{Project Run & Play} Project Art Studio: Blank Canvas

 

 An empty canvas is a living wonder - far lovelier than certain pictures.

- Wassily Kandinksy

When I joined Project Art Studio, I began brainstorming ideas.   Art is individual and no two are alike.  As I saw more and more ideas from others come in, I became more stumped.  I've always tended to stray from "what everyone is doing" and be completely unique.  My youngest daughter is very much the same way.  As I worked my way through available fabrics, I was drawn to this simple white canvas fabric.  Every artist starts with a blank canvas and figured we may as well too!

The Degas Dungarees are a labor of love.  The tutorial is amazing though and walks you through every little step.  The finish honestly looks like I went to the store and bought these.  She kept this outfit on for an appointment afterwards and received compliments on it too!

As long as the Dungarees took to sew, the Easel Tee was like "I got you".  I'm pretty sure it took longer to piece the pattern pieces and cut than it did to sew.  Dolman sleeves and bands make it incredibly easy.

I know white is notoriously hard to photograph... haha - what was I thinking?!  Also, this child in all white may probably last about 2.5 seconds.  She totally embraced the concept though.  "Besides, white goes with everything, Mom!"  She's at the age where it must look store bought and "cute" is no longer allowed.  

She's a blend of a few sizes, but prefers her skirts on the shorter side.  I used an 8 height with a 6 waist blend.  If I had to sew it again, I'll probably go a straight 8 or use a 7 waist, which is her hip size.  It is slightly small at the hip area, but still comfy in her book.

The topstitching is SO worth it.  The only issue I ran into is the installation of the jean buttons -- only because the local brand is not that great.  The bib buttons were Dritz and went on so much easier.  Highly recommend only using Dritz brand.

One of Kandisky's famous paintings is Squares with Concentric Circles.  I had a little fun in Photoshop with a portion of my own rendition of his famous work.  

 

{Riley Blake Designs} Leafy Keen by Amanda Niederhauser

My youngest entered middle school last month which means her style has started the shift away from being too "kiddish and young".   Luckily, I've already gone through this with my oldest so I've learned to take a step back and give complete control over the design process.

 

One thing that never becomes too "young" is animal print.  The moment I saw Leafy Keen by Amanda Niederhauser for Riley Blake Designs, I knew it would meet my daughter's new requirements.  I loved the unique color combination of shades of pinks, gold, and greens.  We ended up picking 5 different prints -- 3 for a dress and 2 for a coordinating mini backpack.  We chose Leafy Keen Main Blush Sparkle, Leafy Keen Cats Hunter, Leafy Keen Sketch Daisy, Leafy Keen Sketch Razzmatazz, and Leafy Keen Spots Clover.

Earlier this year, I designed a mini backpack for a travel themed pattern capsule for Project Run & Play.  My pattern, Passport to Paradise Mini Backpack became a quick favorite for my girls and they loved that they could order a matching accessory to their new outfits.  

On this version, I decided I wanted to incorporate a few techniques I learned from the Little Lizard King Vada Backpack pattern.  By adding a zippered slip pocket to the front lining and moving the zipper forward, I could enclose the gusset/front panel seam which makes it a little neater inside (and a quicker finish).  The back panel/gusset seam was finished with handmade bias.

I also added a fusible fleece stabilizer to add extra structure.  I will likely forgo that on the next version because it ended up a little wrinkly after turning it out.

I love the deep gold that matches the kitties on the green fabric.  My daughter was super happy to see a bonus pocket inside too!

For her dress, she picked out the Posie Dress by Peony Patterns.  She loves the extended shoulders, large pockets and the overall fit of the dress.  I love that you can add in a coordinating fabric on the side panels.  I added the Razzmatazz Whiskers as faux piping and the little pop of color looks great!

She styled it with her white tennis shoes and a gold hair tie on a high pony.  She looks sporty and cute!  Apparently tennis shoes with dresses are very "in".   I'm learning as I go.. haha.

There's just enough twirl to satisfy her.  HA!  I hope she never outgrows that!  I will admit, it's a little harder to go through the shift with my youngest.  It doesn't seem possible that she's inching closer to being a teenager.  

What will you make with Leafy Keen?  Check your local quilt shop to pick your prints -- the collection is already in stores!

{Project Run & Play} Project Jet Set: Hello, Palm Beach!

“Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you.

On behalf of Project Run & Play Air, we'd like to welcome you to sunny Palm Beach.  The current temperature is a balmy 80°, enjoy your stay."

Hello, and welcome to my stop on the Project Run & Play Project Jet Set Collection Blog Tour!  I have been working behind the scenes for a while now and I'm so excited to share it all with you!  I think this is my favorite collection yet (and I have sewn quite a few).  Our stop is inspired by Palm Beach, Florida.  

Confession: I've never actually been to Palm Beach (we usually visit Orlando or Siesta Key when we vacation in Florida), but my fabric choices were leaning to a preppy tropical and I'm imagining Palm Beach to fit the description.

I am a visual planner so before I order any fabrics, I grab the swatches and see how they all look together.  To shop for my fabrics, I headed to Raspberry Creek Fabrics.  I'm a huge fan of theirs.  Not only do they have a huge selection of various bases, I also love their fabric designs and knew something would catch my eye to give my collection direction.  All of their CLUB designs include the main colors in the title so you can easily search for matching fabrics, taking out any guesswork as to whether it'll match.  Raspberry Creek Fabrics was completely generous and sponsored my looks --- a huge thank you to RCF!!  

Today's stop will focus on our "sightseeing" outfits -- inevitably we venture into the town we are visiting to walk around and visit the various shops.  We pick up souvenirs to remember our trip and splurge on treats.  The patterns featured are Cruise Culottes, Rimini Romper (as a top), Too Wild Dress, and the Passport to Paradise Mini Backpacks.

Teen Look

cruise culottes: This fun pattern gives you the feel of shorts/pants with the look of a skirt.  The drape of your fabric can completely change the look of your culottes.  I chose a nice, flowy stretch crepe in this gorgeous tropical floral print that inspired the rest of my purchases.  I lobbied hard for the full length tiered pant, but was obviously denied.  During photos, she did admit that maybe pants length would have also been fun. The shorts length, however, is definitely more fitting with our vacation destination.  

I added the inseam pockets, but left off the decorative flaps.   It's always nice to have pockets, right?! To finish off the waistband for a polished look, I ran parallel rows of stitching through the elastic.  This also prevents the elastic from shifting or rolling.

rimini romper (modified):  I'm in love with this top!  When selecting fabrics and patterns, I debated between pairing the culottes with the top of the Rimini Romper or the Overlook Raglan.  In the end, I thought the Rimini Romper suited her style better and I'm so glad we went in this direction.  In the RCF shop, we found a solid Dusty Pink cotton lycra that looked to be a perfect match to the hibiscus flowers in the crepe.

I made the top of the romper, following the tutorial - mostly.  I actually left the back center seam for last which means you can avoid the burrito roll method for the armscyes. After the top was completed, I finished the bottom with a folded band that was slightly smaller than the opening of the bottom.  It's the perfect crop length.  She has worn it nearly everyday at some point in her day which means it's a clear win.  

I can't wait to try out the romper version for her too!!

passport to paradise mini backpack:  To finish off her look, I sewed up a Passport to Paradise Mini Back in a buttery soft light yellow twill.  Light yellow is her absolute favorite color so she's very excited with how this turned out.  I carefully selected all the little details -- the handmade logo and the hibiscus and flip flop zipper pulls that I'm sure were designed with this project in mind.

For this version, I used a midweight interfacing on the main pieces and left off the interfacing on the lining.  It's slightly less structured than her sister's bag so I think I could have interfaced the lining too.  The twill was fantastic to sew through, even with all the layers in some spots!

My girls are still in awe that I've designed this.  And to be honest, I am a little too!  I really don't consider myself a designer so when I received an email to participate in the collection, I assumed it was to sew up some of the pieces.  Imagine my surprise after a few weeks when they asked what pattern I was thinking of contributing.  HA!!  I was in the middle of recovering from covid when the original email came so apparently my brain was clouded.  After prototyping a few different ideas, I decided this idea was my favorite.  And now, I'm fairly certain every new outfit will need to come with a matching backpack.  Time to stock up on interfacing!

A huge thank you to Susana of Suco by Susana for working with me turning my hand-drawn pattern pieces into a printable PDF file!

Tween Look

too wild dress:  My tween still loves to wear dresses so I knew this would be the perfect choice for her.  I found a lightweight salmon pink chambray in the RCF shop that would compliment her sister's look, but wouldn't be too matchy-matchy.  She was a little skeptical about the softness of her dress when we unboxed our goodies, but I assured her that washing it first would soften it right up. 

This pattern comes with about a million options for straps and can really change the whole vibe of the dress.  The lace-up back was my favorite option!  I always sew each item custom to my daughter's measurements.  I blended 3 separate sizes (chest, waist, and height) and then held my breath that my blending method worked because I had no time to sew up muslins first.  When she tried it on for the elastic fitting, it was perfect!!  Whew!

passport to paradise mini backpack:  For this version of the Passport to Paradise Mini Backpack, I chose the Tropical Floral print that I used for the Cruise Culottes, but selected the Sueded Boardshort as the base.  I love how it pops against the chambray and the sueded boardshort has such a nice feel to it.   I used a firm interfacing for the outer pieces and a midweight interfacing for the lining pieces.  It has a nice firm structure to it.  My machine, however, had a bit of a time trying to pierce through all the layers where the tabs were added.  Boardshort has such a tight weave so I'm sure this played a big role in it.  I ended up swapping the strap tabs for stretch crepe tabs and completely eliminated the hidden tab to secure the wallet.  

I used the same hibiscus flip flop zipper pulls and placed her handmade logo in the lower right hand corner, exactly to her specifications.  All of my hardware for these bags came from Idleblooms -- full warning: that site is addicting and you'll want to buy it all. Leave some for me... haha!

. . . and that's a wrap!  We hope you enjoyed hanging out with us today.  We're off to explore Palm Beach now.   Join us on Monday - poolside - for two more fabulous teen/tween vacation looks!  See you there!

If you were inspired by today's looks,
head over to the shop to pick up your patterns!

{Riley Blake Designs} Glamp Camp by My Mind's Eye

 Summer is upon us and we can't wait to spend time outdoors -- although our favorite spots are the pool or shopping.  My girls are headed on a camping trip this summer with my sister.  I hope they survive the camping life.  HA!   My girls are more of the "glamping" type so tent camping should be really interesting for all parties involved.  

When I saw My Mind's Eye was releasing a collection called, Glamp Camp, I was intrigued.  It is such a cute collection and the main prints feature cute retro campers.  It's color palette is fun -- pink, raspberry, aqua, pebble and cream.  

My eye was drawn to the Glamp Camp Simple Trees Pink and I knew my youngest would love it.  She's recently been promoted to the "tween" status and has declared her new love of baby pink.  The simple print seemed perfect for her.

I chose a simple sundress because 1) she loves to wear dresses still and 2) I wanted to save some of the yardage for an accessory.  Augusta by Little Lizard King is cute, fast and only takes about a yard for her size (roughly...) I thought the scoop neckline was best for this print.

The elastic back option will help it last all summer long.  The spaghetti straps are perfect for our hot weather!

The rest of the fabric was used for my latest pattern - Passport to Paradise Mini Backpack.  I designed this for Project Run and Play's latest designer collaboration -- Project Jet Set.  My girls love carrying mini backpacks when we go out (and are usually begging me to buy them another).  Now I can just sew them up a matching one!

It's perfectly sized inside to be able to carry their essentials without fitting too much stuff to become too heavy.  I interfaced all of the fabric to help stiffen it up to help hold its shape.  The inside is finished with bias binding.

I'm not sure she's ready for a regular camping trip... what do you think?   You think she'll survive?  HA!

Glamp Camp releases this month!!  Order your yardage from your favorite fabric store.

Quizwiz

{Project Run & Play} Very Peri Pantone Party 2022 with Art Gallery Fabrics

 

It's that time of year again!!  Pantone has just released it's "Color of the Year".  I was excited to see a color in the "Blues" family.  Blue is my most sewn color and one of my favorites.  Periwinkle is a color in the blue and violet family.  Check out Pantone's Coordinating Color Palettes for Very Peri and see if you can figure out which palette I unknowingly used.    

Photo credit: Pantone.com

PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.

We had so much fun with Project Run and Play's Pantone Party Blog Tour last year that I couldn't wait to participate again.  Art Gallery Fabrics provided me with all the fabrics I needed for my projects and I loved shopping different collections to create a cohesive collection for both girls that also celebrated their own unique styles.   Thank you SO much Art Gallery -- not only are your fabrics great quality, you have a fantastic and diverse selection.

My youngest daughter has a larger-than-life personality so she likes the "fun" outfits (and hair!).  

Tee:  Banana Boat Tee in  I Scream You Scream District knit

Skirt: Soleil Skirt* in Amethyst PURE Solid

Purse: Fetta Purse in Grapefruit PURE Solid

Purse Lining and Tee Ties: Oval Elements Peach Dust

*shortened to hem length preference

The Soleil Skirt includes a faux button placket down the front of the skirt and I really love the way it's sewn!  It looks like completely functioning buttons.

The Banana Boat Tee is one of my favorites to sew up.  I love the side ruching.  It adds the perfect amount of detail, yet is super comfortable to wear.  

I used the Oval Elements Peach Dust for the ties to pop out the color a bit here.  

I couldn't resist adding another "fruit slice" to our growing Fetta Collection. It's so incredibly fast to sew -- I meant to stop at cutting it out one night before bed and I looked down and it was all sewn up!

She loves that it includes a zipper which keeps her items safely tucked inside without worrying about losing them.  I love that I found a contrasting solid color for Fetta that picked up one of the colors from the ice cream cones on her tee.  This helps pull the whole look together.

My oldest is *almost* a teenager and I'd describe her style as girly athletic.  Hoodies are pretty much a staple of her wardrobe, but she also enjoys a short, bouncy skirt.

Top: Chromium Cropped Hoodie in Snow White Knit Solid

Skirt: Soleil Skirt* in Across Sparks Blue from Here Comes the Fun collection

*shortened to hem length preference

I hoped a solid white Chromium wouldn't be too boring and I'm actually glad I went for it.  It adds a preppy element to her outfit and definitely compliments the busy print of the the skirt.

As I looked back through last year's details, I discovered I had to "hack" the hood last year too to include a facing in lieu of a full lining.  I couldn't decide between a neckband and hood this year, but my daughter ultimately landed on having the hood.   I had only ordered 1 yard of the knit though so the hood facing was the only way I could make it work.

The print we chose for her skirt may be one of my favorites.  (Sadly, it's not available at AGF any longer, but it looks like online retailers may still have some yardage left.)  She opted to eliminate the faux button placket on the Soleil skirt and I think she made the right decision.  

Over the last few years, I always let my girls help make all the decisions.  It really helps involve them in the process and gives them control of the details.  At the end, they have an outfit that they basically designed which guarantees that it won't just hang in the closet. 

Now, it's your turn to join the Very Peri Pantone Party!

Link up here!

{Project Run & Play} Project Smooth Sorbet

 It's here!  It's finally here!!  Project Smooth Sorbet is Project Run and Play's latest designer collaboration and it's full of 10 amazing patterns.   I've been working behind the scenes all Spring and am thrilled to contribute two cute purse patterns to the lineup - fetta & frutta.  It was really hard keeping the secret for so long!

Since competing in Season 23 (Spring 2020), I've been lucky enough to sew three of the designer collaborations and I always love how they center around a fun theme.  Smooth Sorbet is ALL about sweet patterns, fun colors and sorbet!  It doesn't get better than that!  

Actually, it does -- Art Gallery Fabrics was beyond generous and sent me all this fabric to sew up coordinating looks for my two girls.  Thank you AGF!!!  I chose coordinating prints from the Hello Sunshine Collection by Katie Skoog and added in a Striped Knit Basic for one final piece.

I sewed 6 of the 10 patterns and I'm loving how they can become a whole capsule wardrobe.    The garment patterns are full of options that you could sew at least 26 (I lost count towards the end...HA!) unique pieces.  I am definitely sewing up the remaining 4 patterns!  They are all so good!

Smooth Sorbet Collection 

• Bacca Bootcuts (Sizes NB - 16 | Call Ajaire)

• Bacio Basic Tee (Sizes NB - 14 | Jennuine Designs)
• Baie Blazer (Sizes 12m - 14 | Jennuine Designs)
• David Rain Jacket (Sizes 12m - 14 | Bobbins 'N Buttons)
• David Rain Jacket Expansion Pack (Sizes NB - 16 | Call Ajaire)
• Fetta Purse (One Size | That's-Sew-Kari)
• Fragola Top & Dress (Sizes 12m - 14 | Suco by Susana)
• Frutta Purse (One Size | That's-Sew-Kari)
• Limone Lounge Set (Sizes NB - 14 | Jennuine Designs)
• Parfait Polo (Sizes 1 - 16 | Project Run &Play/Skirt Fixation)
• Sorbetto Swimsuit (Sizes NB - 16 | Call Ajaire)

(I've sewn the items in pink)

First up is fragola top & dress.  This top has my whole heart!!  While I normally sew dresses for my youngest, she's starting to gravitate towards tops and this looked perfect for her.  I selected Tropic Like It's Hot in Rayon and the drape is so dreamy -- just as I pictured.

Fragola comes in top length, dress length and maxi length.  It's a babydoll silhouette with optional flutter sleeves.  The back features a button opening and the easiest placket you'll ever sew!  It's magical.

We paired it with the baie blazer in Art Gallery's Striped Sleek Mint.  I love the subtle stripes against the bright bold floral of Fragola.

Baie Blazer is one of those patterns that looks intimidating, but comes out perfectly after taking it step-by-step.  I chose the Peplum option and the pattern includes a unisex option as well.  The pattern is suited for medium to heavy weight stable knits with 20-40% stretch, but I love how it turned out in AGF's super soft lightweight knit.  The pattern also includes pockets and a button closure front (which I omitted).

To finish off her look, I stitched a frutta purse and decided a pink pineapple would be fun and whimsical.  The purse body is Poolside Blush and the crown is Sweet Slice of Watermelon.  The diamond print of Poolside Blush was perfect for quilting.

Frutta was fun to make and sewed up much faster when I wasn't stopping after each step to take a picture for the tutorial! HA!  I originally sewed Frutta for my Week 1 look in Season 23.  I had already sewn my youngest a purse and knew my oldest needed one too.  Long story short, my original Pineapple Purse idea was not turning out how I imagined so I dismantled it and cut it into this shape the morning of pictures.  For this release, I tweaked the pattern a bit -- enlarging the finished size and boxing the bottom corners to allow for more room inside.  This pattern is very beginner-friendly.

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For my oldest, we went a little more casual.  First up is the bacio basic tee.  I loved the fun bright floral print of Summer Shine. 

Bacio is a great wardrobe staple.  It's a casual fitting tee with both straight or curved hem.  The neckline can be finished with a traditional band or a fun exposed edge band which I'm intrigued to try.   I sewed the traditional neckband here. 

We paired it with the limone lounge set -- sewing up the knee length skirt option in the bright Sweet Slice of Watermelon cotton.

Limone offers SIX length options -- shorts, bermuda shorts, crop, pants, and two skirt lengths: knee and maxi.  I knew she'd love the skirt the most and chose the size based on just her hip and decided not to lengthen for height.  She prefers her skirts above the knee and since she's petite, it gives her the illusion of height.  (She gets it from me so I'm passing on all my tips and tricks!)  This pattern also has both plain and paperbag waist finishes with optional drawstring.

Last, but certainly not least, is the fetta purse.  This purse was one of my favorite pieces I made for Season 23 -- it made me smile every time I'd see it (and still does). I went with a traditional lemon again, using the Canary cotton that coordinated perfectly with the Hello Sunshine collection.   Now each girl has a Lemon Slice!

Fetta is just plain fun!  Its simple shape means it can be stitched up in under 30 minutes, but is a great introduction to adding zippers.  It's perfectly sized to hold a cell phone, some money and lip gloss.  Included in the pattern is the free iron-on image (slightly modified from above to fit the curvature of the purse bottom better).  My daughter has already requested an orange slice next!

And that's a WRAP on my season long project!  Head over to the Project Run and Play Shop to grab these patterns on sale this week and check back next week for the LOOKBOOK!  You'll find some great inspiration and lots more photos of the projects.