Southern Magnolia

Spring is always such a beautiful season. Nature and people alike put away their darker colors in favor of pale pastels and bright florals. It’s a time when the beauty of the outdoors has everyone planning for special occasions and formal events. Between Easter, dances at the school, and wedding invitations, it seems like there is always some reason or other to make sure that my kids have a fancy outfit in their closet. And with the newly updated blog for Project Run + Play having “Formal Occasion” as their theme for March, it gave me a chance to start sewing for my younger two children.

My family is usually very casual. If you visit us on the weekend, the chances us of still all being in our pajamas is very high. But my kids love to dress up in their best whenever they have reason to, and I enjoy trying out new patterns and sewing techniques. After sketching out a few ideas, I settled on a wedding theme with ivory and pale blue tones.

For my son’s outfit, I wanted to go with a very trim and fitted look. His button down shirt was made from Kona cotton (my go-to fabric for ALL the things) using the Hols Shirt pattern. Although you can’t see under the jacket, I did modify it to have short sleeves, because the Texas weather is already moving up to the high 80’s. The pants were repurposed from an old pair of my husband’s khakis and the Sk8 Skinnies pattern. The tie was made using the Outer Space Tie in standard size, but I love how many other options and styles are available in the pattern. I look forward to making some skinny ties and bow ties for my boys. However, the star piece of this ensemble would definitly be the Metro Blazer.

I purchased the Metro Blazer pattern about a year ago when my son first start showing an interest in “dressing up nice for the ladies”. He loves to look his best at school and at Sunday church. At first, I was intimidated to make this blazer, because I thought it would be complex and time consuming. I was afraid of messing it up. But this jacket came together so well. The instructions were easy to understand and follow, despite my ignorance in menswear. And I’m a sucker for clothing with fully enclosed seams and linings. I modified the pattern slightly to add faux pocket flaps, using the width and placement of the welt pockets as a guide. Then I added a welt pocket to the top of the blazer to hold a silk handkerchief; adding a touch of charm. Although this jacket exudes class, it was made in Kona cotton and lined with a light pinstripe shirting fabric for comfort.

Comfortable fashion was also the main thought behind the design for my daughter. It was made using the simple version of the Lavender dress in an ivory Kona cotton with a chiffon overlay. I modified the back bodice to add a deep v, then gathered the chiffon fabric on the bodice front and on the shoulders of the back for a gentle draped look. This also made it easier for my daughter to pull on and off the dress by herself now that there were no buttons.

The end result was so soft and elegant in its simple lines and colors. The last touch to her wardrobe was adding a blue sash to the dress in the remnants of the blazer fabric, bringing the two outfits together as a set.

All of these patterns can be found on the Project Run + Play store. Make sure to see all the designs and styles for the #PRPFormalFun2024 in the Lookbooks.