Project Run and Play- Week Three:On Safari

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Wow!  I can’t believe I’m here on week three!  This competition has been so fun and I’m so lucky to be doing it with such amazing, fun ladies.  They’ve been knocking it out of the park and keeping me on my toes.

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This weeks theme is Halloween Costumes.  I have a confession- I HATE sewing costumes!  So much work for something that gets worn once or twice.  I’m far too practical for that.  In the past my handmade costumes have been quick, easy projects.  This competition pushed me to spend a lot more time on their looks BUT I also stayed true to myself and made pieces that can be worn long after the last piece of Halloween candy has been eaten.

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Their costumes this year are a little tribute to their Grandma and Grandpa who are serving a humanitarian mission in South Africa and Zimbabwe.  Some of us were lucky enough to get to visit them and a highlight of our trip was an amazing three-day safari.  We thought it would be a special homage to them to plan our Halloween costumes around an African theme.  (Little brother will also be wearing his favorite RTW lion costume-roar!)

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Sophie’s outfit is one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever done.  I used the Cafe Romper from Sew Straight and Gather.  This girl loves rompers but can never find one that fits her tall, skinny body.  I added two inches to both the bodice and pants to get the perfect fit for her.  We skipped the hidden button placket in order to showcase these brushed gold buttons.  I added cargo pockets to the bodice and also to the pants.  She loves ALL the pockets!

A faux button sleeve tab and leather pocket tab are little details that really elevate this outfit.  I used a faux suede from Joann’s for this romper.  I love the look and she loves how soft and comfortable it is.

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For those chilly Halloween nights she can throw on her cozy quilted knit bomber jacket, made using the Ollie Bomber Jacket from Sew A Little Seam.  The quilted knit is from Hobby Lobby.  It’s such a great jacket- chic and so on trend.  She will get lots and lots of wear out of this piece.

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This girl is ready to hit the savanna!

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Payton is comfy and cute in her leopard costume.  I went simple and easy and made pieces that will mix and match into her wardrobe when Halloween is over.  I used this fabric from CaliFabrics and it was perfect!  My original plan was to make a one-piece skinsuit with a built-in tail.  Then the practical side of me kicked in 😉  This is much easier to wear and going to the bathroom will actually be doable, haha!

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Her top is a slimmed down Flashback Skinny Tee modified to have a mock-neck and thumb-hole cuffs.

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Her leggings are our favorite pattern- the Love Notions free Leggins’.  They fit my girls like a glove!

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Her tail is a simple belt that can easily be taken on and off.

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To keep her warm on Halloween night I did a self drafted scarf-neck cardigan using sleeves from the Hatteras Hoodie from Hey June.  I used a cheap blanket from Wal-Mart that is both comfy and warm.  I added pockets to keep her treasures too!

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We had such a blast shooting these looks.  We headed to our little slice of savanna and it was just amazing!

 

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We’ve had such a blast sharing our creations with you during this competition.  It’s really been a dream come true and I’ve had so much fun working with my kids on these looks.  I hope to stick around for next week so we can show you our ‘Signature Looks’.  Take a quick minute to head over and vote over at Project Run and Play.  Thanks for stopping by!

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Project Run and Play: Week Two-I’m an Autumn

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Fall in Utah is my absolute favorite!  The vibrant leaves, cooler weather and trips to our favorite pumpkin patch are things I look forward to all year.

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It was so fun sewing for this week’s Project Run and Play challenge- I’m an Autumn: using the warm colors of Autumn for your primary color palette (red, orange, yellow, and brown).  Now admittedly, I’m NOT an autumn and I’m drawn to much cooler colors so this was initially a bit of a challenge for me.  I had nothing at all in my stash in those colors so we took a trip to the fabric store (five fabric stores to be exact!).

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I had a vision for this dress right from the start and finding the perfect fabric proved to be harder than I thought it would.  With our short time frame I knew I had to find it locally and I finally settled on this gorgeous charmeuse from Joann.  It has such beautiful drape and worked so well for this maxi.

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I used the Lil Luxe Dress from Lil Luxe Collection as the base for this dress.  I added the long sleeves and pockets from the Starlight City Dress, also by Lil Luxe Collection.  I cinched the sleeves with elastic to create a bit of volume in them.  I used the width of the fabric for the skirt portion adding to the drama of this dress.

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I raised the back curve a couple of inches.  This dress will get worn to church ALOT and I wanted her to feel comfortable in it.  And boy does she!  She absolutely loves it!  She’s all about the maxi dresses and this is her new favorite!

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To complete her look I made a luxurious faux fur vest.  She’s always wanted one and this was the perfect outfit for it!

I used my go-to t shirt pattern the City Park Tee from Hey June Handmade to start with.  I drafted the vest using the bodice pieces with only slight modifications.  It’s fully lined in a super soft tweed and closes with a hook and eye at the chest.  She’s anxious to wear it with her favorite skinny jeans and boots once the weather stays cooler.

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I was so excited to sew for this little guy too!  He’s not the easiest to photograph but he’s always a super grateful recipient.

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The highlight of his outfit is a vest made using the BBC Vest from Shwin Designs.  Flannel and leather are such an amazing combo for fall.

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It’s so soft and cozy and will make a great layering piece in his wardrobe.  I lined it in cream stretch denim to make it a bit more structured.

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The leather details elevate it and I was a little nostalgic digging through my great-grandma’s buttons for this project.  These were exactly what I was looking for to finish off this vest.

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His pants are Moto Maxx bottoms from Love Notions.  I love the details on these and they were so fun to play with.

In my endless fabric search I was trying to find soft, comfortable khaki twill.  Everything I found was stiff and not what I had in mind so I headed to my hubby’s closet.  I stole his beloved well worn khakis and they worked like a dream!  I did diamond quilting on the knees and lined them with flannel from the vest.  Comfortable, warm pants will be well loved this fall.

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I did triple stitching on the waistband and slightly cropped them to be more like the joggers his big brothers are so fond of.  This little man wants to be exactly like them so he loves his new cool pants!

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His tee is an ode to another fall staple- long days at the soccer fields!  This little guy is so excited to be on his first soccer team after spending much of his life watching all his siblings play.  He’s definitely got the soccer thing down and this tee is a winner.

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I used the Made for Mermaids Rowan Raglan and slimmed it down to fit better under his vest.  I love this pattern and all the options it comes with.  He loves hoods so I’ll be adding them whenever I can.

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These two are just loving their new looks!

Make sure to head over to Project Run and Play to see the other competitors looks and to vote for your favorite!  We hope you like our Autumn look as much as we do!

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Project Run and Play:Week One Pokemon Ispired

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I’m ecstatic to be here sharing my first look for Project Run and Play.  It’s truly a dream come true to be competing in Season 12.  The other competitors are so talented and I’m excited to join them for this ride.

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The theme for week 1 is Pokemon Inspired.  Did you all catch Pokemon fever this summer? We got a tiny taste of it but it was quickly forgotten for days at the pool and afternoons with cousins.  When the theme was announced I knew I was in trouble!  After hitting the internet and talking with my kids we decided to go with the quintessential Pokemon icons- Pikachu and the all important Pokeball.

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Pikachu is such a cute little character. That bright yellow was so fun to work with.  I used the Blake Pattern from Mingo and Grace for the base of our look.  It’s such a classic pattern that I turn to again and again.

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I used this fabric from Joann’s.  It was pretty thin but the texture and color were just what I was looking for.  I lined everything and it worked wonderfully.  Joann’s had this amazing zipper that totally changed the direction I was going for on this look.  It matched the fabric perfectly and is reminiscent of Pikachu’s little stripes on its back.  I couldn’t pass it up!

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I added a detachable collar using the free Tiffany Collar from Made For Mermaids.  Lace leggings (this fabric was a perfect match!) complete the outfit.  Such a bright, fun look that will get worn often!

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My little Poke Ball was actually a real challenge for me.  I used the Sloane Skinny Jeans pattern from Violette Fields Threads for her super fun tuxedo stripe pants.  This is as close to sewing jeans as I’ve gotten and I think I may be ready to tackle the real deal soon…baby steps 😉

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I used a white denim and black sequin fabric for the pants.  I topstitched my heart out and love the great finish it adds.  The top is a take on the Calla Lily Crop Top.  This shirt was almost scrapped after my original plan for it was a huge disaster.  Let’s just say this gabardine and I got really friendly with the seam ripper.  I’m grateful for my ever growing stash of trims because this ball fringe was absolutely meant to be!  I love little happy accidents!  Bonus points- Black and red are her new school colors so I know this top will get worn again and again!

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I modified the top to use a facing since this fabric was so thick to begin with.  I added length and straightened out the hi-low a bit.  I love the boxiness of this top while still being fitted at the shoulders.  My little miss felt like such a rock star in this look!

We headed to downtown Salt Lake for this shoot.  It’s just a short fifteen minutes from us and I wish we went more often.  These pics were all taken in a one block radius!  Man, I love the city!

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Thanks for joining me on this adventure!  Make sure you head over to Project Run and Play to vote for your favorite look.

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My Little Golden Valentine

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Gold, gold and more gold!

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The theme for Project Run and Play this week is ‘All That Glitters’ and I knew I couldn’t pass up a chance to sew along.

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This girl especially needed more sparkle in her life!

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I used the Dressage Leggings from Jennuine Designs for the bottoms.  The gold is jegging performance knit from Joann’s (a half yard at 50% off was totally worth it).  The floral is from Girl Charlee and while the print is fantastic the fabric itself has little stretch and recovery.  Luckily the gold is super stretchy and more than makes up for it.

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I love, love little tooshes in these leggings!  She declared these her favorite pants EVER!  So comfy and she loves the sparkle.

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The top is a new Hey June junior’s pattern- the Camden Raglan.  It’s currently in testing and I can’t wait til everyone can get their hands on it.

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We finished with a gold iron on heart from Hobby Lobby and my girl is officially ‘Goldalicious’!

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Such a fun little outfit that will get worn year round!  She paired it with a denim jacket for school today and it was true love!  I love these pieces as separates and know they’ll get worn again and again.

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Lovin’ my little Valentine!