Author: pacountrycrafts

Season 29 is SUPER exciting and we are only halfway through the first week! With twice as many designers competing, we have twice as many opportunities to choose your favorite! The votes for the first half have been recorded and we will share the results on Friday. Now it is time to vote on the rest of the designs!

As a reminder, here is the theme for this week:

GRAYSCALE
Make it monochrome with shades of white, ivory, gray, black or anything in between!

Does this inspire you to sew something? Join in our sewalong! (Details HERE.)

Are you ready to vote? Please check out all of the incredible submissions and choose your favorite at the end of the post. . The poll closes Thursday, 9/5, at 8:00pm EST.

Bonnie – Preppy Perfection

Hey sewing friends! After hearing “Grayscale” as the theme for week 1, I immediately knew what I wanted to sew!  I love a monochromatic look and the stark contrast of black and white. I sewed up one of my tried-and-true woven dress patterns.  I wanted to add a collar with trim and ended up self-drafted the collar.  I also self-drafted new sleeves by making them more voluminous and added elastic at the hem to pull everything in.  I also added more width to the skirt pieces because my little one loves a dress with a good twirl factor! I love classic surface patterns and nothing is more classic than gingham.

I used a tank top pattern for my sweater vest and found a charcoal sweater knit with a little bit of stretch.  The cropped vest is great for the upcoming fall season.  If my daughter gets too hot, she can always take the vest off and wear the dress alone.  The heart shape of the backpack adds a whimsical touch, but the practicality of the backpack is great for my daughter because she’s always carrying toys around the house and car. I used a gray zipper to pull in the charcoal of the vest. The cropped vest and posh backpack really pulled together the preppy look I was going for.

I love the contrast of the black and white gingham in the dress with the gray sweater knit and the black leopard print in the backpack.  The fabrics work well together color and texture wise.  I loved adding a few special touches with the lace trim on the collar and leather patches on the sweater vest and bag.  It really steps up those handmade items and makes them look professional.  This look really is preppy perfection!  You can read more about my look and the patterns and fabric I used over on my Instagram.

Chandy – Tween Dream

This was a hard challenge for me.  I normally make things in bright loud prints, but my eldest is outgrowing the themed prints and gravitates towards plain clothes. So I decided the grayscale theme would be this tween’s dream, but mama still got to sneak in a print.

Starting with the top I kept it pretty simple, I made a basic white t-shirt that I then dip dyed to get an ombre from white to black.  His vest is Little Lizard King’s Benton, the outside is a plain gray, but inside is a fun lightning bolt print because I can’t not use a print.  Also, we’re pretty big Harry Potter fans here.

Every tween needs some cool black jeans.  I started with Winter Wear Designs Rover pants because I love the huge pockets, I modified the pants by adding moto detailing and to make it really pop I used white topstitching throughout.

I love adding fun details to pockets. I personalized this pair to my son by taking a pair of his taekwondo pants that he has outgrown and used them for pockets.  The back tag is from his infant car seat shoulder pads.  I can’t believe he used to be so tiny!

Follow my instagram for pics of the carseat and taekwondo pants before I upcycled them!

Nikki Scott – Dress Like a Parisian

When I initially thought of monochrome, I thought of how important good basic neutrals are that can go with any outfit. This led to the theme Dress Like A Parisian. I went for a look that is fashionable, yet not fussy, and in a way that’s simple, chic and appealing. In the book, Dress like a Parisian by Alois Guinut she states, “The words that come to mind when you think of Parisian style are effortless, chic, understated and our obsession with perfect basics may make us look alike… but for La Parisienne singularity is all in the details.” I tried to play up on the details for this look. 

For the jeans, I started with the Joplin Trousers by Petite Stitchery because we loved the look of the button closure and high rise. These were modified to have a straight leg (typical Parisian fashion) and moved the pockets to the back. The back pocket detail is a cursive “A” which is the first letter of my daughter’s name. I double stitched every seam to give it the high-end feel. Speaking of feel, this stretch denim from Fabrictopia is so stretchy! I used the back side of the fabric for the light grey (the front side is black) because I couldn’t find any other good light greys to match the theme. She has full range of motion in these and now feels the need for me to make all her jeans! 

The shirt is a simple Brynn by Sew a Little Seam. It is out of a single brushed poly that’s been in my stash forever. I went with binding for the neck and gathered the sleeves for a little extra detail. And gotta line up those stripes! The vest started from the Jessie Moto Jacket from Designs by Violet Vixen. This pattern is made for stretch fabrics, but I really love the look of quilted (non-stretch) and velvet (stretch) together. I made it one size up and as a vest to help mitigate any issues. Also, I constructed it differently to have a nice finish for the arm holes. The buttons used for this were very special to us because they came from my husband’s grandmother’s stash of buttons that were left to me. I hope my sews for this week’s theme give you the motivation to make your own elevated basics!

Amy Gilane – Spellbound Love

  Enticed with the brooding cloudy days, and theme of gray monochromatic tones, I breathed into the fall vibes and my daughters’ requests to be “witchy.” When offered this opportunity to sew for Project Run and Play, I knew whatever I would make would have to appease not just the judges and sewing friends, but most of all, Her! She was my full inspiration with her big brown doe eyes and desire for woodsy vibes, and pretend play. 

    I have used the Holly Tunic from Boo and Lu Sewing Patterns with the flattering asymmetrical waistline and gathered circle skirt in tunic length. Adding a flare for the dramatic, I added the skirt of Nova in the high-low option as an underskirt. It then lended to the circle sleeves I cut, adding to the ¾ length.  The crossover collar and lettuce hem completed my look for the top. Peep the  tiny “I love you” tag, in ASL from Shine Bright Label Company in the lower bodice side seam. Organic cotton jersey hearts fabric is from Frollein-S Fabrics. 

  For leggings I have used a charcoal confetti rib knit from Millie and Dot as another shade of gray, starting with Lynx Leggings from Boo and Lu Sewing Patterns. Instead of traditional cuff bottoms, I cut large bows for the backs, to balance the dramatic sleeve. I used a touch of interfacing to hold them somewhat flat on the bow edges.

Emily – Little Quilted Queen

For my monochromatic grayscale look, I immediately thought of a fall jacket with flare pants combo. Dug through my fabric stash, and found these quilted triangles that I planned my outfit around. I had bought them with the Free People quilted jackets as inspiration, so I was excited to do my own spin and finally make it! 

 I used Lowland Kid’s Letterman Jacket as the base, with the collar from their half zip, elastic at the wrists in place of cuffs, and hemmed the bottom. Underneath is Samantha Marie Design’s Blythe for a basic white tee out of DBP, with lettuce hems to dress it up a little. The pants are Lowland Kids slim flares out of a 1×1 rib.

 Of course, my ‘Little Quilted Queen’ outfit wasn’t complete without a tag or label. Both the “Mama’s Little Bestie” and the heart label were sponsored by Shine Bright Label Co.

Liz Velazquez – Corte Èlègant

When I heard the theme “Grayscale” the first word I thought of was “Elegant.” I imagined a dress with puff sleeves and floral details like a European style. One of the accessories I love to create is scarves so I couldn’t miss them in this style. 

I used a variety of patterns from Little Lizard King to create my vision, including the Colmar top, Sorrento skirt and Roslyn sleeves. I used cotton woven fabric from Joann. 

To give a special touch to this style, I designed a small purse with kitty ears and a scarf. The kitty details and scarf made this look fun and elegant, without losing the essence of clothing for girls, just as I imagined it. I named it with a variety of words in Spanish and French “Corte Èlègant” so as not to lose the touch of my visualization (A European style).

See more pictures in my IG: @lizvdisigner

Amazing!!! It’s going to be incredibly hard to pick a favorite, but here is the poll for you to try!

The Week 1 results will be announced on Friday and the votes will be added to next week’s designs to determine who advances to the semifinals. So, make sure that you check back next week to vote again!

We are so excited to kick off Season 29- our very first SUPER SEASON! Since we have 12 designers this time, the voting will be done in two groups of six: Monday through Tuesday and Wednesday through Thursday. So, make sure to come back later this week to vote again!

Did you notice the new look that Project Run and Play got this year? We have changed up all of our logos and branding from aqua and red to black and white. This is part of what inspired our first theme:

GRAYSCALE
Make it monochrome with shades of white, ivory, gray, black or anything in between!

Does this inspire you to sew something? Join in our sewalong! (Details HERE.)

Now, let’s get to the good stuff! The designers did such an amazing job this week! The voting poll is at the end so please check out all SIX looks and then vote for your favorite. The poll closes Tuesday, 9/3, at 8:00pm EST.

Katie – Concrete Patchwork

When I heard the first theme was Grayscale, I was very excited.  I love neutrals, especially the colour grey! Now how to truly capture grayscale? To give the illusion of a colourful outfit – but with shades of grey, all of them!  I wanted to capture the vibrant, dynamic nature of city life and the beauty of combining various shades of grey.  I love to use colour-blocking to create unique interest, intricate patterns and to play with colours (or lack of colour😊) – so why not level up and create quilted accents pulled through the jacket, shirt and pants!  Introducing Concrete Patchwork -something that combines the gritty, modern feel of concrete with the artistic flair of patchwork quilting

I started sewing when this little man was 2 months old. Well after 10 years, he is growing up, as is his style.  I designed this look to be a play on “back to school” but with a modern updated twist. An oversized, relaxed fit to capture my son’s style – which is comfort above all else and clothes that can move, bend and keep up with his active life. Most importantly an outfit where he would be confident with a touch of swagger.

The classic letter jacket is a stereotypical school staple, but with a modern vintage twist – its quilted! This jacket is the star of the outfit and is fully reversible – business in the front (simple, classic black and ivory) and party on the inside.  The jacket is a modified Billie Bomber by Petite Stitchery & Co, hip length with pockets.  I used a combination of brushed french terry with ribbing and a pop of tie dye in the pockets for the exterior. On the inside I used a combination of grey FT and my own patchwork design of different shades of grey cotton lycra jersey.  The back is quilted with wool batting for extra warmth on those cooler Canadian fall days.  Next is the t-shirt.  A play on the Spenser pattern by Petite Stitchery, I wanted to carry through the half-square triangle quilt, but as part of a larger overall patchwork tee.  I combined 4 different shades of grey cotton lycra for the four quadrants on the back of the shirt then replaced the lighter shade on the front with the smaller scale HST quilt. Lastly are the joggers, featuring a double cargo style stacked pocket with a contrasting gusset.  The top pockets pull through the quilted detail at the same scale as the tee.  All fabric and notions are from Shear Perfection Fabric.  Hop over to www.instagram.com/custom_by_kate if you want to learn more.

Bekah – A Modern Dorothy Gale

Grayscale? As I pondered this week’s prompt in relation to my practice of sewing functional items, I was a bit stumped. I’m a self described “boring” sewist. I needed to find whimsy and delight for project run and play while maintaining my sense of purpose in creating a comfortable and classic fit for Lucette. 

Classic children’s novels are an important part of our family culture and always spark our imaginations so I turned to one of our favorite stories for help. 

The most iconic literary (on the big screen) grayscale moment has to be Dorothy Gale’s last moment before entering the explosion of color in Oz. 

Lucette and I present Dorothy Gale in Grayscale. I began with cream cotton lycra and warm gray gingham homespun.  The Made for Mermaids Patterns: Audrey and Samantha were a perfect start. I made edits for her petite stature and my limited fabric.  I had hoped to make Lucette a custom organza petticoat, but alas the organza was backordered and didn’t arrive in time. I hope to be able to present that with future looks.

Anna – Cozy Core

Grayscale is growing in popularity both on the runway and in home décor; this style incorporates different lengths, fits, and textures within the same hues. I chose my oldest daughter for this style because when I think of creams, grays, and blacks I think sophistication – and this tends to lend itself to older children. My oldest daughter also happens to like grays as she says it brings out the subtleties of the hues. She sees purples, greens, yellows, and blues in grays. These happen to be her favorite colors, so I tried to incorporate those different gray hues as much as I could.

Cozy core is a fashion trend that leans into the idea of being comfortable and cozy but still stylish. This is my oldest daughter at her core. Her clothes need to be comfortable, resilient and quick to put on. I used all natural, organic fibers for comfort and tried to incorporate as many different textures as I could. My daughter says this is one of the most comfortable outfits she has ever worn and that I should expect to see her in it constantly.

For the look, I began with the basic tee from Lowland, extended the shoulder seams out and lined it with bamboo to keep it extra comfortable and cozy. Next, I constructed the pants. I began with a basic jean construction on the top and gently flared out the bottom. I used an organic fleeced French terry with accents of white sand 2×1 rib and drawstring from L+E fabrics. I have always envisioned a fitted, flowy high-low cardigan, but have never found a pattern for it, so I self drafted one based on my daughter’s measurements out of bamboo. Finally, I made a couple of accessories to really pull the look together. I deconstructed my daughter’s favorite beanie to create this gorgeous, waffle beanie and added that extra embellishment with the adventure crew label from Shine Bright Label Co. For the clutch, in Sagittarius fashion of epitomizing functional style, I designed a small clutch that includes a zip pocket inside so she can organize her little treasures.

Sara Jean – Urban Explorer

My daughter has been anti-dress lately, so I was inspired to create something fun but practical for Week One.  She has a huge imagination and would prefer to wear costumes over regular clothes so she needed something to spark her creativity while remaining functional. The urban explorer outfit and lion purse I created for her combine her adventurous spirit with a touch of everyday magic.

To create her urban explorer romper I started with the Rowe shorts pattern from Little Lizard King and merged it with a button-down dress pattern I owned. I drafted my sleeve, added more pockets, and a zipper for easy bathroom access. I thought this black fabric with silver paint streaks and the silver piping gave it a perfect urban twist. Her favorite part…the pockets! Great for gathering treasure while out exploring. And what outfit is complete without a label from Shine Bright labels.

To make her purse I found a lion clip art online and cut each piece of the mane from a different faux leather or felt and stitched them to a circle of marine vinyl. I used my Cricut to cut the face from HTV and ironed it on. I used a purse strap I thrifted. She is ready to take on the world (or just our local zoo!)

Patterns used: Rowe: Little Lizard King  Lantana: Peony patterns

Candice – Classic Cinema

When I received the first theme of grayscale, I was immediately inspired by the elegance and chic sophistication of classic cinematic films. I envisioned a formal dress that would embody the timeless grace of those silver screen beauties. I worked through several design concepts before landing on my drop shoulder with a sheer yoke look. I was inspired by the Meredith pattern by Little Lizard King and decided to use the pattern as a base for my creation. 

I kept the pattern’s boatneck and extended the shoulders out and down to achieve the desired silhouette. I made several modifications to the back of the Meredith pattern, as well. Instead of the original button and loop closure, I opted for a decorative zipper to give an extra contrast pop along with a diamond like shape opening. While the theme grayscale inspired classic looks, it also made me think of geometric patterns. I wasn’t initially satisfied with a solid white bodice so I draped the fabric on my mannequin and folded pieces in place until it all created the sweetheart pleated finish. 

Designing the skirt proved to be the most time consuming part of the process. After experimenting with several ideas, I ultimately chose a classic tulle, tea-length skirt that complemented the gown’s overall aesthetic. To add a bit of contrast, I incorporated velvet ribbon along the bodice seam and neckline. My daughter contributed a delightful finishing touch – placing a pearled ribbon on top of the ribbon along the neckline to create the effect of a faux necklace. This project was a true blend of inspiration, experimentation, and a little family teamwork – bringing grayscale to life in a fun and personal way.

Steph – Blank Canvas

When I heard the theme for the first week, I was excited.  I’m definitely a monochromatic kind of girl.  I love black and white but tend to avoid them for sample garments as they don’t photograph well.  So I set myself out to create something that highlighted the details in solids when a print would normally hide those details.  My default option would be to make a classic little black dress but where’s the fun in that?  I’ve got to challenge myself and work in a color I almost NEVER work with-white!  

Girly is really into art and drawing and painting and creating creatures from old cardboard boxes.  She has always been my museum-going kid and I set out to make her a dress that she could walk through a gallery in something that wasn’t babyish but also not something you’d find in the Junior’s section.  She’s at that in between age.  As soon as this season of Project Run and Play is over, I promised she could paint on her new dress to really make it hers and so the Blank Canvas dress was named!

I chose to work with Michael Miller’s Couture Cottons in black and white because I really love the crispness and sheen of it.  I started with my basic sloper that I developed for all of my patterns and worked out from that starting point.  In addition to being lined, the bodice also has an “inside out” facing on the neckline to define the top of the dress.  Since it’s still very hot here in New Mexico, we discussed options and she agreed that 2 small cutouts at the waist would be very cute and cool.  I defined those triangles with black as well.  Girly hates plain gathered skirts right now so I chose to make a gored skirt with black panels that only peek out when she walks or when she wears a crinoline, which, of course, I had to make!  Her crinoline is a basic 3 tier gathered crinoline that I just eyeballed for length and fullness.  It was a “can I make it work with the 2 yards of tulle I have on hand” situation.  Of course we can’t forget pockets.  This dress has pockets to extreme!  I discovered a magical pocket solution that keeps them flat and supported while still carrying all of her important young teen objects.

This is going to be really hard to choose! Everyone did an outstanding job and there is so much variety!

There are six more incredible looks coming on Wednesday so make sure that you come back to vote again!