Project Selvage: Pick Me, Please!

Here's the thing. My daughter goes to the best preschool in the history of ever—her school is at a nature center. They take those kids outside every single day, rain or shine, regardless of temperature. There aren't any playgrounds there, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, the kids are encouraged to splash in puddles, dig for worms, climb on logs, play with sticks, run after butterflies—in short, they're encouraged to be kids. I think it might just be where childhood makes its last stand against the modern age.

What better place, then, to look for inspiration for my Project Selvage contest entry? And there is no better symbol of everything my daughter's school stands for than colorful rain boots, which can be seen cramming the shelves and cubbies on any given school day. My entry may not scream "baby" (which could be a problem, given that the entries were supposed to be "baby boy"-themed), but I hope it reflects one of the simple joys of being a young child: Pulling on your boots and exploring a pond. Or the world in general.

Going into this, I had several other ideas all inspired by my daughter's school, so on the off-chance I make Spoonflower's 75 finalists, I know I could come up with a whole line centered around this print. In fact, I might just do that anyway, even if I don't make the 75 finalists. At the very least, I could make some awesome potty-privacy curtains for the school. : ) And of course, with a real live contract with Michael Miller on the line, the Project Selvage competition is unbelievably steep. Click here to check out some of the other entries—there are some very talented people over on Spoonflower, you guys. They announce the 75 finalists next Thursday, March 31, and voting will begin at that time.

As an aside, if Project Selvage is Project Runway for fabric designers, then where's our Tim Gunn? As I toiled into the wee hours on my entry, I longed for somebody who would walk past, peek over my shoulder at the computer screen, study it thoughtfully with his chin in his hand, and say something along the lines of, "Those colors are fabulous. But the scale is all wrong." Maybe they'll line up somebody to make home visits to all the finalists? Think about it, Spoonflower! : )