Project Run and Play: Design Your Own Fabric Challenge

Well, this time everything was at least sewn, photographed, and blogged in the correct week! Alas, I missed the link up this time, but since I've already written this, up it goes anyway! The challenge this week at Project Run and Play was to design your own fabric, something I haven't done much of, really. I brainstormed, I came up with ideas, and then things like the weather got in the way. In spite of the setbacks, I managed to come up with a couple of cute pieces to show off.

Don't mind the mess. The kids are having fun.

Cyrus is really into sharks this year. As in, REALLY into sharks, sort of suddenly. He's always found them cool, but hasn't really been all about them until now. I wanted to do a stamped fabric for him, so off I went to get some fabric, orange paint, and a cool stamp. Screeching halt. Would you believe that in all three of my local craft stores there was not a single shark stamp to be found? Off to the trusty Google search to find alternate stamping methods, where I found potato stamping. Ooh, an answer to that ever pressing question, "What am I supposed to do with a potato?" And so, the unintentionally sparkly, neon orange hammerheads were born onto black interlock.

Somehow, I didn't paint the whole table orange.

I combined that with some of the same fabric in green, and a couple of awesome orange snaps, to make a Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop Boardwalk Hoodie. Last week's shorts are also featured again, apparently to prove he likes them. He did finally ask for more so he doesn't have to wear the same pair all of the time.

The sun was in his face. Also, there was totally a bee. Somewhere in the yard. It might have come within 10 feet.

Can I go in now, mom?

My little princess loves pink. Passionately. She also prefers dresses and skirts, so I chose the Very Shannon Sally Dress and then decided what to do for my fabric design. Originally I really wanted to try sun painting, since the warm weather has finally showed up, but as soon as my paint came it rained for 2 days. Fabulous. Once the sun came back, it brought the wind with it, which didn't really do it for me either, so eventually I gave up and tried a glue resist batik style painting using this tutorial.

I have to say, I'm really pleased with the results. I did the resist on the bodice and pocket pieces, then simply painted the skirt pieces, adding in some purple which gave it a more tie dyed look. Sometimes I have trouble getting her to try on the things I make. This? She insisted on taking off the pretty dress she was already wearing to put this on. I'm going to say this one's a winner.

We were sad, and then we got bubbles. Yay happy princess!

Aren't those pockets just the best?

My verdict on glue resist - the results? Lovely. The method? Well, it took me longer to get the glue back out of the fabric than it did to make the dress, so I think I'll try an actual batiking method if I do this again. The stamping worked somewhat better, but I think I need more practice. Over all, I'm pleased with the outcomes, and equally as important, so are they!

Kids Clothes Week

In the moments last week when I wasn't sewing for Project Run and Play, I've been trying to plan for Kids Clothes week. Spring KCW starts today, and I have about half an idea of what I plan to sew. Then again, I've never successfully sewed for my kids for an hour each day of any past KCW, so if I get that much done it will still be a success. This time is the first time with a theme! "Mini me". Oddly enough, I feel like I would be more successful at that with Cyrus than Ellie most of the time. Typically I stick with jeans and hoodies. Ellie much prefers skirts and dresses, so we don't dress alike all that often. The theme may not get too much love here this week, especially since most of my sewing time will probably end up being for the Project Run and Play linkups this week and next.

I try to keep my kid clothes functional and comfortable. When I don't have a prompt, so to speak, Cyrus likes to design his own clothes for me to make. I had never envisioned a 6 year old boy so invested in his wardrobe, but not only does he have pretty specific ideas about what he wants, he's also super proud of his mom made clothes. He was announcing that I made his outfit at the playground yesterday while we were taking photos. It was really cute. He did the same thing last week while wearing something else I'd made, then proceeded to run through mud puddles and get thoroughly wet and dirty. Yesterday, Ellie slipped on the river bank and landed squarely on her white linened bottom. In the mud.

Oops. Good thing those are washable!

So the things I make need to hold up to that sort of use, because what's the point of sewing for my kids if it isn't something they can wear to play and get dirty? They're just so adept at that.

Yesterday I started working on this week's Project Run and Play challenge - design your own fabric. Ouch. I've done some basic tub dying before, but I came up with some really grand plans on what to do for this using new techniques. And then last week's sewing took longer than I anticipated, because that usually happens, plus my best laid plans just didn't quite work out, but hopefully the result will be blessed with fairy dust, and not destined for the dustbin.

Today was a bit of a mixed bag. I didn't actually sew anything, I just did a lot of cutting, so I'm not sure if that counts toward my hour today. Either way, I plan to make up for it before the week is over! But here's a look at what was on my sewing (billiard) table today.

Behind, but working on this week's PR&P sew along!

Peek at next weeks PR&P fabric.

Project Run and Play: Spring Break Challenge

My intention was to get all of these finished Thursday so I could post them to the link up over at Project Run and Play, but I didn't get buttons on until yesterday. Could I have posted anyway? Sure, I could have just sneakily not photographed the places needing buttons, but I sort of fell asleep super early because I spent too many nights working after midnight on this project this week. Oops. Wouldn't you know that little kids and school bus schedules have no respect for tired moms? Sleeping in: not an option. In fact, it's always those mornings that someone gets up early. Was it worth it?

Hell yeah. And then I found out I actually have until Sunday to link up. Score!

For anyone unfamiliar with Project Run and Play, it's based on a Project Runway, but it's kids clothes. Bloggers are chosen to compete, and each week we get to vote for our favorite. Because this is the internet, the general public gets to sew along, and there's a weekly linkup for a chance to also win a prize. This week's theme was Spring Break, and the chalked was to design an outfit for your child based upon your favorite or dream vacation spot. We don't really do spring break, and I couldn't decide on a dream location, so I cheated a little and skipped ahead to summer. We always go to Maine in the summer, to visit family and go on vacation at one of the gorgeous lakes in the Sebago area. These were inspired by summer at the lake and in coastal Portland.

I had a tough time deciding on fabric for this. I left it until the last minute, so I was stuck with what I could find locally, but wound up with this really pretty blue with sand dollars and starfish. It got made into Violette Field Threads' Fiona Top. She likes ruffles, but isn't as into bows, so I omitted the side ties. I thought about contrasting buttons for the back, but again was limited to local finds and my JoAnn's has been lacking in button stock recently. Instead it got these pretty, but nondescript, blue buttons. The pants are Greenstyle Creations Brassie Pants, in a white linen I found in my fabric stash. The waist and leg bands are upcycled from an old cami of mine.

For Cyrus I made the Blank Slate Patterns Blank Tank. Originally I wanted to stencil on a lobster in black fabric paint, and chose the red jersey so that it would show through  the outline and make the lobster red, but for a variety of reasons this didn't happen. He's happy with the plain tank though! On the bottom he's wearing Rabbit Rabbit Creations' Weekender Pants. His favorite color is orange, and the pattern on this fabric is vaguely reminiscent of waves, so orange waves it was. The waistband, pockets, and cuffs are the same fabric as Ellie's top, and there are orange decorative buttons on the cuff tabs.

We have a great park just down the street, and finally got a combination of a nice day, plus Ellie deciding she actually likes the clothes enough to wear them. Toddlers can be so fickle. Fortunately, Cyrus is generally pretty game to try on whatever I ask to at least take photos, but he also says he loves this outfit. I guess I'll be making a few more of these patterns for his summer wardrobe!

Label it

Quickie post. Last week I got my very first order of Fairy Dust Bin clothing labels (and size tabs) printed by Jennifer's Jewels. They are beautiful!

Now you can see which kid sizes I make most often!

Eventually I'll have to find someone to draw me a logo for my blog/labels/whatever else. Maybe business cards eventually? But as they are, they work great.

First thing to get a label, so it's for me in case I screwed it up.

The top photo is the Day Tripper Top from the Pattern Anthology Just Add Jeans Collection, which will get its own post soon. The bottom photo is the Julia Womens Cardigan and Lullaby Line Pants. The cardigan and pants have gone off to live with my best friend and her adorable son.

Racing Cape

Today is for this lovely racing cape I've been working on for my husband's coworker.

Yes, that's a Honda logo. It's a car racing cape, in black and Baltimore Ravens purple, with a seriously oversized hood. The cloak is made with raw silk, and I hand dyed the purple. It didn't come out as even as I'd have liked, but I was able to cut around the splochiest parts and make the others less visible. 'Tis the nature of hand dyed fabric though. The logo is appliquéd in silver lamé, and was my first ever machine embroidery to satin stitch around the edges. It's not perfect, but I'm pretty pleased with the results.

More importantly, so is the recipient!

Presentation of the cape.

Wearing a cape - you're doin' it wrong.

Let me fix it.

Hug of gratitude.

So, this one is a pretty good example of the general day. Yeah.

And a gratuitous photo of Cyrus. He had the helmet and keys (to Ata's car behind him, that everyone was posing in front of), and it was pretty exciting

At least 10 more years, kiddo!

Overall, it was a good day, and worth the trip.

Happy racing!

All About Cate

This week has been a bit of a whirlwind. Patrick just returned from France (Woohoo!!!) and I've had several projects to finish. You'll get to see the rest of them in due time, but today is for my Cate Shoulder Bag* for the Swoon Patterns"All About Me" swap.

It took me forever to decide on fabric for this bag. How do you choose which pieces of yourself to express, and then how do you figure out what fabric to use? Admittedly I have a tendency to overthink these things. I went through a half dozen combos before I finally settled on one. Because of all of this last minute stuff, all of the fabrics were found locally at my local JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts. 

Discarded fabric combos. I may have bought enough to make about three bags. Oops.

I changed it twice more while I was working. But she's done!

 

 

All About Kate Cate

I love her and now I don't want to give her away. That's the down side of making a bag about yourself, I guess, that you put so much of you into it that you get attached and it's hard to let go. I hope my swappee likes it. I am excited to get my Cate about someone else. Of course, I couldn't make it simply as the pattern directed, so I used this tutorial to make those lovely front pockets. Sincerely Jen Cate Pockets Tutorial

I still need to write a letter explaining my choices - I'm pretty sure that will be easier than making said choices in the first place. It really has to be! Here's the short version: The green outer fabric has cooking words on it, because I like to cook. The exposed pocket linings on the front have Irish Claddaghs because both my husband and I are Irish, and our wedding rings are Claddagh rings. I'm a musician, so the lining above the zipper has treble clefs. The main lining is purple, just because it's my favorite color. The inside pockets are a dictionary print and teacups. I love words and tea, and I fussy cut the pieces to show the definition for "curiosity", and the tea cup with the chai tea bag.

Closer look at inner pockets, before it was all sewn together.

*This post contains affiliate links

Swooning for Rosie and Cate

Clearly I've had a bit of a hard time getting into the swing of blogging. I also have really done much sewing to blog about in the last 6 weeks. I did test the Surfer Shorts by Rabbit Rabbit Creations. I'll try to remember to upload photos and blog about that soon, since I'm only about 2 months late for that one! It's a great summer pattern for kids though, so you should check it out.

Right now I'm being terribly undecided on fabric. I wasn't going to do any more swaps until I got done with the projects with deadlines looming, but I just couldn't help myself. I joined a bag swap last November for Swoon Patterns* and we all sewed up a Rosie Crossbody Bag to send along. It was definitely different from the garment sewing that I'm used to, but it was fun! I sewed up this one

and got this one in return.

Yeah, I think I got the best bag in the swap. ;) Excuse the used look of the Tardis bag, it has been my everyday bag for the last 3 months.

This month, the swap is for the Cate Shoulder Bag, and this time instead of having preferences from your swap buddy, you sew a bag to a theme. That theme? "All about me". I couldn't help it. How could I not do a Cate that's all about Kate? The problem, of course, is that a person is far too complex to be summed up in 4-5 fabric choices, plus a zipper pull if you get more creative. How, though, do you find all of the just right fabrics to say what you want to say about yourself? I know I'm over thinking, but it's quite the dilemma. There's music, family, books, cooking, nature, games, obsessions, other interests... And then balancing what I want to say with what fabric I can find that goes reasonably well together.

Two trips to JoAnns later, and I'm still not happy with my fabric, but I'll have to choose a combo and get sewing since the deadline is March 19th!

*This blog contains affiliate links