Monday, March 17, 2014

Purple Penguin Dress


Project Run & Play season 9 has started again and I am officially addicted to sewing along.  It must be the themes.  (Actually, it starts next week, the 24th - I can't believe I not only got the date wrong but actually made something early instead of last minute!!!) They pull me out of sewing funks and give me inspiration from places I would never expect.  The first week's theme is "Put Me In the Zoo", a challenge to design an outfit based on your or your child's favorite animal.  

As you may have figured out, my favorite animal is a penguin.  


A black and white dress like an actual penguin would've been really fun, but the girls are more into color, specifically purple.  So I took the lines of a penguin's shape and played with color blocking instead.


Can you see the subtle sweetheart in the top like a penguin's face, and it's beak?  

The bodice was made from modifying the Cottage Mamma's Party Dress pattern. (free updated pattern for newsletter subscribers!!)


And of course I added wings/flippers/giant pockets!!!


The back is all purple with fun little snowflake buttons.


Finally the bottom band is to mimic feet.  


What does the penguin do???  (waddle waddle waddle)


This was my first experience playing with color blocking.  I hope the trend is not over yet because I'm hooked!  I can't wait to see what the competitors come up with this week - they are a creative bunch!



20 comments:

  1. Very fun and playful representation of a penguin.

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    1. Thanks! it was my best attempt at making something the girls wanted to wear (which means making it purple of course)!

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  2. I LOVE this interpretation of a penguin!! So creative & adorable. And the buttons.. Seriously?? So cute!

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  3. Love the colors and the flipper pockets! Any girl would have fun wearing this dress!

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    1. Thanks! I almost left off the flippers, but new she'd like them.

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  4. This is genius Renee - I can see the little penguin face :) So creative and fun!

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    1. Thanks so much, I was hoping the face was visible!

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  5. Adorable! Love the color blocking. Lots of fun for you and your daughter.

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  6. So cute! Love the color blocking! I hope it doesn't go anywhere anytime soon either!

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  7. Very cute. I looooove those pockets!

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  8. Great choice of colors! My little man loves penguins too! Very cute

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  9. Love your twist on the inspiration! I did a penguin dress too that I will post tomorrow, but it is much more literal.

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  10. Cute! I love her expression in that first picture. Those pockets are really fun!

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  11. I could have written the beginning of your post about loving PR&P themes and being addicted/inspired! Such a cute dress, I worked with a color block dress this time too!

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  12. Adorable dress! I guessed bird when I first saw your dress on instagram so I wasn't far off! I really like that you kept the penguin lines but changed the colors up.

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  13. I love your dress!! Especially the colors- and the "flippers"! i'm inspired to create for my daughter now too!!

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  14. Love the inspiration....and that it isn't literal but you can totally see the inspiration. Love it!
    -liZ

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