This weeks challenge for Project Run and Play was to pick our favorite fashion icon and make an outfit for our kiddo (or in my case, kiddo’s) based upon their style. I chose Nicole Richie and her boho chic style. I fell in love with her style while watching Fashion Star this past year. Her dresses were always amazing along with her accessories and hair styles.

Turning Nicole’s style into a wearable toddler style was really tough for me. Nicole’s looks have a lot of draping and layering and the construction for those were way beyond what I have ever made before. I  wanted to make the dress and top without elastics or gathers because that is how many of Nicole’s looks are. But after a few practice runs I finally figured it out how to drape and cut the fabric so it would fit and flow the way I wanted it to. They look fairly simple to sew but they were by far the hardest garments for me to make. A lot of Nicole’s styles are not only drapy and flowey, they also lay at different angles.I decided to go with two looks, a dressed up Nicole look and a more casual Nicole look…still have them coordinate. I started out by making the long dress. It took hours of trial and error but I finally came up with the perfect shape that is flowy around her middle and fits perfectly around the chest and neckline without any gathering. Then once the main part of the dress was made I added a ruffled collar and a ruffled piece to the bottom of the dress just to make it a little more toddler friendly. My little girl was looking more like a 10 year old then a 3 year old and let’s face it I’m not ready for that! The closure in the back of the dress is a simple tie that I made from a long strip of fabric. Then to add a little more sweetness, I made a lace vest using 1/2 yard of fabric and draping it so that is flowed longer in the front and shorter in the back. I made it sleeve-less so that the longer sleeves from the dress could flow freely. To finish off the look I made a belt using the lace fabric and added some knit as well as some leather from a belt I had on hand. And of course a bag was a must! So I made a slouchy bag out of denim and then added a handle made from the knit and lace fabrics that I had left over. Then I added the buckle part of the belt to the front of the bag for a little detail.The second look was a little more casual. For this look I made 4 pieces. The shirt was made the same way as I made the dress but just shorter in the length and longer on the sleeves. I used the same fabric tie closure on this shirt as I did in the dress but instead I put the tie in the front of the shirt instead of in the back. The vest was made out of corduroy fabric and is lined with purple lycra and pink. I simply layered the pink lace over the purple lycra to give it a little texture and contrast. For the tank top underneath the main shirt I used a simple design for the top and then added angled layers with the purple Lycra and pink lace to the bottom. Her pants bell bottom pants were made from some super stretchy denim-looking fabric. Layering was key in this look much like Nicole’s personal style. We made some necklaces and bracelets to go with the looks but after seeing them on with the outfits I chose to leave them off. They looked too overdone…and that is something Nicole never looks. She is amazing at layering and accessorizing, but makes it looks natural. This is the first long dress that my girls have ever worn. I always thought that long dresses were not practical for little girls but with the right flow they are great! My little girls just loves it and it has already been worn a ton! And those little bell bottom pants are LOVED so! I think it is the fabric…so comfy and stretchy, yet they look like real jeans.Now head on over to Project Run and Play to see all of the looks and don’t forget to show us some LOVE by voting for your favorite. I promise they are great and I’m in trouble this week!

That’s right, we are moving on to round 2!! Thank you to all of you who took the time to vote. It means so much to me to have your support. It is not easy putting your creations out there to have others vote on it. So this weeks challenge is all about our favorite fashion icon. This was definitely a tough but fun one for me and how I wish that these outfits were for me instead of these two kiddo’s of mine. I’m not going to tell you who I chose as my fashion icon yet, you are going to have to check back here on Friday to see for yourselves.

we have gone from Summer to Fall. The apples are ready to be picked.And we are having to say good bye to some of our favorite garden goodies. But also hello to some of our favorites.We are spending hours a day preserving all of these goodies while we can.The number of empty canning jars is drastically decreasing.And our trips to ocean have gone from sunscreen and swimsuits to jeans and sweatshirts.But I don’t mind one bit. I love fall and all that it brings…well except for the whole kids having to go to school thing. I’m still adjusting to that one.

This week Season 5 of Project Run and Play finally begins. I am so excited for all of you to finally see what I have been working on for the past few weeks. It has been a lot of work and I have spent MANY hours thinking, sewing, contemplating, worrying and remaking outfits, but in the end I am happy with my designs and hope you will be too! I have had a ton of questions about the Project Run and Play competition and figured that I better answer all of your questions now because over the next 6 weeks you will be seeing lots of weekly posts about.

What is Project Run and Play?

Project Run and Play is an on-line competiton where 8 bloggers compete weekly for 6 weeks to see who has the best children’s clothing design. It is similar to the famous Project Runway on television…but for us crazy bloggers instead. Each week our looks will be posted over on the Project Run and Play blog and then you the readers get to vote on your favorite look. The designer with the most votes is the winner and the designer with the least votes is sent home…err, loses.

Do they tell you what you have to make? No not exactly, but we do have weekly themes that we have to base our designs on. You can see the entire list of themes here.

How do I vote? It is so easy to vote and quick. Once our weekly designs are posted on the Project Run and Play blog Friday mornings the voting begins. With one simple click, you place your vote and just so you know you only get 1 vote per computer. Voting will be open until Sunday night. The winner will be announced Monday morning and the competition continues on until there is one winner left. Will you remind me to vote? Don’t worry I will link to the Project Run and Play site in the bottom of my post, which I will be posting on my blog Friday after our posts have been posting on the Project Run and Play site. Don’t worry I am not going to be totally lame and beg for votes or tell you to vote for me…unless you are my mom or my hubby. Well actually maybe one of you could vote on my hubby’s behalf…he doesnt follow my blog…actually he has never read it. I know, can you believe that?! I guess I understand. He sees all of my creations first hand plus has to live with all the chaos that comes along with them. Trust me, he is my biggest fan and supporter. But really, I hope you all take a minute to vote for your favorite look, whoever’s it is. We have all put in a ton of time and energy into our designs and the only way we are recognized for them is by your votes. It is always amazing to see how many thousands of people are voting each week and the numbers are growing with each season. Plus it is a great way to show the amazing girls behind the Project Run and Play blog who work so hard at putting this competition together some love!

What do you win? Lots of goodies, just check them out here for yourself. Amazing aren’t they?! Big thanks to all that donate goodies to the competition. Plus there will be lots of giveaways for those of you at home as well. So become a follower!

How did you become part of this? I was actually chosen and asked to compete. Each season 6 very different designers are asked to compete and then they have an open audition to chose the other two designers. So 8 designers in all will be competing. 

Why are you doing this? Well, to better my sewing skills and to learn more about making garments. Plus to meet new “friends” that enjoy sewing just as much as I do. Oh and my kids could use some new clothes. But really I think it will be fun and who doesn’t love a little challenge once in a while?

Do they vote just by looking at your pictures? Yes, just three pictures actually. We submit the three pictures and a post describing our looks to the Project Run and Play blog and then that post is the one that is published and voted on Friday mornings. So taking great pictures is key…and so very hard to do. Toddlers don’t like to stand still and smile, at least mine don’t.

So what happens when you lose? That is it, the competition is over for you.

Who are you competing against? An amazing group of ladies. See all the contestants here. We are stay at home moms that just love to sew for our little ones.

Phew, I think I answered most of the questions I have  been receiving lately, but if you have anymore, don’t be shy and just ask. Plus you can head on over to the Project Run and Play site to read more about the competition.

I also want to mention that all of you at home can compete in the sew along portion. I did that last season and loved it!! To see  more information about the sew along and all the rules go here.

Fabric shopping in New Hampshire is well…tough and sparse. I can count all of the fabric stores we have in New Hampshire on one hand and a few extra fingers. Sad isn’t it? Well after doing a bit of research and asking other fabric shops for information, I found a few new stores that I had not heard of before.  I even found a store that was only 1 hour and 15 minutes away from my house and word was, they were cheap! I’m still wondering how many more hidden gems are out there, so if any of you know of a great fabric shop in New Hampshire or close by, please let me know. I would love to get a list of fabric shops in New Hampshire started and try to keep it updated. So two weeks ago I headed out to one of those hidden gems…Franks Bargain Center. To say that I loved Frank’s is understatement. I am completely and utterly in love with this place! I found everything I was looking for and then some. Cheap, cheap and more cheap fabric everywhere I looked. I was a bit overwhelmed when I first walked in, but I just took my time and walked around the whole store. Then I walked around the store again and this time placed yards and yards of fabric into my cart.Frank’s carries a little bit of everything. From upholstery fabric to apparel fabrics and everything in between. They even have a huge selection of zippers, buttons and threads. Oh yes, lots of thread. Did you know that Fruit of the Loom made thread? Why does that make me chuckle so?They also have shelves full of trims, laces, notions and curtain acessories. I even found a lot of sewing items and acessories that I never knew existed.Oh and have I mentioned that their prices were super cheap? I bought most of my knits for $2.50 a yard. Cotton quilting fabrics were about $4.00 a yard and Upholstery Fabric started at about $5.00 a yard. There is a mix of old and new fabrics, as well as some fabrics that I have no clue what they were other then something that I totally needed.Don’tcha love these tables? Oh how I would love to have a sewing room big enough to house one of them…preferable two.Frank’s also has the largest selection of Simplicity patterns that I have ever seen. They are all over the store. This is just a smidgen of the insane amount of Simplicity patterns they have. It can be a bit overwhelming so plan on spending at least an hour or two.I left Frank’s Bargain Center with an insane amount of fabric…like a huge garbage bag full actually. He even had to carry it to the car for me. Ok so I totally could have carried it but he was just that nice. Most of the fabric will be used for Project Run and Play so I can’t show you yet. But trust me, it is a great store and a must see! Frank’s Bargain Center is located on Charleston Road in Claremont, New Hampshire. I believe that their business hours are 10-5 and open most holidays. But call ahead just to be certain, 603-542-2218.  And just so you know they do not have an answering machine or a website, so just keep calling until you get a hold of someone…trust me, it is worth it!

this little girl is watching my every move.I even woke up at 3:30 this morning to do some sewing, but this little one caught me in the act. She is a tough one I tell ya. Don’t let that cute face fool you.She will tell you when she is unsure of your designs…or if you are using the wrong thread color. I’m pretty sure I have never heard Tim Gunn complain over that one before.But for the most part she approves of my designs, phew! After all, she is the one that will be wearing it down the runway. So I guess she should have some say in it, right?

Yesterday was the last day of having all three of my kiddos at home with me. Yes, I cried a lot! Actually I’m still crying over it.We spent the day packing his backpack and getting things ready for his first day of school. For lunch I surprised them all with a special treat…Mc Donald’s food. We had a picnic on the front porch like we normally do when they are cutting the fields or spreading “cow poop.” We even got lots of “pull the handle” action. I’m telling ya, that never gets old.I am really going to miss these days with all three at home with me.We even had a special treat of watching our last butterfly break out of its chrysalis. For some reason this monarch walked right into my little guys hands before it flew off.Then this morning my little guy was off to his first day of Kindergarten. He was so excited! Yes we did have a little debate over the socks, but in the end I just wanted him to be comfortable. So, knee-high socks with shorts it is.Drop-off was tough, but luckily I made it out of the classroom before I lost it. It sure is weird without him here…and very quiet. The girls have asked at least a dozen times where their brother is. I guess they miss him too. We are counting down the hours till we can pick him up and hear all about his first day.

Sour Pickles, Green Tomato Relish, Pickled Beets, Spicy Dilly Beans and Zucchini Relish.Isn’t canning such a love/hate relationship? There are moments when I love it and moments I hate it, but in the end when I see all of our goodies lined up in a row…it is love all the way. So what have you been canning lately?

This has definitely been the best free junk find we have ever found on the side of the road…2 claw foot tubs for FREE! I know right?! One day my hubby was driving home and saw a free sign on both tubs and since he couldn’t choose between the two, he brought both home. How he ever got them into his van alone I will never know but all I know is these were the best finds ever. We decided to use one and keep the other as a “back-up” since we already have another claw foot tub that came with the house. The outside of the tub was not in too bad of shape while the inside was in horrible shape. Nothing a lot of TLC wouldn’t cure though. (The picture is after shot of the inside.) The outside definitely needed a new paint job and even some sand blasting beforehand to remove all of the old paints.After a few coats of paint she was good to go.By far the best free junk on the side of the road that we have ever found. So tell me, what has your best free junk find been?