Posting and Money

I knew going into this personal challenge of keeping up with project runway would be difficult, but I never realized the financial drain. They have started with some pretty intense and not so practical challenges. I can't rewear the clothing and that makes it impractical for me right now. 2 weeks ago now for the avante garde chanllenge I choose just to sketch, because I just can't afford to make it the way I envisioned it and without that it is only a poor mans junk instead of something amazing.

 I'll be honest my costumes are selling like mad and I don't have time to even watch the show lately. Here it is Tuesday and I still haven't even watched last weeks episode. I might have to join in even later and pick up where I left off in a couple of weeks. I love that things are selling, but I'm haveing a hard time keeping up. Argh.

Just thought I would pass on the sketch I did do.

Begging...

I know I don't have tons of followers, but I know that even the few I have I should honor by completeing the challenges. This week however has been one of those weeks where as a Mom, Wife, And Childcare provider not to mention a business owner, I just couldn't do it. I didn't even get to see last weeks episode, the week has been that crazy. There was some fireworks in the family that I do some babysitting for that required a lot of my brain power too. It's not like I haven't been designing, just not for a plus sized woman.  These are all costumes that had no pattern before I got started and I created them. Strawberry Shortcake, a Blue Bird and an Angry Bird. The Little Red Riding Hood, had pattern parts, but not quite in that configuration.

My husband told me to take a week of grace and take last week off. THIS week however my daughter and I get to work together on. She is such a glitter fan, that I can't wait to see what her imput is into the outfit. Stay Tuned...

Episode 4: All about Nina

Sorry about the delay on getting this up this week. It's nearing Halloween time and I've been frantically making costumes to get up in my Etsy store. I always sell over half of my annual sales at Halloween time so I got to have a good inventory, so if you've checked my store at all check back later this weekend for a whole collection of fun costumes.

When you are working soo far away from Nina you have to improvise. So I asked one of my friends to be my Nina. Her name is Julie and she has a notoriously hard figure to dress. This presented one aspect of the challenge for me.  The other aspect is making it cool enough that she will be comfortable here in Hawaii. It has been especially hot and nasty this week so That seemed even more important.

So this is a little "suit" for her to wear! I really like it, the Jacket with it's tuxedo inspired collar and cute bangle would make a rocking look with a pair of Jeans or straightlegged pants too.

This weekend we are getting our daughters together for a play date so you can see her in it. I can't wait.  Oh and I suppose I should mention that once again my family budget ruled the fabric shopping. So I used some fabric I had on hand. The main part of the outfit is made from a King Sized sheet and the cami is a really pretty embossed knit.  Total for the outfit I spent $1 on the really cool bangle on clearance at Walmart.

Episode 3: Go Big or Go Home

GO BIG! Yikes did you hear that budget $500 not going to happen over here. Thankfully some of my friends and neighbors have heard what I am doing and have been kind enough to pass on some fabric. SO for my $500 imaginary dollars I went to my fabric rubbermaid container which holds mostly vintage fabrics that were never used when they were purchased, and do a little picking. I came up with an idea that I'll confess has some inspiration in my daughter's costuming.  I made her a Rapunzel dress out of a couple of old sheets, adapting a pattern by a fellow designer Little Lizard King. (tell her Mommaloha sent you, just kidding) Anyway I made up this dress for my daughter and I thought hey I think that looks comfortable and super cute. Every where we've gone in it, yes I let my daughter dress up when we leave the house too (I think the ladies at Walmart are always wondering who she'll come dressed as next), people have said I need to make one for them too. 

Instead I decided to take the same basic ideas and make it better. I made the top so the proportions would be right on a stilt walker. IF it was just for me things would have to be shortened a bit.

Rough in process shot, again I wasn't so good about remembering to take the camera out while making it. There was a really good reason for this. See my daughter has learned how to take photos pretty well. She's only 3 but can actually frame up a pretty good shot, unfortunately her little friend that I babysit can be a walking tornado, so I don't like to have fragile things out around him.

I should also mention that I did cheat a little bit. Since this was a pair challenge, I reused the pants I made in the first challenge only I redyed them. I live in Hawaii and honestly the chances of wearing the pants is slim, so why not dye them to match this outfit too. I made them so it's still not totally cheating. The only problem with that is they were not going to get the extra height needed to truely be a stilt walker image. I don't have any stilts anyway and no real desire to be that much taller so I used our bathroom step stool to give myself a little more height so you can kind of imagine what it would look like taller.

Then my husband, darling man that he is took just a regular shot of me while kneeling so that you would get an optical illusion of me being taller than I am.

I think for $0 spent it is pretty darn awesome!

The fabric floats and flutters as you walk so on the runway it does some serious eyecatching effortless beauty. I'm kind of hopeing that the next challenge is fairly normal, these adaptations are killing me. Plus Halloween is comming and I just sold the last costume in my online shop so I have some major sewing to get done.

Episode 2: Pet Project

Unlike the season 9 designers the distraction I had at the pet store was 2, 4 year olds. Okay so one is still 3 weeks shy of 4 but close enough.

They were absolutely enchanted by the turtles. That being said I had the most time to really look and price things out in the aquarium department. So it is no wonder that most of my supplies came from there. Remember I only could afford a tenth of the budget that the season 9 designers had of $300, I set myself a budget of $30 and ended up spending $18.73. I found clearance things and let that really lead what I was buying. The gal at the checkout is also a Project Runway fan so when I explained why I had such random items she actually understood.

I'm getting ready for a craft fair this weekend here on O'ahu, so my sewing time has been divided. It's been so divided infact that I let my "helpers" help me add the glue and sand to my bodice. I used puppy wee pads, yes I know they were over used, but I didn't use any muslin. The foundation of the bodice was the wee wee pads. I took the blue plastic backing off and it was a nice white quilted fabric looking pad.

Probelm one became coverage. Since the wee wee pads were soo absorbant I used 3 whole bottles of glue and then had to let it sit in the sun to bake and dry. My "helpers" were also not so good at making sure that I was done putting on the glue before they started dumping sand, but over all they were actually helpful and we got the bodice done. Then after bedtime my Hubby and I watched a movie while I burned the tips of my fingers repeatedly to add the aquarium rocks to the neck line and straps. Then it was time to put all the pieces together.

 What I used:

4 puppy wee wee pads

1 bag vita sand for reptiles

1 bag aquarium rocks

1 aquarium decoration

3 feet of aquarium back drop plastic paper

Glue

Hot Glue

thread

tape

In this shot you can see the aquarium decoration being used like a decorative belt buckle, and the detail of the cutting I used on the skirt.

It's not my favorite design ever but it only had to be better than the dress eliminated so I hope it is in your eyes. I think if it wasn't like armor (that much glue baked in the sun makes a rather nice pinata but not a bodice) it might actually be a pretty cute dress on me. I like the way that the blue stripe comes together in the center of the skirt even though the pieces are flipped and juggled. It gives it a really nice look.

I'm hopeing the next challenge is a bit less expensive.

What to do, What to do...

Okay so the new challenge is placed before me.

Episode 2: Pet Project

The contestants got $300, unlimited muslin, and 30 minutes to shop in a pet store.

Well it's pretty safe to say I don't have $300 laying around to buy supplies, so I'm going to try to do it for 10% of that. Even that will be a little tight on this month's budget, but I am determined to make it work. hehe. Now I just have to go to the pet store. Not sure how that will happen with a 3 year old and a 4 year old today, but  we'll see.

Stay tuned.

Episode 1: Come As You Are

I did have a little advantage over the Project Runway contestants on this challenge. I got to do the laundry first and make sure they weren't sweaty pjs; but as my husband will attest I do wear this to bed. It's a bit big on me now, and was originally his shirt, but this is what I used to make my look.

I gotta say anyone of the designers who complains about not having enough time does not have my sympathy. I would have given just about anything for 2 solid work hours. Instead I did all the deconstruction and pinning while my daughter played in the pool one afternoon, alternating between playing and pinning.  Then I snuck 15 minute increments all day as she got busy doing things or playing with Daddy.

 I realized I should have taken some in progress photos but this time around, oh well you live and learn. I asked my daughter this morning to take a photo of me so I could show my friends, Nice shot huh.

She took one photo and handed the camera back to me and said, "I'm a model take my picture"

Just for the cuteness factor there she is.

There are some challenges designing for yourself. I didn't have anyone to hem the pants or make sure the fit was perfect. Looking at it in photos I see little things I would have changed, but I really do like it. It is quite comfortable, and I can't wait to wear it.

SO without further ado, Voila! My first completed Plus Size Challenge!

 Comfy enough to stay home but sassy enough for a night out with the girls. I'll be honest I might have changed the pants color, but I had already dyed them once and I figured the Project Runway contestants wouldn't have had time for another dye bath. I was originally planning to make a dress still using the upper bodice section, but once I got the front pinned I saw a little classy biker in it and thought a slack would look better.

I was planning on wearing heals to model this, but sometimes you make sacrifices. I don't have the piperlime accesory wall so I went to the thrift store to buy a pair of heals, instead I found a doll house my daughter has been wanting for quite a while and I bought that instead, thus leaving me with no money for pumps. Make it work! as Tim Gunn says, so I just left my flats on and looked cute.

My favorite part is the back of the shirt. The neck tie is made from the boxers. I have worn them for the past 5 years, since I was pregnant with my daughter and the fabric is very floaty and thin. The very feminine tie balances the more masculine front design. It should be noted here, that the shirt was bought because it was a play on the transformers logo and says.

Trans-formed "Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away. Behold all things have become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17

Quite appropriate for a challenge about making a new look from old stuff. LOVE IT!

Now I have about 48 hours until the new challenge comes around, can't wait!