Project Run&Play #7 : 3rd week " Hand Smocking Plaid Dress"

The 3rd week of Project run&play go for the theme "Mad for Plaid"...

Talking about someone who MAD for plaid, let's check my fabrics IN MY STASH.

A little collection of plaid from my sewing corner

You can guess that I have no need to buy fabric for this week. My problem is to select the RIGHT ONE to work with. So, I let the girl chooses for herself and we got the plaid with pink one.

Plaid with her favorite color

I want to learn and do some technique which I've never done before. After looking through my mom's sewing book, I thought I will taking hand smocking on the dress. I used very plain but cute pattern from this Japanese sewing pattern book. The girl model is so lovely, look at those hair.

I flip this pattern to my hand smocking plaid dress

I used the top part of this dress but changed the skirt part by adding hand smocking detail and lengthen it a bit. Hand smocking took me an age to finished. I'm not a fan for hand sewing and this smocking took so much time that I thought I have to submit this dress on the next season. Luckily! it was done on time.

Hand smocking details, this technique called weaven basket smocking in mom's book.

The process was such a pain but the result was as a gain for me. I'm so happy with them that I even thought to learn others smocking technique in the near future.

The finish work was such a reward for me.

In case any of you want to know how to make this smocking please let me know. I will try to make a tutorial if someone interested (and have a lot of time to do so)

The dress has buttons closure along the back

As we don't normally have fall or winter here this dress can wear all around the year. I plan to pair it with cardi and legging if the weather colder.

At the moment, the girl did enjoy to wear this with rain boots to play out after raining.

This week on project run & play, you will found A LOT of incredible plaid outfits both from designer here and from sew-along pool here. Let's check them out.

Thanks for stopping by, I would love to hear from you!

P.S. My plaid collections are the Thai traditional handwoven plaid called "Pa-kao-ma" 

Pha-kao-ma is a basic stable piece in Thai's household. It is a multipurpose garment. Used as a towel, sarong, sash, carrying, wrapping and etc. in Thai culture from at least 900 years. 

My ex-project with hand-woven plaid

Pink plaid from Feb this year, before my blogging era/ The maxi plaid from The roller skate FLIP here.

Project Run&Play season # 7 : 2nd week "M&M inspired for my sweetie"

Last week at Project Run&Play was super fun. All 80 entries from sew-along group are wonderful and the designers's creations are all gorgeous. The best part of it is the fun begin again this week with the theme candy inspired looks.  The looks from designers are marvelous as always and you can vote for your favorite here. The sew-along entries here are also breath taking! And I can't help but join in this week theme with this sweetie outfits...

m & m's inspired hoodie and skirt

Top was made with The recess raglan from SeeKateSew. Using up-cycled tee for the main part and add the girly factor with the pre-ruffled sleeves. I was also add the ruffle lined faux leather hood to go with the skirt.
You may found that almost of my knit projects are up-cycled. That's not because I'm so green person. (I'm try to reuse but the big bunch of fabrics that I keep stock up don't say so) But I just simply can not find knit and especially cute printed knit at my hometown. So, the up-cycled is only way to go.

The recess raglan with faux leather hoodie 

I was also add the ruffle trim and pom pom to the top to ensure the sweetness degree. I'm so in love with this pattern. You can see the first one I made here.

Pom pom trims at he neckline and the skirt.

The skirt was made of Insa skirt from farbenmix which came with the book Sewing Clothes Kids Love that I bought for long time but just got the chance to use it.

Insa skirt with trims

This skirt pattern is very fun and has many options up to your imagination. I'm sure to make this skirt more for my girl.

m & m's looks

Do you like those m&m's peek out from under skirt? The faux leather also looks like chocolate but the most candy likes thing for my girl is the pom pom. I found she tried to taste them for once and have to speak to her not to do so.

The girl with her rhino baby, she said it's her sister.

Love Love!

The reason for choosing m&m's looks was it 's the girl favorite candy. She also love twix bar but I was happen to have fabrics suited for this theme. So, we go for m&m's. 

Thank you for stop by, I would love to hear from you. :)

Love!

Project Run&Play season#7 : 1st week "You call it Popover" remix

This is the first time for me to participate in Project Run&Play sew-along. So, I was very impressed when I saw that over 40's ladies submitted their link just in the first day, WOW! This is amazingly encouraged.

And mine could be the 7th in romper-overall lovers group who decided to flip this O&S popover sundress to a romper or overall. Surprisingly, all of these are difference and you can check them here to see how wonderful all the entries are.

You Call It Popover romper

Here it comes, the mixing between the top part of O&S Popover sundress  and the bottom part from You call it pants by Suburbia Soup. Both are free pattern, grab them if you didn't yet!

Mixed them up!

I love the roomy pants on little kids. Love the way it created the plumply bum. The girl grows so fast and this style makes her looks like a toddler again, sniff sniff.

Plumply silhouette

The main fabric of this romper is from Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts center at Ayutthaya, Thailand. Only cost about $2 per meter. It's 100% cotton and the color is brilliance.

I added the big gathered pockets to the romper. Made by adapting You call it pocket pattern a bit.

The girl loves her pockets

I should start making size 4 for my almost 4 years old girl. Since she is a small girl for her age, I used to make her size 3. Apparently, size 4 will better fit and give her some room to grow up in.

It's turn out cute as I wish. The girl approved by rolling and playing in this romper and didn't want to take it off. She will get worn this often in a coming months because it's sizing fits her now. I plan to pair it with long sleeves tee when the weather is colder. (If we can have a winter again this year, currently we have 30+++ C every day.)

Cheers!

Thank you for stop by. I would love to know your comment or suggestion. :)

Yummy See Kate Sew's ruffled apron

Have you know about the "Ruffled Apron Sew-a-long" at See Kate Sew? It's awesome! She offered the free pattern for really pretty and easy sewing ruffled apron pattern and you've just sew it. :)

From my own creations, you may see how much I love ruffles and add them to many of my projects...for my girl. I mean it's not easy to add ruffles to the 35 years old's outfit. I love the cute dress but too cute dress with load of ruffles is not easy to wear for me now. T__T

But the apron, well I feel the apron is an exception and I can make it cute as much as I want without too girlie-guilty. This little ruffled apron make me feel good when I'm doing housewife's business yet pretty cover.

 I made this apron from the skirt part of flea market dress.

Using the the eyelet lace for neckline ruffled.

My hubby even speechless when he saw me in this apron. "o.k, it's cute..." was his only comment when I tried to ask his opinion. I'm not sure that good or not... But I'm feel quite good and special when cooking in my new apron. :)

Thank you for stop by. I'd love to hear from you. :)

Secret Squirrel sew along # 2 : August

Today is 31th, August. So, I'm quiet late for this month sew along but it's still on time, isn't it ;)

Even though my tee is very simple but I can't finished it earlier. (as same as my sew along at last month, http://anapprenticehousewife.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-attempt-to-make-outfit-with-secret.html)

My up-cycled raglan tee for Secret Squirrel Sew along, August

In case you're wonder what is the "Secret Squirrel", please follow this link. And you can see others beautiful creations at this flickr group.

This months, my interpretations are as below

My interpretations for 5 acorns.

Acorn no. 1 Tangerine & Acorn no. 5 Something old are combined. As I used up-cycled tee for this project. Both strips and solid tangerine in this project are from my tee (I was also use this solid in my last month sew along. I use the recess raglan pattern from The alphabet collection by See Kate Sew. This pattern is awesome and fun to mix up. I'm sure a lot more tee will come out from this pattern.

Acorn no. 3 Anne of Green Gable. I'm a fan for this novel. I thought I've read this book since I was at grade 7. Still have a copy of both Anne of Green Gable and Anne of Avonlea. Since I have zero knowledge for fashion on that era, I never understand what are those "puffed sleeves" Anne want so much. But it's the only clue about Anne's fashion which I recognized. So, I googled "Anne of Green Gable puffed sleeves" and found this...

Oh dear Anne! It's lovely and unique. But I decided to make less dramatic puffed sleeves for my little girl. (too less puffed?, it's my first time, see)

My little puff-bottom sleeves

Acorn no. 2 patch and Acorn no. 4 Australia are combined to a kangaroo patch front pocket. It's the first idea that pop up in my head for Acorn no. 4. I also considered others option like kangaroo or koala patch on tee but this one is easiest and practical.

Front pocket for carry small friends.

You may notice the heart pendant and necklace. My almost 4 years old made it herself with beads. She is really in to this craft lately.

Well! that are all 5 acorns in to one tee. Do you like it as much as me :)

I've also added this project to the "Flip this pattern" sew-along series. This month (September) is about flipping the whole Alphabet collection from Pattern Anthology. I'm sure that a lot of wonderful creations will pop up during this month. Please visit FrancesSuzanne blog sew-along page to admire.

Thank you for stop by, I really love to hear from you.

Flip creation for August "Ti(n)ny Snow white"

Addicted...
May I admit that I was hooked by this "Flip this pattern" series at Frances Suzanne. As I was sewing along since June, E&E Bubble shorts. Then 2 versions here and here for the O&S Roller Skate dress during last month.

This month, the Tinny dress pattern is a very challenge for me. Lots of option, thanks for talented An from Straight-grain who created this, but it not easy to flip the pattern that is so much flexible by itself. And this pattern required zipper installation (never did, checked!) and collar (never did as well, checked!).

Anyway, my decision is to learn how to install the zipper and finished the beautiful collar from this pattern. It turned out to be a right decision because the provided instructions are very clear and I have no (big) problem to do so.

And the result is... Tinny dress inspired by Snow white.

Ti(n)ny Snow white insisted to pair the dress with red converse

I made the bow collar by using peter pan collar pattern as a guiding, made the dress without sleeves and use the bias tape to finished instead and change the skirt to bubble skirt. That's it!

How I adjust a peter pan collar pattern to be a bow collar

I made it in size 3 and it perfectly fits my almost 4 years girl. (She quite small for her age)

I asked her to act as a "Princess Snow white" but got only these little monkey action shots. Well.. at least she can be herself in this outfit. The girl happy = Mommy happy :)

Love these apple buttons at the front, cute!

I'm not normally dress my girl up in costume outfit but not-so-spacial costumes which can wear every day are not easy to resist.

By the way, while I thought about how to flip the Tinny, I was realized that with all those peter pan collar, zipper at back and pleat skirt. This pattern can be use for making my girl's school uniform easily. But NO way!

  

Thank you for stopping by! 

I love to hear your comments :)