Project Run and Play week 4: Valentine's Day Dress

I LOVE how this dress turned out, I think it's partly because I actually slowed down and took my time.  I purchased the fabric a while back, it's a poly blend knit with a lot of body.  I honestly never noticed the heart motif until I was looking through my stash for something that would make a great V-day dress!  It was a black and white graphic pattern, but I knew I wanted to soften it a bit.  So I dyed it with a rose pink RIT dye.  It's a nice soft pink and black now. 

 I used Simplicity 2460 (Project Runway Collection) to base this dress off of.  I didn't change anything about the sleeve, other than to add the pink bias edge.  I added a bit more of a scoop to the neckline and cut my own skirt, opting to gather it instead of adding pleats.  My daughter wanted a bubble hem, so that is what she got...and it was such a great addition to the dress!  It added some fullness to the skirt, which it needed. 

This dress definitely made me think.  I knew I didn't want to use the waist band from the pattern, but I didn't want to simply join the bodice and skirt together.  So I edged the bodice in bias tape and stitched bias tape to the skirt as well....only I didn't finish it, I ironed it flat.  I then placed the bodice over the skirt and overlapped the tape.  I stitched over my original finishing seam on the bodice and joined the two together.  It was totally trial and error...I got lucky and it turned out super cute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polka Dots!!! Project Run and Play week 2

This week, our task was to be inspired by polka dots and stripes. 

I have had this fabric staring at me for a year now.  When I sat and thought about it, it was screaming "make me into a full skirt!" ...so I did. 

 

 

This skirt is essentially 3 rectangles.

 

 

The front waist band, back waist band, and the skirt piece

 

I got a bit fancy and created an adjustable waist band.  The skirt is long enough that it my daughter should be able to wear it for a few years.  Having an adjustable waist band just made sense.

 



 

I pinned the front waist to back waist and marked 1/2 inch from the bottom and the mid point

 

 

I stitched the seam leaving a space where the elastic would be fed through

 

I folded it in half and serged the raw edge

 

I serged the side seams of the skirt, creating a tube and gathered the top edge.

 

I joined the skirt to the waist band

 

I added 2 button holes to each end of the elastic and inserted in into the channel in the waist band.  I sewed a button on each side and buttoned the elastic to the skirt.

 

I wanted to incorporate a stripe, so I made belt loops on the waist band and added a pretty coral ribbon.

 

 

Ta da!

 

 

I still have to get a picture of my daughter wearing it...I keep forgetting to, woops!

 

 

 



 

 

 

Mulan dress: Project Run and Play re-mix

My daughter LOVES Mulan. Which is appropriate for her because she has a very strong personality, just like Mulan. She has been asking for a Mulan dress for months. I was originally going to make it for her for Christmas, but ran out of time. I've also been thinking about joining in on the link party for Project Run and Play for quite some time now. When I looked at the pattern re-mix project, I thought I could combine these 2 ideas :) The bodice front is quite different, it crosses over to look like a kimono, and I edged it with handmade purple bias tape. The skirt was lengthened, and I eliminated the contrasting band, I also added a bell sleeve to add to the kimono look. For the waist band/obi, I cut my rectangles 25" x 6", rounding the edges. I added interfacing because I didn't want it to bunch up. I embelised the front with a 2 inch strip of red, and then added a 1.25 inch strip of gold. I sewed the 2 rectangles together, leaving an opening to turn it right side out. I slip stiched the opening closed, added a button hole on one end and a button on the other.

My daughter wore this dress to school yesterday, she came home and told me a bunch of her girlfriends want Mulan dresses now! I'm debating on whether or not I want to make it a bit shorter, so it's not so costume-like and more wearable. I'm also thinking of adding a contrasting band at the bottom, like the original pattern, in the same purple cotton used for the bias tape. This is when the artist in me comes out...I'm never fully satisfied, I have to keep fussing with things!

 

 

 

 

 

Fabric Rosette Wreath: for a good cause!

I am on the Board of A Room to Heal, we're a Binghamton area organization that creates healing environments in the rooms of children with severe medical issues.  It's an amazing organization and we recently had our Holiday Luncheon.  An added fundraiser at the luncheon is a silent auction.  Area artists (including myself) created "Wreaths of Art" to be used as centerpieces and to be auctioned off.  My wreath was titled "Fabric Garden" and consisted of over 100 handmade fabric rosettes.  Now, if you've even created a flower rosette, you know it's not something that only takes a minute or two.  From start to finish (cutting fabric, making bias tape, forming the flowers, etc) it takes a good 10 minutes PER flower.  It took me about 16 HOURS!!  to make this wreath.  But it was worth it because it turned out amazing and it raised $70 for the organization.  The woman who purchased it came up to me at one point and told me how much she loved my wreath, she said she was willing to pay whatever she had to in order to win it!  It's nice knowing that something I put so much time and work into now has a loving home.

Simplicity 2320-cap sleeve tunic

I just finished up a version of this Project Runway pattern for my daughter.  I shortened it to a tunic length because I didn't have enough fabric for a whole dress!  The fabric is a cotton flannel I purchased a while back and only bought a yard of.  I tend to buy fabric I like when I see it, and used to only buy a yard or so, more recently I've gotten into the habit of buying 2 yards at the minimum, usually 3 to make sure I'll have enough when I figure out what I want to use it for.  90% of the time I find the fabric before the pattern.

 

I added a single bow to the front, they include a pattern for it, but I ended up making it about 2 inches longer because I wanted to reach a touch past the edges of the front bodice piece.  I love that Project Runway patterns give you a variety of options to embellish your garment.  I'll definitely make more dresses with this pattern and with the variety of sleeve and detail options, they'll all look different. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had some vintage seam binding that I used as a hem tape.  I love how hem tape finishes off a garment in a really clean and professional way.  It's a little touch that can make a garment that much more special :)

Andrea modeling her Fire Star costume

I was going to post this tomorrow, but I couldn't wait...it turned out amazing!  Once she had the wig and mask on, I knew I nailed this costume.  LOVE it!!!

The Fire Star Costume is FINISHED!

This project turned out perfect!  I still have to get a good picture of my daughter in it, but here are a few the completed costume:

For the costume, I used a polyester jersey lined with a swimsuit lining.  I cut out the flames and stitched them to the main parttern pieces before I sewed anything together.  You can see by the detail piece that I just used a straight stitch about an 1/8" away from the edge.  To make the mask, I used 2 layers of felt (red for the front and orange on the inside.  I created a pattern, cut out the red side and stiched on the elastic band.  Next, I layered it on the orange and sewed 1/4" all the way around BEFORE I cut it out.  The elastic is sandwiched between the layers and not only looks nicer, but it won't rub on my daughter's face. I LOVE how it turned out, and so does Andrea...she slept in it the night it was finished!  We'll be going to Boo at the Zoo today, so I'll make sure to get a good picture of her in it to post tomorrow.