Hand Painted Dress // Project Run & Play Season 3 Reunion

2 years ago, I was lucky to be asked to participate in a sewing competition, "Project Run and Play"-- kind of an online Project Runway for children's clothing design. The girls from my season decided to do a little virtual reunion, because we like each other, and to reflect back and see how we've grown.

 

One thing that unifies a lot of the things I made for PR&P is fabric manipulation. Rather than just buying and using fabric as is, I like doing something to it to make it my own. It's just another fun way to personalize the design.

I dyed, printed on, quilted, and appliqued to create new colors and patterns. I've been playing around with using dye to actually paint on fabric lately, and thought it would be fun to create a dress using fabric I've painted this way.

  

The thing I like about painting with dye, as opposed to printing with ink or paint, is that the dye actually permeates and bonds to the fabric and doesn't leave behind any stiffness. It seems more permanent than the other methods I've tried. I also love the watercolor effect it creates. 

I designed and drafted the pattern for the dress. It's pretty simple, but has a fun shoulder detail. And I made it very roomy so she can enjoy it for years to come.

Here's a look at some of the things we all made during the competition:

Thank you Jessica for putting this together!

Check out the amazing things the other girls made. I sincerely feel lucky to be included in a group with them. Each is incredibly talented and inspiring: