I managed my Project Run and Play outfit for August with plenty of time to spare – Hooray. I think this is my favorite month so far this year. Why? We get to choose what pattern we want to use and do any type of handwork. Two of my favorite bloggers are visiting  this month. I’ve got a lot of respect for these ladies. They have made some amazing outfits with Handwork and it is their signature style – Ashley and Emily from Frances Suzanne. If You don’t know their work – go visit their website and click through all the outfits that has been made over the past few years.  It was one of the first blogs I followed for their amazing handwork. I love beautiful handwork – it makes an outfit personal and sentimental and when done right it is a piece of art. No price can be put on a garment with handwork in my opinion.

I am dusting off my pattern making and draping skills from College and try to draft Bella’s outfits from scratch. I can recommend Pattern making for Kids Clothes as well as Metric pattern cutting for Children’s wear and babywear. I have used the first one a lot over the past year and just got the latter about a month ago. The latter is all from scratch and I am currently drawing my own blocks by using the instructions.

On to the outfit. Bella has been loving  rompers lately. Me too – I just don,t look good in them so I live vicariously through her 🙂  I’ve had one with a fitted bodice and some embroidery in my head for quite some while, so when they announced the Guests and theme for this month I was quite excited. I made a long baggy romper with navy double gauze.( double gauze from Imagine Gnats – no surprise there, Am I right?) It is fitted in the bodice with elastic in the back so  she can also wear it in the winter with a fitted long sleeve shirt underneath. I used red DMC floss to embroider free-hand poppies using a loose straight stitch, chain stitch as well as white french knots. As always lots of pictures (Paducah has some wonderful buildings to take pictures and I ended up at this old Texaco gas station that is used now as a visitor center for the LowerTown Arts district ) so Enjoy!