Holly & Ivy Dress by Get Your Crap Together ( GYCT ) tester

I love testing for Chelsea of GYCT.  She listens to her testers, and the things that need tweaking are always minor. She just puts out a good product.  This dress is definitely going to be a "go-to" dress for me.  It sews up fast and has lots of options.  Two lengths, three sleeves, and three neckline options.  Oh! It has an overlay skirt option too!

Being that it is starting to get chilly here and my eldest has few long sleeve dresses I requested to test the long sleeve dress with a square neckline.  I have a love for square necklines, and actually have few, most likely none at the time, patterns that have a square neckline.

Originally I thought to use some Brambleberry Ridge fabric for the dress and do a holiday dress, but then I realized this pattern would be perfect with my Target fabric...yes, some Target stores have fabric, ours is one lucky one that does and I stocked up when the first line of fabric went on clearance.  I'd had my eye on the fabric I used for the skirt since before it arrived in store.  Inspired by this Persnickety dress, I paired it with horizontal stripes and picked up some orange fabric from Hobby Lobby's clearance bin for the sash. I love navy and orange together.

The Holly & Ivy Dress sews up quickly and without trouble.  I LOVE that it has inset sleeves.  It just looks better when sleeves are inset rather than sew with the side seam.  The waist seam is fully enclosed, so nothing to bother her around the middle.  I made this a size too large so that it will hopefully fit until spring - another reason I chose to use everyday fabric instead of making a holiday dress...though she does still need a Christmas dress.  Only change I can see myself making to the construction is increasing the skirt side seam allowance so I can do french seams instead of zigzagging the edges.

And my daughter's verdict?  She wanted to wear it as soon as the buttons were on.  We tied just a ribbon around it for Church on Sunday, and I made the real sash today before we took pictures.  It's comfortable for her and she can easily run in it.  

Get your Holly & Ivy pattern here.

I cringe at some of these because I foolishly forgot to look at what my ISO was set to so the noise in them is BAD.

I did covered buttons!  I need to get more on hand because they're great for when you don't have matching buttons and the store is closed!

This was the only picture I posed her for, all the others she did herself.  My little model is getting pretty good at her job! ;)

In action!

Check out even more beautiful tester photos on the blog:
http://www.gyctdesigns.com/2014/11/holly-ivy-party-dress-release-sew-long.html

Grab the pattern
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/209556650/holly-ivy-party-dress-sizes-3-month-to

Craftsy: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/clothing/holly--ivy-party-dress/119631

Sweet Innocence Dress from My Treasured Heirlooms

Newly revised! This pattern now has better instructions and extended sizing!  It was a pleasure to test!  

Sweet Innocence Dress

Gingerbread boy dress

This dress is made with fabric from both of my grandmothers.  Used the Georgia Vintage dress pattern from The Cottage Mama.  Love that pattern. Sews up so fast.

Tester for the Firecracker Dress

Get Your Crap Together came out with a great sundress pattern which we helped test.  See more pictures on the photography blog.

More pictures over on my photography blog: Abigail Dawn Photography

Butterfly Hunt

Pink dress is the Georgia Vintage dress from The Cottage Mama and on Curly Top the Market dress from Amelie & Henri

Easter dresses

The Caroline Dress from Mouse House Creations.  I did a few differences on each bodice so the dresses were unique while still matching.

Rabbit pattern from Posie Gets Cozy

Tester for Everything Your Mama Made

Kymy of EYMM(Everything Your Mama Made) put out a notice in one of my facebook sewing groups that she was looking for testers, and needed it in a short turn around time - aka request was on Wednesday or Thursday and she wanted finished pictures by Sunday.  Of course I applied!  And then wondered if that was wise since it was for a knit top rather than woven.  I'd never really sewn knits before.   But I had plenty.   I was asked to test size 4.

I am afraid of sewing with knits no more!

Seriously, this is the greatest pattern ever.  It sews up so fast and looks amazing and I had NO problems with the knit fabrics.  I'm kinda forcing myself not to make more right now.  I made one for each of the girls, well sort of.  The one for youngest fits Ilaria better, even though it is a size 2, it just seems too baggy under the arms for her.  Looks super cute still though and she didn't ask to change the moment we got home from taking pictures (which the other two did).

It was actively snowing so we went to the library to take pictures.

A plus about this pattern is I think it will be easy to simply turn into a raglan sleeve top.

Pattern available here: Off the Shoulder top/tunic