Thursday, February 14, 2013

Project Run and Play Week #6 Signature Looks Week

Wahoo!!!  I made it.  I set the goal to sew along with each week and I did it!   Signature looks week was both the hardest and the easiest for me.  It took me some time to think about what would be a signature look for me, it was a challenge. 

Most of what I sew tends to be very eclectic.  I can do things that are very pretty and girly, but honestly I gravitate towards things that are a little bit different in nature.

I also have to design for my environment.  Living in Colorado, one would assume incorrectly that it is wintry and cold all winter.  However, where I live, the weather makes crazy temperature swings on most days from fully bundled to shorts and t-shirts by mid-afternoon.  So the more the pieces can mix and match, the better they are!

Usually when I go to design something it is the fabric that determines what direction I am going to take.  Most of my clothing is upcycled from other garments, but I like to take those pieces into slightly unexpected directions.  

The start of this outfit came from a Run DMC shirt that I found at a garage sale for 25 cents.  It was a little grungy and went through the wash about 3 times before I would even touch it to cut apart.  I decided to make a peasent top tunic with the shirt. 

Since the shirt was a little thin I lined it with a leopard print material that is also light weight. 

The sides and sleeves of the shirt couldn't be salvaged, so I found the rememnent of a material that looked like splatter paint and seemed to fit the eighties vibe. I used it to create the band around the bottom of the shirt and the sleeves.  I completed this tunic top a few months ago but my daughter never wore it because I never had anything for it to go with. 

I made a simple pair of black capri length leggings from and old t-shirt to pair the tunic top with.

Gravitating back to my signature style which involves a lot of layering and mix and match pieces, I still wasn't happy. 

Next I found a sweatshirt in my stash that was a size 10/12, clearly too big for my size 4/5 daughter.  I decided that I wanted to turn it into a dress.  I cut down the sleeves and slimmed down the sweater to make it fit better.

I wanted to embelish it since it was just a grey sweatshirt.  I decided to do some applique stars.  To make it fit with the theme of the original tunic top, I used a sharpie to write the lyrics of Run DMC songs in different directions on the fabric and then cut out stars. 

Then I did a quick zigzag around the stars making them a great pop of color against the sweater.

I tried it on with the black leggings and it just wasn't interesting enough.  So I made another pair of leggings using the sleeves of a long sleeve red t-shirt. 

I wanted to try something different, so I took my sharpie and started to draw designs onto the legs.  On one leg I drew pictures of boomboxes, headphones, microphones, sunglasses, cassette tapes, and turn tables.  I loved the look but knew it would be too busy on both legs, so on the second leg I drew stars and collections of dots.

Paired with the sweater dress I thought it was great.  But I wasn't done yet.  I decided that I really wanted a little bolero vest to go with it as well.  

I had a little red sweater vest that was just strange looking, but had great material that I used to make the outside of the vest.   The inside of the vest I lined with the same leopard print material that I lined the tunic top with.  I used black bias tape to do the binding on the outside of the vest, this let it pop a little better.

Finally, I made a headband using rosettes made of scraps of the material that I used in all of the outfits. I put it on a stretchy headband because I love the way it works to frame her face. 

I love that all the pieces of the outfits can mix and match to create looks for cold winter days like today, or warm summer days that are soon to come! (She loved the sweater dress and leggings so much that she wore them to the sitters all day....so needless to say not as put together as it was when she left in the morning!)

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Project Run and Play Week #5 Men's Shirt Challenge

This week was the Men's Shirt challenge.......I actually thought it was last week...oops!  Ont top of that, I forgot to take a picture of my Men's shirt before I chopped it to pieces!  I knew even before starting that I would be sewing for summer since my daughter already has way too many winter clothes in her wardrobe.  (Hence the reason that the pictures are taken indoors since she is sleeveless and barefoot and it is snowing outside!)



I had been buying some Men's shirts to do things with the material this summer.  When I went to one garage sale, they had several men's work shirts that were all the same.  Even then I had my idea.....but never got around to making it.

I decided to make a pair of pants for my daughter.  Since the shirts matched I decided that I would use one shirt for each leg. 

I loved the idea of the buttons running down the legs and decided to do that to both legs. I cut the pieces using a basic pant pattern that I drafted and have used over and over again.

Originally, I was going to make these ruffle pants, but once I got them sewed I suddenly decided that I wanted to make them adjustable length pants.  

So I put a loop on the pants that could button onto the pants at any point going up the leg.  Ultimately I did the loop wrong and it bunches if I do it anywhere but the bottom button.  I love the look anyways!

My daughter loves the pants and they are super sturdy because they are made from work shirt material. 
To finish off the outfit, I made a simple tunic top with button back that has pockets on the front.

Originally, the pants were suppose to go with the outfit I submitted for valentines day.  Sooo.......the apron top of the dress (made from the leftover shirt pieces) also matches the pants. 

I love the fact that the material almost makes the pants like jeans which means that it will go with a variety of different tops I already have!