Project Run & Play: Week 1

Yorkshire: God’s Own Country

I live in such a beautiful part of the world that I was spoilt for choice when looking for inspiration for this week’s look. Yorkshire is often referred to as ‘God’s own Country’ so visiting a 900 year old monastery felt like a good place to start.

We lived in Australia for many years and returning to Yorkshire after a long time away gave me a new appreciation for things I had previously taken for granted. To be able to walk through buildings and under archways that have been there for nearly a thousand years is a privilege not available in all parts of the world. For me, Fountain’s Abbey is the king of such buildings – set in a stunning location, bursting with historical secrets and woven through with flora and fauna. It was one of the first places I visited when returning to England and its beauty feeds my soul.

My inspiration began with the stunning 300ft vaulted ceiling in the cellarium. Jack’s hoodie started life as my Hot Chocolate pattern with every piece colour blocked to mirror the ceiling curves and shadows. His jeans are the Starboy Skinny Jean pattern – the perfect choice for our string bean eldest. Jack has some mild sensory preferences and one thing he can’t stand is loose-feeling waistbands. This is challenging when his height is that of someone two years older and his waist is that of someone two years younger. The joy of sewing for my boys is that I can create garments that suit and fit them perfectly. Jack has also declared buttons to be ‘rubbish’ so I used a snap on the waistband instead. The reverse appliqué on the pockets reflect the window shape that is repeated throughout the abbey.

Charlie’s sweatshirt started out as an Adventurer Raglan before again going through some pretty serious colour-blocking. The lines and colours represent the falling autumn leaves.

His trousers are the Twist and Shout pattern with a pop of orange piping. I used a soft elastic waist and cosy stretch corduroy so they are just as comfortable as joggers. Again, the pockets have topstitching to reflect the window shapes.

Since the weather at this time of year is only a little above freezing, I sewed a base layer for each boy using a viscose-wool blend jersey. I used the Eclipse pattern, choosing the long sleeved t-shirt option, but lowering the neckline and using a facing rather than a neckband so that it sits flush and hidden under other layers. I also added thumb hole cuffs to both sweatshirts as another layer against the cold.

The boys love to be ‘matching-not-matching’ so I used the same orange for their t-shirts. Jack’s is the Jacky V with the v-neck again echoing the shapes of the building. Charlie’s is another Eclipse with a few appliqué leaves.

The whole look was finished with sturdy, explorer-worthy boots and a Fell & Dale Flat Cap (because, well, Yorkshire) and the boys were ready for adventure.

As with everything I make, they tested the comfort and strength of every piece to the limit. At the end of the day I was left to test my skills of mud removal. Everyone was happy!

I hope you love my looks as much as my boys do!
Don’t forget to head on over to Project Run & Play and vote for your favourite!