The Secret Garden Dress

I am so excited to finally share this dress!  This dress is the brain child of 2 amazing women, Deb from Sprouting Jube Jube, and Allison from E + M Patterns.  You can get the pattern on etsy on sale for a limited time.  There is also a Rafflecopter giveaway!

Feast your eyes on this beauty!

This dress will bring you back to that first sewing project you made that you were so proud of.  That wonderful moment when you sew the last stitch, hold up your work and think, "wow, did I just make that?!?"  This dress brings that power in spades.  You'll need quite of bit of fabric but I promise that it is so very worth it.

Things I love about this dress;

1. elegant design

2. unique, seriously I don't think I've ever seen a flounce like this

3. comfortable with a simple bodice

4. amazing twirly skirt 

5. perfect for all seasons (don't you think this would look adorable under a pea coat and boots)

After our more "serious" photo session, B loved this dress so much she wanted to run around and "fly".  She insisted that in this dress she could take off if she could just get enough speed.

She was convinced that she left the ground for a few seconds and ran to tell baby C that she flew.

This is a dress that you just have to make!  You won't regret having this in your daughter's wardrobe.  Check out Deb's blog for the blog links of other testers, there are so many beautiful versions of this pattern.

E+M Pattern Giveaway Winner!

It is time to announce the results of the giveaway!  I assigned each commenter (who wasn't the designer or a tester) a number in the order that the comment was posted.  Then I entered the number of contestants to a random number generator and the winner is entry #10, Nathalie Dene!  Nathalie, I don't have your email address.  PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION!!  Congrats!

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my little model and work!  I shared the comments with my daughter and she is very happy.

Too Two Haute by Lil Luxe Collection

Do you need something to go with the fantastic tops that you have seen tested here?  There's a very cute shorts pattern that will be released soon!  Go to the FB page for details.

These shorts have a skort option which is ideal for the girly girl who is one the move.

 What I love about this skort;
1. the unique two panels with the points
2. adjustable waist band
3. inseam pockets
4. they don't look like a golfing skort

The shorts alone are just as adorable.  They are also a fast sew which is great for this wardrobe staple.

What I love about the shorts;
1. slash pockets
2. adjustable waist band
3. cuffs
4. flat front waist band

Other than modeling her new clothes, B has had a very busy social calendar this week.  We live so close to the ocean and very rarely take advantage of it.  However, this week we have been to the beach twice.

This is so much fun, why aren't we always here!

Let's never go home.

Check out this view

In case anyone was curious,  sand is not yummy.

You should have asked me, I could have told you that.

We also visited a splash pad after watching a $1 movie.  How great is that?!

This is pretty much the only un-blurry photo I got at the splash pad.

 After all of that fun, some sun bathing was in order.

Hand me that orange juice with the umbrella in it.

This is certainly the way that summer was meant to be enjoyed.  I really hope that this is something that B remembers fondly.

Don't forget the GIVEAWAY I am hosting.  You have 2 more days to enter!

Girls Shirt and Dress Pattern No 6 by E+M Patterns and Giveaway!

This was my second summer as a stay-at-home-mom and I was  really nervous about having enough activities to keep B out of trouble.  Turns out I forgot to take into account that her friends would be out of school for the summer.  We have been wonderfully busy with play dates and fun adventures.  Can you believe that the summer is almost over?!  Now we are planning for the new school year.

As a nerdy kid my favorite part of getting ready for the new school year was getting all the supplies.  Ah the smell of newly sharpened pencils.  A close second was getting new clothes.  This brings me to the main topic of this post, a beautifully versatile pattern by E + M that I was fortunate to test.  This is a quick sew for knit shirts and dresses sized 2 to 10.  The pattern is perfect for school since it is comfy and cute.  There are so many options for you to personalize as well.  This pattern is now a staple at our house and I made 3 in a week.

1.  This shirt has a pleated front, flutter sleeves, and a high low hem.

Look at the fun keyhole design!

 2.  This shirt has a pin tuck bodice, flutter sleeves and a tie back.

A cute bow at the neck line :)

3. Finally, there is the dress.  I chose flutter sleeves, gathered bodice, and a banded waist.

The pattern is on sale until midnight this Friday PST.  You can purchase HERE at the etsy shop.  Be sure to go to E + M Pattern's FB page for inspiration and her other fantastic patterns.

Now for my first giveaway provided by E + M Patterns! You could win the Girls Shirt and Dress Pattern No6.  (If you don't sew you should still enter, I'll make a shirt for your kiddo.)  To enter you simply have to post a comment answering one of 2 questions below.  I'll pick a commenter at random on Monday morning July 28th 10am PST.  Make sure you come back to check for the winner announcement.

If you won the pattern, would you make a shirt or a dress first?  I made the dress first because my girly girl likes to wear dresses.

What was your favorite part of getting ready for the new school year?  As I mentioned before, I love the smell of sharpened pencils.

Good luck!

Update: be sure to check the FB E+M Patterns page as other blogging testers are also hosting giveaways!

Elle-Belle Romper by Bebelambs

As promised here is a pattern by Bebelambs that I tested for the baby.  C has such a sunny personality I wanted to make an outfit that matched her sweetness.  Usually I don't go for the frilly stuff on baby clothes like bows and shirring.  In this case, I am so glad that I did.  I chose a soft gingham for the bodice and a small patterned print for the bottoms.

The bodice ties on with an adorable bow through a button hole in the back.  When she goes in the car seat I undo the bow, wrap it around her waist and tie the bow in the front.

It is difficult to get photos of her cute baby legs.  This beach photo is the best I could get.  The legs of the romper are shirred and creates this cute ballooning.  It also fits over cloth diapers!

I will definitely be making more of these to last us through the summer.  The next time I will try out some snaps for easier diaper changing.  For a limited time the pattern is on sale.  Go check it out HERE!

Have you made it to the beach this summer?  We live rather close to the beach but I'm so daunted by all the packing, carrying, and chasing I have to do there.  We hardly get down there as much as I should.

The Lovely Lily Rose by Sunday Girl Design

Do you remember The Odette designed by Sunday Girl Designs?  Well, Georgianna has created another beautiful pattern again that I was lucky enough to test.  Her pattern releases at the end of this week!  Keep up to date with the pattern at her Facebook page, SundayGirlDesigns.

Quick Collage

There are many things to love about this pattern:

1. It is full of beautiful details like the turned corners on the bodice,  bias tape details on the pockets, high low hem with ruffles, etc

2. The pattern pieces come together perfectly

3. There is a clever tutorial for turning spaghetti straps

4. Includes options to simplify the dress.  You can make a simple bodice, omit the high-low hem, or forego the pockets.  But really, why would you?

5. The dress is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.  The only place you see hems are the side seams of the skirt, and where the ruffle joins the skirt.  If you lined the skirt and the ruffle you could easily make a reversible dress!  

Pockets for my treasures!

When making this dress be prepared to set aside some time.  Let me tell you though, the dress is so worth it.  Bring out some of the fabrics you love to pet as you walk by your sewing stash.  Admit it, we all have those fabrics we just can't bring ourselves to cut.  This pattern is worth it and you can use small cuts of your treasured fabrics for the details.

One more thing before I bombard you with photos of the dress.  I was able to sew this dress hopped up on pain killers because of a gnarly gum infection.  I don't know how it happened.  I do remember getting some food stuck between my teeth and aggressively flossing.  Maybe my flossing cut something?  This is probably the first time a dentist will tell me that flossing was not a great idea!  Flossing aside, the dress looks complex but if you follow Georgianna's instructions you won't believe how simple it is.

Of course I have not forgotten about baby C!  She's coming up in another pattern I tested.  For now you can see her with her favorite toy.

Why yes, that is a Roomba.  Yes she has a panic attack when she turns it on.   And yes, she continues to turn it on anyway.

Stasia by Gracie May Designs

This has been an incredibly busy sewing month for me. I'm so excited to show you some amazing patterns I was lucky enough to test. First up is the Stasia by Gracie May Designs. The dress pattern was released on Sunday July 13th and is available at a discount for the initial release. The code for the Etsy store is HAPPYRELEASEDAY, and no code is needed over at Craftsy.

This dress sews up so quickly and with a truly elegant design.

Check out the sweet bow.

The pattern is all shown in drawings which I find really appealing.  With drawings it is very clear which side of the fabric is the right side as well as where the stitch lines are supposed to be.  

The back of the dress is super comfy as it is elastic.  Right after we took photos of the dress, B decided she wanted to ride her tricycle to the park.  So off we went and I didn't even bother to change her out of her dress.  Unfortunately there was some sort of commercial being shot so we were not able to play on the playground.  As you can probably guess it lead to a minor meltdown.

I convinced her to come home by promising to push the tricycle home so that we could go fast.  We have one of those tricycles that have a handle on the back. The mini crisis was adverted.

Here are some photos that didn't make it to the dress designer since the dress wasn't in showcased well enough.  These photos were the result of her new favorite game, run-away-from-the-camera.

Ready?

Set.

Go!

The best things about this pattern:

1. Simple and clear pattern

2. Sewed up so quickly

3. Elegant and unique design

4. Comfy because of the elastic back

5. Well thought out construction and sturdy enough to play in

You'll love it too for it's elegance, simplicity, and seriously less than 2 hours to make!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy belated 4th of July!  I hope everyone had a fun and safe Friday.  Our local police posted on their FB site that there were 50,000 people out and about at the beaches.  I completely believe it too given how crowded and congested the traffic was.

Our 4th was pretty laid back.  We didn't even have a BBQ.  I know, blasphemy.  C slept in so I lounged in bed with her while my husband took on the toddler.  Have I mentioned how amazing my husband is?  I spent my extra time in bed thinking about what I wanted to do and decided that the girls just had to have 4th of July dresses. When ideas pop into my head there really is no way of pushing them aside.

I didn't own the kind of sundress pattern that I had in my mind so I made one up.  Unfortunately I don't think I could ever recreate it so the dress is really one of a kind.

I just grabbed the fabric I had on hand.  The quality of the fabric is not so great.  In fact I think the blue was from Walmart and is thin and rough.  But the dress turned out cute and summery anyway.

Of course C couldn't get left of out.  So I whipped up a dress for her.  Thank goodness it fit.  It's a pretty snug fit too.  Whoops.

We had friends staying in a water front hotel so they invited us to watch the fireworks on the roof pool deck.  It was the best view ever and we were pleasantly surprised at how well C did.  I expected her to lose her mind since she startles at loud noises.

What?  I'm a delicate flower baby.

We were sharing the deck with a large party.  We believe the party was a rehearsal dinner.  How awesome must it have been for them to have fireworks at the end of their party?  The part that was awkward was listening to the intimate speeches about the people that we have never met.  I tried, really I did, not to eavesdrop.  I now know more about these people than I could ever wish to know.  Karen and Raj Raj, I wish you both a happy marriage with your love of ordering all the items off a menu, watching loads of HGTV, and boozing.  Always the boozing.

We know this much.

In the end everyone had a lovely time and I hope you did too.