PTR Week 2: Flower Accessory Inspiration

I'm gone! The poll closed tonight and my project had the fewest votes, so I lost this week on Project Toddler Runway.  I'm glad I realized I would be off early on in the voting though--before I made next week's project.

Here was my  project inspired by an assigned hair accessory.

This was a harder week for me...obviously. :)  I struggle with feminine ideas--my mind is always blank.  But it's good to be forced into areas I normally wouldn't go I guess.

I was dreading being assigned a huge frilly flower, and was glad when I got this hair accessory for my project.

Simple and dainty.

I focused mainly on the two bottom ones, the blue and white combo, and also thinking to use the simple tiny flowers as a subtle detail rather than a huge focal point.

I enlisted my 4-year-old niece to model my project, and obviously get to keep it.  Her mom gave me her measurements, but I was a little nervous, hoping it would fit.  I just used my son's t-shirt as the base of my homemade pattern, and when we got together, it fit her perfectly!

Because the coat is blue, I did make the lining pink and girly.  It would probably be really cute as an overall pink coat too, but I chose blue, although the whole blue vs pink Sleeping Beauty scene did cross my mind.

Her dress was blue the majority of the movie, and she's a princess, so I went with blue.

My favorite part of the whole thing is hidden in the lining.  Below the neck, where a tag would be, I sewed a flower shaped little tag with her name sewn on.  Not real emoboidery, just stitching with the feed dogs down and a darning foot, I guess free motion sewing.

I think she loved her name "fancy" in her coat.

So the buttons are little flowers, drawing the inspiration from the assigned hair accessory.

I chose to have the closures velcro, so these buttons are just sewn on as a design element.  Beneath each one, is a square of velcro, except the top center flower that is a snap.

I thought velcro would be easier for her to get the coat on and off herself, rather than tiny buttons right under her chin.

The left tab is just sewn on with no function, but the right tab has velcro to close the waist of the coat shut.

It's styled like a double breasted coat, having the under side velcro to the back of the front near the waistline, then the front folding clear across the body, with the tab to help keep it closed, and add a little detail.

I added a slight ruffle to the end of the sleeves.

I prefer the more simple style, but tried to make this little coat unique and interesting looking by using contrasting and asymmetrical lines.

So it was fun to be on PTR while it lasted.  On to more projects on my list for the house, decor, baby and a few organizational/ storage projects.

I only have 9 weeks until my due date, and my list of things I'd like to accomplish is long, but seems possible as long as my growing belly doesn't slow me down too much.