The Happy Hedgehog (PR&P Week 2)

For week two of Project Run and Play, the challenge is to create a look with polka dots and stripes. My stash is woefully missing polka dots, but stripes are pouring over.

I took the opportunity to use some delicious striped scraps to make a comfortable knit combination for The Baby Girl.

Indoor pictures on a cloudy, rainy day. Bleh. 

At least there are some bright, cheerful flowers on the pants. I tried to make them scratch and sniff, but the lady at the fabric store said they were all out of scratch-and-sniff floral fabric.

I was forced to use a vintage sheet for the pants.

The Shirt:

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I cannot even take remote credit for this adorable hedgehog. I've had the Mini-Boden cardigan (left) pinned on my inspiration board for months. (Note: Did you see Lily wearing it the other night on Modern Family?! I squealed and said, "That's the HEDGEHOG I'm working on RIGHT NOW!" Ryan was less than impressed.)

The pattern was Made by Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee (size 18 month with extra wiggle room added), and the fabric came from Spiritex's warehouse sale.

I layered a bunch of scraps I had and stitched around each part individually. It turned out just the way I'd imagined. (Another note: When I went to take pictures of Eliza today in the shirt, I noticed a tiny hole right there over the hedgehog. It wasn't there last night, and I have no idea how it got there. I tried to fix it, but it's pretty obvious to me. *sob*)

For the cardigan, I modified the Flashback Skinny Tee pattern, adding a button placket and slicing it down the middle (size 2t to give more room).

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And the pants. I've had the Mini-Boden pants on the left pinned for a while, too, and I tried to modify a basic pant block to replicate them. It was kind of successful. They have a flat front and elastic back, plus the piping and button accents. There are a few things I'd change if I did it again.

Like I mentioned, they're made from a vintage bed sheet. They're also fully lined.

In fact, I'm planning to do it again, maybe with corduroy or a smaller print. If I can get it looking right, I'll do a tutorial.

This outfit suits her personality perfectly. Spunky, different, fun, and whimsical. Just to prove it, she gave me one of these:

If you're up for it, head on over to Project Run and Play to check out the other sew-alongers and this week's designers' looks.

The Pleated Party Dress (PR&P Week 1)

The first week's challenge at Project Run and Play is to re-mix the Party Dress pattern and tutorial by Lindsay over at The Cottage Home. 

Here's the original pattern photo:

Here are some of the changes I made to the pattern:

• Kept the bodice pattern and drafted/added a peter pan collar (This required me to veer off of the tutorial instructions for lining the bodice.)
• Omitted the sash at the waist and added a little bunched flower
• Added horizontal pleats to the skirt
• Added a lining layer with a ruffle to the skirt in lieu of the contrasting fabric at the hem
• Used snaps on the back instead of fabric-covered buttons and loops 

I opted for the snaps because I wanted the pleats and collar to be the focal points. 

I also knitted the little sweater. It's Debbie Bliss's baby shrug pattern that's available for free online. The online reviews said it runs big, and it definitely does. She'll be able to wear it next winter.

The dress is also a tad bit big, so she'll be able to wear it into the spring. 

The pleats were fairly easy. I added 8.5 inches to the stated length in the pattern, then drew 8 lines (with disappearing marker) one inch apart all the way up the skirt on its right side. Then I folded the fabric on the lines, wrong sides together; stitched .5 inch away from the fold; and pressed the resulting pleat down.

The volume of the skirt is one of my favorite features. One tip I'd recommend when gathering a large amount of fabric, especially when using quilting cotton or something heavier -- use heavy weight thread in your machine basting. Also, I follow Sarai's advice and do three lines of gathering stitches for a more even result.

The hardest part isn't the sewing. It's taking the pictures. The same things that make this my favorite age (19 months) also make it impossible to snap decent photos. She's too young to bribe, but too old to position and adjust.

All of the materials came from my stash. I bought the linen at JoAnn's ten years ago (literally!) to make a pair of pants. It's thin, so they would've needed lining, and I was never that ambitious for casual pants.

The collar and skirt ruffle came from an H&M shirt my sister handed down. I wish I'd been able to salvage more of the fabric -- it was beautiful. Alas, the peter pan collar took four attempts, and unfortunately I used the pretty shirt instead of muslin.

I'm glad to be participating in this challenge if for no other reason it gives me an excuse to capture these expressions on camera.

Resources:
The Cottage Home
The Cottage Home: The Party Dress
The Coletterie: Gathering Stitches
See Kate Sew: Pleat Week Guest Michael Ann Made: adding horizontal pleats to lengthen a skirt
Kitchy Coo: How to Fully Line a Bodice

WIP: Project Run and Play Week 1

Next week is a doozy. Besides being the first full week of 2013, it's a week of my some of my favorite things.

Downton Abbey Season 3 premieres on PBS.

Project Runway All Stars has its finale.

and Project Run and Play Season 6 begins.

I may spontaneously combust.

This season I'm going to attempt to sew along for the entire Project Run and Play event. Here are the themes:

Week One:  The Pattern Remix Challenge:  This season we will be remixing The Cottage Home Mama's fantastic Party Dress.   
Week Two:  Stripes and Polka Dots 
Week Three:  Boys Week 
Week Four:  Love is in the Air:  This week will be a Valentine's Inspired challenge.   
Week Five:  The Men's Dress Shirt Challenge:  Take a men's button up shirt (doesn't necessarily need to be a dress shirt---like it can be a flannel shirt---just as long as it's a men's shirt and buttons all the way up) and make something wonderful out of it for a child. 
Week Six:  Your Signature Look

I've been lying in bed at night with my brain in overdrive. My ideas don't always translate into cute outfits, so I'm working really hard to plan better. I'm three weeks into intense training for Marathon #5, so advance planning is the only way this'll get done.

There are two goals I'm trying to meet (in addition to trying to actually get it done): 

• Only buying notions that are absolutely necessary (using all stash fabric, yarn, trim, etc.) 
• Cementing my "style"

Here's a sneak peek of Week 1's look.

Knitting a sweater. In less than two weeks. Somehow I'm sensing some last-minute, late-night scrambling is in my future.

Fortunately I'll have some good TV to keep me company!