thank you so much for your votes for my boy look last week on project run & play – wow, that was quite the nail-biter! the looks were so solid and the voting was so close, i think it should have been a non-elimination leg. they do those on project runway!
but i made it through to week 3, and i am so excited about this week’s design! we were challenged to “sew through the decades” and i really love the 1920s, so i chose it straightaway. i mean, i took lindy hop class TWICE in college (PE credit!), and as i mention in my PR&P post, i live in a house built in the ’20s and wear a wedding ring made in the ’20s. so yeah…i got ’20s cred. 😉 this is actually the second dress i made for this week – i first made a simple satin dress with a similar hemline to this one, but it had some fit issues and i ended up deciding to scrap it late one night. i woke up the next morning with the design for this dress in my head, furiously sketched it, and could not wait to start sewing! i’ve never had such a strong urge to turn an idea into reality before, so that was really cool.
the bodice took a few fittings to get right, especially with those shoulder straps, which are joined in an oval shape and had to be the perfect length. i’m not much of a quilter either, so the piecing definitely took some thought – i had to figure out which points i wanted to preserve, which to clip, and how to get it to all turn into a bodice that fit her just right! i also knew i’d need to use an invisible zipper, and i’ve only sewn one once before (without much success). i prayed for good naps from the kids and locked myself in my sewing room for the better part of a weekend, taking my time on the details. i got it to the point of hemming and then stalled out for a couple days from sheer sewing fatigue! 😉
but oh, it was worth the mental effort! i’m so proud of this dress. it makes me happy. that’s the cool thing about this PR&P competition – i’m making things directly from MY inspiration that fit the purpose of my entry for the week, rather than sewing what is “needed.” it’s both restrictive and freeing at the same time because as far as inspiration goes, the sky’s the limit.
speaking of inspiration, here’s my wedding ring – can you see the sunburst/trapezoid shapes?
and here is our fireplace mantel, in front of which i took the photos this week. this was one of the few original design elements left in the house when we moved in after many years of remuddling by prior owners. we’ve been trying to slowly restore some of the charm.
so now you can sort of see where the shapes came from for the flapper tapper dress. for the skirt, i pretty much was looking for any excuse to make Em a new circle skirt dress. she STILL loves to put on her christmas dress and dance to the nutcracker on an almost nightly basis. she renamed it “my wonderful twirly dress.” 🙂 i just wanted one in cotton that was a bit easier to wash. ha! i had planned on taking “on location” photos for this dress at any of the cool ’20s art deco buildings in town, but the weather didn’t cooperate and i figured our living room would be more conducive to dancing anyway…
and i doubt you could see the chevron ribbon detail in the PR&P collages, but i must give credit to gail for that lovely find.
they were perfect to tie in the pink from her felt headband feathers (felt feather inspiration here). those feathers were so fun to make, i highly recommend them! the pink one has a paperclip stitched into it to help it stand up.
so that’s my art deco flapper tapper! i’m kind of in love with it, and i hope you are too! if you haven’t yet, head on over to project run and play to vote…now!
TA DA!
**Voting is now closed**
skirt as top 
Oh my goodness. This is stunning! What vision, what dedication, patience… and what a result!
I am in love with it! I’ve always adored 1920’s fashion and have been plotting ways to incorporate elements into my and my daughters’ wardrobes, but I would never have come up with such an amazing design! I think this might be your week….
Just beautiful – and the piecing looks terrific!
This is just so so perfect! Wow good job!!!!
Beautiful dress. Great architecture and fit too. Your outfit is true to it’s decade. You got my vote!
okay, this is totally your week! that dress is completely and utterly stunning!!
Absolutely adorable, my favourite yet!
you got my vote! nice work=beautiful!
Adorable! That bodice screams art deco and it is so well put together. Beautiful!
Your dress/design is beautiful. I just have to ask/comment, have you watched House of Elliot? Your dress reminds me of the series. There are some amazing dresses in the show. Great work!
Thank you! No, I’ve never seen that show but thanks for the tip! 😉
I was going to say the same thing. It was a BBC show when I was growing up. The sisters are fashion designers in the 1920s and to my young eye the costumes looked amazing. Your dress here is an adorable miniature. She must love wearing it!
I like the fact that you got your inspiration from your 1920s wedding ring & the 1920s architecture in your house, it makes it so personal.
Always appreciate that you share your sketches with us.
Your daughter is so adorable, especially in the first photo !
Thank you! Glad you like the sketches.
Ok I just can’t stop looking at this. It is just so so good.
Haha, thank you!! Blood, sweat, and tears on this one, man. 😉
i’m gonna predict that you wil win this week! greg job!
We need to be friends, too bad we don’t live in the same town. You’re the first person I’ve ever met who knows what Lindy Hop is! I would have jumped on it had they offered it!
The inspiration and look are both awesome. I love how you show us your sketches too. That’s a fun part that’s interesting but no one else seems to include.
LOVE it!!! so much.
hahaha – Jessica – some of don’t include sketches because we can’t draw to save our lives!!! no sketching around here!!
Anyway…Kristin – Amazing! I really love the whole design, the design concept, pictures – especially that one of her back in front of the fireplace. Love the pieced look and it came together perfectly! Good job.
thanks, stef! oh yeah, i’d love to see everyone’s sketches, good or bad. it’s neat to see the creative process at work, i think! 🙂
Now you have even more 20’s cred! It looks fantastic. Now excuse me while I go over to Run and Play to vote for you 🙂
i’m kinda in love with this one too!! amazing work!
sometimes you forget it’s fun to sew. I’m trying to remember that more. You can totally tell you had a good time making the dress!
it’s especially hard to remember that in a competition atmosphere, but i definitely had fun with this one! thanks, meg.
Absolutely adorable Kristin, love reading about your inspiration on this one.
I LOVE this dress. I have been making plans for Easter dresses for my two little girls, I have been wanting to do something a little different and I had a circle skirt in mind already. This dress is really inspiring to me! I love the silhouette, I love that it is longer in the back then in the front, I love the sunburst pattern! Its so unique and so adorable! I voted for you!
Thank you so much, Laurel! It could be great for an Easter dress in softer colors…happy sewing and please let me know what you make for your girlies! 🙂
What fun to have something in your head come out as something someone loves to wear.
Great detailing. My girl always loved twirly skirts too.
arggh- you totally should have won this round!!!
next time 🙂
How did you not win?
Dumbfounded….
Thanks for your lovely email! Mine has crashed so I can receive but not send!!!!!!!!
Next week your week baby baby!
xx n
I am so in love with this dress. The design, the fabric…AH.MAZING! Perfection! I would make this for my girls.
I love love love this! Saw it on the pr&p flickr group…can’t wait to see more as I now follow your blog. 🙂