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!)

4 comments:

  1. what a fun outfit with great details - she looks adorable!

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  2. I love that you used a sharpie for the details! I just love the look! :D

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  3. I like the design on the sweater and pants that you drew. It totally looked like you bought the fabric that way. Great job.

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  4. The lyrics on the stars are so brilliant! I must do that! I love your sense of style btw!- your newest follower

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