Project Run and Play Sewalong: Sportswear

This week's challenge at Project Run and Play was Sportswear.
I was very inspired by the old fashioned idea of sportswear, especially the use of linen. I wanted to make something in homage to that without doing an exact recreation. My three goals for this challenge were.....

• showcase linen
• choose colors outside my normal comfort zone for girls
• embroider!

Confession: I wanted to make an awesomely retro boys outfit inspired by Ned Land of Disney's classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. I imagined a fitted striped tee with grey linen shorts suitable embellished with sea monsters. 


I do not have a boy. I could have borrowed one, but he wasn't available for fittings and I was a bit crazy to tackle sewing boys clothes without any patterns. (Also I blame cold medication). Needless to say, the grey linen shorts were a failure. Sorry Ned!


I did, however, salvage the wreck and made this....

It's a simple little romper for Tiny Girl to wear out and about now that we've already had our first wave of 90 degree weather. In April. Gotta love the south. I used the failed shorts as the body then added elastic straps and a generous helping of ruffles. And embroidered flowers.

 

I also made a headscarf from some gorgeous yellow and white strip knit I found at The Fabric Fairy.

....one of many escape attempts.....

This was a fun project. I've never done a romper before since I hate snaps but since the straps were elastic this baby is easy-peasy to get on and off. (Which to me is kind of the point of sportswear, or kids clothes in general) My favorite part was the embroidery, which I hadn't done for years. I used to stitch while I manned the phones at my pre-baby job because it made me nicer to customers. I could tolerate much more complaining if my hands were busy with bright, beautiful thread. That was my gateway drug to the whole crafting world. I also think handwork gives mama-made clothes a little something extra. I can look at my three happy flowers and think of the beautiful afternoon I embroidered on the porch with my two year old blowing bubbles and my five year old running all over the yard.

 As always, there are many other cute and create sewalong projects on the Run and Play Flickr Group. I can't wait till Friday when we see what the Actual Contestants have been sewing.

  
Update: I have had a couple requests for a how-to so I decided to take the plunge, even though I've never done a tutorial before. You can find the tutorial here

a poem for my littlest one

sandpiper

I named you
for a little bird,
and so you are.
Chirping and peeping
over my shoulder
through these flightless days.

O do not hear the wind
when it whispers to your wings.
Let's duck out of the breeze
for sleep-still pools of sun.
Do not listen yet.
Stay awhile with me.

I have watched
(and ached) and marveled
already
as your sisters shook
their feathers and flew
in the ever widening circle
that will one day
stretch beyond my skies.

You will circle with them.

But today 

do not hear the wind
Perch a while on my back.
Sing a song into my morning.
Sleep a night in my arms.

Project Run and Play Sewalong: Circle Skirt Remix

Project Run and Play has started! Hooray!
Even though I didn't make the cut to compete officially, I'm excited about the sew-alongs. They offer a chance to stretch my creativity and learn new sewing skills and who can argue with that?

This week's challenge was a remix of the Circle Skirt Tutorial over at made.
I can't wait to see what the contestants have come up with, and what I've seen from the sew-alongers isn't too shabby either. I decided to go opposite my instincts and do something that was neither super-twirly or super-ruffly. Big Girl has been needing new play items, so I decided to do a half-circle play skirt. The inspiration came from some beautiful, ultra-drapey red and cream dot knit fabric I scored from a thrift store t-shirt. The Run and Play refashioning challenge isn't for a couple weeks yet but these days I've been a bit obsessed with thrift-store fabric repurposing. Where else can I get awesomely cute polka dot fabric for $1?

This week is Big Girl's spring break so we haven't had time for much sewing or much luck convincing her to stand in one spot for pictures. I managed to grab a couple this afternoon.

 This was a quick sew, especially since I chose to leave the knit edge on the bottom unfinished as part of the whole climb-trees-fight-pirates aesthetic that goes into her playclothes. I have no doubt I will make her at least one or two more of these, probably in stripes. And possible one in patchwork panels. This pattern is every bit as addicting as the tutorial warns us. 

To check out the other fantastic circle skirt remixes, head over to the Run and Play Flickr group and don't forget to check in tomorrow for the contestants' designs.

I Heart Summer Sewing....Do You?

Spring is newly sprung. The Easter fabric is yet uncut. Why, oh why, am I obsessed with summer sewing already? Hey, it's already hit 90 here in the sunny south, the mosquitoes are beginning their gentle song (little monsters), and Big Girl is complaining she has nothing to wear. Visions of sundresses and beach bloomers are dancing in my head. Ocean blues! Citrus yellows and oranges! Picnic greens and reds! Eyelets and gauze and batiks...

::sigh::

It makes a girl choke up.

But sewing is only half the fun. I crave community as much as I do craftiness, so I'm looking for fellow sun-lovin' sewists to play with me. We'll do simple. We'll do cute. We may even do practical. This would be a great way for mamas new to sewing to get their feet wet, or for fully addicted craftistas to share their tricks for the perfect summer wardrobe.

More details to come soon! In the mean time, leave a comment if you want to join in!

Spring Is In The Air

Big Girl and Small Girl spend their evenings splashing in puddles....I've got sundresses on the brain and Easter fabric on the cutting table....the jogging stroller has been dust off and loaded in the back of the van....the azaleas are due any day.  I felt like changing the look of the blog a bit and was inspired by one of my favorite parts of spring-- the rain. I've been humming a little song the girls and I sing each time it rains.

Rain Song
to the tune of Rain, Rain Go Away 
but friendlier

Rain, rain, come and play
at my house
play all day.

Give the flowers lots to drink
Help the birdies wash their feet
Make the farmer's crops to grow

A gift from God who loves me so.


 Yay for spring!

Project Run and Play Update

The final five audition outfits have been chosen and....it's not mine.
Ah well. It was a fun way to kick off my spring sewing. Once the PRP season kicks off think I'll try to do a few of the sew-alongs this time.

I am, however, slightly obsessed with that shrug so stay tuned for more design craziness. In the mean time, check out the final five:

Project Run and Play

Voting is open so give a thumbs up to your favorite look.

Project Run and Play Audition: The Everywhere Ensemble

At 10:30 Tuesday night, I found out about the Project Run and Play open auditions. I am a huge fan, so I knew I had to give it a try. Also, I was crazy. 40 hours to design, draft, sew, photograph, and post a whole new outfit? With three girls running around, one of which is an (adorable) six-month old mama-octopus?

I would need coffee, a handful of Dora videos, and my baby wraps.

After a two-day design sprint-- which I loved-- I am done. ::catches breath::

The outfit was designed for Small Girl, my two year old middle daughter whose nickname would be better Fierce Girl

As in "Where The Wild Things Are" fierce, not Christian Siriano fierce

 Though she can be sweet....especially when promised a Slurpee for modeling.

 I wanted to design her an ensemble to kick off her spring wardrobe-- something versatile enough for our various adventures, something free-spirited and carefree and just a little romantic. 

The Bloomers

were the main inspiration, as they are the closest Small Girl can get to being naked all the time, which would be her preference. (But then what would I sew?) When I was growing up, we wore bloomers under everything-- handmade by a friend of my mothers who sewed all our summer clothes. I am carrying on the tradition with my little ladies.

I raided my stash for some super-cute owl-print duck canvas, which would be sturdy enough for all the exploring (and the potty-training) that is in our future as the days warm up. I think I am going to make more in this fabric, as I can envision it holding steady through bike rides and beach trips and potty accidents.

Though we have very warm springs here by the beach, there are also days when the wind has a little nip to it, just enough for a little something on the shoulders. 

The Shrug

I drafted the pattern using as my guide a half-finished bodice I found in my fabric stash, and added ruffles to the sleeves. My stash raiding came up with the blue eyelet lace and some vintage trim which I will rave about in greater detail later. One of my favorite things about this version of the outfit was the view from the back: 

Where are the sand toys? I am ready for the beach!

 

But as much as we love carefree clothes around here, there are times when you have to put on a dress. I wanted to keep it simple and sweet. Small Girl wanted princess. Our compromise was a basic sundress that had a gathered skirt with a ribbon drawstring to show off the bloomers.

The Dress

Slightly more proper playtime. Only slightly. 

I used a brown paisley that had some peachy undertones which worked well with the owls. That fabric had been in my stash for years-- before Small Girl was even alive-- waiting for The Perfect Use.
This dress was it.

The outfit is casual enough for play but dressy enough for church, especially when you add the shrug again. 

She is now transformed from a shirtless wild girl to a proper lady, all ready to go out with her mama. 

We're going to get balloons and a Slurpee since she's been a trooper through all the "try it on again now hold still so I can photograph you" nonsense. 

I love the look of the whole ensemble but the bloomers are still my favorite part

Here is a view of the back. With balloons.

And some balloon related silliness, because who can resist, really? I can't. 

She liked the way the world looked through the pink one the best.

At play (or war?) in tug of balloon with the wind

Running is happier with balloons chasing you. 

Okay mom, enough pictures. 

Then the dress up fun was done and she wanted to go home and nap.

Naked.  

That's my girl. 

Design Details

My goal for this look was to make a versatile spring outfit that was girly yet adventurous. I am very satisfied with the results but there are a couple things in particular really love. Before I even knew I was making this project, my fabric fairy godmother (the same lady who used to sew my bloomers) gave me a whole bag of vintage trim, which included the lovely teal trim you see.

  

I couldn't get enough of how it looked against the other fabrics, which explains why I about drove myself nuts binding just about everything. 

Pictured here: insanity for the sake of vintage crafty cuteness. 

  I also loved the ruffle sleeves on the shrug. 

But my favorite design detail would have to be the bloomer-showin' cinch.

It adds a bit of practicality to the skirt but also it's just darn cute.

It's such an easy and satisfying effect that I definitely will use it again.

Making this outfit was so much fun and pushed me in new directions. I have more vintage trim from the Fabric Fairy Godmother so who knows what's next?

Thank you Project Run and Play for giving us the chance to audition!