"For the Benefit of Mr. Kite"

I was recently challenged to create an outfit inspired by a "clowning around" theme by Sofiona Designs. Clowns aren't really a style I gravitate towards, but inspiration came to me in the form of a song. When the song, "Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite" popped into my head, I knew I had a direction to proceed in. The fun circus-like feel of that song fit the theme, so I used colors from the Beatles' band uniforms on the front of the cover for my daughter's outfit. (photo from Google)

To make a cohesive yet cohesive outfit, I used the Rose Hip Jacket, Heron shirt, Balsam Bag, and Rocky Shore leggings (all patterns hacked, except for the leggings). 

To make a jacket that fit the theme but was still wearable for everyday, I used gold snaps and buttons (buttons from a metal button variety pack from Cali Fabrics) to mimic the details on the jackets The Beatles are wearing. Instead of inserting a zipper, I created alternating tab closures and added the snaps, and added longer tabs to the shoulders for extra detail.

This bright magenta wool blend fabric was a thrifted find from several years ago that I've been waiting for the perfect project on. And this gorgeous cotton (from Stylemaker Fabrics) fit perfectly on the inside with its fun and funky vibe. 

The shirt is the dolman style of the girls' Heron shirt (main stripe fabric from Knitfabric.com), and I added bands to the sleeves to make it short-sleeved. Of course it needed an appliqué kite, since the song is for the benefit of "Mr. Kite." I love the fun style of the two stripe fabrics, with ribbon for the details.

Every good outfit needs a cute purse, right? I made this little bag by scaling down the projector pattern of the Balsam bag a little, and cutting it off so it's a bit shorter than the foldover option. The flap that closes the bag was self-drafted using the precision of just "eyeballing it" and I like how it turned out. The gold tassels are added to mimic the details on the uniforms The Beatles are wearing. Faux leather from one of my favorite fabric shops, FM Fabrics, and gold tassel from a going-out-of-business sale from a local fabric shop.

 

 

The lining is a pretty cotton that I bought from Rifle Paper Co, and although it was released with last year's christmas fabrics, I thought it also worked well as a fun circus-stripe. And of course, it needed a cool magnetic snap.

 

 The pants aren't very noteworthy since they're they're the simplest version of the pattern, and also my usual go-to basic. We love the Rocky Shore Tights at our house. It's probably my most-used pattern when sewing for my children. I used a neon green swim knit from LA Finch fabrics that has been waiting in my stash.

Put it all together, and it's a great outfit for running, playing, and entertaining. In our house where we love music and especially The Beatles, it's the perfect outfit for any day.