Spring Fling Remix

Well, Project Run and Play ended a couple of weeks ago but they are starting up again next week for a special addition, "All Stars".  And in order to get us all ready, they had a special sew-along pattern remix competition.  Oh, I (Major Moma) could not resist.  Especially when I saw the pattern we were to remix.

Spring Fling by Jessica at Sew Me Crazy

Sooo cute!

But, there was a lot of chatter about the girliness of this and all other remixes.  What about the boys??

Challenge accepted.

But, I also loved this pattern for girls so I made a boy and girl look.

Warning!!!

Given the time constraints and the work that each of these looks entailed, I made no pants.  When these guys are worn on Easter morning, there will be matching bottoms.  But you will have to wait to see those.

 For the boy look, I went for a western feel.  First for the most obvious part of the remix -- the vest.   I drafted the vest using my wild ginger pattern drafting software.  After a major hiccup along the way, I came up with a sharp looking vest pattern with darts in the front and 3 darts in the back.  The front is lined and the back is left unlined but has finished seems. The key elements from the original pattern that I kept were

• the cut-out/insert yoke
• covered buttons
• layers

I moved the insert to the front of the vest.  And then I used two colors of piping to replace the ruffle.  The fabric I used was a double sided shantung.  Which means that the fabric has two right sides; a shiny side and a dull side with texture.  So, I used the dull side for the bottom of the vest but the shiny side for the insert and a row of piping. 

I love covered buttons, so I kept that element and I covered them according to the side of fabric on which they sat.  shiny vis a vis textured.

Finally, I used a candlelight colored satin piping to add a layered element to the vest.  I did this through the double layer of of piping at the insert (brown and candlelight) and I added the piping at the hem of the vest.

  The original dress also had high contrast fabrics.  In order to keep a bit of that styling, I decided to make a light blue dress shirt to go under the vest.  This is no simple shirt with a collar. This is my first dress shirt with a collar band and let me tell you, it was not easy.  What made it more difficult is that I drafted this shirt also using my wild ginger software.  Normally, when I am going to do something new, I first use a commercial pattern so I can see how it is supposed to be done.

But, here I had to figure it out myself.  It is not perfect, but I am still thrilled with the results.  Beyond the collar band, the shirt has a shoulder yoke and pleats in the back.  And on the front, I have a little pocket.  The sleeves have a simple placket and button cuffs.

Because  a five year old will not be wearing a fancy vest that often, I added this very bad ass embroidery on the back.  It is from Urban Threads and cost me $5.  This was the most expensive part of both outfits.  The brown fabric was left over from a dress I am working on for a friend, the blue was a friend's uniform shirt, and the trims I got from a clearance basket.  So, until I bought this embroidery, both outfits would have cost under $5, so it doubled my expense.  But it was WORTH it!  Look how cool and western it makes this shirt.

So, pictures of clothes on hangers are boring.

But sometimes that is all I get done because by the time I get home from work, dinner is on the table. Then it is time to pick up the house and get those kiddos to bed. There simply is no time for a photo shoot during the week. But, I needed to get these photos up and posted before 8 March in order to participate in PRP's remix competition. My solution, before our Wednesday night Bible study, I would quickly put the outfits on, take a couple of shots and be done.

Eli was a great sport.

Isa, not so much.  I got her dress on and then she grabbed her tights and boots and took of running!

And these were the photos I was getting of her ... a blur of bare legs!  So I switched the setting of my little point-and-shoot camera to "Children" and manage to get a couple of shots that were not so blurry.  But they really don't do the dress justice.

   I kept much of the bodice the same as the original dress.  (The original pattern is actually quite cute and her instructions are pretty good.  I think the construction of the arms could be more clear though.)  The bodice changes I made were limited to the insert.  I exchanged the ruffle for some cotton lace and add a double layer of piping.  I also added a placket for the buttons to have traditional button holes instead of loops.  I also added piping to the arm holes and flutter sleeve.

The big difference is that I changed out the skirt.  Instead of a layered ruffle skirt, I made a mini circle skirt.  I think this will be really cute with a pair of fancy bloomers.  But, like I said, there are no bottoms completed.

Won't those leapard print boots be cute with this!

I really like how simple and elegant it looks in the front.  And the lace and covered buttons sure are pretty in the back too.