Category: Season 28

Shara of Handmade Nelly – Light the Fire Within

The title of my look for our Olympic Moment is “Light the Fire Within.” It was the motto for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, which took place right here in our home state of Utah. My outfit inspiration came from Team USA, our country’s team. I tried to envision what you might see someone wearing on the track and then added some flair, perfect for your average tween girl!

For the top, I used the Dynamite tank from Boo! Designs and added a little extra colorblocking to really bring in the red, white, and blue. I love a good racerback for athletic wear, and the cutout in the back is such a fun detail. The fabric for the tank came from Raspberry Creek Fabrics – I have been saving this patriotic floral print for just the right project! A good sporty outfit also needs a good sporty jacket for colder days to help you stay warm before your race. I used Storm from Boo & Lu with some modifications. I sized down for a slimmer fit, and I did added some thick colorblocking on the bodice for a more retro look. The jacket was another great place to really have fun with our red, white, and blue theme – I even added it to the thumbhole cuffs!

For the shorts, I used the Halsey pattern from Little Lizard King and added some pockets because, running or not, you’ve got to have pockets! The headband is also from Little Lizard King, the Wells pattern. I wanted it to be a fun take on the traditional sweatband. Finally, for the water bottle bag, I used the Coral Pattern from Sunflower Seams. As an athlete, you’ve got to keep your hydration close, and the little pocket on the front is a great place for your lip balm and hair tie. Plus, now you’ll always know which water bottle is yours at practice!

Alexe of Alfie – Girl Power

Let’s bring back the colors for Theme 3, woot woot!!! 

As soon as I read about Theme 3, I saw a vintage sport outfit and my daughter brought the Olympic spirit as if she had just won a medal…in the 80s!

In order to do that, I needed the coolest windbreaker! And as if Project Run and Play isn’t challenging enough in itself, I added a level of difficult choosing nylon fabric to make it come true 😛 

I worked with different solids but found this amazing cotton print that inspired me with team spirit. I decided to use it to create a pocket to encourage girl empowerment that my daughter is very proud of. The perfect practical accessories to complete the look was a fanny pack and a scrunchy. You’ll probably think I’m weird, but it was my first time sewing one…AHAH!

While I’m amazed to still be in the competition for week 3, I am getting a little superstitious. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I added a little denim on my coat AND on my fanny pack because I used denim for Theme 1 and 2…we never know! 😛

Fabric is from Club Tissus.

Pattern inspiration: Zuri and Frost Fanny Pack from Petite Stitchery, Track tee and Retro shorties from Lowland.

Label is from Shine Bright Label.

Laura of Peony Patterns – Golden Girl

I LOVE athletic clothing.  Let’s be honest the majority of my personal wardrobe is made up of gym clothes.  And when it comes to gym clothing I love comfortable, well fitting pieces that have just a little something extra and that is what I tried to create with my Golden Girl set. After all if you are going to have an olympic moment you might as well go for the gold.

I’m kinda obsessed with hoodies and oversized laying pieces.  For my Golden Girl hoodie I wanted to design it with all the elements that I love.  So I started with a slightly oversized feel but brought it back in with a nice crop length and nipped it in at the waist. I added pretty blousy sleeves that pool slightly at the cuff to pull in the fairy tale princess vibe, and a generously sized cross over hood lined in that delicious floral for a touch of romance, (you know that moment when the fair maiden is lost in the woods and she has the hood of her cloak up and she turns and looks at something and it frames her face, that’s the hood but somehow I completely forgot the get any pics with the hood up, but is creates a pretty fame when it is.)  And to top it all off it is made from the softest pink Swiss fleece from Farmhouse Fabrics…. Oh and it has pockets.

For the court side set I had this gorgeous floral printed on an athletic knit from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I bought the floral print on etsy, but I love that I could have it printed in a larger scale to really make a statement and the athletic knit was so nice to work with. Unrelated to sewing, but I couldn’t resist also using the floral print to have a matching pickleball racket made.  The tennis dress features a short, slightly gathered, full circle skirt perfect for play and a criss cross detailed back.  I paired it with a pair of Peach shorts from Peony Patterns so she can run, jump, and twirl and feel covered and comfy.

Elisabeth of Stitching and Making – Podium Perfection

This theme was more of a challenge for me, since I don’t usually sew a lot of athleticwear (more “athleisure” if you know what I mean!).  I was looking in my stash and then I found an old piece of cotton lycra stripes from Raspberry Creek Fabrics.  At this point I couldn’t help but notice that the stripes were the exact colors of the Olympic rings, plus teal.  It was fate!  I cut out the stripes and sewed them into tubes to use as the traditional stripes you see on tracksuits, 3 on each side.

Somehow, after lots of tweaking, I got my coverstitch machine to cooperate with me and I topstitched the stripes in place.  For the pattern, I once again drafted my own which was inspired by 90’s fashion with the wider pant legs and color blocked raglan top with kangaroo pocket.  I decided to incorporate purple with the winning green because I like complementary colors and it added a nice burst of saturation.

My two year old enjoyed running around the track and playing soccer in his new “soccer outfit”. I’d say he looks the part and is ready to take the gold!
(I shared more about my process on my instagram.)

What another amazing week!! How will you ever choose your favorite? We are so impressed with these designers, and hope you’ll share the love with them by giving them your vote! This week we will be sad to say goodbye to one more designer. All of them deserve their spot in this competition!

This is how their scores are determined:

1/3 score = public voting
1/3 score = panel of judges
1/3 score = celebrity guest judge of the week

Elisabeth of Stitching and Making – Lunar Threads

I was really excited when I saw this theme!  We live in the Pacific Northwest, my kids thrive in nature and we spend a lot of time outside.  I immediately envisioned a lot of natural fibers, earth tones and knew I wanted to do a moon based look.  I immediately found what I needed from season sponsor Core Fabrics, big thank you to them!

I knew I wanted to make some breezy pants, so I used the Core Fabrics midweight linen which was perfect.  I drafted the pants with a decent amount of ease to allow for tree climbing, added slightly ruched pockets and leg elastic.  I knew the pockets needed something to add some interest so I decided to do moon and star hand embroidery!  I’ve never done any embroidery before but I love how it turned out and I’ll definitely be trying it again.

Then for the shirt I found this perfectly drapey bamboo jersey from Core Fabrics and re-drafted my dolman shirt pattern from last week into a raglan.  I had some leftover fabric from a bedsheet I had previously dyed a marbled yellow with turmeric for a different project, so I used that for the base moon applique.  Then I added another circle with the linen, for the eclipse-inspired finished look.  I wish I had made this in my size!
(I shared more about my process on my instagram.)

Laura of Peony Patterns – Folklore

When I hear “into the woods” my first thought is always the musical.  I LOVE musicals and costuming.  I love how the art of design and sewing can help transform and tell a story.  So for my Into the Woods theme look I took inspiration from the Grimm brothers themselves.  This look is a little bit a girl who dreams of what it would be like to go to the festival and dance with a handsome prince, a girl who wanders on her way to granny, and a girl in a tower dreaming of adventure.

This look begins with a classic collared shirt dress style in a dainty Liberty of London floral paired with Swiss lace edging from Farmhouse Fabrics.  I borrowed the sleeves from one of my favorite of my patterns, Peony Patterns Dahlia, and slightly redrafted the puff at the shoulder to be a little more exaggerated to add a touch of whimsy.  Then I gave the dress a very full double skirt to create a lovely fluffy base for the over dress.  Taking inspiration from a ballerina tutu, the over dress is made from a delicate embroidered baby blue Spanish cotton/nylon, also from Farmhouse Fabrics.  The ballet style over dress features vintage decorative hooks, bow tie shoulders, a very full skirt, and an elastic back. 

Since you must be prepared when venturing into the woods I also created the cozy cropped red wool swing coat with a pixie pointed hood and a vibrant red floral lining and large flower button, also from Farmhouse Fabrics.  I love the contrast for the red jacket over the soft blue of the ballet style over dress and how the many textures of this outfit come together to create one story. 

Alexe of Alfie – Urban Forest

So we live in the city and for our vacations, we try to stay as far as we can from the woods. Haha! I am kidding (just a little bit!) but we truly are urban people so when I found out about the second theme, I thought it was kind of funny! Of course, we still love a cute nature inspired outfit that goes perfectly with my daughter’s style 😊

What I wanted to focus on for this outfit was playing with textures while creating a comfortable, feminine and nature inspired set, but always keeping in mind a little urban twist! Corduroy pockets with quilted fabric, sherpa, flannel, ribbing, wood buttons, slub, etc. It’s all cozy fabric that are perfect to go outside…with a subtle pink touch to keep it in line with my daughter’s taste! Finally, I love colorblock style so I decided to add my special touch to the right leg piece…

You know the ultimate secret about this outfit? It includes 12 pockets!!! My son is so jealous…it’s perfect to bring back home all the rocks and twigs picked up during an expedition, right? My daughter is 8 and she still does that……………………:P

Patterns inspiration : Cargo pants from IVL, Shirt jacket and Wilderness vest from Peek-a-boo pattern shop, Curved hem tee and Beanie from Lowland.

Fabric is from Les Tissées and tags are from Shine Bright Label Co.

Shara of Handmade Nelly – Foxes and Fairy Rings

When I saw the theme for week 2 was “Into the Woods,” I imagined a place deep in the forest, full of furry creatures and untouched plants and fungi, and then I tried to bring this to life in my outfit. I had certain elements I knew I wanted for the dress: puff sleeves reminiscent of something Little Red Riding Hood might wear, an open back to make it a little playful, and a hemline that would show off the embroidery I had in mind. I ended up combining three Little Lizard King patterns to get the style that I wanted. The bodice is from the Mackinac Island pattern, the sleeves are from Prague, and the skirt is from Kerala (all modified a bit to make them work together). I love how these three patterns came together in a neutral linen fabric to create the whimsical, woodsy look I was going for.

A plain linen dress, though, doesn’t quite capture the woods. For more detail and fun, I drew up some mushrooms and then used them to create an embroidery design. I placed the mushrooms randomly around the bodice and spaced them out evenly along the hemband. And then I stitched and stitched and stitched for what felt like forever. But it was worth it because, in the end, the mushrooms were the perfect addition. Those along the hemband, especially, helped us create our very own fairy-ring dress!

To finish up the outfit, I had to add a couple fox-themed elements to represent the furry forest critters (and because foxes are my favorite animal). I made the socks using the Cozy Critter pattern from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop. That fox face is completely adorable and a fun detail to add to any 6-year-old’s outfit. And for the stuffed fox friend, I used the Cottontail pattern from Peony Patterns. This pattern is actually for a bunny, so I changed the ears and added a fox tail. We ended up with the perfect companion for our “Into the Woods” look!

Asha of Asharobin – Earthy Vibes

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the week 2 theme, “Into the Woods”  was “Little House on the Prairie”. This is one of my favorite themes to work with. I love the earthy tone, its simplicity and how its blends with nature. I choose Linen fabric for this because Linen is an elegant fabric that is durable, breathable and soft. I used fabric from Core fabrics. 

For the top I used Violet Fields and threads Ramsey dress. I modified it into a top. I added pintucks to the front panel and  made accordion pleats for the top skirt .Added 3 elastic casing to the sleeves for vintage vibes. Isn’t that cute? ; ). Added trims on to the neckline and sides of the front bodice. For the bottom I used Little lizard king, oakland . I have adjusted the bottom to add ruffles.

For the front open pinafore, I used Duchess & hare, cat’s meow jumper. I lengthened the bodice and added hand embroidery border to give   a touch of elegance to the dress and finished it with adding grommets to each sides.I drafted a tea- length skirt with ruffled faux hem  to give it a touch of girly twirl.

How could we have a woody/ forest theme dress without some animals? For this, I made a simple apron and triangle head wrap. . I traced elephant, giraffe and deer outlines on to it and filled in the outline using scrapes and used free motion stitch to complete the look. Hope you enjoyed the journey into the woods with me. For more pictures please visit my Instagram

They have all outdone themselves!! How will you ever choose your favorite? We are so impressed with these designers, and hope you’ll share the love with them by giving them your vote! This week we will be sad to say goodbye to one designer. All of them deserve their spot in this competition!

This is how their scores are determined:

1/3 score = public voting
1/3 score = panel of judges
1/3 score = celebrity guest judge of the week