Project Run and Play - Week 4

September 24, 2019

Project Run and Play - Week 4

Wow, I can't believe Week 4 is already here and I've made it this far! When I heard week 4's theme -- Signature Style, I was excited to show off my style. I definitely have a particular style which is very Bohemian. I love all Boho styles -- the effortless, relaxed fashion and all the use of various decorative trims, fringe, pompoms, tassels and embroidery to name a few. This week I wanted to share my vision of Boho-Chic with you all.

Bohemian designs incorporate a lot of ethnic, folk and floral patterns. So when choosing fabrics for this week I wanted to show two different boho styles which led me to make one dress in floral and the other using a fabric with gorgeous embroidery details. Fun fact -- both of these fabrics are actually up-cycled from RTW kimonos. I had ordered a mustard kimono a few months back and tried it on and it was just too big on me so I was going to return it. Before I put it in the mail though, I thought why not keep it to cut up and sew a top for myself because I was obsessed with this fabric. While on the hunt for a floral fabric to pair with the mustard dress for this week, I ended up coming across another kimono that I thought would be perfect. Photos of the kimonos before and after I cut in to them below.

For the first dress, I drafted a sweet off-the-shoulder dress using one of my favorite techniques, shirring, for a delicate look on the bodice plus it makes it super comfy to wear. The dress can be worn on the shoulders as well. I love fun, unique details so the sleeves I added two ruffled layers with the bottom layer having a rolled hem on the border print. To bring in the chic element I made a braided belt out of suede I found in my stash (from my previous adventure in sewing baby moccasins) and added fringe detailing to it and styled the dress with a simple choker and suede Panama hat.

For the second outfit, I drafted a v-neck dress with a unique back. I had a vision for cross straps with a drapey back bodice that would allow the cross straps to peak through. One of my favorite things about pattern designing is figuring out how to design unique details that you can't simply draft straight from a book. Though it may take a little longer and a few more muslins to figure out, it's so worth it to be able to make garments with such cool design elements. Plus I always feel pretty accomplished once I figure it out. :) That was definitely the case with this back.
Thank you all for your support during this competition! I have had such a blast this season and super grateful to be a part of the Project Run and Play family now! Head over to the Project Run and Play blog to see all the entries and vote for your fave for the final week.  xo- Mandalynn



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