Last week all 12 of the designers did an outstanding job! Since this is our first “Super Season” with twice as many designers, we decided to give everyone twice as many opportunities to continue! The votes from last week will be added to the votes from this week to determine the top three designers in each group. Make sure you check out all of them and cast your vote at the end.
Are you ready for our next challenge? Here is the prompt:
SOFT FOCUS
Get inspired by textures, colors, or blurred lines, and make it fashion!
If this inspires you to sew something for kids, why not join the sewalong? Details are HERE.
Now, on to the main event…
Steph – Float
Week 2’s theme threw me for a loop. Soft is not something I do. I like structured dresses and crisp fabrics. Okay, so how do I do “soft?” I trip to the fabric store feeling every fabric I don’t normally work with. I found some double gauze in a nice soft color (deep dusty teal) and got the rest of the bolt. I had 2.5 yards to work with and make it work. It’s still very hot here (into the 90s) so I’m still in a summer dress frame of mind.
I started by tracing with a running top to make the inner shelf bra and then worked outwards from there. I knew I wanted thin straps so I made a whole lot of it and played around with what looked good. I liked the combination of normal and crisscross straps. The gauze was calling to be a swing dress so I used the “slash and spread” method to even distribute the extra volume of the bodice and added a fun zig zag waistline. I then wanted the skirt to be even fuller. As full as I could get out of the fabric I had on hand. The skirt resembles upside down petals growing from the stem of the bodice. Each petal has a 40° angle, with 10 petals total making the hem of the skirt over a full circle. There is 23.33 feet of hem in this dress which is all hand stitched. That’s a lot of hem!
Even though this dress is pretty heavy in real life, it seems to be floating away from the model barely attached at the spaghetti straps. Knowing this was a “twirl worthy” dress, I made matching bike shorts quickly for modesty. Neither the bike shorts nor attached shelf bra are shown because we do not show off our foundation garments, lol. The amount of bounce and swing this dress has earned it the name Float because it just seems to be floating around Girly as she walks. This dress seems to defy gravity.
Candice – Whimsy Wishes
Who else is still in awe over the first week’s designs in the competition? It honestly made me that more excited to compete in week 2! I absolutely loved the theme Soft Focus, a concept that weaves together textures, soft colors, and blurred lines. This project was heavily inspired by my oldest daughter’s vivid imagination, bringing to life a dress that captures whimsy and a dream-like essence. I wanted to create something that felt like it was plucked right out of a daydream, with every detail carefully thought out to evoke a sense of softness and flow.
When thinking of the theme, soft focus, I chose the color pink for this dress because I felt its gentle hue perfectly embodies the idea of softness. I decided to use Lienz by Little Lizard King as a base for our dress. I loved the hi low top skirt and the closures on the back of the dress. To create our vision, I used chiffon for the bodice but added a crushed satin overlay to serve as a modesty panel. I draped delicate tulle over the bodice to create a visual effect of blurred lines, giving the dress an ethereal quality. Then to complete the bodice, I added a beautiful flower and pearl applique. The skirt was a labor of love, crafted from multiple layers to achieve the right blend of texture and movement. It is made of 4 layers of differing materials in which you can read more on my instagram @sewing4wildflowers.
To elevate the whimsical nature of the dress, I added a pair of butterfly wings that bring an extra layer of enchantment to the overall look. I used 14-gauge wire and bent them in the shape I wanted. Once I was satisfied with how each wing looked, I added on a pink organza to hide the wire and fill in the wing. To tie the wings into the overall design, I added appliques that matched the bodice, creating a cohesive look. I then wrapped a ribbon around the edges and the center of the wings. I also created a magic wand using the Blazing Star pattern by Sunflower Seams. To make the wand more personal, I added on layering labels from Shine Bright Labels that perfectly embody who she is.
This dress is more than just a piece of clothing – it’s a representation of my daughter’s imaginative world, where soft edges and whimsical shapes define her view. I’m incredibly proud of how this dress turned out, and I hope it inspires others to see the beauty in subtle textures and soft hues. Sometimes, the most magical creations come from looking at the world through a softer, more imaginative lens.
Sara Jean – Boho Elegance
This week was tough for me. I have discovered that soft materials are not my forte. After several failed attempts, I was inspired by the soft, flowing Bohemian-style dresses filling my Instagram feed. The rich teal color is my favorite for fall, and this soft voile was the ultimate choice for spinning in the falling leaves. The free-spirited bohemian aesthetic was perfect for my wild child, and the lace added a romantic, soft focus and a touch of elegance.
I created the Boho Elegance dress using a soft, sheer cotton voile, vintage ribbon, and hand-dyed lace. I used RIT dyemore on white, floral lace and it took a few tries to get the right color mix to match the voile. For the construction of the dress, I started with Peony Pattens Dahlia Dress. I added a lace tie to the cutout in the back to match the lace ruffle on the skirt. I created a flutter sleeve and drafted a split bodice and v-neck for extra drama. I made an angular shape waistband and sewed in ruched material to soften the waist seam. The skirt is a slight high-low maxi with 2 layers of soft lace ruffles. I added a vintage ribbon to the exposed seam of the lace. My dress-hating girl loved this one because it is so soft and lightweight. The twirl factor was a big win!
Anna – Vintage Blush
Soft focus can have multiple meanings and I wanted to play off of them in week 2. In photography, it is used to create a slightly blurred image to invoke a dreamy or almost ethereal feeling. To achieve this look, I used an open aperture and golden hour lighting.
Having astigmatism, my vision is always in soft focus. It allows me to see the blending of light and colors. You can achieve this by relaxing your eyes and opening your perception. It allows you to to take things in as a whole, appreciating the many parts of a work harmonizing at once. I created a look with many layers, textures, and shades of pink and gold. When you soft focus your eyes, it creates a soft vintage blush that brings feelings of fondness, gentleness, youth, and health.
To create this look, I focused on soft, natural fabrics. I began with the Oxford blouse from Little Lizard King using cotton dimity fabric and organic cotton lining. Instead of using buttons up the back, I turned it into a zippered back. I cut the puff sleeves down the center to create an open sleeve, hemmed them in, then I added binding to the end of the sleeve and an eye and hook closure to keep it closed. I sewed a daisy flower button on top. My second daughter loves to be stylish and wear dresses, but she also loves to run and climb and jump. In order to create a look that was play friendly, I decided to make her pants, but I wanted them to look like a maxi skirt. I used gauze because it is soft, comfortable, and breathable. I began with a basic jeans pattern, added elastic to the back waistband, pleats in the front with daisy buttons and made the legs wide to mimic the look of a skirt. To add dimension to the look, I added a quilted jacket from Frollein S using the Storm pattern from Boo and Lu. I adjusted the welt pocket location and made it seamlessly lined with a vintage floral. Finally, I made her a bejeweled headband and a handbag with the quilted fabric and a vintage handkerchief.
Bekah – The Secret Garden
“Where you tend a rose my lad, a thistle cannot grow.”
Lucette and I present another literary interpretation of this week’s theme: Soft Focus in The Secret Garden
Translucent embroidered tulle and the softest sage washed cotton paired well with the patterns for Pirates So Classic sundress pattern.
I fussy cut some of the tulle and hand stitched it with translucent thread to better embellish the front bodice.
The straps were widened and a little gathered puff “sleeve” was added. Instead of measuring the two skirts, I just used everything I had, making this a low waste project.
Bekah Adams
@clothed.in.vermillion
Katie – Pom Pom Party
When I heard the theme Soft Focus my first thought was glamour shots and soap operas from the 80s, the soft light, blurred lines, and warm feel. Then I snapped back to present day. How to embody the 80s drama but make it Fashion? I wanted to create a look that played on textures and soft fabrics, that was colourful, but with muted tones, and where the drama can build. An outfit that can match my daughter’s more is better style and her large personality. Just like many runway shows, where the collection builds to the final feature – bridal or ball – this outfit blooms from basics to bash. Introducing Pom Pom Party.
Pom Pom Party – a fashion collection in one outfit – where the pom poms bloom throughout. Mix and match the pieces to create versatile, flexible options to extend those fancy party dresses. The simple pink dress is playground approved juxtaposed against the shiny high tops for the ready to play look. The dress uses Boo & Lu Solstice dress pattern as a starting point, made with the luxuriously soft cotton lycra jersey from Shear Perfection, in a soft pink. Pair the dress with knee high socks and hair clip bow with a hint of pom poms – foreshadowing what is to come. The socks are a hack of the Opal pattern from Petite Stitchery, with added tulle and poms.
Next, layer on a cropped cardigan, to elevate the look. I used a combination of Petite Stitchery patterns (Arlo, Tori, Charlie), and some trial and error to create this hidden snap placket, with puffed bishop sleeves cardigan that features a splash of poms. Then layer on the feature bubble skirt for the final pom pom burst. Layers of soft pink tulle, with a top bubble skirt that features a hidden pocket on the inside to easily change the skirt fill to reflect different themes and events. A full pom pom party! Hop over to www.instagram.com/custom_by_kate if you want to learn more.
These are all so amazing! Everyone went all out this week creating beautiful, soft looks! It’s an impossible task, but try to choose a favorite in the poll below. It closes at 8pm EST on Tuesday, 9/10. Then, come back on Wednesday to vote for your favorite in the next group!