The last week of Project Run and Play is sewing a signature style.

This was tough to figure out.

What is my signature style??

First, I was thinking of what I don’t like to make.  I don’t like using patterns that EVERYONE seems to be using (i.e. peasant dresses or anything Farbenmix).  I want something a little different.  I am also not a Euro fabric type of girl.  I think it is a very fun look, but not for me.

So…what do I like:

My kids are very active and can be hard on their clothes.  I do make them some dressy clothes, but after the photoshoot I let them wear it whenever they want.  I didn’t spend hours making something for it to sit on a hanger.  I also don’t keep anything once they have been outgrown.  I’ve got pictures.  I’d rather they get used instead of sitting in a box getting old.  My cousin’s little kids get the clothes, and she is passing them onto one of her friends.

“Great!”, I say!  “Use them!”, I say!

Onto my designs for this challenge.

We need family pictures.  This means I needed a color scheme.  I love the mixture of brown, oranges, and deep sky blues during the Fall.

Fall tree

I have a fabric print that I made up out of this design, but it isn’t a very repeat friendly fabric.  I did print some out of the jersey, but I think it will be a good shirt for Anya.  I just need to figure out what I want to do with it.

I made up a new design using the above color scheme.  I totally hosed it.  I was trying to get it done quick and made the repeat wrong and it wasn’t the right blue.  ERGGGGHHHH!  Add to the fact that the BLUE printed as PURPLE, well, it didn’t turn out like I wanted.  I need to order a color swatch to see what the colors will actually print like.  I’m sure the fabric designers on the site have special color charts to have what they see on the screen match what is printed.  Actually, the pattern based on the image above printed a lot like the colors on the screen when I printed it on jersey, but on the organic cotton sateen it was way off.  It was definitely a waste of money printing the pattern repeat.

Well, I spent money on it, so I am going to use it…flaws and all.  I need to go in and change it in Spoonflower.  I can’t believe I did that.  I actually saw it was wrong on one and went back in to change it, so I must have uploaded the wrong file or deleted the right one. Serves me right for trying to do something quickly!

I hate spending that much on fabric, but if I were to purchase special outfits for pictures I might be spending that much, right??

Well, maybe not…I am a bit cheap when it comes to buying clothes.

My rationalization is obviously not working very well.

This is pattern # from Ottobre 3/2009

I have a few issues with Ottobre.  First is the whole tracing bit that is a pain in the arse.  Then you have to add seam allowance to some seams, but not all seams, so then things don’t always match perfectly depending on how evenly you add the seam allowances or if you added a seam allowance where there wasn’t supposed to be a seam allowance.  Then the collars.  Oy.

They do shortcuts on collars and don’t use collar stands.  Bugs the crap out of me.  They never lay well with a woven if you don’t have a collar stand!  They aren’t that hard to do, so I don’t understand why they do that.  This one looked like it had a collar stand from the picture, but they were tricksy.  It has a fake collar stand attached to the collar.  Yeah, doesn’t work the same there dudes.

Over the years I have made many, many, many collared, button-up shirts and have to say the Ottobre ones are the worst for construction (did I say yet, they don’t use collar stands??).  There tend to be more pattern markings on these shirts, which are nearly impossible to see at times on the Ottobre pattern sheets.

Anyways…here is the shirt…tadaaaaa!  I really, really wish I had enough of the purple/blue-ish snaps for this shirt.  I had a couple, but I needed lots.  This shirt would have been a great one to use for snaps.  It has a western flair with the yokes on it.  Get snaps if you decide to make this pattern, because it really needs them.  If I hadn’t needed to get this shirt done for this week, I would have ordered the snaps and waited to put them on.  Besides…they are easier than doing button and button holes!

I present to you Mr. Moody…I interrupted his playing and he was not happy with me.

 Now I need to get to working on that s.w.a.p. for Kailan.  I have about 4 pieces cut out that I need to get sewn.  He really, really needs pants.