Friday, August 30, 2013

InstaSUMMER

Whew...I can't believe that today is the last day of summer vacation for my little family!  I thought it would be fun to link up with Jeanette at Life Rearranged for Instafriday with a look back at our summer in pictures! 


I had a birthday.  I felt old...so I ate a few cupcakes :)
 


 
My little fishies played in the pool.

 
And we spent a LOT of time at the beach :)
 

 
 
 
 
My baby turned SIX.  She's starting FIRST GRADE next week.  Waaaaah!
 
 


 This happened:


And then we just couldn't stop with the yummy food:
 

 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
My kids enjoyed some relaxing down time:



Where we crafted
 


 Wandered through Seattle with our Girl Scout Troop:
 

and took some nice evening walks.
 
 
Oh yeah, and we ate a LOT of ice cream!
 

 
 
My oldest started baking
 
 
And sewing...
 
She's so big!
 

 Not to be outdone, my little one got her ears pierced so she could be a big girl too:
 
 
As for me, I took lots of naps, made some jam,


 
Organized my binders


 and spent lots of time with this guy :)


 While these girls were at superhero and Nana camp:

 
I'll miss these little goofballs while they're at school but...

 
am happy that there will be a little time for this:
 
 
 
What a fun summer!  You can follow me on Instagram here and be sure to check in with the other bloggers linking up for InstaFriday here.  Have a great holiday weekend!

 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Tried and Tested: The Sally Dress by Shannon Cook of Luvinthemommyhood!

Well hey there!  Yep, I took a vacation.  It was fairly uneventful and full of naps :)  In short, it was BLISS.

My girls go back to school next week, so there has been a flurry of back to school sewing going on here, including some pattern testing.  I was one of the lucky few picked to test Shannon Cook's adorable new pattern, The Sally Dress.  I've been a huge fan of Shannon's for a long time, and was so thrilled to test this sweet dress for her!


(photo credit: Amanda Buechler Photography)

  I really can't say enough good things about this pattern.  The construction is great - my favorite part are the perfectly finished seams - great when you don't own a serger or for kiddos who don't like raw edges rubbing against their skin.  The fit is slightly retro, and the big pockets are fabulous for holding treasures :)




I made two Sally dresses - one in a 6 and one in an 8 and the fit was great on both of my (skinny) girls.  The 6 is a little roomy on my teeny tiny 6 year old, so I think it's probably true to size.



 
 My girls love the twirl factor of this dress, and I love that it's a great, classic dress.  The pockets make it fun, and I think the shape of the neckline is just adorable on little girls.  I think it would be super cute in corduroy or chambray for the fall, and even velvet for a winter dress.  And of course, this would be heavenly in a nice voile for eyelet for summertime. 


 
 I really like the way the bodice comes together.  All of the edges are encased in the lining, which is a really nice feature.  I chose to make sleeveless dresses, but I have the longer sleeved version cut and ready to sew for my oldest...stay tuned for those pictures! 




Want to get your hands on your own Sally Dress pattern?  You can purchase here or on Shannon's shop.  And don't forget to check out her blog this week for more pictures from all of the other testers.

Thank you again, Shannon!  What a fun dress to sew!

The facts:
Pattern: The Sally Dress by Shannon Cook
Size Tested: Girls' 6 and 8
Fabric used: The floral and geometric print are from Millie's Closet by Riley Blake, and the red chevron is Riley Blake too.  I lined with the bodice with white muslin since that's what my girls prefer.
Thoughts: This is a great dress pattern for an experienced beginner.  I like the fact that you don't need to finish the seams - they are all encased!  I didn't do the sleeve option on this test, but have since sewn one up and the fit is great on that option as well.  I do wish that the pattern went to a 10 or 12, but it will be easy to figure out the measurements for that as my girls get bigger.