Author: pacountrycrafts

Welcome to the finale of Project Run and Play Season 29! This season has been absolutely amazing and all 12 of the contestants sewed such great outfits for their children!

To celebrate this incredible season, we are having a site-wide sale! Just use the code SITEWIDE30 to get 30% off your Project Run and Play shop order through 9/30/24 at 11:59pm EST.

This week, we have our three remaining designers sharing their “signature style” looks.

SIGNATURE STYLE
Design a look that best represents your own unique style, taste, and sewing skills.

Do you have your own “signature style”? It’s a great way to enter our sewalong! Get the details HERE.

Our panel of past designers is the same as last week: Susana, Jenn, and Rachel.

Let’s meet the Celebrity Judge for this week!

Catherine Holbrook

Catherine is a mom of three who discovered a passion for sewing back in 2014. Her husband was in his first year of a 4-year long residency program, when she decided she needed a hobby. Christmas was just around the corner, so she asked her mom for a sewing machine. She swears it was love at first stitch! In the wee hours of the night, you could find her whipping up one-of-a-kind purses, pillows, baby toys, etc.  It wasn’t until January of 2019, after the birth of her second child that she started focusing on creating her own wardrobe. What began as a knack for refashioning garments from Goodwill, quickly turned into self-drafting her own patterns and sharing her sewing journey with others on Instagram. (@bringingsewingback) She has now established a wide sewing audience across social media platforms and spends her days inspiring others to bring back the lost art of sewing.

The scores will again consist of 1/3 celebrity judge, 1/3 panel of past designers, and 1/3 public vote! After seeing all of this week’s submissions, you can vote for your favorite at the end of this post.

Now, on to the main event!

Sara Jean – Rustic Romance

I was so excited to sew an outfit that reflected my signature style, but then I needed help defining just what my style was. I polled some friends, took a hard look at old pictures, and decided my style consists of bold colors and combining lots of texture. I love to add embroidery and other little touches like quilting to my sews and It had to be overalls. My sweet girl has some sensory struggles and prefers to wear a romper or overalls so it’s my go-to sew. 

To create my signature style look I used the Cambridge pants pattern from Little Lizard King and added a bib and straps to make it into overalls. I loved this embroidered denim, but there wasn’t enough color for me, so I added embroidery details and used a paper-piecing technique to add a fun pop of color to the back pocket. I added a few matching labels from Shine Bright Label Co.  I used a top pattern I knew fit well to create the shape of the lace top and split the bodice to show off the lace detail. I created a full fluttery sleeve and a key hole back. As we are fast approaching cooler weather in Kentucky, I made a cardigan using the Lowland Kids Chunky Cardigan sweater pattern. I sewed a reverse applique heart on the back to match the colors in the overalls to bring the look together. 

I am honored to have competed in this competition among so many other talented sewists and I hope you enjoyed my signature style outfit.  

Nikki – Superbloom

I’m not going to lie, I really struggled with what to sew this week. Signature style?!? That’s like asking what I eat for dinner every night! Totally depends on how I’m feeling that day and what I’m working with. So, I asked my girls, “What is your favorite thing that I make for you?” –“Bathing suits!” Yep, I believe that with their close to a dozen momma made suits each year. We are at the pool so much during the summer between swim team every day and hanging out with friends. Honestly, you don’t even want to be outside during summer afternoons unless the activity contains water of some sort. Even now that it’s the end of September, we hang out at the pool on the weekends since it’s still in the mid-90s! I think it’s so important to feel confident in what you are wearing, and a well-fitting bathing suit is half the battle. Ill-fitting suits make me sad and I wish I could sew suits for all the girls who aren’t a standard size! I did sew all the competition leotards for Kinetic Kids (gymnastics for kiddos with disabilities) this year and I loved how confident and happy they looked in their new suits when they tried them on!

Now on to the prints! I love big florals and when it comes to swimsuits, the brighter the better for high visibility! I like to coordinate my girls suits by using the same main print so I can spot them quickly but give them their own personality within the suit with different coords and different patterns. My oldest wants all things girlie (bows, skirts, strappy) and hates long sleeves, while my youngest won’t wear anything without sleeves and a zipper! For this suit, I used the Little Lizard King’s Almalfi and this “Hotty Toddy” floral print is from Raspberry Creek’s Design Studio of available designs. I paired it with salmon gingham and black and white stripes (boardshort) from the club prints.

Those pompoms!!! They make my heart happy! The coverup is the Samantha from Violette Field Threads. I ever so slightly modified the neckline to have a V-neck. Fabric and trim for it is from Joanns. As for the beach tote, I freehanded this one working with the scraps I had left of the floral. I love adding little personal details to make my girls smile, so I sublimated the little turtle onto black out lining material. I used a color chart sublimated on the material to color match the swim print. It was her favorite part of the whole look and now wants to make matching ones for all her friends! I hope our look gives you (Bob Ross) happy little summer vibes to carry on with your day!

Candice – Desert Bloom

Hello, sewing friends! I’m still reflecting on the incredible journey of my latest creations, and I couldn’t be more excited to share my signature style with you this week. My love for a boho aesthetic shines through in my flowing maxi and hi-low skirts, which embody both comfort and artistic expression. Each piece I create is a reflection of my personality, and I love the opportunity to explore various themes and techniques along the way.

This week, I chose to work with the Iona pattern by Little Lizard King, envisioning a beautiful off-the-shoulder design that perfectly complements my boho vibe. Although my initial concept for the bodice didn’t unfold as I had hoped, I embraced the challenge and made several modifications. I added elbow-length gathered tulle sleeves with lace trim, kept the ruched waistband from my original idea, and enhanced the bodice with 3D embroidered flowers. For the dress, I selected a stunning Faille fabric with beautiful drape and texture, complemented by chiffon and stretch lace, all sourced from Joann. To ensure a cohesive look, I hand-dyed the stretch lace inset to match the rust-colored Faille as closely as possible.

To complete the ensemble, I adapted the Clementine jacket from Violette Field Threads, cropping it to enhance the waistline and give it a fresh feel. I also reimagined the sleeves to add a unique flair. The purse, inspired by the Daisy bag from Vintage Little Lady, ties everything together beautifully. Competing with such talented fellow sewists has been a rewarding experience, and I’m grateful for your support as I continue to grow in my sewing journey. Thank you for following along!

Wow! These are all so good! Try your best to pick a favorite from the poll below. It will close at 8:00pm EST on Thursday, 9/26/24.

If this has inspired you to get sewing, you can use the code SITEWIDE30 to get 30% off your Project Run and Play shop order through 9/30/24 at 11:59pm EST.