Project Run And Play - Sneak Peek

As I've told you before, I am very excited about PR&P's themes and have started planning and creating already. I just finished week 1* project and have week 2** started too. I know exactly what I want and will make for week 4**** and I know week 3*** will be dedicated to my 5 year old niece. Back in season 6 I made her brother an outfit and she asked for a dress, of course. So, she deserves it and I will make her a dress, though I haven't made up my mind yet, I do have a slight idea of what will come for it, and what fabric I will use.  

Today, I will tease you... Here's a little of what I've been working on:

Today could have been a great day to put G. on her new dress and take some photos, if it wasn't for the damn rain. It stoped now and looks like the sun wants to come out, but every place is wet outside and still looks dark inside... =( 

I am so happy that week one is done already, and I won't be finishing right on time as I did before. I want to do the same with all the rest of the weeks (have it done one week ahead) so, I'll have time between one and another to just take good pictures, edit calmly, not staying up late like I did before, just because I wanted to be part of the sewalong. =) hehehe.. yeah, I'm like that! 

So, more about the dress and all the details when I have photos taken to it. =) 

*Week 1:  Inspired by Art---Choose an artist, art movement, or artwork and create a children's look inspired by your choice.

**Week 2:  The Riley Blake Chevron Week---Create a children's design where a chevron pattern is featured. 

***Week 3:  It's All in the Details---Choose a favorite detail to showcase in a children's wear design.  (Such as piping, embroidery, pin tucks, etc.)

****Week 4:  Spring Formal Wear---Design a formal look for spring--perhaps and Easter outfit or something suitable for a spring wedding?

Featured!

My baby shoes were featured!!!

Pinterest Challenge #2

I know, I know... I am getting behind with the Pinterest Challenge. Good thing is I still have until the 2nd of April to get all my pinspirations done. 

Here's, again, the pictures of the 6 pins I chose to make. Last week I crossed number 5 out of the list, and this week I am crossing number 2 |and in a few hours I hope I'm able to cross number 1 too|. 

So, this week's challenge item was the mobile cover for V. I consider it a small failure for me. My pin did have a tutorial, but guess what? again I was too lazy to follow it. I just looked at the images. 

Why the hell do I enjoy doing things on my own and then don't be pleased with the results? Why, when there is a nice tutorial to just follow? I don't get it, but well... I guess I learn from it and improve, that's the only reasonable thing I can think about. 

For G's shorts on the Sew In Tune Challenge, I have recycled a pair of V's jeans. Apparently he loved these particular pair and was deeply sad that they weren't wearable anymore. 

I could see how happy he was to see them turned into a pair of shorts for his daughter, so, since I still had most of it left, I thought it'd be a good idea to use them for a new mobile bag for him. 

I have made him 3 already, this is the fourth. One of them was a complete failure, and I even blogged about it here. The problem back then was the sizing, and since I can't blame it on having a newborn anymore, I have no excuse this time. ahahah 

What went wrong here? I wanted to add a zipper pouch, and I wanted to add a metallic button. I wanted to line it all and I wanted to stuff it because he's so caring with his mobile, sometimes I think he loved it better than he loves me. 

Too much fabric, jeans are thick, so it didn't get as pretty as I hoped. Missing the linning before adding the button was another no excuse situation. Maybe I should get some more sleep. Really! It's the second project that goes wrong in a row, and I start to worry. 

This will be his Father's Day present next tuesday, together with something I am working on with G. That's exactly his day off of work, so I have to think of something to do together, and maybe prepare her faverouite desert or a cake. I want to surprise him, he still doesn't know I made the mobile bag, so we haven't tried it on yet. 

missed it?!

Pinterest Challenge #1

Oh... didn't I tell you?

I didn't make it to the top 10 of Sew-Vivor! That's right, but ok though. Did you see the amazing projects that did achieve that list? Go there and check them out. They are amazing! So, it's good to know I did lose to the best. I can't wait to see what these ladies will come out with for each of the 3 challenges. 

Anyway... I'll do my best to follow up with the themes. I have actually done week's one challenge (theme: Emerald). I only have to get some photos taken to it. And I am just starting the last theme (quilting). Yes, the last... I am kinda lost with the second one (buttons), so while I don't get there, I am working on the last theme already.

Which will also fit Project Run and Play's week 2 (chevron)....

Oh wait! I didn't mention that either, did I? The next season of Project Run & Play is starting. Here's all you need to know about the All Stars Season and of course I want to sew along once again. It was just too much fun to do so the first time. I am excited with the themes, and am making plans for all of them already. I can't wait for the competition to start and see what everyone comes um with - in the competition and in the sew along too. =)

Are you in?!

Project Run and Play - All Stars Season, themes:

Week 1:  Inspired by Art---Choose an artist, art movement, or artwork and create a children's look inspired by your choice.

Week 2:  The Riley Blake Chevron Week---Create a children's design where a chevron pattern is featured. 

Week 3:  It's All in the Details---Choose a favorite detail to showcase in a children's wear design.  (Such as piping, embroidery, pin tucks, etc.)

Week 4:  Spring Formal Wear---Design a formal look for spring--perhaps and Easter outfit or something suitable for a spring wedding?

Saving while sewing

How do I save while I sew? Besides all things I have been saying in previous posts, using and re-using all that I already have at home (fabric bought years ago, accumulated stash that other wise would lay there forever,etc); I have another trick to share. 

Once some piece of clothes is settle to go to the garbage because it really is something that can't be used anymore, I literally deconstruct it and keep all zippers, buttons and anything else worth saving. Most of the times I get really good quality zippers that last forever, nice coloured ones too, which I sometimes can't find at stores locally. 

Same goes for buttons, in very curious shapes and colours, and just like elastics. 

Why I am talking about it now? Oh, because I was organizing my zipper drawer and realised they didn't fit properly anymore. A lot of them still had their original fabric attached to it, and my job today as G. is napping was going to unstitch them all. 

Of course, I am bored already, so I choose to write about it instead. Most of the zippers on the above picture are from very old bags of mine. 

What about you? Do you do it too? Do you have any good tips to save while you sew?

One vest from two Shirts

When I started the green pants refashion, I immediately started a refashioned vest too. The one above, yes. It was suppoused to be a match, and having G. wearing them together, at the same time! Well, I am putting that that clear because she never did and I deeply doubt she will. As I mentioned before, the pants are getting too small for her and she hasn't even wear the vest once. Why?
That's an easy one to answer. Her lovely, dear mommy, left the vest to finish until just a few days ago. Shame on me!!! Especially because there was only decorative seams left to finish. Which I did, while she went with my mom to the grocery store. And it took me just a few minutes.
I made it out of two knit tops I was given a while ago. Unfortunately I forgot to take before pictures. The one I used as lining was a brown turtle neck top and the the white and green one I used for the outside, was a very large tunic.
I even made a complain about this vest before, I had a blackout and was having a hard time figuring out on my own hoe to turn the lined vest to the right side. The tutorial I found there was very helpful. 

One Project Fits Two (or three!)

Yep! When I made a commitment with myself about following as much sewing challenges as I could, I knew at some point, I could use turning one only project into two (or more who knows?!) challenges done. 

So, first challenge

Over at Project Run & Play, there's a new Pattern Remix Party going on until the 8th of March. As soon as I took the first glance at the Jess' Spring Fever Pattern  I knew exactly what I wanted to make for my daughter. Of course, I changed my original design as I started and went trhough with it. I spent all my little free moments from yesterday sewing this new outfit. 

To make it I used a blue cotton sheet, and a fat quarter polka doted cotton fabric, that I already had in my stash. As well as the buttons on the placket and the elastic on the waistband. I didn't lined it, I wanted to keep it pretty fresh(y) for Summer. I thought it would be a little too big right now, but I guess she has developed physically lately. I used the Sping Fever Dress pattern for the bodice, and I used the shorts pattern I drafted myself for the Sew in Tune outfit. 

I had some pockets planned for the shorts (front pockets on the sides) but can you believe I actually forgot to make and add them before I attached the waist band?! 

Anyway... I am kinda mad about a few things in this oufit that didn't go that well. I could have fixed them, I know I could have, but most of it my made last evening, it was about 1a.m. when I actually finished this and I was not in the mood to unpick seams and re-do it all over again, and still I did do that a few times, I kept messing up with such an easy thing as putting my shorts together. dahhhh!

Besides the pockets that I forgot about, I am unhappy with the picks on the back of the romper. On that rounded area, can you see them in the pictures? It makes a very badly finished look, but again, I wasn't really in the mood to unpick seams and guess what? It is wearable! 

The next thing that got me upset about it was the front placket, and that leads me to the...

Second challenge

Here, when I announced the 6 projects I have pinned and would try to do, there was listed as number 3, a very cute placket, right?! 

Well, that's actually the first thing I got done out of the six of them. The tutorial for my pin came from The Crafty Cupboard, but honestly, I only had a look at the images and guess-timated how to make it. Of course I messed up with measurements and it didn't turn out as pretty as it was supposed to. But, I tried it though, it was only the very first placket I made, I'm sure, I'll try it again later and hopefully they'll be better. 

As if wasn't things enough, today, when I tried to put it on her for the photoshoot, I realised I didn't leave space anywhere to actually put it on her. Luckily enough for me, the wide of the colloar plus the placket fully opened were enough to slide her little body in and squeezing arms I made it - luckily for me, she was very helpfull and didn't complain at all. It was way easier to take off though. 

So, because of that, I might still have to undo one of the side seams under arms and insert a zipper, just to make it more confortable to baby G. to put in on. 

One project:

Project Run & Play - checked

Pinterest Challenge - checked

Sew Your Stash Thin - checked