Project Run & Play : Let’s Go to the Movies

So… movies.  This is the kind of theme that sounds great but always has me stumped.  There are so many great movies with awesome fashion in them.  And of course, that means that I could not think of a single one.  I had the added challenge that I needed to be able to get the outfit done pretty fast.  I have another machine knit item planned for the last challenge.  I’m willing to stay up late a few times but I do have to be functional during the day.  So no elaborate Breakfast at Tiffany’s outfit or Beauty and the Beast dress for me.  What movie then?

I decided I wanted to use a childhood favorite of mine.  I first thought of Robin Hood.  You know, the Disney one with animals.  I adored that movie as a child!  I looked at some images but nope.  Not inspired.  Then I thought of another one that I loved.

The Secret of Nimh!  Slight issue : Mrs. Brisby only wears a tattered red cape.  But!

See?  Teresa Brisby has a dress!  And a big old bow in her hair.  And I knew exactly how to make a similar dress.  Tinny!

I swear the image of the dress looked blue the first time I looked at it.  And the bow looked lavender. So I went with some blue gingham I already had for the skirt and some blue cotton to go with it.

I used the circle skirt option from the pattern.  It twirls!

I skipped the collar because Teresa had none but kept the facing and added piping.  Yeah, I know, I know, Teresa doesn’t have any piping but I couldn’t help it. I also skipped the cuffs and did a narrow hem with my 4mm rolled hem foot.  Because Teresa.

Teresa is poor so I did want the dress to look a little scruffy.  Enter the patch that covers no hole that I know of.  I suppose the right term is appliqué, then…  I just fused it on with lightweight Steam a Seam and then reverse whipstitched it all the way around.  Reverse because a whipstitch is usually diagonal stitches on the right side and vertical stitches on the wrong side.  I put the vertical ones in front.  The stitches are a little uneven accidentally on purpose.  On purpose because I didn’t try to make them exactly equal and perfectly spread out.  Accidentally because even if I wanted to, I’m not sure my embroidery skills would have been up to the task!

To make the dress a little more scruffy, I decided to leave the bottom edge raw.  I don’t want the whole fabric unravelling on me so  I did three lines of topstitching along the bottom.  The middle one is done with topstitching thread (I used the same for the embroidery on the patch).

Souricette 2 was kind enough to make herself even scruffier by giving herself a black eye.  It took some effort! She tried running and falling in the driveway which only gave her a tiny scratch.  But then, she took it to new heights by tumbling down the stairs not once but twice in two days!

And that big bow in her hair?  I just tied her hair back with an elastic, inserted a lavender playsilk in it and tied a bow.

And there you have it!  Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to work on the next project…

About deuxsouriceaux

Creative mommy at home to two wonderful little girls, trying to juggle family, sewing, exercise, family, knitting, photography, and did I mention family?