Upcycle Dress Review

So, if you know me at all you know I LOVE upcycling.  Like...it's my business.  ;)  I've used a lot of different patterns and I love finding new styles to try.  When Stacey asked me to test her new upcycle dress I jumped at the chance!

Then...once we actually started testing...it just got better.  This pattern has SOOO many options ya'll!!

Let's start with the dress - instructions for piecing it, in case you aren't confident doing that yourself, can be done with a short peplum, a long skirt, two layered skirts or a paneled skirt over a long skirt!  It has a drop waist and a slimmer fit setting it apart from most other upcycle patterns.  It also has long sleeves, short sleeves, layered sleeves and sleeveless!  

                            

I did the paneled skirt over the long skirt on this dress along with the short sleeve option (because it's FINALLY starting to feel like spring here in Southern IL!)

And then....I did the sleeveless version.  In a dress with just the long skirt for Grace and in the shirt for Kessa.  I'm not kidding when I say the fit is perfect!  I didn't adjust anything and I'm usually adjusting stuff left and right on patterns!

 But wait!  There's more!!!  More you say?  Yes more!!!  lol (do I sound like an infomercial now?)

In addition to the dress with all it's options, and leaving off the skirt and just making a top, there are also instructions for making just a skirt!  With this skirt again, you can do one layer, two layers, a paneled top layer and solid lower layer, a whole paneled layer, AND ruffles!  And did I mention the twirl factor?  Clearly a hit for the spinning crowd (and I'm not talking exercise bikes!  lol)

In these pictures Kessa is wearing the top and skirt with a 4 panel top and bottom skirt and a ruffle.  

Outtake anyone?  She's wearing a store bought tank and the skirt below...

 And here she's wearing just the shirt with jeans.  I LOVE the way this set mixes and matches and I really love the length and fit of the shirt.  Kessa's getting out of dresses so much but I love being able to make her shirts that aren't TOO tight but aren't big and baggy either...and that cover her if she bends over!  lol

And one last one...the skirt with a tank again.  

This pattern is great!  So thorough and SOOO many options!  AND, Stacey is having a naming contest in her group right now.  Head on over and enter for a chance to win the pattern for free!!!  It will be released later this week.  

Tee x 3

Hey all!  Life with 4 is crazy..and fun...and really crazy.  Especially when you ALSO own your own children's clothing business that's very busy...and you like to test out new patterns for designers when you get a chance.  Like last week...one of my ALL.TIME.FAVORITE pattern designers needed a few testers for sizes 6, 7, and 8...wait, WHAT?!?!  Zeke wears and 6 and Blank Slate Patterns ROCK!!!  PICK ME!!!!!! And she did!  Woohoo!!!

This new pattern, Tee Times 3,  has three different options.  A Peter Pan collar (not really my style), a hoodie (we all know I LOVE a good hoodie!), and a basic tee.

I was assigned the basic tee and I decided to do it long sleeved in a thermal knit that Zeke has been wanting something out of.

The overall fit was pretty good but has been made even better since this version.  The final version has a thinner neckband and has been skinnied up a bit too.  I think I'll be sizing down one so that they're tight and making him a bunch of these to wear under t-shirts this fall/winter.  He loves this shirt and has worn it 2 or 3 times already (and it's the middle of summer!)  lol.  

Yup...he's a stud.  The blue of the shirt really goes well with his eyes too I think.  I'm going to have to remember that and make him more blue clothing!