Project Run and Play designers have been using upcycles in their submissions from the very beginning and we have decided to take a closer look at ways you can sew for kids using items besides traditional fabric yardage (although we still love fabric too!!!) Get ready for lots of inspiration, tips, tutorials, and more!
We also have a new pattern in the shop to get you started! Candice Ayala did a completely upcycled look in Season 16: 90s Refashioned. She created a pattern to transform an adult button-down shirt to a child’s dress or top and we are excited to be adding it to the Project Run and Play shop!
This pattern has option for leaving the buttons in the front or moving them to the back. There is also a bonus tutorial for adding a lace overlay. There are so many cute looks that you can make with this one!
To celebrate this new addition to the Project Run and Play shop, we are having a special SALE!!! Get the pattern for $5 from now through May 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST. No code needed!
Refashion old clothes, give something from the thrift store a new look, cut up unused flat sheets, or even get extra creative with something out of the ordinary! This month we want to challenge you to create something NEW from something OLD!
Rules:
-Sew an upcycled/refashioned item for children. Fabric is OK too but at least part of the item must be upcycled. Double entries if you use a pattern from the Project Run and Play shop.
-To enter, post anywhere on facebook or instagram with the hashtag #PRPupcycle, take a screenshot, and put it in the album in our facebook group for your official entry!
-Multiple entries welcome.
-Must be a new sew this month.
-Each make may be entered once, no matter how many places you post it.
-Encourage friends to join in.
-Contest runs May 1st 2024 – May 31st 2024. Winner will be drawn and announced early June!
Prizes:
One random winner will be awarded 3 patterns from the Project Run and Play shop!
One of the really awesome perks for competing in Project Run and Play is the prizes!!! We have a lot of really supportive small businesses that work with us to create generous prize packages for each contestant. We will be highlighting each one throughout the season by showing how their products can be used to create cutting-edge fashion. You can visit each one by clicking on the logo.
Thank you again to each sponsor! We really appreciate it!
Come back tomorrow to see the Week 1 designs and cast your vote!
Today we are very excited to introduce our Season 28 designers! These talented ladies were carefully selected and we know that they are all very much deserving of the honor and your votes! We have asked each one to give a brief introduction, so here they are, in no particular order…
Hi, I’m Laura Hilton. I’m a pattern designer at Peony Patterns and I am so excited to be taking part in this season of Project Run and Play with so many other talented designers. I have 5 children and live in Northern Utah. I taught myself to sew while I was pregnant with my oldest, now almost 20, was born. Over the decades sewing has always been a way to express myself and my love of fashion. When not sewing I’m usually chauffeuring around my kids, watching one of their soccer games, at the gym, or traveling as much as I possibly can. I’m always ready for an adventure.
Hi all, My name is Asha Robin, mom of 3 wonderful children. We live in Leander, Texas . As a child I was always fascinated watching my mom making dresses, imagining one day I would be allowed to go beyond just threading her Singer treadle machine. My most treasured childhood memories are of making hand sewn doll dresses from leftover scraps to match the dresses mom made for me. As I grew up my formal education and profession took me in a completely different direction to IT and insurance domains. The birth of my eldest daughter allowed me to rekindle my childhood fashion. Sewing is something that has always been a source of genuine joy in my life.
I’ve been sewing since I was 6 years old, when I made beanie baby sleeping bags with my mom. Over the years I also sewed a variety of items with her, including clothes. But I seriously started garment sewing in 2015 when I finally got fed up with how ready to wear items fit my long arms and legs (it was never good). As I continued to grow my skill set, I replaced my own wardrobe with me-made items almost entirely. My first child was born in 2018 and second in 2021; since then I have enjoyed making clothes for both of them. Though I have to admit I probably most enjoy the creative challenge of making costumes, as their requests are always very specific and realistic!
Hey! I’m Alexe from Montreal, Canada and I am so excited to be part of Project Run and Play this year. This is just the challenge I needed to push my limits sewing wise! My stepmom gave me my first sewing machine 6 years ago as a wedding gift…you know, to repair socks and stuff 😛 Turned out I pushed it further than she could ever imagined. I have two beautiful children of 8 and 3, who are obviously my inspiration and I also work as an academic adviser in a college. I love bright colors, colorblocking, appliques, etc. My objective is to express my style even more through the competition this year and have some fun!
My name is Shara Nelson, and I’m the hands behind Handmade Nelly! My husband and I live in Utah, USA, with our three kids and spoiled Australian shepherd. I grew up with a mom (and grandmas!) who sewed me the poofiest, most 90s dresses for every holiday, and I loved it. I remember watching my mom in her cramped little sewing room (while making sure not to sit or step on any hidden pins), bringing to life the fabric and patterns we had bought and planned out together. I didn’t really catch the sewing bug myself until after my oldest was born and I became a stay-at-home mom with what felt like the world’s drooliest baby. We couldn’t afford the adorable boutique bandana bibs I saw online, so I decided to figure out how to make them on my own. I started my own little business selling bibs and burp cloths but decided to call it quits after a couple years before my youngest was born. I still wanted to sew, though, and, while searching for what to sew next, I discovered the online sewing community. Needless to say, I’ve been addicted ever since. I’m so excited and grateful for the chance to be a part of this season and to see what we all create!
Come back next week to see what these talented ladies create for week 1!!!
