Today’s is a good one, friends. Vanessa of the wonderful LBG Studio graciously included me in the happenin’ Willow & Co Glamping Tour that’s been aflutter in the sewing interwebs, and it’s my turn to showcase their collection. And what a collection!
I wanted very much to sew everything, but of course, I need to sleep. So I selected the very beautifully designed Fawn & Lily dress for today (I have another sewn project from the collection for tomorrow that’s not officially part of the tour). I had grand plans as I always do, but sometimes my plans don’t work out. I said to myself, “Lace-up front with metal eyelets and leather cord!! So glampy!!” Except, when I tested my eyelet kit, this is what I got:
It doesn’t look so bad from the front though it got puckered here and there, but the back was a veritable barbed torture device. I had the worst time trying to get the second eyelet piece to adhere and attempted to just hammer down the teeth, but nope, no go. I didn’t want K’s chest to get clawed up, so I had to go with the button option.
I used a hunter green lawn fabric I discovered in my stash as I rooted around for something evocative of glamorous camping. It’s gorgeous stuff that drapes like silk, except it’s cotton. As my leather-cord-lace-up bodice idea was not to be (hmmmm….sounds a little naughty, doesn’t it? I contemplated creating button holes instead, but I was really married to the idea of the metal eyelets so the whole idea got the kaibosh), but I still wanted to add some leather element, so I tried out suede flat piping. I like it!
I zipped through the construction process until I got to the “sleeves”. A new-to-me finishing method was used involving encasing the bodice in the shoulder panels like a burrito, and I struggled a bit to get it right. The sleeve lining got horribly puckered on one side, and I debated fiercely whether I should just leave it as is since no one would be able to see it. I couldn’t do it. I undid the seam and tried and tried again until it looked decent.
This is a size 8, and it’s a touch roomy, but it fits her well and I like that it gives her plenty of growing room.
I forgot to instruct K to put her hands in the pockets, but I did include them. It’s a testament to my improved skills that K didn’t even realize that they were there. Normally my in-seam pockets get all wonky.
The deep hunter green combined with the wood buttons and suede piping makes me think of Robin Hood (or maybe it’s Peter Pan — one of those dudes that wear a lot of green), with a sophisticated twist if I may say so myself. What say you?
She insisted on the patent leather black ballet flats, even though chin-ups and tree-climbing would be the activities at hand.
I love this dress. The pleats, the sleeves, the color, everything! The color looks more army green than dark hunter green below, but the pictures above are a better representation. Outdoor natural light is so great; these shots were taken as we walked down to our weekly Saturday brunch place.
The folks at Willow & Co are offering a super generous giveaway of 2 yards of fabric as well as a choice of a pattern from the collection! You’ll recognize the fabrics from the lookbook garments, and in their words, “the giveaway is open internationally, although if won outside of the US or Canada, the winner will be given store credit to www.willowandcopatterns.com instead of fabric.”
To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment — anything will do, but maybe you’d like to include your favorite camping/outdoor food or perhaps a funny mishap. I myself am a huge s’mores fan, which is too predictable I guess, but there’s no shame in predictability! As for a funny mishap, I went camping many many moons ago, and on the second morning when I woke up, a mosquito had stung both my eyelids and I couldn’t open my eyes! The tragedy was that I was interested in a lovely lad who happened to be on the camping trip with me among a big group of friends, and…well, let’s just say no fire was ignited betwixt us as I had two huge inflated eye puffs for the rest of the trip and was too embarrassed to go near him.
Anyway, here’s the lookbook.
And here’s that fancy Rafflecopter (sorry if it’s confusing, it sounds like you’re supposed to leave a comment here as well as use the Rafflecopter):
Check out their fabulous collection in their shop, and make sure to have a look-see at the glamorous creations by these ladies:
The is my favorite pattern of the lot! I keep talking myself out of getting it, but you’re making it really hard!
If I camp, I like to go all the way and go primitive. I don’t want to be able to see another campsite right next to me.
this pattern is gorgeous as are all the rest. it is lovely to see everyone’s individual take on them. i do like this dress in particular just look at the structure and the pleats!!!
Camping isnt really my thing…. too many bugs! Adorable dress btw 🙂
I like to have a steamy cup of coffee while camping. This dress is incredible!
What a beautiful Fawn Lily. That olive green is STUNNING and gives the dress so much class. Wow. In Europe I used to buy eyelets with a separate smooth back side….I wonder if you can get these here?
I think I like the “Elm” since it looks so unique to make.
And to answer the food question – baked apples! Core an apple, fill it with sugar, cinnamon and butter and wrap in foil. Throw the apples into the coals of the fire and let it “bake” during your meal and dessert will be ready. It’s best to eat it in a bowl since the juices and can make it messy but it’s sooo tasty.
sanae, thanks so much for joining us on the tour! love the dress – the suede piping is ingenious! i tried eyelets one or twice in bag making and i was never able to get a nice finish on the inside either. boo.
your camping experience is yet another reason why i will never camp! glamping, maybe – but actual camping – no! ha ha. so sorry about your missed opportunity for flirting – mosquitoes are evil!
I am torn whether I like persimmon or fawn lily more. I also really like the clover shorts (which I think you will be sewing us 🙂 but my daughter wears only skirts and dresses.
We always bring a stovetop espresso maker when we camp. So even when we have hiked out and there is noone near and we had to lug our water with us, at least there is decent coffee in the morning 🙂
That dress is super cute!
I decided to backyard camp with my son last year. We live in a densely populated area. My husband locked the back door without thinking (because he was sleeping inside in the air conditioning) and sleeps like a log. Well, I had to go potty in the night, but couldn’t get in the house. If any of my neighbors happened to look out towards our house at that time, they would have seen me popping a squat!
Once camping in college with a big group of friends it got unseasonably cold for Texas. It was somewhere between 0- 10 degrees. Park ranger came around and told us we might want to go ahead and pack it up and leave- everyone else had. We, foolishly, decided to stay. We were completely unprepared for basic camping much less in that cold of temps. What a crazy night… Definitely unforgettable. We got our feet so close to the fire that our sneaker soles kept catching on fire. No joke- they were all melted and much larger than the top of the shoe the next day. Lol! So many other funny things happened that night bc of the weather! Oh my!
So many patterns I want to make from this collection. I would like to start with the aster! Been drooling over that one since PR&P.
We love to bake foil packets in the fire. Sausage, potatoes, veggies, herbs- so yummy!
Love this version of the fawn lily! Sorry about those darn eyelets. Also, I’m loving your outdoor photography lately! It’s fun! Oh and K and Em are two of a kind – she climbs trees in ballet flats and dresses, too. 😉
Great dress! I am interested in the wrap like version of the bodice too. I haven’t camped since I was a kid…my dad would take my brother and me, while my mom stayed home. I always wondered why she didn’t come with us, now I keep hoping that my husband will take our kids camping and leave me home alone for the weekend!
I love smores too! And I’m also a fan of dutch oven cooking while camping. tamale pie and rainbow chip cake mix + butter over a can of cherry pie filling is pretty good eating!
And I’ve been talking myself out of the clover shorts, although this pattern is pretty awesome, too!
Great looking dress!
My story involves some bathroom humor:). I used to go backpacking a lot. One time , my husband and I were out for an extra night(5 instead of the planned 4) and I very proudly whipped out pasta with Alfredo sauce for dinner. Needless to say it didn’t sit so well…I had a little emergency and in my panic thought getting rid of the evidence was the best plan. So I threw my undies into a field of yarrow–where instead of falling onto the ground under the 3 feet of plants as I thought they would…they hooked onto a flower top and hung there for all to see. I still die laughing when I think of it. I was mortified!
this looks fun. I love spit and chew… at least with teens it’s a hoot. hobo pockets are also fun!
Lovely dress Sanae, and I think what I like about it is that it all in one colour (unlike what i have been seeing around) which gives it a certain classy look (classy robinhood/ peterpan??). I have been seeing their patterns around, and sure it would be lovely to win! I am tempted to go with the Fawn lily dress like the one you have sewn, but also the Ash outfit. The idea of a jump suit does sound very interesting and appealing. Thanks for the giveaway.
Oops the favourite food part. I have never gone camping, but trekking yes. And the favourite food there–boiled eggs. Simply but yummy after a lot of energy has been spent walking!
Oops the favourite food part. I have never gone camping, but trekking yes. And the favourite food there–boiled eggs. Simple but yummy after a lot of energy has been spent walking!
What a beautiful dress! Great job!
I am definitely not a camper, but I love these ‘glamping’ patterns!
I love this dress…and the action shots climbing the tree. I aleays ised to climb trees in my dresses when i was little. Haven’t camped in a long time…but when i see big tents it makes me want to. I love roasted marshmellows…just the marshmellows..nicely charred.
I love camping! My parents didn’t though. They offered me a tent for my 8th birthday because I kept asking to go camping. I spent my first night in it with my younger brother on the lawn of the kindergarten next door. We loved it!
I really like your version of the dress, it is my favorite glamping pattern.
Brilliant dress, I love the suede trim. I haven’t camped since I was a kid but I was one of the few who hated marshmellows so I would just eat the chocolate and skip the s’mores.
I love this dress, great colour. I would love to try the clover shorts too!
Oh I like it! It’s also sort of vintage military esque, which always catches my eye. She could be delivering letters to the wounded in a military tent. Not exactly glamping per se….haha. Sorry the eyelets didn’t work out!
the suede piping is genius! leave it to you, Sanae, to think of that awesome detail:)
haven’t gone “real” camping in years (not counting my husband setting up the tent in the backyard for a sleepover with the kids). Used to do it more when we lived in Vancouver as there were lots of cool places to go, but haven’t done as much since having kids/moving to Michigan. The infernal sand in my tent got a bit old:)
Love the rustic look!
Ohhh love the dress! I have a thing for army green and it worked so well with the fawn lily. Thank you sooo much for glamping with us!
Beautiful dress, I’m really wanting one for myself although I don’t think it’d look as nice on me 🙂 I’m sorry the eyelets didn’t work out, I would have loved to see how that looked.
I haven’t camped in ages but my favorite food when we went camping as kids was sugary cereal (Smurf Berry Crunch comes to mind) we were allowed to eat only when camping or on vacation.
What a gorgeous dress! Love the piping detail. Beautiful. Thank you for glamping with us. 🙂
Oooooh, I like this a lot!! The solid colors….the pleats….the piping!! Excellent ways to accentuate the awesome lines of this pattern :)…
Love your version of this dress! The color is really great and so is the suede piping.
I’m with you on the s’mores! They are definitely my favorite campfire food. A close second would be potatoes and onions in a foil packet. Just add a little butter some salt and pepper and leave them to cook right on a rock around the fire or over a grate….so delicious!
This one stands out – both among the pattern company’s offerings and among the garments you have sewn for your daughter. The piping gives it an air of sophistication that I wasn’t expecting. Bravo!
Camping, meh. I have never been. Husband Matt (who thus far has hiked from Georgia to Vermont on the Appalachian Trial) says he wants to see me live in a tent in our backyard for 48 hours before he will ever consider taking me camping.
Thanks for all the lovely comments, ladies!
I rather like camping. My family thinks I am crazy to sleep in a tent with two kids, and before this while pregnant, but we don’t have a camper van, and we have rent a vehicle to get out of town. But I like to just go, and keep it simple.
I used to go camping with my parents as a kid. Loved it. That sense of freedom and improvisation… I do not like it a lot as a grown up though, I miss all the comfort of a proper bed. However, I made the effort a couple of times as I think it is a great experience for kids.
As for the willow and co patterns, lOVE them all!!!
I love to bbq when camping!! It’s the best camping food!
I don’t live in the US, bus I love the Willow and Co patterns, so I would love to win!!!