I think we always say this, but Season 31 has gone by so fast! It’s time for the last round!
Theme
Every season, our final week has the same theme:
Signature Style
Design a look that best represents your own unique style, taste, and sewing skills.
Our three finalists all have very different styles and we are so excited to show you what they have created!
But first, some more details…
Celebrity Guest Judge
1/3 of the designer’s scores comes from a weekly celebrity guest judge. For our final week we have a very talented sewist who actually competed all the way back in Season 5!
Hi, I’m Justine from Sew Country Chick, and I’m so glad to be back at Project Run & Play! I first competed in 2012 and returned in 2018, and I also shared a few tutorials back in the day. The creative challenges were always such an inspiring experience for me. While I no longer run my sewing blog, you can still find me at Sew Country Chick and Justine Marie Couture. These days, I design and create custom gowns at Justine Marie Couture, and I also teach clothing construction as an instructor at Oxnard College. Sewing and design remain my greatest passions, and I love passing on that joy and knowledge to others.
We are so honored to have Justine joining us! Here is a fun little flashback to when she competed in PRP!
As a reminder, our judging criteria is based on these four categories:
Overall Look
Craftsmanship
Creativity
Wear-ability
1/3 of the remaining scores come from a panel of judges who are all past Project Run and Play contestants: Alexe St-Germain, Katie Grimm, and Lakeisha Webb. The final 1/3 is by public vote! So make sure you scroll to the end, choose a favorite, and click submit. That’s all it takes! Easy peasy!
The Designs
And now, it’s the moment you all have been waiting for… the Project Run and Play Season 31 Final Round!!! Please take the time to read about what each of the designers has created this week and help us to decide the final place finishes! You can also click on each designer’s title to see more photos and videos on their social media!
Kimberly – Unicorn Daydreams
What a ride this competition has been! Each of the sewists have inspired me with their impressive and intricate designs. For my signature sew, I decided to design an outfit that my daughter could wear to church on Sunday but would also encourage imaginative play as I am in no hurry for this little girl to grow up. I knew I would be incorporating hand embroidery, classic lines, and something to do with dolls.
My main inspiration came from this beautiful Michael Miller border fabric that I’ve hoarded for a few years. The unicorns and constellations brought to mind fairy tales of peasant girls becoming medieval royalty riding off on their enchanted unicorns draped in capes of velvet.
For the dress, I started with the Lily pattern from Peony Patterns. I altered the neckline a lot, changing it to be a soft square like Cinderella’s peasant dress from the 2015 live action movie. I also added pintucks to mimic the gathers on the front bodice. I then designed my own hand embroidery for the waistband. The three main flowers in the design come from the Tilba pattern from Little Lizard King and then I designed the rest using the border print as my inspiration. For the skirt, I cut the border print carefully, centering the design, matching seams and adding pockets. I also added an underskirt (using the Meredith tiered skirt from LLK) for added volume.
For the cape, I drew inspiration from medieval royalty. I started with the Blanchette pattern from Violet Field Threads, drastically shortening the top layer into more of a yoke. I enlarged the hood, lengthened the ruffled cape layer, and opted for smaller ties to close the cape. I also hand-stitched the yoke lining over the yoke seam for a clean finish on the outside.
Now my girl just needed her trusty unicorn steed to ride off into the sunset. I began with the Elle Elephant pattern from VFT. After many drafts, I completely revamped the head, designing a unicorn head complete with ears, eyes, nostrils, and a horn. I used chenille yarn for her hair and tail. Her belly is embellished with a rainbow; I hand embroidered it with metallic threads using a modified version of the Iris pattern from Peony Patterns. I self-drafted a fancy dress for the unicorn, giving her ruffled tulle sleeves and a Velcro closure in the back. As a finishing touch, I handmade the organza flowers in the unicorn’s hairclips and beaded her a necklace. I can’t wait to see all the adventures these two have together!
Amanda – Vintage Doll
I cannot believe Week 4 is here! I feel so honored & thrilled to share my final entry. At first, I thought this week would be the easiest round to design for… after all, what could be simpler than sewing in my own signature style? But I quickly realized how tricky it would be. As a self-professed pattern & fabric hoarder, the possibilities were endless. I changed my mind repeatedly and started over more times than I’m willing to admit, chasing after the “perfect” look. I even made several pieces that ultimately didn’t make the cut, because they just weren’t “it.” One of my friends lovingly reminded me that this process itself (constantly reworking, fine-tuning, & not settling until it feels right) is actually part of my signature style. She was absolutely right! My style is very feminine & vintage-inspired with a touch of whimsy. I love girly details, like trims, vintage florals, & bow details.
I created five pieces for this final look. I began with LLK’s Lehi Coat pattern in the softest blue flannel but gave it a vintage twist. I modified the design by swapping in a squared vintage collar, adding belt loops, & finishing it off with a bow sash. Next up was the dress. It has an extra-special story. Taking inspiration from Week 1 (Refashion It), I looked in my own closet & spotted a cream Swiss dot maxi skirt. I transformed that skirt into this week’s dress, giving new life to a piece I hadn’t worn in years. I combined the LLK Astoria Blouse (retired) with the LLK Lenox dress as the base, making several adjustments to blend the two seamlessly. I also edited the skirt to be tiered with a ruffle in between to give the skirt more volume for a classic, vintage silhouette. I prefer vintage-length dresses for my girls, as they are easier to play in! LLK Lenox was one of the very first PDF patterns I ever fell in love with, so it felt especially meaningful to bring it into my signature style entry. After completing the dress, I moved onto what may be my favorite of the set: the pinafore. Beginning with the LLK Canterbury pattern, I created a pinny in a beloved vintage blue floral, trimmed with cream vintage eyelet. I altered the pattern by extending the front opening of the bodice so that more of the cream dress shows, adding a large sash that ties into a dramatic bow at the back, and modifying the skirt to have a gathered circle top tier with a large ruffle, sewing eyelet trim in between. To give the outfit even more volume & playful vintage detail, I made a pair of bloomers using LLK Charleston (made with leftover vintage sheet scraps from week 1!). I edited the design to add a ruffled waistband and trimmed them with eyelet. They layer perfectly under the skirts, adding fullness while keeping the look comfortable for my daughter. To complete the look, I used the LLK Clover Bonnet. It ties everything together with a classic feel, perfect for my vintage-inspired vision.
In making these pieces for my final entry, I made a mini collection for my daughter. All of the pieces work together as part of a complete outfit, but they can also mix and match to create several looks. The coat brings a cozy outer layer, while the Swiss dot dress is delicate & versatile. The pinny adds depth & color, echoing the blue tones of the coat while showcasing my love for vintage fabrics. The bloomers add volume, and the bonnet is the finishing touch, completing the head-to-toe vintage silhouette. Together, these five pieces perfectly represent my signature style: vintage, feminine, whimsical, and full of details that make children’s clothes feel magical. I couldn’t be prouder of this final entry, and even more so, I’m just so grateful for this journey. Sewing for my daughters and sharing my love for vintage-inspired children’s wear has been such a joy!
Shyra – aka-yuri
aka-yuri is more than a name, it’s a legacy. Inspired by my daughters’ Japanese names, Sayuri and Akari, it represents freedom, individuality, and the belief that you can be whoever you want to be. For my Signature Style look, I wanted to bring that same spirit of versatility, playfulness, and self-expression to life.
I draw much of my inspiration from street style, balancing it with delicate details to create a juxtaposition of hard and soft. That duality shines through in this week’s design. I revisited two Petite Stitchery favorites, the Junie Wide Leg and Arlo Top, which I first used in Week 2. This time, I reimagined them to show evolution in both my design vision and sewing skills. The pants were cut into blocks to create a bold split down the middle, accented with trendy ties and trim, then softened with a delicate lace hem tape. The top, true to my love of knits, was elevated with added texture, a daring back cutout, and a removable gold chain accent that makes the look pop.
To complete the outfit, I modified Greenstyle’s Midway Bomber, cropping it to the waist for fresh proportions. A striped sleeve detail adds energy, while my daughter’s initial turns the jacket into a personal signature. Together, the pieces embody everything aka-yuri stands for, style that’s versatile, expressive, and deeply personal.
See? These are all so different and creative in their own ways! You now have a really tough choice to make, but you only have until Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 8:00pm EST!