Signature Look and My Newest Obsession

Well, at 28 months Bean has decided she no longer needs a nap.  I, on the other hand am not at all ready to give up that brief (maybe an hour or so) period of time each afternoon so the past two weeks have been a struggle, to say the least.  Selfish Sewing Week didn't happen.  In fact, the only real thing I created last week was my first pair of Hosh pants (more on those below) for Bean which had been cut out for over a month and finally screamed loud enough for me to sit at the machine and sew them up.  They were even faster to sew than I expected which was a God-send since I only had about 40 minutes to spend.  I am now officially obsessed with the Hosh. 

Back in the spring, I started seeing more and more Hosh pants coming from the southern hemisphere which was just entering their autumn.  I knew I wanted the pattern, but held off until Bean would be wearing pants again.  I bought the pattern in late August and immediately cut out two pair in size 3T knowing Bean would sprout again this fall and hoping the pants would last through the season.  The first pair was made using the same plaid I used for the Mad For Plaid week of Project Run & Play which I love.  The fabric is a woven with a tiny bit of stretch, but the pattern is perfect for wovens.  That's one of the great things about it.  It's a pattern that sews up like a pair of leggings, but is worn like a more traditional trouser.

The second pair of Hosh brings us to Project Run & Play Season 7's final theme which is Signature Style.  I like that they have a signature week each season because it's nice to look back and see how my style evolves.  For now it continues to be a mixture of classic lines, comfort, and modern style.  I know that sounds sort of all over the place, but in my head it is very specific.

The second I saw those tiny hearts on the jean fabric at JoAnn I needed them to be Hosh pants.  This was before I had even bought the pattern, but I just knew, hehe.  I ran home, gave the fabric a quick wash, and cut them out.  They then sat with the plaid fabric in a pile next to my sewing machine until last week.  They had to be a part of my signature look.  The simple shape of the pants paired with those cute hearts is just perfect for a wardrobe staple.  Bean can wear these with so many things because the pattern of the fabric is not so loud that it has to be the focus of an outfit.

For the top of my signature look, I had planned to draft a tunic.  Refer to the first paragraph for why that didn't happen.  So I went back to an old favorite which I had planned to make anyway.  The Maggie Mae (*affiliate link) is such a great tunic.  I have found that the arm hole is a bit snug on my girl, so I recommend checking the measurements and maybe going up a size.  I cut out a 3T even though she is normally not quite there in tops yet.  It was a perfect fit. 

Can we talk about the bodice fabric for a minute?  I had never used a double gauze before, but when Rachael started selling some in her shop (and raving about it), I decided to try it out.  When it arrived I couldn't believe how soft it was and yet it wasn't see-through either.  After washing and drying the fabric I swear it is even softer.  I had big plans for a top for Mama with these two fabrics to be sewn during Selfish Sewing Week.  Refer to the first paragraph for why that didn't happen.  I decided the fabric was so soft that it would make a really comfortable bodice for Bean and I was so in love with it paired with the deep purple I used that too.  So much for my new top, hehe.

The purple fabric is one of my favorite fabrics that JoAnn Fabrics sells.  I have used it in so many other colors too and I've never been disappointed.  It has a little bit of a shine to it, a little bit of a stretch, and it is a bottom-weight so it works great for pants too.  Lets be honest, I will probably make a pair of Hosh with it too.

So put together: the loose-ish comfortable tunic, a skinny-leg stylish pant that still has plenty of room to run and play, and the cutest pair of boots ever is spot on my style right now.  Even the colors fit right in: not too loud, but not so boring that they wouldn't work for a little girl.

As Bean continues to grow, it'll be fun to see how my style changes.  Without a nap dragging us home in the afternoon, we'll have the chance to do a lot more adventure and exploring.  Or at least that's the positive I'm trying to hold onto while my "free" time seems to be disappearing, hehe.

We've been spending a lot of time at our local parks and she's been really enjoying the outside time.  This is absolutely perfect weather.  Not too cold to wear a short sleeve, but cool enough to be comfortable in boots.  We are soaking up every minute of it too.

And so I'll leave you with this devilish grin.  That about sums up the past couple of weeks, hehe.


Go check out the other signature looks this week.  It's crazy that it's the last week of Project Run & Play already!