Project Run and Play - Week 3- Repurposing

Well, that was a challenge. I don't normally refashion, or repurpose items. Part of what I love about sewing/creating, is searching for fabrics, and shopping for cool notions. I don't spend much time in my closet or in the thrift stores looking for things to change. Nothing against it, I just don't do much of it, and when I do, its usually a fail.

 

 

So, it took me a while to figure out what I was going to do for this weeks challenge. I thought about it... and thought about it,.... pictured lots of different looks in my head and nothing really seemed to come together.

I did find this old white shirt in Hannah's closet that I think came with a jumper of sorts, and I have always hated the ruffle sleeves. So this was my starting point.

I also asked the husband if he had any items in his closet he wanted to get rid of. He is always taking items to the GW and reorganizing his closet. He gave me this item.

 

 

An old black gap button down... knit.

 

I am into collars these days, so I cut the collar off the black shirt and attached it to the neck of the white shirt.

 

 

 I also removed those awful ruffle sleeves (so 2012!) and added some pink contrasting bands to the sleeves and the bottom band.

 

 

I wanted this top to turn into more of a dress/tunic. To do this I just cut one band of pink knit fabric, (that I picked up from Hobby Lobby ages ago) and folded it right sides together, sewed and then turn the raw edges to the inside and sewed it around the bottom of the shirt. Note: I made the band smaller then the width of the white shirt. I pulled the pink fabric as I went along so it would be a better fit. It worked out really nicely. Sometimes when you do this to store bought knit shirts, it can pucker and bubble but as long as you stretch the band and NOT the shirt you are sewing it to, it should work out great.

 

 

I also made these little leather shoes with some vegan leather I lad left over from making some pouches. I love these shoes! Surprisingly my girl keeps them on, and cries when I take them off. I guess they are comfortable? Either that, or she just likes the way they look!

 

I loathe making shoes but I knew they would come out cute, so I didn't mind this particular pair. I used a little pattern I bought in a cute etsy shop called Winterpeach. I tried to use a few different colors (blue, white, green inner, and hot pink elastic),  in the shoes so they didn't look like the basics you can get everywhere for toddlers.

 

 

 

I think the whole look came together nicely, despite my repurposing disabilities. I should have added a low belt of some sorts (around the hips, where the white meets the pink) but I might go back and do that later.

 

 

 

Um yeah, I have no idea what she was doing here....

 

 

She is kind of a goofy kid.... a REALLY goofy kid....

 

 

So, this part is an add on........ I did not intend to keep this in the post but thought I might explain what happened.

 

I also wanted to try to make a cape. Um, this is exactly why I don't repurpose stuff. I think this is a total EPIC FAIL.

 

 I had a piece of kelly green corduroy and then the body of the black shirt. I just winged it with cutting out a circle, but I should have cut a deeper neck on it. I used the corduroy for the main fabric and then the black as the lining. I suppose it could be reversible. But black doesn't look that great on Emmie so I decided to go with the green. Yuck. It clashes with the shoes. Not good.  

 

 

This did not work out. It's like toddler Robinhood gone bad. What was I thinking with this combo?

I had to show you one pic because I did make it,  and I guess it would be ok with maybe a cute plaid skirt or some leggings and a plain top. It's just not cool with the look I was going for here. 

 

So I am just going to exclude it, K?  Judges... please don't judge me on the cape! I know it sucks!

 

Here are a few more pictures from our photo shoot.

 

 

Toddlers are so hard to photograph. I had to give her marshmellows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She's like, ok are we done?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read through this weeks post!

 

 

 

 

 

 

XOXO- Lauren

Let's Go to the Movies! - Shirley Temple Style - Project Run & Play Week 2 - 2014

 

Shirley Temple inspired this cute little frock/tunic/long shirt type dress item I came up with.

 

 

Instead of doing her typical "Good Ship Lollipop" attire --- nautical-ish.  Or the crazy Toddlers and Tiaras look, (the one where she is wearing that awful white with red polka dot fluff dress), I decided to dig deeper into her photos and chose a sweet little number that I thought would look great on my kiddo. 

 

 

  

Hannah vs. Shirley 

 

 

 I don't have much time to sew these days so when I do I want the end result to be something my girl can wear again.

 

 

Shirley Temple is SUCH a little cutie....

 

I have been wanting to try a more vintage item for my daughter for a long time, I just never could decide which style and hadn't come across a pattern that I liked OR looked easy to read. But then, I came across this photo, as I was researching what I wanted to do for PR&P week 2. SOLD!  

 

 

 

I have looked into purchasing a "real" vintage pattern on Etsy but then I thought to myself, "why buy one of those when you can just use a simple A-line bodice and add the vintage details with your own skillz." :) 

   

 

I am sure glad I tried because I am so proud of what I ended up with.

 

Ever get into one of those moods when you just want to dive in on a project and be creative and hope it works? Well, this was one of those times, and I have to say it worked! My grandmother who taught me how to sew when I was younger, (she will be 95 this month!!!) told me a few weeks ago, "take a chance!" -- Now I am trying to use that philosophy more in my sewing adventures.    

 

 

 

I did have to do some figuring out on the collar of this dress.... I originally was not going to attach it but then I was like what the heck, (?!?) -  how is my kid going to keep it on straight unless its sewn on.

 

 The collar is just an angled piece of plain pink linen, and I sewed on some twine at each corner when I was sewing the collar right sides together- I didn't have a pattern for this and drafted the collar myself. It ended up a tad short so I just cut it in half and sewed it on so it would lay evenly across her shoulders.  Why twine you ask? .....I didn't have any

ribbon that I liked in house. Oh and one other thing - you might notice that I made the collar a little more pointed than the one in Shirleys picture. True Peter Pan collars kinda rub me the wrong way.... only can tolerate them in small doses. hehehe 

 

 

As you can see I did a very short version of this frock. I think if I make another it will be a tad longer... but this one is cute with leggings, and I am sure Hannah will wear it again.

 

To construct the dress I used an old bodice pattern and just extended it.  I didn't make it too long in order to stick with the integrity of the style of the dress, which was super short. I also added flutter sleeves. I did the sleeves by folding a piece of fabric 3 inches by about 12, in half, wrong sides together, and then gathering it along the raw edge. Then I pinned the raw edges of the sleeve to the outside of the bodice arm holes. Once those were pinned on, I sewed on the lining like I would any other dress of this style. (once the sleeves are sew together at the shoulders, you sew the whole bodice right sides to right sides, liner to main fabric).

 

   It was super easy, you just sew it together like you would any bodice and lining, just keep the flutters sleeves tucked in while sewing the bodice together... I never did this before in all my dress making years but it was so easy, and looks so cute on! 

 

 

 I cannot believe how much she looks like Shirley!

Want to know what this photo shoot cost me? --- Hannah isn't into modeling much these days, but I told her if she took a few pictures I would give her 2 bucks, AND a cookie--- She was VERY happy with that!

 

 

 

I didn't think that I was going to get very good photos from this session, but my little beauty did an awesome job on this one. She looks so elegant, and so sweet.... just like Shirley! I think some of these are going to be framers..... (even though this isn't Hannah's natural hair state). It took us about a half an hour curl all of that hair!!!!!

 

 

 

Just a little side note: I used a lot of  variations of color when editing each picture. I played around a bit in Picasa with these photographs, and it just made the vintage feel come through even stronger.

 

Look at those lashes!  

 

 

 

SO PRETTY!

 

 

 

This one has a bit of an Instagram feel.... love it though.

 

  

 Thanks for reading all! I am so glad I had time to put this little number together.

 

Happy Sewing!

 

XOXO- Lauren

 

Thanks again Hannah! You are a doll!

 

Skipper Top

I have kinda kept my distance from knits over the years except for a few projects.

While we don't love each other, we can tolerate each other. I have had few yards burning a hole in my stash for the past year and I figured it was time to use them up for something! When I came across the "Skipper Top Pattern" by the talented SEWMUCHADO, I knew it was the perfect way to use up my cute knits.

 

 

  Emmie has her own kind of style when it comes to clothes and she doesn't have too many of her own things because she wears a lot of hand me downs from her big sister Hannah.  This pattern seemed to fit her style well and I could customize it (color, pattern, pocket choice) to fit her funkiness, and her tall self!

I was nervous at first to get out my ballpoint needle. Knit fabric can be so wiggly, depending on the type you buy. I would highly recommend a light to medium weight fabric for this top. I got this cute dotted knit from GIRLCHARLEE over a year ago. They have a really great selection and I would say their prices are great! - You can even get half yard cuts from them, and that was about all I needed for this little top! Go there if you need knits. I find that Joann's and Hobby Lobby, don't have that great of a selection, and I don't think the quality is as great as GirlCharlee.

 

This pattern was totally great, there are lots of helpful hints on how to sew knits, and lots of options to style the top in your own way. You might think, hey this is just a shirt, but really it is a blank canvas, and a way to really express your childs style. You can change up the pocket, the fabric, you can use a solid or a print,.... the possibilities are endless... oh and did I mention the sizing goes up to size 10! Crazy awesome. To personalize Emmaline's top I added a cute chevron heart and I also used a contrasting band of stretch lace around the bottom of the top. You can't see it too well in this picture but a little further down you can see the band is hot pink. I love it!

Now if I could just get my little bit to stand still and model without, oh woops, where in the heck did she get that lucky charm cereal bar?

We had an impromptu photo session in my loft office and she found my stash. Oh well!

Hope everyone has a great week!

PS- A little tip I sometimes use when figuring out what size to cut for my kid on a pattern. I normally don't prewash my fabric.... why you say? Because I am lazy, have a full time job, have 2 kids.... blah, blah, blah? NO...... because I don't think it makes that much of a difference AND it makes the fabric in my eyes harder to work with once it is washed.... So I know I am a rebel but I size up, sew, try on and then wash after it is worn once. It works for me and usually the fit is fine and there is room to grow!

Call me CRAZY but it works for me! Do what works for you, but I typically go a size up from what my child is currently wearing. I am a BIG fan of clothes that last longer. Emmie is a size 18-24 months, but I made this in a 2t, and right now it looks like a tunic but will be perfect for fall/winter layered with a jean jacket or cardigan.

 

It came out so cute!

XOXO-
Lauren