The game is on, Mrs. Hudson! I may no longer be a contestant but I was too deep in my mind palace to stay away from cosplay inspired clothes for Week 2. This is in my wheelhouse. It was elementary, my dear Project Run & Play readers.
*And by
"scarlet," I mean burgundy.
I've
been working on this one for a few weeks and was worried it was too street-wear subtle for
the competition (no longer a problem there). My original thought had been to
cosplay something for Hamilton, but I decided that
was too narrow an audience. Instead I went with a BBC import. Does a BBC show
really have a much wider field of knowledge than a Broadway musical? I'll let
Mr. Holmes work on that one with Dr. Watson. [Aside: If you have yet to see the
BBC series Sherlock please stop reading
all PRP related blogs and go "at once if convenient. If not convenient, go
anyway." You'll thank me. Even if you don't (though you should) I've made
some references to classic Holmes here, too.]
My
previous experience working on fan-inspired every day wear taught me it has to
be something you're already very excited about, and have already dived in deep.
I have read all of and seen many iterations of the Holmes stories, but this
Cumberbatch/Freeman version curls my toes and melts me into a puddle! [Second
aside: As does Lin Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. Even if you
can't get a ticket, get yourself a copy of the soundtrack (or stream it free on
Amazon Prime Music), dive into the interactive lyrics on Genius, and
thank me later.] Enough obscure cultural recommendations. Let's break down this
mini female Sherlock look!
How does one reference BBC's Sherlock without just reconstructing his contemporary, stylish men's wear look in child's size? And for a girl? With a flowing coat of playground-sensible denim; a reversible navy scarf with feminine polka-dots; a collar-less, cap-sleeve, button-down blouse; and slim fit "jeans" made in tone-on-tone houndstooth befitting of the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle creation. But what would the world's first consulting detective be without a deerstalker?! This one may fit better on the crook of an elbow than a head, however.
The Coat
The coat bodice and sleeves are a Penny Vintage Coat by Ellie Inspired, however I dropped the waist, pointed the Peter Pan collar, and swapped out the gathered skirt for a half-circle. It is fully lined: the bodice front and back with the same stretch denim, the sleeves with a burgundy accent, and the skirt with a quilting-cotton black on black print to reduce the weight of the coat and increase the girly flow of the skirt. To keep the coat slim and feminine I left off the large pockets and the half-belt thing-y at the back waist (that I'm sure has a proper name I'm too lazy to look up). The burgundy buttonhole is a direct reference to Sherlock's costume of course; one of those God-is-in-the-details moments that I adore.
The Scarf
The scarf is sewn in interlock knit and fine sweater knit. I chose the polka dot fabric to add a little feminine youth to this somewhat adult ensemble. I completely made up the construction of the scarf as I went, cutting the length and width to fit my particular model. The detail of the folded up navy was dictated by the (too short) length of gray left over from last week -- an "oh no!" moment turned into deliberate design detail-- and I love it!
The Blouse
The blouse is my tried and true pattern that I reach for whenever I need a button-down, a Burda 9491, View B, size 3 wide by 5 tall. Once again I modified it to remove the front bib. This time I also added a back yoke (which I sewed in place with some burrito magic, encasing the shoulder and back panel seams -- yay!). I ink-jet printed* the actual door numbers used in the BBC series onto the back yoke; a little wink for fellow fans.
*Head here to learn how-to print with your ink-jet printer directly onto fabric.
*Head here to learn how-to print with your ink-jet printer directly onto fabric.
The Trousers
The pants are Small Fry Skinny Jeans from Titchy Threads modified to remove the back pockets and replace the front pockets with a single welt pocket. Additionally I achieved the look of a formal, sharp front crease with a single pin tuck running down the length of each leg. The lining on the pocket and waistband are the same burgundy from the coat sleeves. And how perfect is that tone on tone houndstooth for this project? Almost as perfect as that button with it!
The Bag
The deerstalker baglette is the first thing I saw when I envisioned this cosplay inspired look and the last piece I sewed. Another item I constructed on the fly, it is sewn in classic houndstooth suiting, black duck canvas, a little more of that burgundy lining, with some stiff interfacing thrown in. The ear-flaps have been turned into a design detail with hidden pockets, perfect for secret notes about one's latest case (or a chocolate square, acceptable to eat as long as it's not evidence). The Peanut and I are currently debating who actually owns this bag, as I assumed I would get to keep it for myself after the photo shoot, and she assumes anything sewn for the shoot belongs to her. I may just have to make a second one for myself ...maybe in herringbone like the deerstalker Cumberbatch wears in the series, with faux leather handles! Would you like one, too? A future tutorial maybe?
Ren Murphy writes for The Inspired Wren.
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