Round One: Girl of the Year Outfit

For the first round, your challenge is to make an outfit for a current or past Girl of the Year. This can be something that you thought should have been included in her collection - for example, a hiking outfit for Jess - or a casual every day outfit, or anything else you can think of.

This outfit should suit your character's sense of style; your judges should be able to look at an outfit and say "yeah, that looks like an outfit Chrissa would wear" or "yeah, that totally looks like part of Mia's collection." If you choose a doll like Sonali, Gwen, or Lindsey who had limited clothing lines, you can consult book illustrations to get a better grasp on that character's clothing style. However, you should avoid copying illustrations and consider the existing items in their collection. For example, you might have a great idea for another skating costume for Mia, but how does your costume differ from the two already in her collection?

As always, if you have any questions, you can comment here or shoot us an email at projectdollrunway@gmail.com. We are also around to Tim Gunn you if you'd like our feedback or clarifications.

Submissions are due to projectdollrunway@gmail.com by midnight PST, Saturday, March 13th.

How to Enter Project Doll Runway

A person can enter any and all rounds of Project Doll Runway that they choose.

There will be three rounds, plus a final round that includes a new challenge and a review of past work.

A round starts with a challenge, posted at least two weeks before the entries for that round are due. Deadlines will posted with the challenge, but they will generally be on a Saturday, by midnight PST. Entries for the challenge will be posted on Monday evening at the latest, but ideally Sunday. Voting begins as soon as the entries are posted, and will run for a single week.

To enter a round:

1. Design and sew your interpretation of the challenge.
2. Take pictures of a doll in the outfit, outside accessories are allowed. At least one picture must be a head-to-toe frontal, while the other must be a “in progress” (more detail in a bit). You may (but do not have to) take additional photos.
3. Upload all photos into a public online album, such as flickr or picasa. You are encouraged to write appropriate descriptions, and identifying accessories is appreciated. You are welcome to watermarking your photos, but try not to obscure the outfit.
4. If the service you prefer does not allow hotlinking, upload the frontal shot to one that does. Photobucket is the preferred hosting site, because I did not have any problems with it last year, but you are welcome to use another. We are not responsible for problems with your chosen site. I will be sizing images, via html to appear as uniform as possible, so it’s to your benefit to try to keep things around 400 x 500, since that’s about what I’ll be aiming for. PLEASE INCLUDE THE HOTLINK TO YOUR FRONTAL SHOT.
5. Send image hotlink and link to album to projectdollrunway@gmail.com, by midnight PST, on the appropriate date.
6. Don't forget to include a note in the email letting us know if you want your submission included in the peer reviews, let us know that when you send in your submission.

Details:

• The “In Progress” photo must include the outfit while it is clearly under construction,( i.e. missing a sleeve, unhemmed, or even as it's being cut out) with a scrap of the fabric being used. (If you use knitting or crocheting or something like that, include the yarn or whatever.) If you make significant changes in the design from your "In Progress" photo, please note them in your album. (Example, "I decided that short sleeves looked better than long sleeves so I changed them!)
• Patterns and tutorials can be used, since I have no way to prove that you did not, however, identification is encouraged in your album. The judges, at least two of which are avid pattern-users themselves, will be paying attention to that sort of thing, even if the public doesn’t (and they might too! It’s hard to say!)
• Accessories, such as shoes, jewelry, hair things, etc., can be manufactured. Styling is less important than sewing, but it can influence an opinion.
• A minor element of the outfit may also be manufactured, such as the t-shirt underneath a home-made vest and skirt, however it must be identified. Not identifying it will lead to disqualification for the round.
• If it’s determined that the outfit was not made by the person who submitted it, they will be disqualified for the round.
• If an entrant is disqualified from two rounds, they are banned from entering any more rounds.
While you're working on a challenge, you're free to email your progress and/or thoughts to projectdollrunway@gmail.com, where judges and coordinators supernonamegirl or mars will be able to offer you their own opinions as a sort of "Tim Gunn" figure.
• There are no prizes for winning Project Doll Runway. It's only for fun and to encourage people to build their skills in sewing
• Again, you do not need to enter every round to win the competition, though it will obviously help you earn points.
• You must be a member of either AG>18 or AG Playthings to enter. Never fear, though, registration at both communities is fairly easy.

The winner of Project Doll Runway will be the one with the most points at the end. Second and third place will also be announced, but no other standings will.

Points are earned in four ways ways:

1) Submit a design. Entering a round is worth 1 point.

2) Judge’s Pick. Being a judge's pick earns you 4 points. Each of the judges (the three regular judges, and whatever guests judges there are for a round) will pick their favorites for that round. An entry may be a judge's pick no more than twice.

3) Public Voting. Votes are sent to projectdollrunway@gmail.com. The submission with the most votes wins 10 points, Second place wins 6, and third place wins 3. In the event of a tie, each gets the full amount of points. See the seperate entry on voting for additional details.

4) Bonus Points. Some rounds may offer bonus points for extra tasks, or fulfilling those tasks, for being the best at them, or both. How to achieve bonus points will be outlined in the challenge explanation for any round where they are applicable. If bonus points are not mentioned, they are not possible.