over to my blog.

Don't forget: You can win prizes too! Get the details to enter our sewalong HERE.

Please vote once for your favorite "Copy that Look" using the form below. The poll will close on 8/31/23 at 8:00pm EST.

Mini Season 3: Round 1

 It's kick-off time for Mini Season 3! Our Round 1 designers did an awesome job with the "Copy that Look" challenge so you will have a tough choice to make! The voting poll is at the end of the post.

(Don't forget about our sewalong! Get the details HERE.)

A Casual Color Block - Sincerely, Shantelle

Hi! I’m so excited to be back here for Mini Season 3, and to be sharing my look with y’all today. For the theme of “Copy That Look” I scoured my Pinterest board. After deciding on a top 3, I asked my little one which was his fav, which was a fabulous color blocked ensemble we chose to recreate. Color blocking seems to be a trend that hasn’t gone out of style. I see it utilized in clothing, graphic design, painted on buildings, even in decor. It’s always fun to see what colors you can put together, knowing that each combo can evoke a different mood…vibe, if you will. My son actually liked the color combo from the inspo, but being on a no-new-fabric freeze, I had to sift through my hundreds of yards of fabric to find my solids and had him choose a combo from my stash. He was happy to oblige, though he did ask when I can buy fabric again if I could pretty please buy those colors lol!

Based on the inspo, this outfit looked like it would make the perfect sweatsuit, so I decided on finally sewing up some of my sweatshirt fleece I’ve had sitting around for a year or two. We found a really gorgeous split complementary harmony and I set out to figuring out how to lay it out. After ugly, quick swatching on my iPad, the resulting look is what I decided on for placement, and after many days of pattern hacking, [seamripping], and sewing, eventually this fantastic outfit!

For the top, I started with the George Hoodie. I created the color block on the bodice and sleeves, added the extra length that the cuffs and waistband would have added (to account for the elastic hems). I drafted the large pocket in the front & added in the half zip, which took me longer than I care to admit to figure out how to neatly conceal the top of the zipper, since I didn’t want to line it, as the fleece was plenty thick and warm. I ended up switching out the zipper from my fabric photo because it was way too long, but I'm really pleased with my second choice.

For the bottoms, I started with the Jingle Joggers, using the side stripe option. I had to draft a new waistband due to the limited stretch in the fabric, and I drafted the patch pockets on the sides like the ones from the inspo. I added an extra inch of length to the hemmed option to add an elastic casing to them and voila! Check out his realization that the side pockets on the joggers were functional. He thought they were decoration!

I really love how the look came together from the color palette all the way through to the end result. This outfit is super on trend with what’s in stores right now. I even managed to grab these shoes from Target to pair with it and they have an almost identical color palette!

So how did I do? Do you think I nailed the look? 

You can see more pictures HERE.

Team Spirit - Sew a Little Seam

One of my favorite things about sewing is being able to recreate an outfit that you love in the color, size, or price that better fits you. Now that my daughter is getting older, she has a lot more of an opinion in what I make her. She loves sports and has no problem being tough, but she also likes style and pink and pretty things. This "team spirit" look combines the best of both worlds.

To start off we really liked the look of the varsity jacket that never seems to go out of style. I modified the Ollie Bomber Jacket to have a snap front and added a chenille letter for her name. The jacket is fully reversible and I found a pink sweatshirt fleece from Raspberry Creek Fabric to match the pink and silver sparkle cuffs I already had in my stash. The other side is a blue stretch fleece that is really cozy. Then, since she loves to wear skirts to figure skating practice, we opted for a white French terry high waisted circle skirt. They off course have an attached pair of shorts underneath so she can do all the spinning and jumping she wants.

I also sewed her up a pair of joggers that have her hockey number on them in the same sweatshirt fleece as the jacket. I cut the number out of heat transfer vinyl. They are a much better price than the Gap pair she had been eyeing, and she could never find any that had her number. For the dolman sweatshirt I used the same French terry as the skirt and added stripes to the sleeves using infusible ink. I've never used this before, but I wanted something that wasn't as stiff as vinyl and I liked the way it turned out. It feels like it's a part of the fabric. I also decided to make a pleated skirt in a matching pink as another option to mix and match the look. Then, of course she needed a duffle bag to carry all of her equipment. I've seen these letter bags everywhere lately and she loves them. I used the tutorial from Sewing Times for the bag and found these really cute striped straps on Etsy. The rainbow zipper tape, star pull, and pink interior all worked so nicely together, and she had to bring it with her to skating camp as soon as it was done. The exterior and interior are made with PUL from Nature's Fabrics.

I had so much fun making this look. Thank you for reading along! You can see more photos of the look on my blog.

Now you have a very difficult decision to make! You may only vote once and the poll will close on Thursday, 8/24/2023 at 8:00pm EST.

Season 27 Week 4: Signature Style

 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!