Jigglypuff Inspired Shirt

Hello again! I am finally back to the blog after a very long break. If you haven't heard, Project Run and Play has started again. This season showcases several talented seamstresses, and all their looks have been beautifully crafted and well thought-out. 

I always love sewing along with Project Run and Play. Designing outfits based on the different themes is entertaining and enjoyable for me. The first week's challenge was to sew an outfit inspired by the recent Pokemon craze sparked by the Pokemon GO game. I chose the Pokemon character Jigglypuff as my inspiration. Jigglypuff is cute and pink (my daughter's favorite color), cuddly, and sings lullabies to make people go to sleep. She sounds very similar to my constantly singing, snuggly little girl. My goal was to create an outfit that was inspired by the character, and not a full-on costume. 

First, I chose a pattern from my pattern drawer, and sketched how I wanted it to look. I chose to have the main body of the shirt in pink, with teal polka dots on the top of the bodice to mimic the shape and color of Jigglypuff's eyes. I chose to make the collar and sleeve cuffs black as a nod to the black cartoon outline of the character. I looked through my fabric stash and found a soft pink knit, a black shiny knit, and some teal fabric paint that were perfect for the project.

I laid out my pattern pieces and cut out everything I needed. 

I laid the top front part of the bodice on my cutting board grid, and taped it down. I did not want the fabric sliding around as I was painting, since I wanted the polka dots to be evenly spaced. I used the same method to paint on the polka dots that I used on my Golden Girl outfit. 

After I painted the dots at each intersection of the grid, I thought it looked like it still needed more. 

So I went though it again and added more dots at equal intervals.

After giving it ample time to dry, I pinned my pieces together...

...and started sewing.

Finally it was done, and it turned out just as I had hoped! I didn't follow the pattern exactly as it was written, and left out the button closure on the back. All the fabric and neckline were stretchy enough that it really wasn't needed.

My daughter loves bows in her hair, and asked me to make one for this shirt. I let her dig through my ribbon drawer and find her favorite ribbon for a hair bow. All it took was a metal alligator hair clip from my craft box, hot glue, and the ribbon. 

She loves her new shirt! I like that it doesn't scream "POKEMON!!!" when she wears it, but gives a subtle nod to the character Jigglypuff instead. She isn't actively playing and excited about the game, so the style suits her well. 

It is nice and comfy, and suitable for wearing to school or on the weekend.

I like the added touch of femininity the pink bow adds. Jigglypuff is a girl, after all. 

What about you? Are you following along with Project Run and Play this time? I wasn't sure I would be able to with the added stress and time commitments that come with the beginning of the school year, but I'm happy I was able to this week. Although I haven't finished next week's outfit yet...

-Bridget :)