Project Run and Play

Talk about going off-book, my new California friend thought it might be fun for me to join an online sewing challenge called Project Run and Play. Each month, a design is presented and you are asked to rework, restyle, or remake it as you wish and post for all to see. Sounds like a total nightmare for someone as hesitant and totally inflexible as myself. So, of course, I'm in! I took Alida's adorable bubble dress design and made a few of my own changes, though I thought the original was simply perfect.

First of all, I wanted something my daughter would love and she is a girly girl who loves flowers and lace. I used a pretty blue cotton with daisies for the dress and added eyelet trim to make it even softer.

The same friend who encouraged me to participate in the monthly challenges also gave me the idea for a little jacket to add to the design. I made a bolero that is lined with eyelet that peeks down past the hem and has a one button closure. Rachel hates the jacket. She kind of hates everything I make for her so - moving on.

My very particular daughter doesn't like elastic around her body so I modified the top so that it only has a band of elastic along the back rather than all the way around. She tolerated this for the first few pictures.

I made the ties a halter, in part, because I thought the light colors warranted a more summery feel and also because it was the only way I could figure out how to make sure the straps were completely reversible....because the dress is reversible, too!

Turn it inside out and you have a white eyelet dress. By the end of the photo shoot we already had grass stains to show off so I can't imagine we will be wearing the white side very frequently, though Rachel did say she liked it better this way. She was also sure to remind me that I owed her a treat for her time and participation. 

A few more pics of the dress and jacket...

I sort of liked the challenge. I can't say I'll participate each and every month but it was nice to get the creative juices flowing and to marvel at the wonderful work of others.