Shabby Apple Sutherland Point Swimsuit Review

So I finally got some time this weekend to go to the lake with Brian and the girls and so I got to wear my new Shabby Apple Queensland swimsuit!

I haven't worn a one piece in quite a while. The last time was when I was thirteen and it was a red speedo. I think I'm partial to the color. So when Shabby Apple asked me to choose one of their swimsuits from their yummy new Queensland swimsuit collection I choose the candy apple red one which also happened to be a one piece.

Since having Eloise I wanted something to give me a bit more coverage for modesty's sake. The Sutherland Point suit gave me pretty much all that I asked....mostly, breast coverage and support....that's what I need the most of. But I also loved the lipstick red color, ruffles and retro fit. Brian loves the one piece too. Not to mention, wearing a one piece made the FREEZING lake water tolerable.

Plus, I think posting pictures of myself gives you a good idea of how the suit looks in person. So often you purchase something online but when see it in real life it doesn't have that spark that you loved in the catalog. This swim suit lived up to its photography.

Just one FYI, I altered the color in the photos to look more retro. The actual swimsuit is a very candy apple red. So classy.

Isn't Eloise sweet? I was sure to really slather her with spf 50. I've never had to deal with such fair skin. Lily and Molly had fun too. I brought the 'River Run' innertube which is really huge! Eventually the sun came out and we enjoyed lounging on the lake waters with Eloise while Lily and Molly darted along the shoreline. By the time we left there was only one other group on the beach so we pretty much had the shore to ourselves. Overall, a nice afternoon.

If you love this swimsuit there's still time to enter the Shabby Apple Queensland Swimsuit Giveaway.

Oh and by the way I LOVE reviews. If you'd like me to review your clothing or product just email me at mytumtumtree@gmail.com

Sweet Pea Patterns Guest Giveaway

It bothers me a little that making your own shoes are a little out of the range of sewing......but not for babies. Eloise is getting to that age where, even though she can't walk, little shoeies are just a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e. I've always wanted to try and make my own.

If you too love to make your little ones their own little sweet feet, Sweet Pea Patterns offers the cutest little baby shoe patterns. And they are offering her six shoe variations, that's 6 patterns, to one lucky Grosgrain reader.

Patterns include a reversible seamless crib shoe, Jack and Jill loafers, reversible Mary Janes, Baby Kawaii Kimono shoes, Angelina Ballerina shoes, and the Bella Baby Crib Shoe.

Imagine all the cute combinations you can create!

Giveaways can be entered in three ways:
1) By linking (to your blog, facebook, myspace, or any other site)
2) By leaving a comment without a link or
3) By linking and leaving a comment (this will be worth 2 entries which will better your chances of winning). Find more info under the FAQ page.

If you are leaving a link just use the 'create a link' at the bottom of this post or simply creating a post on your blog and including this link.If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

 Create a Link

Frock by Friday: Friday

Well, it's Friday. That means you have a fantastic frock to sport this warm summer weekend. I included a couple tips below to help you feel more comfortable. I found that the only problem with this dress for me was not the straps but the dip in the front. I cut up an old bra so that you couldn't see it and I didn't have to change the look of the neckline but I must admit that it is too low for my taste. I'll have to only wear it when I'm without my kids unless I have a v-neck cami underneath but I really don't like doing that.

The one thing I would change is the back. It's okay, don't get me wrong, I like how it covers my bra hooks but if I were designing it I would have probably lowered it by about 3 inches and lengthened the straps instead. I like a little bit of my back showing in a dress. Then again, maybe it compensates for the low, low front.


I hope you liked this frock. I definitely did. AND I loved using the knit. It's so comfortable. I need to find more uses for it. I had so many compliments on the pattern, I'll let you in on a little secret, I bought it at JoAnn's in the discount section so if you liked it, you still might be able to find some there.

Remember to post your finished frock on Grosgrain Flickr so I can show them off to everyone else:)


Okay, let's get sewing....

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Frock by Friday Thursday

1. Iron the inside sleeve edge by 1/4. Iron over again by 1/4. Sew down with a narrow stitch.
Iron seam. Do again for other sleeve.

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Baby by Stevie Guest Giveaway CLOSED

I know I'm seriously lacking in the area of boy's clothing. But I'm sure today's guest giveaway will help to make up for that.

Steph of Baby by Stevie is offering one lucky Grosgrain winner a bow tie and neck tie of their choosing from her charming little shop. Couldn't you just picture one of these cute neckties paired with a crisp white shirt. Heck, I'll take one in a men's size...pleeaze. Love them.

Steph, aka Stevie, got her nickname in college, where she majored in clothing design and followed her dreams, moved to NYC after graduating to work for Vera Wang (and met her husband!).

She's made plenty of women's clothing and even a custom wedding gown, but when her baby came along she realized how much more fun baby items are to make!

She loves making stuff for him - his bedding, crib mobile, blankets, outfits, etc. So, she decided to open up this little shop: Baby by Stevie.

AND STAY TUNED FOR THURSDAY'S FROCK BY FRIDAY LATER TODAY.

Giveaways can be entered in three ways:
1) By linking (to your blog, facebook, myspace, or any other site)
2) By leaving a comment without a link or
3) By linking and leaving a comment (this will be worth 2 entries which will better your chances of winning). Find more info under the FAQ page. 

If you are leaving a link just use the 'create a link' at the bottom of this post or simply creating a post on your blog and including this link.If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

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Frock by Friday: Wednesday

1. Pin the upper back and back skirt pieces right sides together at the waist, sew.

2. With right sides together sew front sides to back sides matching seams.

 

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Frock by Friday Mistake

If you're in the middle of cutting STOP! I realized I made a mistake in the way I arranged the front pieces after I separated them for length. It is piece 3. Here is the new CORRECT way. I also posted the new picture on Monday's post and deleted the old one. I'm so sorry for this oversight. My only hope is that you have enough to recut. Unless you have matching image issues it won't make a big different if you cut in a different direction than you did before. I did overestimate the amount of fabric I told you to purchase, which I do for every project in case of this situation. Take what you have left over and fold in half then match the pieces the way I have them in Step 6.

If you don't have enough to cut on the fold you can cut two pieces and add a 3/8" to the line which would lay on the fold. Sew the two pieces right sides together. That's the way I did it for my dress but for striping reasons. Just iron the seam after you're done.

Again, please accept my apology.

Frock by Friday: Tuesday

Sorry for the double post. Sometimes I accidentally hit "Publish Post" instead of "Save Now" before I finish and I have to delete the previous one.

1. Iron neckline over by 1/4. Iron over again by 1/4. Sew down with a narrow stitch.

If you are using knit you could either leave it raw and cut off a half an inch or if you have a serger, cut off a half and inch and serge the edge.

Iron seam

IMPORTANT, If you are using a knit material you must use a stretch needle. Otherwise your

material will turn out wavy on the edges.

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Fashion to Figure Guest Giveaway

I have a special treat for my full-fashioned readers. Fashion to Figure, an online shop which sells fabulous plus sized clothing, is offering one lucky Grosgrain reader one of their frocks shown above and below.

They carry very trendy and fashionable clothes at really affordable prices.

Sizes are between 1X to 3X. See size charts here.

Dresses from left to right top to bottom:

Poplin Spaghetti Strap Dress

Strapless Color Block Dress

Cotton Tiered Dress

Stud Bubble Trim Dress

Print Maxi Dress

Button Trim Ponte Dress

And check out their store for other really neat plus sized frocks! Here are some of my personal favorites below (not included in the giveaway) but still super affordable! 

And look for Tuesday's Frock by Friday post later this afternoon!

Giveaways can be entered in three ways:
1) By linking (to your blog, facebook, myspace, or any other site)
2) By leaving a comment without a link or
3) By linking and leaving a comment (this will be worth 2 entries which will better your chances of winning). Find more info under the FAQ page. 

If you are leaving a link just use the 'create a link' at the bottom of this post or simply creating a post on your blog and including this link.If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

Create a Link

Frock by Friday™: Monday

Download Pattern here.


1. With five sheets at a time cut the top and right sides of the papers.

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The Streamer Frock Grosgrain Giveaway CLOSED

This dress took so much longer than I thought it would. I started it on Tuesday and did not finish until Saturday and I worked on it every day in between. Usually a dress takes me 2, maybe 3 days TOPS. But I LOVE the way it turned out. I mean really....love....it. I might be my favorite, evAH!

The dress is totally asymmetrical. The front, the back, the skirt. It has layers and layers of rounded edges that are all lined with red rickrack. The way it hung reminded me of streamers, especially at the hem of the skirt. If I had planned better, I could have combined Molly's birthday party and the photo shoot in one. As it turned out I did manage to use the balloons we purchased for the party.

The sash that wraps around the waist is really interesting. It is straight in the middle and each end is curled, cut in a circle then sewn together at the ends for a twisty look.

We took the photos at an old bath house on city island. I'm surprised I hadn't used the bathhouse before. It has great old architecture and color. Ideally I wanted to take the photos for the dress at a carnival. That would have been great. But of course there were no carnivals in the nearby area. You know, something with a dippy slide and cotton candy in cones.

The back is asymmetrical as well, see pic below. I love the randomness of the layers. Like I said, reminded me of party streamers. Look for Monday's Frock by Friday post later today.

Giveaways can be entered in three ways:
1) By linking (to your blog, facebook, myspace, or any other site)
2) By leaving a comment without a link or
3) By linking and leaving a comment (this will be worth 2 entries which will better your chances of winning). Find more info under the FAQ page.

If you are leaving a link just use the 'create a link' at the bottom of this post or simply creating a post on your blog and including this link.If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

Create a Link

A Frock by Friday™ Concerns Addressed

I read that a lot of you are concerned about the top piece of the dress being so small. I want to add, that I myself am a busty gal. I am totally there with you about the cleavage thing. I am not a fan of it on myself. Often I will Photoshop out my cleavage in a lot of the pictures I post. I swoon over J.Crew camis only to purchase them and realize that they are unwearable.

I think what I can do with the bust line is sew the triangles together halfway up . I've done this on a few of my v-neck blouses and it works well. I can show you how. If you prefer the original way, that's fine too. Just leave it the way it is.

Some of you also were worried about having to wear a strapless bra. On the Laundry Line had a great suggestion that I think I will incorporate. She mentioned how some dresses have a snap on little length of chain-stitches, you use it to 'leash' your bra strap to your garment so they doesn't stray in different directions.

This seems easy enough. And I hate those pesky bra straps too!

Note to self: This would make a great tutorial. How to fix your clothes to accommodate your bust.

OH AND WE WILL BE STARTING THIS COMING MONDAY, SO GET YOUR MATERIALS TOGETHER! AND DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN HERE! 

 Link to this project

Frock by Friday™: The Tara Dress

I'm getting ready for June's Frock by Friday™. I was having difficulty finding a 'free pattern'. The Tara pattern that Very Purple Person (see image below) had used to make a LOVELY flowy summer frock is not free but it's only $2.50 from Burdastyle. It's a blouse but she turned it into a dress and I'm sure its very simple to do by just lengthening the bottom, which I would show you how to do.

I think this is a great starter dress for someone who hasn't sewn on before because I'll be using a knit material which doesn't require as much sewing. You can leave the edges raw if you so choose. You don't have to use a knit material for the dress but if you do it will be faster. ONE CAVEAT, if you use a knit material you MUST get a stretch needle for your machine. They sell them at almost any fabric or sewing store. It's basically just a thinner, sharper needle.

I wasn't sure if we should start this on Monday or the Monday after.

What do you think? Are you in?

Images courtesy of Burdastyle & VeryPurplePerson

Link to this project

Crafty Girls Workshop

The Crafty Girls Workshop is your one stop shop for sewing. Offering fabric, bundles, kits, patterns, books, notions, embellishments and more.

This cute shop is run by mother/ daughter in-law team Regina Luna and Anna Luna.

Regina is a sweet, talented sewista who loves to sew and share her knowledge with those around her. She leans toward the Shabby Chic look and loves soft florals and pretty fabrics. Her current favorite project to sew is cute outfits for little girls, and our large selection of patterns and fabrics is giving her a lot to work with! She taught Anna to sew six years ago and was hooked! Anna immediately started the campaign to get her husband to buy her a Bernina sewing machine for Christmas.

Her dream came true and she hasn't looked back since! Now the new dream is to not only have CGW become a huge online success but to move into a brick and mortar store where she and Regina can teach classes. Anna likes funky bright fabrics with large floral prints and is learning to "think outside the blocks" by combining patterns from fabric designers such as Tanya Whelan and Heather Bailey. Anna's favorite project to sew is tote bags that are cute and functional!

And for more insight into the crafting lives of Anna and Regina visit their blog.

Leeya Engel Tea in the Garden Guest Giveaway CLOSED

I love jewelry so much. Not the expensive metal kind but the colorful kind. The kind that compliment an outfit in either a delicate or chunky way. Sadly, for me, my daughter Molly gets into my collection and throws my pretty little things on the floor where they get lost and broken.

But when I do indulge myself in a trinket I buy the kind of things Leeya Engel sells. The lovely piece above, Tea in the Garden, is going to one lucky Grosgrain reader.

To learn a little bit more about Leeya visit her at: http://leeyaengel.blogspot.com/ 

Giveaways can be entered in three ways:
1) By linking (to your blog, facebook, myspace, or any other site)
2) By leaving a comment without a link or
3) By linking and leaving a comment (this will be worth 2 entries which will better your chances of winning). Find more info under the FAQ page.

If you are leaving a link just use the 'create a link' at the bottom of this post or simply creating a post on your blog and including this link.If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

Create a Link

BurdaStyle Feature

I've been featured on BurdaStyle. I LOVE Burdastyle. It's such a fabulous resource for sewers.
It's like facebook for designers. 

See what I said here.
And thanks again to BurdaStyle for the props:)

Bonny Blue Red Riding Hood Cloak Guest Giveaway CLOSED

 Are you a lover of fairy tales and fantasy? Then you are a fan of Bonny Blue.

I've always wanted a treasure box of exotic and elaborate costumes that my children could sift through and play dress up with. This little cape would be a great start to that dream.

This is the perfect addition for fairytale adventures! Your little girl will have more fun pretending to be Red Riding Hood running from the big, bad wolf! And courtesy of Bonny Blue, it is waiting for one lucky Grosgrain reader.
Bonny Blue specializes in historical clothing, wedding and bridesmaid attire, regency dress and vintage fashion finds among many other things! She has some pretty amazing stuff! Like this and this.

Are you planning a vintage wedding? You must see this.

Do you watch Jane Austen movies and swoon? Then you must see this and this!
The flowing red hooded cape is edged in blue. Hood is lined in a matching blue. Fastens with a mother-of-pearl button/cloth clasp. All seams are finished or hidden.

Cape length about 21"
Children's size 4-8

Giveaways can be entered in three ways:
1) By linking (to your blog, facebook, myspace, or any other site)
2) By leaving a comment without a link or
3) By linking and leaving a comment (this will be worth 2 entries which will better your chances of winning). Find more info under the FAQ page. 

If you are leaving a link just use the 'create a link' at the bottom of this post or simply creating a post on your blog and including this link.If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

Create a Link