Project Run & Play Season #17 Sew Along: Inspired by Art

Inspired by 'A Girl With a Watering Can' 

by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

The theme for week three of the 17th season of Project Run & Play is "Inspired by Art".  This theme tickled my creative fancies!  Among my most favorite artists are the French Impressionists, particularly Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  I love the brilliant colors and the way he plays with light making his paintings appear to glow and shimmer.  The romance of pretty garden scenes, innocent children, and lovely ladies in many of his works make me relax and smile.

There were so many of his paintings that inspired me that I sketched out about 12 different dresses/outfits.  I finally decided to narrow my design down to what I could make entirely from my stash of fabrics and trims and to make the dress for my 6 year old friend, Tatum.

Inspiration:  The blue dress, wide white lace, flowers in the garden, and pops of red in the painting

Pattern:  "Luna" by Violette Fields Threads, size 6

Fabric & Trims:  Mottled blue cotton (unknown origin), scraps of cotton for appliques, plastic rose buttons, wide white lace purchased at an estate sale several years ago, DMC floss, and red lace hem tape.

Changes made to pattern:

*Omitted pockets

*Inverted box pleat in center skirt to visually divide the lace like the lace is divided on the coat dress the little girl is wearing in the painting.

*Added a bias bound continuous placket in the center back to allow for easier dressing.

*Added a second set of ties at the back waistline.

*Added appliques on the bodice front and right back shoulder to bring in the flowers from the painting.

*Hand sewed the bodice lining down and used French seams for a smooth inside finish.

*Used red lace hem tape on the hem.

I do not have an embroidery machine so all my appliques are hand cut and zigzag satin stitched.  The leaves are three dimensional and the centers of the flowers have a touch of hand embroidery.  

  

The bound placket was sewn with a piece of red bias to add another little touch of red to the otherwise plain blue of the dress back. 

The dress is sewn perfectly straight.  My poor mannequin has a permanent little tilt.   

 To add a little interest to the back of the dress I appliqued another flower with a 3D leaf.

The red lace on the inside hem is just a little 'happy' for Tatum.  

I plan on adding a better final photo tomorrow when the sun is out again.  (I was racing against the clock again!) I hope you liked my Renoir inspired dress!

For more wonderful art inspired clothes for children, please check out the Project Run & Play site HERE and HERE.