film petit | skirt as top

Archive | film petit RSS feed for this section

film petit: back to the future

where we’re going for film petit this month, we don’t need roads…

and we’re back with more ’80s movie goodness for you today! it’s every 30-something’s introduction to the perils of time travel – 1985′s Back to the Future!

written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, BTTF is the story of Marty McFly, played by a teenage Michael J. Fox, who is accidentally sent back in time to 1955 in his friend Doc Brown’s souped up DeLorean. he must find a way back home while also ensuring his parents (also teens at the time) get together. if he fails in his mission, they will never get married and have him, and he will cease to exist…! and then his mom decides she thinks he’s cute and wants to go to prom with him! also, biff! ohhhhh dear. it’s a super fun movie and a must-watch for an entire generation.

so as far as i’m concerned, there are three true “main characters” in BTTF: Marty, Doc, and The DeLorean.

i decided to go more conceptual than i have in film petits past…yep, I totally sewed an outfit inspired by a time traveling car.

Screen Shot 2013-04-18 at 1.37.30 AM

i actually put an insane amount of thought into trying to bring the vague idea i had in my mind to an outfit that would make sense to everyone, so let’s see if you’re with me, starting with the hair.

i actually just wanted to point out that i totally spiked up my 2 year old’s hair with pomade so he looked more 80s. okay moving on.

DeLorean jacket! i knew i wanted to make a jacket, i wanted it to look a bit ’80s, a bit driving jacket-esque, and be lightweight and in DeLorean gray. i thought i’d add more detail to it, but the sewing got tricky and so i added detail elsewhere. oh oh! funny side note i remembered while writing this post – when we were choosing a grout color for our bathroom tile, one of the options was actually called “DeLorean Gray.”

we chose it.

if he lifts his arms, it’s even got gull-wing doors!

i used Rae’s Flashback Skinny Tee as a base for the jacket, adding room to the neckline, armholes, and chopping off many inches to accommodate the rib knit band at the bottom and the length of the zipper. this is my first time sewing a separating zipper, and the first time sewing taffeta (!) which was the best color gray they had at JoAnn to give me the look I wanted (despite being really impractical for a 2 year old).

the final jacket reminds me of Jess’s Drive-inspired jacket, the creation that sparked this whole film petit idea in the first place, so i thought that was cool too!

under the jacket is another Flashback Skinny Tee in 3T, which I freezer paper stenciled to look like the OUTATIME license plate on the car! i had a heckuva time figuring out what to put on a shirt, but as soon as I watched the movie again and saw that plate, i pretty much ran to my sewing room to make it. i added stripes to look like the California plate at the top, and i get a feeling he’ll wear this one a lot.

on the bottom, another Rae pattern! this one is the fab new Parsley Pants pattern (I was a tester). i dyed a pair of my husband’s old khakis ORANGE to look like flame trails the DeLorean leaves behind as it rockets into the past in the parking lot of JCPenny (it was my husband’s idea to do that!). then with a stroke of late night inspiration, i drew tire treads onto the knee patches to nail home the car idea a little more.

oh and his neon green-tread shoes represent plutonium fuel. hehe.

now, you didn’t think i’d make a delorean outfit without a flux capacitor, did you?!

of course not. you would never.

and there you have it! my little guy says it’s time to go visit our two fellow time travelers and see some amazing and wonderful things.

off he goes! won’t you follow him?

first, i can’t believe that we lured the Queen of All Sewing Bloggers, Dana of MADE, into joining us for film petit! Jess and I were so excited to have her sew with us, and we realized she’s just as much of a procrastinator as we are (score!). Dana made a super awesome Mary McFly outfit for her son Owen, AND a bonus ’50s girl outfit for her little Clara – both are perfection. GO CHECK IT OUT! thanks for playing, Dana!!

aaaaaand my partner-in-crime Jess sewed Doc Brown’s white jumpsuit for her daughter Elsie. yes, daughter. it’s freakin’ hilarious, Jess always gets the silliness just right. GO SEE, GO SEE!

***

here are the guidelines for film petit:

every month or so, Jess and i (plus a guest blogger) sew an outfit (or outfits) for our kid (or kids) inspired by a movie we love. our next guest will be Delia from Delia Creates!
please add your movie-inspired kid sewing to the film petit flickr group. there’s some really amazing stuff in there – we love it when you play along!
this is a pretty relaxed series, really the only rule is to make outfits for kids based on films you love. if you have any questions, please let either of us know.
film petit archives: the life aquatic with steve zissou, amélie, fantastic mr. fox, psycho, moonrise kingdom, ferris bueller’s day off, the big lebowski. you can see all of Jessica’s film petit posts right here.

About these ads

Comments 35 Comments
Categories film petit, made by rae patterns, sewing, sewing for boys

film petit: the big lebowski

27 Feb

film petit february! as i re-watched our chosen film this month, i realized something – apparently my husband and i quote it constantly, maybe sometimes without even realizing it. it’s everyone’s favorite highly quotable quirky bowling movie – it’s….The Big Lebowski!

if my husband remembers to get something at the store that i forgot to put on the list? i tell him “he’s a good man, and thorough.” someone’s carrying a drink and a kid bumps into them? ”there’s a beverage here, man!” something gets spilled on/damaged? it “really tied the room together.” and just at random times… “8 year olds, dude.”

am i wrong?

anyway, before i fall down the rabbit hole of movie quotes (in the parlance of our times – GAH), i suppose i should talk about the movie plot.

ummmmm wellllll it’s kind of hard to explain. let me give it my best shot. 1998′s The Big Lebowski was directed by the Coen Brothers. it tells the story of the mellow and lazy Jeffrey Lebowski (aka “The Dude,” or “Duder,” or “El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing”) perfectly played by Jeff Bridges. The Dude is mistaken for a rich man also named Jeffrey Lebowski, and is suddenly drawn into a crazy kidnapping caper, when all he really wants to do is drink white russians and bowl with his buddies. it’s a pretty weird but beloved movie, and one i’ve seen about a million times.

typically we all pick different movie characters for film petit, but we felt that we should each make tiny Dudes this month to sort of swamp the internet with them – a mini Lebowskifest! mine is “pre-opening credit Dude,” the two scene intro that sets the stage for the rest of the movie. the Dude goes to the grocery store to grab some half and half for his white russian…

but comes home only to find himself getting dunked in his own toilet and his rug micturated upon by a couple hooligans attempting to shake him down for money he clearly doesn’t have.

film petit: the big lebowski

i sewed for O again, figuring the smaller the Dude was, the funnier it would be. and actually it was pretty hilarious – this is the MOST recognized character during one of my film petit photoshoots. people at the more-crowded-than-i-expected-it-to-be-at-that-hour grocery store were giggling and saying “haha, is that The Dude?” left and right. i started out a little self-conscious about it, but then ran with it. i think O liked the attention.

his bathrobe is made of wide wale corduroy from JoAnn, and the pattern is the Just Like Dad Flannel Robe from Sewing for Boys. i made it in a 2-3T for the length but chopped 3″ off the sleeves (and they’re still roll up-worthy!) so he’ll definitely wear it a while. the shorts are the Oliver + S Sketchbook Shorts made out of daddy’s old ones.

the undershirt, which i didn’t get a great photo of, is Made by Rae’s Flashback Skinny Tee, made out of daddy’s old t-shirt, short sleeved, with a v-neck!

i’m actually pretty excited about the non-overlapping v-neck and might share a mini tutorial for it a little later; i’ve always wanted to know how to do that and it wasn’t hard once i figured it out.

my little Dude got the munchies at the store and picked out a couple snacks. figured that was probably pretty true to character (the Dude likes to “smoke Js”).

while my little dude is snacking on chili cheese fritos and abiding, you can head over to see the other little lebowski urban achievers that my partners sewed up!

our guest this month, Sabra from sew a straight line, sewed both “bowling alley Dude” AND a mini walter sobchak! both are absolute perfection. she even gets us a toe – you don’t want to know how, but there are ways. thanks so much for joining us, Sabra!

and my partner Jessica, not to be outdone, sewed “playoff/funeral Dude” with some awesome details, AND took photos at a very special locale! go check it out!

proud we are of all of them!

***

here are the guidelines for film petit:

every month or so, Jessica and i (plus a guest blogger) sew an outfit (or outfits) for our kid (or kids) inspired by a movie we love. our next guest will be Dana from MADE!
please add any of your movie-inspired kid sewing to the film petit flickr group. if you sew along with our film petit choices, we’d love to see that too!
this is a pretty relaxed series, really the only rule is to make outfits for kids based on films you love. if you have any questions, please let either of us know.
film petit archives: the life aquatic with steve zissou, amélie, fantastic mr. fox, psycho, moonrise kingdom, ferris bueller’s day off

P.S. this is not ‘nam, this is bowling. there are rules.

P.P.S. do you see what happens, larry?!

P.P.P.S. i am the walrus.

Comments 57 Comments
Categories film petit, kids clothes, made by rae patterns, oliver + s, sewing, sewing for boys

film petit: ferris bueller’s day off

31 Jan

for film petit this month…BUELLER!

this was so so fun, you guys (do i say that every time? i might). Jess, Shannon, and I each picked one of the three main characters in 1986′s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, directed by John Hughes. though the movie came out when i was pretty little, i’ve seen it quite a few times, especially in high school since my husband is a major fan. it’s about three high school kids, Ferris (ringleader), Sloane (girlfriend), and Cameron (best friend) who skip school and end up having an epic time in downtown Chicago, narrowly escaping discovery by their weirdo principal and family at every turn.

i sewed a mini version of Ferris’ best friend, Cameron Frye (played by Alan Ruck). he’s a nervous, goofy guy that’s really great at impersonating adults on a phone call. Ferris ropes him in due to the fact that Cameron’s dad has a red Ferrari that Ferris uses to dupe the school into releasing Sloane. he is the most reluctant with the most to lose in the escapade, but he joins in.

Cameron has a couple different looks, and i got a big kick out of shrinking it down for two-year-old O. i realized that this is probably the least “costume-y” outfit i’ve made him yet for film petit, and i’m sure he’ll wear these clothes a ton.

aside from the cream knit on the jersey, tiny bit of plaid, and the suspender supplies, the fabric here is all upcycled from my husband’s donate pile!

for the chinos, i used the basic pocket pants pattern from Growing up Sew Liberated in 2T. i narrowed the leg and eliminated the cuffs, adding a faux fly and a slightly wider waistband with patch pockets in the back. the pockets have plaid lining to invoke the tam that Cameron wears in the movie.

the red wings hockey jersey is the vintage v-neck from blank slate patterns in jersey knit sewn in 18 months; i added color blocked cream bands and freezer paper stenciled a red wings logo on there.

the gray t-shirt is my fave – it’s so simple but has such an interesting style to it – i never would’ve thought to put that design on a kid’s tee but it’s really cool. pattern is Rae’s flashback skinny tee in 3T with short sleeves and another freezer paper stencil. i applied the fabric paint lightly for a more vintage-y look. i found both freezer paper stencil outlines via google image search and cut them by hand.

i made the suspenders using this tutorial, which was awesome. i liked that it had adjustable vest buckles, makes them feel authentic.

shake it up baby now! hockey Cameron…

and casual suspender Cameron…

can you tell O had a blast modeling? i had hoped to get photos at an art gallery but also didn’t want to take him to the actual art gallery. suddenly i had the idea to go to Powell’s where they have a rotating art exhibit in the Pearl Room. black and white art, plenty of room for photos, not too crowded, nothing breakable, free of charge. perfect.

now, while little Cameron climbs back into bed to sleep off his crazy afternoon, head over to check out what his buddies are up to!

our fabulous guest this month and big ’80s movie buff, Shannon from luvinthemommyhood, sewed Sloane! white fringe coat, you guys. WHITE FRINGE COAT. her daughter is the perfect mini-Sloane, truly.

and my partner Jess, oh you know her, she’s just over there sewing leopard print vests for her 3 year old – she did Ferris and her little guy also got WAY into the role. totally adorable. check it out!

danke shoen!

***

here are the guidelines for film petit:

every month or so, Jessica and i (plus a guest blogger) sew an outfit (or outfits) for our kid (or kids) inspired by a movie we love. our next guest will be Sabra from Sew a Straight Line!
please add any of your movie-inspired kid sewing to the film petit flickr group. if you sew along with our film petit choices, we’d love to see that too!
this is a pretty relaxed series, really the only rule is to make outfits for kids based on films you love. if you have any questions, please let either of us know.
film petit archives: the life aquatic with steve zissou, amélie, fantastic mr. fox, psycho, moonrise kingdom

P.S. NINE TIMES.

Comments 57 Comments
Categories film petit, kids clothes, sewing, sewing for boys

film petit: moonrise kingdom

20 Dec

ooooh wes anderson, you’re just too good. we can’t stay away!

it was only a matter of time before we were lured in by the amazing costumes in the visually stunning moonrise kingdom, which came out earlier in 2012. this movie is a story of Sam the khaki scout and Suzy the rebellious bookworm, two kids that each feel alone on opposite sides of the wooded Island of New Penzance until they meet each other by chance. they begin corresponding, then they plan a daring runaway meet up and outdoor adventure, which culminates in a wedding! here are a few shots from the movie to set the scene i was inspired by:

while Suzy’s collared dress is an iconic garment in the movie, her coat in this scene really blew me away too. i love the rosy-raspberry colors set against the greenery of the island and Sam’s khaki scout uniform, as well as the unique design. i knew if i made a coat like that for Em, she’d likely get a lot of use out it as a winter coat, so i went for it! and I knew Sam’s uniform details would be fun to tackle in their own right.

Continue reading →

Comments 52 Comments
Categories film petit, kids clothes, oliver + s, sewing

film petit: psycho

25 Oct

good moooooorning/afternoooooon/eeeeeeeeeevening!

it’s film petit time! it’s also October, the spooky month of Halloween. this month, my partner Jessica, our guest Jessica, and i were in the mood to sew something a little creepier than our normal fare. today we present to you outfits inspired by the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. we each picked a Hitchcock movie that inspired us, and i chose 1960′s Psycho.

as with all of our film petit choices so far, Hitchcock films hold special meaning for me. my husband and i met in high school, and one of the first things i learned about him was that he is a major movie buff. our school offered Film as an “English” class senior year, and he was one of two students that the teacher actually created a Film 2 class for because he was so into it! his semester-long Film 2 project was an in-depth analysis of the films of Alfred Hitchcock. i went ahead and piggy backed on that when i took Film as a senior the next year, while he was off at college taking “music in film and television” class. movie buff? more like movie fanatic.

so many things make Hitchcock movies great. they’re spooky as heck but not typically gory. the plots have twists and turns, they can scare the pants off you but make you laugh too, and a lot of the creepiness is created through music and camera angles and what you don’t see. the soundtrack of Psycho is one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, and the shower scene is probably one of the most recognizable (and freakiest) scenes in film history (never seen it? well here you go). trust me, it never gets easier to watch! i got all jumpy just putting together this collage!

it was actually my husband’s idea to recreate that iconic scene at the bates motel, showing a mini norman bates transformed into “mother” and then back to clean up the mess she made. the original plan was to have O model the looks, but he refused to wear the wig so I switched my model to Em and retooled a bit.

for mother’s nightgown, i sewed a made by rae pierrot tunic with shirred neckline and sleeves, in 18-24 months extended to 3T. that would’ve fit O just fine but was much too short on Em, so i added a 6″ ruffle and vintage lace trim inherited from my grandma to make it long enough for her to wear as a nightgown. the yarn wig is based on this tutorial from this mama makes stuff (hers is for rapunzel, but i made it the same way).

the felt knife i made up on my own, quilting together three layers of gray felt with metallic silver thread, then wrapping brown felt around it for a handle. i had to starch the heck out of it so it wasn’t too floppy and i’d probably use better reinforcement next time…not that i plan to make too many felt knives in the future!

of course Em has never seen any part of the movie, but when i asked her to act like a “mean old lady” and handed her the felt knife, i was shocked to see her get SO into character!

she called the knife a “sword” and had a grand old time recreating the shower scene.

we all go a little mad sometimes. haven’t you?

this one’s downright GLEEFUL. not sure whether to worry about her or sign her up for acting classes.

for the norman bates outfit, she’s just wearing store-bought jeans and a button down shirt, plus O’s fantastic mr. fox jacket (pattern is the basic blazer by blank slate patterns). it actually looked so good on her i might need to make her a blazer of her own!

here are a few more of the creepy “mother” scenes from Psycho…an attack on the staircase, her spot in bed, and the final reveal, plus one of our favorite lines.

psycho film petit

little mrs. bates has grown tired from her murderous rampage.

while she waits for new victims to arrive at the motel, you should head over to check out what the jessicas made – they both sewed outfits from The Birds but had very different takes on it! their photos are also in color, if you’re currently feeling color-deprived.

our guest jessica from running with scissors sewed an outfit for her son, another four year old that got WAAAAY into his role fleeing from flocks of crows! check out her post right here…if you dare! her photos are a crack up.

my partner jessica over at a little gray made a tiny tippi hedren suit, and it’s SO great – her little gal is far too sweet to be scary, but her outfit is totally spot on!

***

here are the guidelines for film petit:

every month or so, Jessica and i (plus a guest blogger) will sew an outfit (or outfits) for our kid (or kids) inspired by a movie we love. our next guest will be robin from nested in stitches!
please feel free to add any movie-inspired kid sewing to the film petit flickr group. if you sew along with our film petit choices, we’d love to see that too!
this is a pretty relaxed series, really the only rule is to make outfits for kids based on films you love. if you have any questions, please let either of us know.
film petit archives: the life aquatic with steve zissou, amélie, fantastic mr. fox