Project Run and Play

Sewing Friends: Courtney from Sweeter Than Cupcakes

2013-06-19T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hi all! I’m Courtney, and you can find me over at Sweeter Than Cupcakes. What I love most about Project Run & Play is how it pushes me to try new things. During the last season’s “It’s all in the details” week, I created the shirt below with a twisted, pleated shoulder detail.

I thought then that the twisted pleat would be fun for an applique, so today I bring you the twisted pleat flag tee perfect for the 4th of July.

To make this tee you will need a plain tee, striped fabric for the twisted pleats, and a rectangular scrap for the “stars.” Cut a rectangle of striped fabric larger than you want the final flag shape to be. You can trim things down later.

Fold the fabric wrong sides together along one of the stripes and pin.

Sew along the next stripe over.

Keep pinning and sewing stripes together until the fabric piece is all pleated. Just keep your spacing equal and leave room on each end to sew it to the shirt.

Press one side of the pleats up and the other side down. Baste along each side. Trim the rectangle to the desired size plus 1/4” all around

Turn the tee inside out and pin the right side of the striped fabric to the wrong side of the front of the tee.

Sew around the rectangle with 1/4” seam allowance.

Turn the tee right side out. Carefully pull the tee away from the striped fabric and cut it away. I cut from the center out to the corners and then trimmed along the edges.

Use Heat-n-bond to adhere the “star” fabric in the corner. This is slightly tricky because it’s not a completely flat surface, but you just need it to stick in place long enough to sew around.

Zigzag stitch around the “star” fabric.

You’re done! Now, you have a dimensional flag detail with those twisted pleats.

Come visit my blog to see my handsome nephew wearing his new shirt! Courtney http://sweeterthancupcakes.blogspot.com/

A Flashback Tutorial: The Starboard Skirt

2013-06-18T04:30:00.000-06:00

This flashback tutorial is actually from 2 years ago!

But...it's still one of our very favorite.

It's the Starboard skirt:

I still love this skirt.

(And it makes a great skirt for ladies to...not just girls!)

For the complete tutorial just click here:

The Starboard Skirt Tutorial

Have a happy Tuesday!

Sewing Friends: Jenn from A Jennuine Life

2013-06-17T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hey Project Run & Play readers! I'm Jenn from A Jennuine Life. I am so. excited. to be joining you as a Sewing Friend - what an honor!

I have been avidly following along since the very first season. There is always so much talent displayed in the competition and great new blogs to follow. I had never sewn along with a season. When I decided to try out for a spot in Season 6 even though the timing couldn't have been worse I made a deal with myself that I had to complete every challenge regardless. I didn't make it into the competition, but I did satisfy my bargain and finished a look or looks for each week:

And I had an absolute blast!

Today I'd like to share a project I made using the skills I built while sewing along with Project Run & Play, and then put to use when I did make it onto a sewing competition - Sew-vivor hosted by Rach at Family Ever After. I used my Sparkle, Shine, Swirl dress I completed for the signature look challenge as my audition piece.

The first round for Sew-vivor was the Emerald Challenge. I'd had this vision of a dress with a plunging back and sash at the empire waistline for a long time. I found this adorable green on white dotty ombre fabric from Moda's Simply Color line by V and Co. but after sewing it I decided that it wasn't "emerald" enough for the challenge.

You might have heard the term "wearable muslin" which means making your first draft dress out of fabric that you would actually wear instead of just cheap unbleached cotton. So that's the approach I took for this dress and my "muslin" has gotten much more wear than the fancy "finished" version.

Wanna make your own? Here's how:

I drafted my bodice using a basic sloper I've used many times and know fits well. I adjusted the front neckline to bring it up higher to follow the line of her collarbone and the back with a gentle curve to about 3" from the bottom back. I was shooting to have the sash about halfway between the neck and the waist and line up comfortably below the arms. Cut bodice front and back from main and lining fabrics.

With right sides together (RST) sew at shoulders for both front and lining. Press seams open.

With RST, sew along neckline and arms. Be sure to leave the side and bottom seams open. If you prefer button loops, this would be the time to insert them into the seam at the lower back. I used buttonholes for this one. Clip curves, turn right sides out and press.

This is difficult to show in pictures, but with RST align the side seams outer front fabric to outer back fabric, and lining front to lining back. Be sure to match up the seam at the armpit. Repeat for the opposite side.

Finish the bottom edges in your preferred method. I used my serger (I call her Nina).

Cut your skirt pieces. For the dotty dress I had only purchased a yard of fabric, so I was able to squeak out two pieces about 2x the total bodice width x 14". I cut one piece in half across the long edge and finished all the edges. Sew back pieces together with RST, leaving an inch or so open at the top to line up with the bodice back opening. Press and sew seam allowances down along the opening. Sew front to back with RST. Hem the bottom edge. As my skirt was only 14" I had to do a narrow hem for this dress. Run two lines of basting stitches within the seam allowance to gather the skirt.

With RST match and pin back edges and side seams of the skirt and the bodice front. Pull the bobbin threads to gather the skirt until each section fits where pinned. Spread out the gathers until they're even and then pin generously. Sew, remove pins and press.

Pinning from the inside, match up the lining bottom edge with the skirt bottom edge and then fold down the lining so it aligns with the stitching where the skirt is attached. Topstitch from the outside a scant 1/8" above the waist seam.

I didn't take pictures of the sash, but it was pretty straightforward. I wanted it very simple, so I just cut a rectangle about 3.5" wide by a couple of inches longer than the chest measurement just below the arms. Sew together leaving an opening for turning along one long edge. Clip corners, turn and press. Pin in place along bodice using a ruler to get it nice and straight and stitch in place about 1/8" from edge. Add buttonholes (and sewn button loops if you're using those) and buttons.

There you are! I hope to sew along again in upcoming seasons - maybe without the set prerequisite to finish every one this time. If you haven't sewn along and want to try, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so! Not only did I make some really fun outfits, I've made some great friendships with other sew along-ers!

If you'd like to see more of my sewing, crafting, DIY (or whatever else I scheme up to try), come on over to A Jennuine Life for a visit and stay a while!

Sewing Friends: Zoeope from Zoeeden Designs

2013-06-14T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hi, I an Zoeope from Zoeeden Designs. I am a working mother with three children and I lovee!! making dresses for my girls mostly. I'm just so happy when they outgrow thier dresses, more excuse to make more. :) Thank you so much for inviting me over Project run and play. I have been blessed by this website with all the tutorials and designs posted and I am so happy to be able to 'give' back.

I play with the basic bodice pattern a lot. I use it for pretty much everything. I just alter and use it. Used it for Dresses, Jackets, A-line dresses, different neck designs etc.
I get my dress designs mostly on-line as I don't go shopping for clothes (ha ha ). One place is pinterest, I have my own collection there now. I came across this dress one day and thought it will make a nice design for a little lady. :) So I made mine. Will show you how to alter the front bodice to get this design.

Inspiration Picture from Pinterest

Tutorial for making front bodice piece.

This was made for a three year old.

Front Bodice with grainline

Take your front bodice pattern, mark out the 'fold' and 'grainline' (this helps you position your pattern piece on the straight grain of the fabric for cutting)

Take a ruler and draw out a slant line. Notice that the ruler is not at the tip of the fold line, if you do this, the centre piece will form a "v" which is not what I wanted.

The slant line is the pink line which is then cut.

Add your seam allowance to the two pattern pieces.

Pieces all cut out.

Skirt here was for second dress.

Side front pinned to centre piece

Pin the two side front to the centre front piece, sew.

Front Bodice ready

This is your new front piece. Take a look at the picture and you will notice that the black (centre piece) extends down a bit at the bottom and up a bit at the shoulders. Trim.

Note: this trimming did not affect the size of my top bodice but if you feel it might then add about 0.5" to the length of the pattern from the beginning.

Variation
The centre piece could be made into horizontal pleats for added texture/effect.
Simply get a piece of fabric three times the length of pattern piece and 1" wider than its width.
e.g bodice was 9.5" long and 9" at width. Fabric used will be 30" long and 10" wide.
Make the pleats (1" wide), Iron in place, then place pattern on top and cut.
Jess from craftiness is not optional has a similar tutorial on her site.

Skirt: Long rectangle pleated at the sides.

My shirt piece was just a long rectangle 76" long. ( I like me a full skirt !!) which is then pleated at the two sides. To get this, fold your long rectangle skirt into two. At the centre I measured 6" (inches) then did the pleats after that on the two sides leaving another 3" after that to have the same look at the back.

I then join the front bodice to the back bodice (back bodice not altered) at shoulder and sides.

Join the bodice to the skirt

Add the zip at the back.

Will not go into too much construction details, which can be found on-line.

She will not standstill for a picture, decided to use my dummy.

Extras

I always make the same thing for my girls. This time around however I wanted to try out a different design so came up with this second dress.

Thank you so much for having me, hope to visit again.

To all the wonderful ladies (and men) out there, keep designing and God bless you. :)

Thank you Project run and play!!!

Sponsor Spotlight: Fishsticks Designs

2013-06-13T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hi there, fellow sewing enthusiasts! I’m Bonnie, the owner and designer at Fishsticks Designs. I’m "Momma" to six children ranging in age from 23 to 3, and "Gi-Gi" to two little ones, too. No, I’m not a lover of frozen fishsticks, but I am a lover of sewing – sewing well and sewing efficiently and sewing practically! I believe that sewing should be fun, not hard, and you should love the end result. (If you want to know the whole story behind the funny name, you’ll have to hop over to my blog and read my “About Me”.)

I started designing patterns about 7 years ago for my own online sewing business and really jumped in with both feet when my fifth child (and third son) was born. I wanted to sew cute clothes for my little guy, and there just weren’t a lot of options available at the time, especially options for clothing that is comfortable and practical. I remember reading a quote from a well-known designer at the time who said in essence that she designed primarily for girls because no one was purchasing designs for boys. I was sure, though, that there must be a market for boys’ patterns – it just hadn’t quite been discovered yet! It’s so exciting to see today that moms (and grandmothers and aunts) are sewing for their little guys and enjoying it as much as sewing for their daughters! (I am adding little girls’ sewing patterns to my collection now, too, but I have no plans to stop creating for your little boys!)

One of the basic elements of each of my patterns is practicality. I never leave out fun and interesting options to give character to your sewing, but when you grab one of my patterns, I want you to want to go back to it again and again. Even better, though, I want your child to wear it again and again. Personally, while I do sometimes sew for special occasions, when I put the time into sewing something, I want it to get plenty of use! (Jackets and hoodies are among my favorite things to sew because they get an incredible amount of use when compared to other things.)

I happen to love sewing with knits because they’re so comfortable. (If I had to guess, I’d bet it’s pretty likely that you’re wearing a knit top right now while you’re reading this! I am . . . and knit pants, too, because I’m typing very early in the morning while sitting in my car waiting for my 13-year-old son’s track team to come back from their morning run. Multi-tasking is a way of life around here!) Many of my patterns are sewn with knit fabrics, and I know that some of you are afraid of knit fabrics. Don’t be! With the right tools and a really short learning curve, you will fall in love with sewing knits, too!

Each of my patterns is available in your choice of instant download PDF or snail mailed full-size paper pattern. All of my patterns contain step-by-step instructions with photographs and word explanations of every step. I say it’s like hanging out in my sewing studio with me, or at least the closest we can get without you actually stopping by for a visit. Really, though, if you need extra help, you can always call on me or my assistant to walk you through. We’re just an email away!

I hope you’ll stop by my website and check out my patterns, or even better, come visit my blog to see what I’m working on, learn something new about sewing (maybe check out my Knit Knowledge series), join in with some of the charity sewing projects that I support, or download a free tutorial and sew something fun today!

Sewing Friends: Michelle from Handmade Martini

2013-06-12T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hello, Project Run and Play readers! I'm Michelle from Handmade Martini, and I am thrilled to be joining you today!

Here's a confession: I've been following PR&P since Season One. I remember eagerly subscribing to each of the contestants' blogs and being amazed and inspired by their work. (Still am.) When the lovely ladies announced there would be a sew-along a few seasons in, I did a little dance.

(Right now I'm reigning myself in so I don't become weird-fan-turns-creeper blog guest.)

Today I'd like to show you one of the first things I made for my boys. . . a layered knit applique t-shirt. These are great because they get better with each wash, they can be personalized with your child's interests, and they require very little fabric if you use a store-bought t-shirt.

So, let's get started!

I chose to mimic a Mini-Boden t-shirt. Mini-Boden is my favorite source for great appliques. This t-shirt is sold out, but it was an infants' shirt that immediately caught my pirate-loving boys' eyes.

For this version, I used store-bought t-shirts. Of course you could make your own, too!

source

1. Pick your design. Trace it or sketch it out on thin paper of your choosing.

2. Trace over your pencil markings in fine-tipped marker ink.

3. Flip the design over and trace it again in marker on the other side. (You'll be working with the mirror image of your original design.)

4. Place your double-sided fusible web product (I prefer Wonder Under) on top of your mirror image. Trace each element of the design separately onto the smooth side of the fusible web. As you're tracing, try to think about which pieces will be layered under others and include a little extra there. For example, I knew my pirate's coat would go under his beard, so I extended the coat a tad. You want to layer the pieces where they meet.

5. Be sure to include each element. It's helpful to label the colors of each piece.

6. Roughly cut around each piece of fusible web and iron it onto the wrong side of your knit fabric according to the product's directions. (I was making two shirts here, which is why you see two of each piece.)

7. Cut around your traced lines for each piece.
8. Peel off the backing of your fusible web to reveal the other sticky side.
9. Arrange the pieces on the shirt, making sure pieces are layered just how you want them.

10. Once your pieces are arranged to your liking, iron to set the fusible web according to the package directions.
11. Stitch around the pieces. I prefer to use a straight stitch on knit applique. (I use a ball point needle.) This part can be tedious, especially if you have several pieces and change out your thread for each color. Just take it slow and enjoy the process. (Ha. Or just listen to Hunger Games on audio to distract you from the tedium.)
12. For tiny pieces (like eyes), I use the manual wheel on my machine to help with accuracy.

13. To get all those threads from the front to the back, flip the shirt inside out. Pull on one of the exposed threads. A loop will appear.

14. Use the dull end of your seam ripper (or a needle or something), insert it into the loop, and pull the thread through from the front of the fabric.

15. Tie off. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. (Seriously. Audio books are the best thing to happen for my sewing life.)

17. I prefer to iron lightweight fusible interfacing onto the inside of the shirt over the tied threads. They can get scratchy.
18. Embroider details that can't be appliqued - like eyes, eyebrows, hooks, etc. It's pretty easy to find instructions for basic embroidery stitches online.

The possibilities are endless with this type of applique! It takes some time for complicated ones, but the end result is pretty awesome.

Here are some others I've unabashedly knocked off from Boden. I blogged about the hedgehog t-shirt and the train t-shirts if you're interested.
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Thank you so much for having me! Enjoy your summer, everyone!

A Flashback Tutorial: The Endora Top

2013-06-11T04:30:00.000-06:00

It's time for another Flashback tutorial!

This is a shirt that I made for Grace last summer that got a lot of wear.

It was one of my favorite summer items for her. And it's one of those quick 30 minute projects.

For the full tutorial just click here:

The Endora Top

Have a great Tuesday!

Sewing Friends: RaeAnna from Sewing Mama RaeAnna

2013-06-10T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hello PR&P readers! I'm RaeAnna from Nashville - long time "listener", first time "caller!" :)
Seriously, I am soooooooo excited that this is my first time posting on the Project Run & Play website!
I found out about PR&P during season 4 and fell in love with blogging about kids clothes sewing! I'm enjoying my own blog growth as I continue sewing for my 3 year old boy and 1 year old girl in my spare time as a stay at home mommy!
(For all my Project Run & Play sew along looks click here!)

I was inspired by some pictures of 1950's baby clothes and came up with this self drafted playsuit for the summer! I had some gingham seersucker to use that works great with this design! And as soon as I made it I have been finding gingham style posts around the internet EVERYWHERE! LOL! I'm glad to know I'm "trending"!

You'll need:
existing shirt/bloomers to draft your pattern
fabric
2 metal grommets
elastic
ribbon or bias tape for the drawstring neck tie

Here we go!

This completes your top! You can use this technique for any of your existing patterns - I think it creates such a cute and "vintage-y" vibe!

Thank you for reading and I would love to have you join me in my sewing adventures on my blog! Come visit my blog today for the tutorial of how I made the bloomers to match!

Cheers!

Glam Fabrics Giveaway Winner is.....

2013-06-10T02:30:00.000-06:00

The winner of the Madhuri bundle and the $30 gift certificate to Glam Fabrics is.....

countrycuttinsJune 6, 2013 at 4:22 PM

LOVE anything Riley Blake!!!

Congratulations!!!!

Sewing Friends: Marnae from the Powell Family

2013-06-07T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hi! I'm Marnae, a licensed Veterinarian, chosen stay-at-home-mom, who has a passion for sewing. I blog at The Powell Family, where I share bit of life along with a little sewing...and I'm excited to be here today!

While I love the ease of a sleeveless bodice, it's nice to have the coverage of sleeves without having to sew them in, or layer with a T-shirt. I tried to add a faux cap sleeve to a sleeveless bodice in this dress, but it didn't translate well. So, when I found this pattern book at the library I was excited to find steps that I could follow to switch a basic bodice to a "dropped shoulder" bodice. This is such a great technique because it can be applied to virtually any bodice, and creates a cap sleeve without having to set in a sleeve. I started with the Flashback Skinny Tee from Made By Rae...and went a little crazy!

I started by making a reversible option, then a regular basic dress, then a color-blocked version, then a drawstring waist/cinched shoulder version and the list goes on (see above collage). I think I have made at least 8 different variations of this dress--using both woven and knit materials. Obviously I won't show you how I made all of them, but I will show you how to do the basic pattern alteration, and let YOU run with it. It is kind of addictive...PLUS, and this is a huge plus, the dresses are comfortable, perfect for summer, and best of all practical. My girls have worn all the variations several times already..my youngest wore her pink/black striped version two days in a row, and then climbed up on a chair to retrieve it from the dirty clothes! I also utilized many thrift store T-shirts, and at 25 cents a piece, made for lots of dirt cheap dresses. I only used yardage on a few dresses, and all of that was thrifted except for one piece. So...are you ready to learn how to make your own dropped-shoulder dress?

First, choose your favorite bodice pattern (or make your own). I used the Flashback skinny Tee (I went up a size to a 7/8, which fits both my 5 year old and my newly 7 year old) for this example. I also ended up using a scaled down free T-shirt pattern from Made (4-5 T) to make a dress for my three year old (Melly Sews also has a free 2-4T pattern here), and used the bodice from the Spring Fever Dress (omitting the cut out in back) to create a dropped shoulder dress from woven material.
Trace around the original pattern onto freezer paper, or your choice of paper. ( I use old design draft sheets from my husbands engineering firm)

For steps 1-5 refer to the above picture

Step 1: Draw a line from the point of the shoulder at the armhole, across the bodice and intersecting with the center front at a 90 degree angle (from small yellow pin to large yellow pin). You will probably have to extend the center front line up a little.

Step 2: Extend the shoulder 3 1/4" from this line (small yellow pin to the large red pin). This is the same number stated in the pattern book for an adult pattern, but I found it worked well for the size 5/6 dresses I made. If you want a more subtle sleeve, decrease the amount you extend the line, and for a more exaggerated sleeve, extend the line more. (I decreased the length of the line to 2 3/4" for the 3T that I made, but that number (3 1/4") should work for most dress sizes 5/6 and up--you could even make one for you!!...just drop to armhole to 1 1/4")

Step 3: Draw a line from the extended point (large red pin) to the top of the neckline (small red pin).

Step 4: Drop the armhole slightly (from large green pin to small green pin). The pattern book suggests 1 1/4" for an adult pattern; I scaled it back to 3/4" for my 5/6 dresses, and 1/2" for my 3T.

Step 5: Join the new armhole mark (small green pin) to the extended line (large red pin) from step #3.

Step 6: Repeat for the back bodice. (see below for finished bodice without lines)

Step 7: To check the fit of the armhole, place the front and back shoulders together (butting the shoulders up against each other and matching the neckline) and trim if necessary to fit.

Step 8: Extend bodice as desired. I chose a simple A-line for most of the knit dresses, but also used the bodice as is, attached to a circle skirt (in both knit and woven material) and a gathered skirt (from woven material).

That's it. Simple alteration, but so many possibilities!
A few notes:
1. For my knit versions, I finished all the necks by binding them with ribbing/knit loosely based on the lengths given from the bodice pattern I used.

If you made your own pattern, and don't know how long to cut your binding, you can go here. She gives you a formula to use to determine how much binding you will need if you are making your own pattern. BUT, you also need to take into account how much stretch your ribbing/knit material has. I have found that the more stretch a knit (i.e. spandex/lycra content) has, the longer I need my piece to be...and conversely, the less stretch or rebound a knit has, the shorter you want your piece to be.

2. To finish the sleeves, I tried several options: binding with knit (similar to the neck), creating a small, narrow hem, or leaving the edges raw. In the end, I preferred to finish the sleeves with a narrow hem BEFORE I sewed the sides of the dress together. Simply mark the bottom of your armhole, and hem from the front of the dress to the mark on the back, then stitch the front and back together, stopping at the bottom of your armhole. I also liked to reinforce the armhole with a zigzag stitch horizontally across the bottom of the armhole just through the seam allowance.

3. To hem the bottom, I either used the existing hem (if possible!!), bound the edge using knit bias tape, or hemmed it using stitch 22 on my Bernina.

I also sewed all the seams on my serger...BUT, that being said, it is entirely possible to sew knits on a regular machine. Rather than rehash all the "sewing with knit tips" that are out there, here are a few useful links:
Melly Sews--a post on sewing T-shirts 101 with pitfalls to avoid
Made-by-Rae-- Knits series.
Sewaholic--A list of sewing with knits tips/links

Now that we've covered all the boring stuff, on to the pretty pictures!! Here are some of the options that I came up with using the basic dropped shoulder alteration.
First up: Reversible Dress

For this version I used the basic dropped shoulder alteration, and essentially cut and sewed 2 separate dresses--except for the binding on the neck and sleeves. I added the pockets as an afterthought AFTER the dresses were sewn together, but if you want to add pockets, it would be much easier to add them before you sew the dresses together! Once you have your two dresses sewn together at the shoulders and sides(up to your armhole mark), place the dresses RST (one dress inside the other) and sew your hem at the bottom using your desired seam allowance. Pull dresses apart and put dresses together again(one dress inside the other) but this time making sure wrong sides are together. Match up the armholes/neck line. Bind arms and neck. I used a strip of one of the fabrics, folded it over, and sandwiched the two dresses in between, leaving the edge raw. Because of the properties of the fabric I used they rolled as I stretched them to fit the neckline, and created a cool rolled finish on the neck.

Option 2: Color-blocked A-line dress (with awesome gold trim and pocket!) my girls LOVED the gold. I used reclaimed spandex from a costume found at the thrift store and all thrifted T-shirts for these. Total cost: 25 cents! I used the basic dropped shoulder pattern, but cut the pattern into separate pieces, adding in seam allowances as needed as I cut out the separate pieces. Then I added the pocket, and sewed together the pieces to make a front and a back, sewed the shoulders, sewed up side seams and bound the neck. I left the armholes raw on this one, and it turned out great.

I also made another color-blocked one that I ended up binding the hem (because I forgot to take off the seam allowance on the pattern to allow for an existing hem on a T-shirt). Kicking myself for that one!!

Option 3: Basic
This one is as simple as it gets: two pattern pieces sewn together, bound at the neck with a narrow hem on the arm holes. Super quick to put together, also made from a thrifted T-shirt. This was a size three--the extension from the shoulder was smaller (2 3/4"), and the armhole drop was 1/2" as stated above.

Options 4, 5, 6,7 are more complicated, so I'll just show pictures and hopefully get some more in depth tutorials done for them on my blog. I have taken tutorial pictures...it would just be way too long to show them all here.

Option 4: Exaggerated dropped shoulder bodice (5 1/4" extension from shoulder) with ruched shoulders w/drawstring waist

Option 5: Exaggerated dropped shoulder dress with tab shoulders

Option 6/7: Basic dropped shoulder bodice and circle skirt (knit material) or Basic dropped shoulder bodice and circle skirt (woven material) with drawstring tie

Option 8: Basic dropped shoulder bodice (using the spring fever dress) from woven material ...this one may be my favorite! I used a thrifted, hand embroidered women's skirt, gathered it and attached it to the basic bodice. The bodice was cut from the top of the skirt material, but because I didn't have quite enough fabric, I used some vintage red/white flower material to create a band at the bottom of the bodice, trimmed in white grosgrain ribbon. My favorite part is the contrasting button placket. Silly, I know because you can't even see it!!

So there you have it. Kudos to you if you made it this far! I will hopefully have some more tutorials up for the last few options on my blog...so stop by if you are interested!

Sponsor Spotlight: Glam Fabrics

2013-06-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

Today we are spotlighting Jennie from Glam Fabrics. She started selling fabric because like many of us she has a addiction for pretty lines and lovely bundles. She loves to sew things for her home and feels that making a simple set of curtains can change the entire mood of a home (a girl after my own heart.)

Glam Fabrics sells fabric bundles (I love bundles ;) jelly roll packs, and even single yard or fat quarter sets.

Here are just some of the loveliness she offers

Free Spirit line

Dress- Up Days

And she even offers mix and match yard bundles for a CRAZY amount!!!

Plus, she is giving all PR&P readers a discount that will be good through this weekend!

The code is PRP15 for 15 percent off

Don't you love that?

And luckily for all of us, Jennie is doing a giveaway for this awesome

Madhuri bundle

ANDDD....

a $30 store credit to choose any fabrics you would like!

All you have to do is visit Glam Fabrics, tell us what your favorite fabric is and then come back and leave it in the comments.

Good luck!!!

A Flashback Tutorial: Paperbag Waist Capri's Tutorial

2013-06-04T04:30:00.000-06:00

Hello ladies!

We thought this summer it would be fun to share some of our favorite children's sewing tutorials from the past. So randomly in between our sewing friends tutorials and our sponsor spotlights we'll be sharing some oldies but goodies that are perfect for summer sewing.

Like this one:

Elizabeth's super simple instructions on how to make a paper bag waistband on your girl's capris.

To get the how to click here:

Paper Bag Capris

Have a happy Tuesday!

Sewing Friends: Major Mama from Without Directions

2013-06-03T04:30:00.000-06:00

Without Directions is a blog with four writers; a mom and her three daughters who all write under a pseudonym. Major Moma is the one that participates in the sew-along of Project Run and Play and is basically obsessed with it each season. So, she was quite excited when Without Directions was invited to guest post as part of the PRP Flickr Friends series. But, she is in the midst of a major move and all her sewing gear has been packed up since mid-April, so creating something just for this post was not option. And, there have been so many fabulous tutorials posted so far, we really did not have anything to add in that arena. Instead, we thought it would be fun to share a conversation about generational sewing for kids.

Major Moma: When I was a child, my mom (known as M on the blog) made a lot of my clothes. I remember it as being probably a 1/3 of my clothes being mom-made until I started to buy my own. Then she made only the special items I needed/wanted. Several of these special items were fancy dresses for high school dances.

Major Moma in a Kwik Sew t-shirt

M: When I sewed for my children, sewing was a necessity; we had very little extra to buy many clothes, and three little girls. I was raised with a mom who sewed constantly, and always believed handmade was best. I started with baby nightgowns, graduated to little overalls, and then little dresses. I didn't sew as much as my mom, but I thought if I wanted my kids not to wear just hand-me-downs, I had to sew.

Mc H and Major Moma in M made clothes

Major Moma: I first started sewing for children when I was pregnant with my first child. I mentioned to my mother that I would like to make my new baby girl’s wedding dress just like she had made mine. To that my mom replied, “Then you better start sewing her clothes now.” I took that advice and started to make baby items. I have been learning more and more skills as I sew for each of my children and it has become a great joy.

From the top clockwise, Abi in Kwik Sew coveralls (her fabric choice), Abi in Kwik Sew dress, and Eli in kwik sew overalls

To get me started, my mom gave me a book with pattern sheets called Kwik Sews Sewing for Toddlers. I have learned a ton from sewing these patterns again and again. I also love the retro look of the clothing and think it is fun that I am sewing from the same patterns that my mom did when she was sewing for me.

Major Moma in Kwik Sew overalls and M's parents

M: I liked sewing with knits for the kids, my mother was one of the first teachers of Stretch and Sew. So when Kwik Sew came out with that book with all those patterns..... it was great. Knit handmade clothes don't look homemade.

Winocologist in a Kwik Sew t-shirt

Winocologist in another Kwik Sew t-shirt

Major Moma: Now my biggest challenge is to adjust my sewing style and gain the right skills to keep my children interested in mom-made clothing. I still have a 2 year old that will not complain about what mom sews. But my older children are becoming more fashion conscious and I want them to see the clothes I make more as ‘custom’ instead of homemade.

M: I will say, most of the time my kids felt like I did; they could get better quality and a nicer dress or outfit if I made it. Money was always a limitation, and if you want a prom dress that didn't look like anyone else’s, (and that was always Major Moma's goal) you had it custom mom made.

Major Moma in yellow in an M dress M made

M: I didn't make everything, even when the kids were little. Major Moma is very ambitious. She sews even more than I did. I never bothered with jeans, and once the kids stopped using elastic waist pants, I bought them. But we had some great special occasion dresses. When I did them, I did them so my girls had really special dresses.

fancy dresses made by M

Little did I know that it was just practice for their wedding dresses...I made all three girls their wedding dresses using the skills gained on those fancy prom dresses.

wedding dresses made by M

Major Moma: And now I look forward to the day when I will be making special prom dresses and someday, wedding dresses.

And of course with this many years of sewing under our belt, we have some tips.

Thank you for letting us share a little bit of why we sew/sewed for our children. And thank you for all the inspirational sewing we see on PRP each season!

Why do you sew for your children? Who do you identify with more, M or with Major Moma?

Sewing Friends: Tone from Bless by Tone

2013-05-31T04:00:00.000-06:00

Wow - I'm so excited to be here today! I am Tone (Tuna) from Bless.
I had these great plans for this post. I got an email April 24th inviting me to participate with a guest post during the month of May. Yeah! I quickly found the romper below, and decided I wanted to make this - (I knew I wanted to make a summer outfit - we might be going to Florida this summer, eeeeeehhhh) I even wanted to make a pattern for you guys, with a wrap around skirt to go over it .... I bought the fabric, started to draft the pattern ...

Then this happened:

Jess from Craftiness is not optional made a beautiful set similar to the one I intended to make ...

A set back? Yes, a small one. I decided mine was still a little different and continued with my plans,

but then this happened:

A new pattern on the way from very talented Heidi from Elegance & Elephants ...

I decided to "kill" my plans ... and thought, looked, searched for some new information ...

Then it occurred! Project Run and Play .... Project Runway!

I then started looking for inspiration over at Project Runway and came across this dress:

Chloe Dao, season 2

Bless, season 1:

And here is my version, with a pattern in size 8 for you! It has three options in the back.
I present to you:

Søgne

[sə'ŋne]

Thank you so much for having me today!

Ps: My twins have VERY different taste in clothing and the one in the green dress didn't like this one ... a new pattern coming out soon over at Bless!

Sponsor Spotlight: The Ribbon Retreat

2013-05-30T04:30:00.000-06:00

The Ribbon Retreat is a global ribbon and fabric store that is amazing, fun, and full of top of the line products that inspire creativity daily. This fantastic business started as an online store in June of 2004. Over the years it has experienced a great deal of growth and in addition to an ever growing online business, also has an amazing retail store located in Shelley, Idaho.

The Ribbon Retreat was started in a most humble and simple way. In 2004, our owner, Lanae, decided she wanted to earn a little extra cash for Christmas. After stewing over what she could do to achieve this desire, she discovered that she could make and sell bows in a local craft show, on eBay, and on a small website. Not only did Lanae accomplish her goal and desire to make a little extra cash, she realized that she loved bows AND ribbon!

Because of her new found love for bow making her business was started and housed in the basement of her home. However, with love and nourishment, Lanae's ribbon business grew and grew and grew to the point that she needed help and lots of it. With the help of her husband, Justin, they created a bow maker to aide in the bow making process and in the creation of a more finished and professional looking bow. With the creation of this bow maker, The Ribbon Retreat business expanded even more and at great lengths to the point of both Lanae and Justin becoming full time employees of The Ribbon Retreat.

Although The Ribbon Retreat began with such humbleness, it is now a successful and thriving business comprised of over 25 employees and is housed in a 10,000 square foot building, including a beautifully modern and brand new retail fabric store and a wholesale business that furnishes a large number of businesses and business owners with our top of the line ribbon and exclusive ribbon. Our business website showcases all of our fabulous products, from ribbon to fabric, from hardware to notions and everything in between, available to both our local and virtual customers. Along with all of the above, The Ribbon Retreat also has a 3 year old blog that is full of greatly creative and fabulous tutorials, contests, and giveaways that are sure to inspire the newest beginner to the most advanced bow maker, seamstress, and DIYer. Our blog has crafts galore and something for all!

We would LOVE for you to pay us a visit at our retail store in Shelley, our website at www.theribbonretreat.com, or our blog at www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/. Thank you for letting us share our story with you and our love for all things ribbon, fabric, and crafty!

****I just had to add a quick note here at the bottom---Yes, The Ribbon Retreat is awesome---and yes, they have an amazing selection of fabrics and ribbons and notions, and yes they are a well known name around blogland BUT they are also one of the NICEST most WONDERFUL companies we have had the opportunity to work with. It is magic to find a company that not only sells quality products but is run by quality people...and we LOVE them! Thank you Ribbon Retreat for being so fabulous.*****

Sewing Friends: Mae from The Life of a Cumpulsive Crafter

2013-05-29T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! My name is Mae and I blog at The Life Of a Compulsive Crafter where I discuss my many creative outlets, the most elaborate being my love for sewing. .

For this project I chose to share one of the spring garments I created for my daughter. I was really inspired this season by dainty floral prints, vintage clothing patterns, and the color navy blue.

I chose to share the pinafore dress. It's a fully lined, super simple& classic dress. It's so great for a growing child (the straps = longer wear).

Before we start: Create a Pattern!

To make the FRONT BODICE:
-Take your child's chest measurement & add the ease (this is the amount of excess fabric you want)
1'' for a more fitted bodice
2'' for a less fitted bodice

Example: Chest = 22 in. + 2 in. for ease = 24 in. total

-Divide that number by 2

.
24/2 = 12 in.

This will be the rough or raw width measurements for front bodice your pattern.

-Decide how tall you would like your bodice to be.
My first pinafore was 2'' tall and my second was much wider at something like 4'' tall.
It's completely preference.

Here's a visual reference point:

First Pinafore

Second Pinafore

-Use your measurements to draw a rectangle.

Using my example, this rectangle would be 4 in x 12in.

-Add the "bump" to the top of your rectangle.

This will be where the straps attach. Keep in mind that you don't want the bump to begin right next to the fold. Leave some space, that will be where your neckline is.

- Finally, add a 1/4 in. seam allowance on all sides except that of the fold.

I marked mine in blue pen to help you see.

4 in. x 12 in.

To make the BACK BODICE:

-Take your front measurement (for my example it was 12 in.) and divide it by 2.

12/2 = 6 in.

-Using the same height, take the measurements and create a rectangle.

4 in. x 6 in.

-On one side add 1/2 in. seam allowance for overlap of button enclosures.

You can also use a zipper if you like.

-Add a 1/4 in. seam allowance to the rest.

This pattern piece is NOT cut on the fold, so add seam allowance to all four sides.

For the BOTTOM of the dress:

-Decide how long you would like your dress to be by measuring your child.

I always eyeball this, call me lazy if you will.

-Cut either 1x or 2x your bolt length depending on how full you want your fabric to be.

I chose 1x for both of my dresses.

For the STRAPS:

-Choose how thick your want your straps to be. Add 1/4 in. to each of the long sides.

I chose 2'' so my straps will be a width of 2.5 in.

-Measure roughly how long each strap will need to be on your child by putting your measuring tape over their shoulder.

Since my daughter is 5, I just used the whole length of the bolt. I ended up cutting off 3'' while leaving plenty excess for growth. (this will be better illustrated later)

Start Sewing!

1. Cut out your bodice pattern pieces.

Cut 2 of the front bodice and 4 of the back to make it fully lined.

I used the pattern from my first (shorter) pinafore dress bodice and then added extra length to the bottom.

*If you feel like your material isn't stiff enough, add a layer of interfacing. I needed it in my first dress because is was linen, the second was a medium weight cotton and I didn't need the interfacing.

2. Sew the side seams. Repeat with the lining.

3. Place both main fabric & lining right sides together (RST). Sew around the side& top edges leaving the bottom open.

Lily's tiny helping hand ^ :)

4. Clip the curves then turn.

Topstitch if desired.

5. Press the bottom raw edges in 1/4 in. (not pictured, sorry!)

6. Cut your dress bottom. You may choose to serge the top & bottom to eliminate fraying.

You can see that I used the whole length of the bolt because each side has the salvage edge.

7. Hem the bottom 1/4 in.

I use to do this after sewing it into a tube, but I find it much easier to do prior.

8. Fold in 1/2 and sew together stopping a few inches from the top.

9. Press the seam open and stitch it down.

10. Using your basting stitch (there are other methods as well), sew across the top of your skirt leaving long tails at the beginning and end. Do not backstitch. Pull the bobbin thread (I used two different colors to differentiate them easier) to gather the skirt.

11. Pin to the LINING ONLY and sew.

12. Turn over your dress, tuck the seam into the bodice and pin the MAIN fabric to the skirt. Topstitch.

13. Cut your straps. Stitch the long sides together.

You may choose to serge them like I did, otherwise you can use a sewing machine.

Turn them right side out and fold one of the short end inwards 1/4 in.

14. Sew your back buttons/buttonholes. Attach the straps to the back of your dress.

I lined them up with the bumps, but I wish I would have pulled them slightly further in toward the buttons. That keeps them from falling off of the shoulder.

Outside of the garment.

Inside of the garment.

15. Put the dress on your child to measure where the buttons need to be. Mark as needed. Cut the straps to length, fold the raw edge 1/4 in. into the strap, topstitch.

16. Add your front buttonholes/buttons.

&GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE DONE!

A big thank you to the women at Project Run& Play for allowing me this opportunity. I truly enjoy challenging myself & creating this tutorial was just the project. I hope you are all able to create an amazing pinafore for the little lady in your life.
Mine has gotten much use from hers!

Sewing Friends: Michelle from Falafel and the Bee

2013-05-27T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I am so honored to be here today. My name is Michelle and you can find me over at Falafel and the Bee.

I have been married to the same man for 17 years and counting and Mama to two lovely and lively girls (ages 13 and 7) who we nicknamed Falafel and the Bee.

Speaking of lively....

Today I am sharing a project that is incredibly fun and whimsical. Firstly, who here remembers MC HAMMER and his fabulous pants?? Years before he became popular, I actually owned a pair of similar pants. I believe they also go by the name "Harem Pants". Let me tell you, they are the epitome of COMFORT.

I came up with a downloadable PDF pattern for a child size 6 (really there is some flexibility as far as fit with this pattern. They are huge.) for you, and I am going to share a tutorial on how to insert the pockets and assemble the pants. Download here.

Print out, match the letters, tape together, and cut out the pattern. It should look something like this. I usually extend the pattern an extra inch at the top so I have a little bit more to fold over for the waistband.

I used an unbelievably soft dancewear knit/spandex fabric (like buttah I tell you) for this pair{approx. 2 yards. You will have extra to make head scarves and maybe even a small skirt} and some linen for the pockets. You can use any fabric you would like. I have made these in cotton and knit. My daughter likes the knit ones better, but it really is your choice.

I usually stack the pant pieces on top of each other, right sides out (in pairs), so I can line up the pockets and they all come out even and well-matched. {note: photo is on it's side. this is the outer sides of the pants. The top of the pants is to the right}

Sew across one side of the pocket {see dotted line in photo}. Do this on all 4 panels, separately.

Flip it open. Place one panel on top of the other {matching the pockets up} right sides together, in pairs.

Sew along the perimeter of the pockets. Now sew up the rest of the side of the pants {on either side of pocket}.

When you open them, it should look like this. Once open, place right sides together. Sew up the short sides. Do not sew curves, yet.

Now when you open it up to line up the legs, you should have this. Sew along curve of crotch.

Sew up a casing for the elastic (I double fold), and make sure to leave an opening.

Put safety pin on end, and thread the elastic through. I usually take an existing pair of her pants to measure how much elastic to use. Sew the hole closed and you are done! Since I made these using knit that won't fray, I didn't finish the cuffs. If you are using cotton, you may want to do this extra step!

Insert sassy child. Take lots of photos.

Did I mention she does gymnastics?

These allow her to move around like she does, freely.

If you would like to see more photos of these pants in action {and there are more}, hop on by Falafel and the Bee.

Thanks so much for including me amongst such talented ladies, liZ and Elizabeth! We had a blast!

Sewing Friends: Ashley and Emily from Frances Suzanne

2013-05-24T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hi all! We're thrilled to share a little 'trick of the trade' with you today....one that we just learned how to do, and see boundless possibilities for it! The concept all began as we sewed along during Project Run & Play's "All Star" season - specifically during the "All About the Details" challenge. You see, we had a little trouble making a detail {adding a functional QR code to an outfit} work as we planned....and after three attempts, FINALLY landed on a method to accomplishing a detailed, distinct image transfer.

How about a little image transfer using.....wait for it.....a copy machine??

We used Elegance & Elephant's new Bubble Pocket Shorts pattern as our starting point.

You will need the following supplies:

freezer paper, fabric for transfer, iron, copy machine, and of course, your design.

Step-by-step tutorial:

1. Cut freezer paper into 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper.

2. Iron the shiny side of the freezer paper onto the wrong side of the fabric being used.

3. Cut the fabric to fit the pre-cut freezer paper.

4. Determine images to be printed on the fabric. This artwork {downloadable here} was created by tracing and piecing the images together using Adobe Illustrator. We chose to make the width of the pockets narrower in hopes of seeing the fish image more clearly, as well as fit it on a standard 8.5x11" sheet of paper.

5. Print images from a copier, directly to the fabric backed with freezer paper.

6. Peel freezer paper from the printed fabric.

7. Use a hot iron to press and set the fabric image.

*This completes the image transferring to fabric....

however, we will continue on with completing our 'look' for this outfit.

Embellish selected designs as much {or as little} as desired.

We chose to add a few French knots as textured scales to the larger fish,

and straight-stitched fish bubbles {filled, circular areas} on the small fishes.

Sheer fabric was layered and stitched on top, giving the fish the appearance

of being in a fishbowl....or at least that is what we intended and aspired to do!

Add elastic casing, as specified in the pattern instructions.

Attach 'fishbowl' pockets to the shorts, as specified in the pattern instructions.

This creates a subtle detail, worth doing a double take to catch

{albeit extremely difficult to photograph}!

Voila! Pair it with Elegance & Elephant's Ruffle Top {minus the ruffle}, and you've got a fishy outfit - perfect for warm summer days, or a beach trip in the making!!

Since we couldn't justify a beach trip for photos {that would be one expensive and

long road trip....all in the name of blogging}, we opted to enjoy a warm 'summery' day.

A fountain seemed to suffice for the lull of the ocean waves....

{at least momentarily} as EA kicked back, relaxed, and enjoyed her milk.

She then took a stroll on the boardwalk....ummm, fountain walkway......it's all relative, right?

Tossled her hair for a little 'wind blown' beach effect...

And finally humored the photographer in choosing a location that

she wanted to get her picture made....a lamppost....that actually worked out for us!

What a ham!

Inspired to sew Elegance & Elephant's Bubble Pocket Shorts?? Head on over to our blog

for your chance to win --- and, FYI: there's more than one pattern waiting to be won!

May the odds be ever in your favor!

Sewing Friends: Gina from Party of 8

2013-05-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hi! I am Gina and I blog at Party of Eight Our Story. Together with my husband and 6 kids we are pretty much an instant party. I am very honored to be here! Project Run and Play is such a fun place providing so much inspiration from both the contestants and sew along group. I am at a place in life where there is more" momming" than sewing going on but sewing is something I love. Sewing is a stress reducer (most days...some days not!) and it helps me maintain a little sanity. Thank you Liz and Elizabeth for having me here today!!

My favorite things to sew are girls dresses using vintage patterns. I love the details in vintage patterns like pleats and darts. My signature style is a simple silhouette with a special detail. I also love to mix vintage with modern. Simple does not have to mean boring! Today I am going to show you how I added texture to a simple silhouette to make it special. For this technique you will need a cutting mat, a quilting ruler with angles marked, pencil, sewing machine, and scissors.

My ruler has 30, 45, and 60 degree angles marked. For today's dress I will be adding texture to the front and back dress band as well as 2 pockets. I chose the 30 degree angle as it gave me the look I wanted for the pattern pieces I was working with. This technique is flexible and you can choose what works for you. First cut rectangular pieces of fabric approximately 1 inch larger on each side than is needed for the pattern piece ( I used McCall's MP386). Lay the piece of fabric on the cutting mat and line up the 30 degree angle with a line on the mat off to the side of the fabric. Hold the ruler in place while marking a line along the edge of the ruler with a pencil or erasable marking pen. The line pressed down the center of the fabric provided a guide for placement of the pattern piece to be cut.

Once the first line is drawn use it as a guide to mark another line 1 inch away so "pairs" are created. Measure 2" from the inside line to draw the next line going the opposite direction to create a "X". Continue drawing lines in this manner until you create the pattern you desire.

Starting in the middle of the fabric fold the fabric back along the marked line then press it flat.

Stitch along the edge as close as you can without going off the fabric.

Then press each side of the fabric to set the stitches. Next, open the fabric and press

Continue doing this until you have stitched all of the lines you have drawn. A couple of tips that seemed to make the process go smooth was to stitch then press all the lines going in the same direction then stitch the lines going in the opposite direction. After all of the lines are stitched run the iron alongside the stitches to press them "up". Once you have finished your textured piece, pin the pattern piece on, cut out, and you are ready to make your garment.

I am calling this my Japanese Meets Vintage Gone Modern look.

I chose to make this dress with linen which was influenced by the Japanese sewing book looks I have been seeing. I also thought this would be a light, cool piece to wear through our hot summer here in California.

The vintage detail is found in the pin tucks.

The modern influence is found in the simple sundress silhouette and the bright, happy fabric although the small floral print gives a nod to vintage. The wood buttons may fit into all 3 categories. This is the second time I have tried this technique and I think I may try to see if I can create triangles next time.

Sewing Friends: Sally from Daisy Chain Creations

2013-05-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hello Project Run and Play readers! It's Sally from Daisy Chain Creations, here to share a little detail that makes a tunic go from humdrum to whimsical...just add a little contrasting ruching (and an exposed yolk...but I'm not going to overwhelm you today).

While we are just wrapping up the school year here (2 more days!!!), I'm already thinking ahead to the next year and this little gal's wardrobe. She'll be starting kindergarten and I want her to have some fun pieces that match her personality. She pretty much lives in hand-me-downs, which is really nice, but not necessarily her...do you know what I mean?

That is how this tunic came to be. She really liked the one I had made for her sister earlier this year, so I let her pick out the fabric for her first piece to go in her kindergarten wardrobe (hence the reason it's a little big...it is still 3 months away). We found the cute owl fabric at our local JoAnn's.

First, you want to start with a tunic like top. You could use any top pattern and just extend it, but I just traced a pattern from a shirt that fit her on the large size (make sure you account for seam allowances). You also want it to be a little longer, going below the waist so you can ruche it up.

Then you want to assemble the shirt and finish the bottom hem.

Now it's time to make the little placket and ties for ruching. You could use ribbon if you didn't want to make the ties, just make sure you do something to the ends to keep them from fraying.

The placket pieces are 2 1/2 inches wide. The length is up to you and how far you want it to go up the side of the shirt. For the ties you want them to be a couple of inches longer than your placket. I made mine 1 inch wide.

Next you want to finish the bottom edge of the placket with a small hem. ( I skipped this step because the I had a nice printed selvaged edge, which I figured was just as good)

Now you want to iron the sides and top in 1/2 and inch.

If you are making the ties, fold them in half right sides together, sew and turn. Then finish the edges.

Here's what you end up with and now you are ready to assemble.

You also want to snip the ties in half. You could potentially adjust this idea so that you use one continuous loop, but since I'm making it for kids I figured I wanted the top ends secure so I wouldn't have them getting pulled all the way through.

Now you want to mark the middle of the placket lengthwise (I just marked the top and bottom, but you might want to mark a line down the entire length).

Pin it to the side seam, making sure to line up the middle of the placket with the seam.

Sew along your line in the ditch of the side seam, all the way from the bottom hem to the top of the placket.

Next you want to pin the ties right next to the seam, one on each side. Let the ends stick out a little at the top.

Now it's time to attach the rest of the placket. First sew around the placket, up one side, across the top (I always back stitch and come back across to make sure the ties are nice and secure) and then down the other side. First go around at 1/4 and inch.

Now you want to snip the ends so that they are not sticking out.

Still with me? We're almost done.

Sew around the placket again, this time with an edge stitch. I also added another row at the top to secure the ties good and tight...we're talking about a 5 year after all, so who knows how much tugging she'll do with those ties.

And there you have it...a cute ruched tunic.

Stop on over at Daisy Chain Creations to learn how to do the whimsical exposed yolk that you see on the tunic.

My first version of the tunic had the placket on the inside, which makes it a little less whimsical, but still fun to have some contrast going on.

Thanks for having me here on Project Run and Play!

P.S. The winner of our So Tweet Fabrics gift certificate is.....

flygirl07May 16, 2013 at 6:51 PM

My favorite is the Riley Blake Mystique. Although I love the mustache fabric too. And anything with a dot...

Congrats!!!!

Sewing Friends: Ashley from Cherished Bliss

2013-05-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hello Project Run and Play readers! I am so excited to be sharing here today : ) I'm Ashley, and you can find me over at my blog, Cherished Bliss.

I am a momma to two beautiful little ones with another one coming in July. We are super excited and I can't wait to make stuff for this little man (lots of baby tutorials coming soon!) Today I am going to share a little shirt that I made for my daughter. I was inspired by this one from Gap Kids.

I have to warn you up front though, this is more of a how-to than an actual pattern. I am not a super fantastic seamstress. I can follow tutorials and patterns, but when it comes to making up my own, let's just say there is a lot of trial and error, and there is a reason they made seam rippers! : ) The good news is I mainly made this by going off the measurements of another one of Addison's shirt and made slight adjustments where necessary. So if you are pretty good at kid's clothes, this shouldn't be too difficult. Oh, and try to to laugh to hard at my super awesome sewing lingo ; )

The back of the shirt is totally the best part! How cute is that?! To be honest I was surprised it turned out so good! So let's take a look at how I made it! Supplies: - 1 yard of fabric (for approx a size 3T) - Elastic - All your basic sewing necessities. Cut List: I made this shirt specific to my daughter's measurements, so yours will probably vary, but I will try and explain how I got some of them. - Bodice (2 pieces) - Straps - Ties for bow in back of shirt (you want these to be the width of the bottom part of the bodice (the underarm part) & about 1" - 1 1/2" longer than the width of the bodice - this is wear my mad sewing lingo skills come into play! : ) - Front ruffled panel - Back ruffled panel The How-To: The first thing I did was trace out the bodice of the shirt using another one of Addison's shirts that had the same general lines I was looking for. When tracing, just leave extra room for your seam allowance. Cut two of these out.

Next I cut out my straps. I made my straps like double binding. Mine were two inches wide and I pressed it in half, then folded the raw edges in to meet that center line and stitched up both sides.

Next, you will need to take your ties for the bow (mine were about 11" long and 2" wide after sewn and turned right side out). We are going to attach all the straps to the bodice. With your bodice pieces right sides together, pin your straps in place, and your bow pieces. Sew around all sides except the bottom, turn right sides out, press and top stitch. Make sure you leave enough room under your bow pieces so you can attach the front panel. Now, I totally forgot to attach my straps to the bow pieces, so I just ripped the seam where I wanted them, and top stitched them in place - yes I know... all you ladies who actually know what they are doing are probably cringing right about now! Below is how it should look when you are done, maybe without all the extra threads hanging out though ; )

Up next is attaching the front panel. I went of the measurements of the shirt I used for the bodice, but I added a few inches because I wanted it to ruffle a little more. So once I ruffled the fabric, I serged it onto the bodice, right sides together. Make sure and leave seam allowance on the sides to attach the back panel to. Then I pressed the seam towards the top and top stitched.

Now for the back panel, you want it to be the same length as the front panel, but you have to take into consideration the extra allowance for the casing for the elastic. But before you make the casing for your elastic, you are going to cut out a little off the top of the panel so it creates that cut out look under your bow. To do this I folded my back panel piece in half, wrong sides together. Starting at the fold I measured about 1 1/2" down and cut out curving up towards the corners of the raw edges. You don't want to make too big of a dip here because once you add the elastic it will look more drastic. I made a diagram to help explain where to cut.

Now, on the curve, serge your top edge and then fold over to create your casing for the elastic. Press, and stitch in place. Using a safety pin, feed your elastic through. (I cut my elastic a little shorter than the width of the bodice. Then stitch your elastic in place with a basting stitch.

Now, put your front and back panel pieces right sides together and sew or serge the side seams.

Once that is done, finish your bottom edge and hem. You are done! Now you have an adorable little shirt. Addison wasn't into posing much this day... she was more into running around everywhere, so it was kind of hard to get good shots of it, silly toddlers ; )

Sponsor Spotlight: So Tweet Fabrics

2013-05-16T03:30:00.000-06:00

Today we are meeting Shelly from So Tweet Fabrics and her darling girls.

(And there is a giveaway at the end...so stick around!)

Hi! I am Shelly Morgan, a mom of McKenna and Ava, two of the most entertaining kids I know, former gymnast and coach, wife of an amazing husband, and finally owner So Tweet Fabrics your one stop shop specializing in great fabrics for everything kid inspired. Starting the fabric shop has truly been a dream come true and it is a family venture. So Tweet Fabrics has allowed my husband and I to work at home and enjoy the blessing of being with our wonderful two girls everyday.

I have always loved creating and sewing and started when I was 6 years old making my very first doll clothes. I was lucky to have loving grandmothers who taught me the art of sewing and allowed me to pursue my creative outlet.

One of my favorite things has always been to create things for the people around me. Now that I have two young girls, I love sewing adorable clothes and anything thing else I think they will enjoy. I have so much fun creating these things that I wanted to share them with others who are as fabric and sewing obsessed as me!

Shelly is giving one lucky reader a $50 gift certificate to her shop. Just head over to So Tweet Fabrics, browse around, tell us your favorite fabric and then come back here and leave it in the comments. GOOD LUCK!!!

Also, she is generously giving a discount to all PR&P readers, just use the code RUNANDPLAY10 at checkout and you will get 10% off.

Sewing Friends: Ajaire from Call Ajaire

2013-05-15T04:00:00.000-06:00

I'm Ajaire from Call Ajaire and I'm very excited to be guest posting here today. As is probably the case for most of the sew along at home-ers, I've found Project Run & Play to be an enormous source of inspiration.

My two year old daughter was just a little (chunky!) baby when I first started following along and it gave me just the kick in the pants I needed to start sewing for her. What a shock it was to realize how much simpler it is to make kids clothes vs clothes made for adults to wear. I was hooked!

Now that my girl is a little older I've found it is so rewarding to see her run around in something I've made. I have so much fun designing an outfit from start to finish, but I'm also so grateful to all of those pattern designers out there. They are a great jumping off point and PR&P's remix posts are a fun way to take that leap.

Today I'd like to focus on a detail I've used a number of times over the years. It's a detail that could be easily added to the neckline of an existing pattern if you're not feeling brave enough to draft one yourself.

It's lattice smocking. I have found it's a great way to add a fancy look to a solid colored piece of fabric. Unlike other traditional methods of smocking, lattice smocking is quick and easy once you get the details worked out.

It is worked on the WRONG side of the fabric over a grid of dots and hash marks with regular thread. I have finally put my Lattice Smocking Tutorial up on Call Ajaire, so if you're interested in how it comes together then I'd love you to drop on by.

I do have some tips for adding this detail to an existing pattern.

Start with a piece of fabric slightly wider than the bodice pattern you are going to use. Lattice Smocking does shrink the fabric width and length, but not as dramatically as some other types of smocking. I'd say maybe 10-15% shrinkage? So account for that before you start the smocking. Another good idea is to keep the pattern piece close by while you're smocking so you can check the width as you go.

Once the smocking is complete you will take the smocked piece of fabric and place the pattern piece over the fabric making sure that the smocked section is where you'd like it to be along the neckline. It may be a little tricky to get the pleating detail at the top (created by the smocking) to want to play nicely with the pattern, but even a simple gather along edge should be enough to get it to fit in the binding or facing you are using.

A big thank you to the ladies behind Project Run & Play. That includes those who are behind the scenes, part of the actual competition, the judges, as well as the sew along-ers. You've all be such an inspiration to me. Not to mention all of that fabric I've been ~~hoarding~~ stashing all these years is finally getting put to good use too, hehe.

Sewing Friends: Marta from Do Guincho

2013-05-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hi! I'm Marta and I'm from Portugal. I live in Guincho, a beautiful place by the beach near Lisbon. That's why my blog name is doguincho (that's from guincho). I'm so excited to be here at Project Run and Play sharing my tutorial!

Thank you so much Liz and Elizabeth for inviting me and congratulations on this amazing contest!

Here is the tutorial for the pleated A-line dresses I made for the last edition of PR&P!
The instructions are only for the pleats but you can use any A-line pattern you have or draft your own pattern using a dress you like (that’s what I did).
These pleats can also be done in other projects such as handbags (here is one) or pillows. And, one day, I will turn them into pockets for a skirt...

Besides the pattern, you will need:
-Fabric (see quantity in the first part of the tutorial)
- Thread matching the fabric color and (optional) thread in a contrasting color,
- Sewing machine and iron,
- Scissors, pins and hand sewing needles,
- Tape measure, ruler and a water-soluble fabric marker,
- Scotch tape (for an unconventional technique...)

Cutting

Start cutting the fabric having in mind that, in the place where the pleats will be executed, you'll need a piece of fabric 3 times wider than the final width of the dress in that same area.
This dress will have 9 pleats and each one will be 1cm wide, ie:
3 x 9 pleats x 1cm wide = 27cm
It means that a piece of fabric with 27cm is required, to obtain a final width of 9cm at the place where the pleats will be done.
You can adapt the original pattern to this version of the dress, simply subtracting the total width of the fabric necessary to form the pleats with the final width of the pleats (because that final width is actually already included in the pattern), ie:
27cm - 9cm = 18cm
In conclusion, you will need to add 18cm to the original pattern in order to make the 9 pleats without changing the width of the dress.

At this stage, it is not necessary to cut the fabric in the neck area according to the original pattern. It is better to leave some extra fabric, cutting it in a straight line, and "trimming it" only after finishing the pleats.

Pleating
For the pleating, you should start by tracing the vertical lines that define all the pleats. Trace them on the right side of the fabric with a water-soluble fabric marker (or use your daughter’s super-washable pens, as I do!)
As this dress pleats are 1cm wide, the tracing should be done like this: starting at one edge, trace 0.5cm, then 2cm and 1cm and then trace alternately spaces with 2cm and 1cm. When you reach the other edge you should have a final space 0.5cm wide.

It is also time to trace the pleats’ height. To do this you will need the dress pattern. Start marking the lowest point of the collar (don’t forget to deduct the seam allowance). Then mark the pleats’ horizontal upper edge, roughly 1cm or 1.5 cm below that neck line mark you did earlier. And finally, mark the pleats’horizontal lower edge. This dress will have 7 folds, 2cm height each, so the total height is 14cm.

Make the pleats folding the fabric (wrong sides together) with the 2cm marks aligned. Pin and sew with running stitch along the traced line of each pleat. Do not forget to finish off the seam at the bottom end. I usually like to handmade this (because I'm kind of picky ...) but it is perfectly fine to finish it with the sewing machine. In this dress, the upper end of the seam does not need to be finished off as it will be cut out later (when assembling the dress this will be where the main fabric and the lining fabric will be sewn together in order to form the neck line).
Repeat this step with all the pleats.

The pleats are made! Now it’s time to "flatten" them. Start by holding the fabric tight to the ironing board with some pins. Then iron each pleat trying to distribute the fabric evenly to both sides of the stitching (if you are using plastic headed pins, be careful not to iron them!). When finished, the pleats should touch each other, without ever overlapping themselves, and have a homogeneous look.

Finishing
For sewing the horizontal lines that define the pleats you should try an unconventional technique ... Instead of attaching the pleats with pins and marking the sewing line with a water-soluble fabric marker, try using scotch tape. The scotch tape is a "two in one" tool as it keeps the pleats in place and it also works as a guiding line.
You should definitely try this! Cut 7 strips of scotch tape and stick them to the fabric at the exact place where the pleats are supposed to be (use the marks you did earlier with the help of the pattern). Now sew carefully in between the strips of scotch tape, starting and ending just before and just after each pleat. Hand finish each one of the seam lines.

Remove the scotch tape and iron the pleats (this will be the last time you will be able to do it!).

The pleats’ "pitching" technique is all handmade. Start inserting the needle, back to front, in the center of the pleat, then insert it in one side edge and then on the other, and pull the thread in order to join those edges. Then just make a few more stitches to attach those edges tight together and finish it with a little knot at the wrong side of the fabric.

Repeat this for the remaining pleats. It is a bit time consuming technique, but it is also great to see the fabric getting three-dimensional ...

Sewing
You can now return to the original pattern by putting it on top of the pleated fabric, so you can trim the neck line to the right shape. Then just follow the instructions to finish the dress.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and, if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to tell me!
Have a great time sewing! (Can’t wait to see you’re results!)

Sewing Friends: Mie from Sewing Like Mad

2013-05-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

OHHHH you have no idea how excited I am to be guest posting here on the mothership of sewing for kids. I am always blown away with the creativity and work people put into their contributions. By the way I am Mie and I blog at Sewing Like Mad.

Let's get to business shall we.....

I really love to make every day clothes with a little twist because lets face it that is quite a big part of life. And sewing with knits for kids is just perfect. It is comfortable for them to wear and it washes easily. Peeerfect!

So here we are with another summer version of the My Inner Grandma Dress - this time even in summer colors. Another version you think? Check out HERE, HERE and HERE. The pattern is self drafted and it might be one of my favorites. One of those you have in your head for a while and then it almost comes out better than you imagined.

The navy/ballet pink stripy fabric is this gorgeous super soft light weight cotton jersey blend from Girl Charlee. And if you after this post is inspired to make your own knit dress you should make the jump to my blog because I will be hosting a give away where you can win 2 yrds of knit from their shop. I know!!! But please stay here for a bit first so you don't miss the tutorial.

I am not going to give you a full tutorial because I just don't see the point when the pattern so far is only hanging out in my sewing room. SO I would rather focus on one part of the dress. In this case the double layered front- and back-in-one shoulder yoke and then a few snapshots of the rest of the sewing process. I hope that is okay with you ladies!

First I wanted to show you the parts that go into the dress. I was not able to get it all in one photo so I divided it in top part and bottom part. The parts involved in the tutorial is in this photo. Notice the 'front top'. I have made it with a fold over/build in front facing. In the end buttons/snaps will run along the CF (center front) purple line. Then there is the yoke which is cut on fold TWO times - so there is actually four layers in this photo. This way we can use to the second yoke to cover up seam allowance on the inside of the dress. And that is what this tutorial is about.

Just a quick look at the bottom skirt parts. As you can see does the front and back pieces have different curves for a better fit.

Okay, back to yoke tutorial. Sew the gathering threads and sew front and back top pieces to the outer yoke - right side against right side of fabric.
Btw as you can see have I chosen not to have the gathering go all the way to the sleeve opening (it stops like one inch before) simply because...well, gathering adds fabric/volume and this is all good and kind of the point but I don't want it near the side of the sleeve seams where it can almost look like a bad fit.

Now you take the inside yoke and sew the front part of yoke to the top of the front facing (right against right). See inside those 'round' yellow circles - should we just pretend my three year old helped me make these?! Drawing course up next, jeeez! The rest of the front yoke seam towards the sleeve opening is free for now. I just folded the seam allowance up into the yoke with the iron. This is a look on the inside of the dress. You can still see the seam allowance where the back top and back yoke has been sewed together....but not for long - uhh the suspense!

Now to the fun part. You add your neck rib to your neck opening (right against right) and then you fold the front top/front facing in that folding line I showed on an earlier photo. Basically you wrap your inside and outside neck opening around the neck rib and sew it all in one go. See photo above.

And when you fold it out again it looks like this. This is a photo of the inside of the dress. Next step is to sew the back inside yoke to the back top and outside yoke seam so that that seam is hidden too. First you fold the seam allowance on the back yoke inside the yoke and then lie it down and cover the seam that is already there (back top to outside yoke). Then you reach your hand from the side (sleeve opening) into the middle of the seam (this is easiest to do with two rounds of sewing because of the narrow space in the back yoke) and grab the seam allowance from the inside yoke and the seam already there (back top to outside yoke) pull out and sew from CB and out to the sleeve opening. This you do from each sleeve opening and also on the rest of both front yoke seams too (the part that is not sewed to the front facing). WHY in the world did I not take more photos of these steps, sorry!!

I found this photo from another project but the same technique. Your seam allowances end up hidden inside a double yoke. Make more sense now?

And here you can see the final result - again seen from the inside of the dress. Now that I see this photo I am kind of annoyed I just overlocked those front facing edges....bias tape next time.

Here you see a photo of the rest of the sewing. Side seams of top, waist and skirt has been sewed as well as the sleeves and hemming of skirt and sleeves with a narrow rib. Next is sewing the dress' three main parts together horizontal and sew on the sleeves. Apparently I did not feel like standing on a chair photographing that day so I had to overlap the parts a bit to make it fit in the photo. After drawing course comes photo course, promise!

One of the things I hate when I sew this dress is getting the lines from the yoke and the top part of the sleeve to match. But I know that if I rush and tell myself it is good enough even though they don't meet up then that is all I am going to see when my kids are wearing this. Ehhh, I think that is being called an (annoying) perfectionist but I can't help it and I have decided just to accept it. Does that photo with the YES! also makes you feel good or is it just me being crazy, huh?!

Dress is almost done and, well, I think the photos says it all: shirring next!

I have shared this shirring tip before but in case someone missed it. When you are done sewing the shirring use your steam iron to blow steam on the seams (from inside or outside it does not matter). Don't touch the dress - keep iron like 1-2 inches above and the elastic will gather a bit more. You can also give it a whirl in your tumble dryer - yes you got it - it is the heat that does the magic trick. Above you can see the difference.

Pheeew is anyone still with me here? I hope so because NOW it is time to jump to my blog Sewing Like Mad and win those two yards of knits of your choice (incl free shipping to US addresses only) from Girl Charlee. I wish I could participate too, ha.
Thank you Project Run & Play for having me and my ramblings!