Review of the Aivilo Shirred Top Sundress and Maxi

Hello! I was recently given the opportunity to review the Shirred top, Sundress, and Maxi dress pattern by Aivilo Charlotte Designs. I was really excited for this opportunity to review both for the designer and for my favorite blog, Pattern Revolution. Unfortunately, due to some HORRIBLE weather, getting sick, lots of phone tag, busy schedules, and an uncooperative sewing machine, I wasn't able to get professional pics taken or "finish" the dress (All done minus the straps, so it could be a strapless!)  Plus this review is VERY late. Despite this, I am determined to write a review and throw in at least one pic of the dress :)

So here it is! It is a size 12 months. 

 I consider myself an intermediate to possibly advanced sewer and own my own boutique, "Little Sweet Treats". (Currently only selling at our local farmer's market because I can't keep up with life and my etsy shop!)


Onto the review. I would consider the pattern itself to be a beginner to intermediate level depending on the person. The only reason I would consider it to be "intermediate" is because of the shirring; shirring can be very simple *IF* your machine cooperates, but that is another story!

I made the dress out of a woven cotton, but you could make it out of a knit-this would look especially good if you did it in the maxi option.

The dress itself took me about two hours to make. I think it took me longer because I always have to fight with my machine when it comes to shirring, but there was a lot of hemming.

There were many things I liked about this pattern, the main thing being that it is a great pattern for learning how to shir. The directions are very helpful and clear, especially at explaining the process of shirring.
I also liked the large range of sizes (6 months-14) and the customizability of it- maxi, sundress, or shirt. All the options for the garment had clear instructions, so no matter what option you chose you would have an easy time putting it together.

Lastly, I LOVED that the designer made separate tables for the maxi/sundress and for the shirt as far as sizes went. I really dislike when designers put it all in one table because it gets hard to follow when tables are so big and easy to mix up one size with another when you are cutting.


There were only one thing I disliked. There was a part in the cutting directions that "cut over to taper skirt", this was confusing to me as it was not addressed until later in the pattern. I did read the pattern first, but it would have been helpful if there was an asterisk or something saying that this would be addressed later in the pattern. That may just be me, but I was confused by it!

Overall this was a great pattern and I was very pleased to review it and with the outcome. I would definitely buy more patterns from the designer.

Britax Chaperone

Britax Chaperone Infant Carrier:

Britax Chaperone Seat and Base

Specs:
Fits babies ranging in size from 4 Lbs- 30 Lbs, and under 32"
5-pt  No Re-Thread Harness
Base includes Anti-Rebound Bar
Seat Weight:  10 Lbs
Base Weight: 9.25 Lbs
Dimensions (Handle Up): 18.3W x 25.3H x 30.6D

MRSP: $230

Includes "True Side Impact Protection"
Comes in 3 Fabric Options: Black/Silver, Cowmooflage, and Red

Britax B-Safe

The Britax B-Safe Infant Carrier

Base

Features

• Rearfacing Only
• 4-30lbs
• 32" or Less
• Comes in Five prints: Black, Granite, Kiwi, Red, and Sandstone
• Dimensions (With Handle up) : 17.5W x 24.5H x 27.5D
• Seat Weight: 9.8 Lbs
• Base Weight: 6 Lbs

Seat includes:
4 Harness heights and 2 buckle positions
Side-Impact Tested

MRSP: $180

Behind on Posts

So I'm already behind on reviews, but I am working on getting them together :)
Hopefully this weekend after finals I can get some posted :)
Thanks for bearing with me!

The First of Many! Baby Trend Flex Loc Infant Car Seat

So here we begin with my quest to compile a database of car seats available in the US as of 2013. 
I have a list here of all the seats that I will be covering. 
So starting at the top of the list, we have the Baby Trend Flex Loc Infant Car Seat.

BabyTrend Flex Loc

Base

Features: 

• Fits babies from 5lbs (2.2kg)-30lbs (13.6kg) and up to 30” tall
• 5-point, no re-thread harness
• 4 position height adjustable base with level indicator
• Smooth carrying handle (triangle shape)
• The term “Flex-Loc” refers to the base’s flexible latch straps (instead of rigid).
• Specs: 

16.5”W x 26”L x 25”H
Car Seat: 7.7lbs
Base: 6lbs

Available in 34 Different prints.
Available at multiple retailers including: Walmart, Babies R Us,Target, diapers.com, among others.
Current retail price is between $90 and $122 depending on the print.

Reviews: 

1) Melissa from Car Seats for the Little’s: 

"Mine was made in 2008 and they have become a little lighter since then. The seat was heavy which I liked, it made it feel sturdy to me.
Something that I found out as my carseat journey began was that it is not a recommended seat because the bottom harness is too high for average babies. 
BabyTrend also previously allowed you to place on top of the cart; This is not recommended nor is it safe for several reasons, two of which are:
The cart can flip and harm baby
The cart can also harm/damage the locking mechanism on the seat. " 

I Loved:
Triangle Handle
No Re-Thread Harness
Angle Adjuster on base to get an appropriate angle for newborns and young babies

I Didn’t Love:
The Puzzle Buckle. It was a pain with a wiggly baby; but I did adjust.
The handle MUST be down while in the vehicle (as compared to other seats that do not require this)

Conclusion:
I loved the seat, but would not buy another again.

2) Heidi from Car Seats for The Little's

"I had a Flex Loc, and I'll agree looking back, I think it was a bad seat for my kiddo... she had a short torso, her harness was always above her shoulders for a good month or two (luckily I did little driving).
I had a Geo and a Mustang, bracing (car seat touching passenger seat) happened in the mustang because of the handle requirements and no one could sit in the Geo because of how far up the seat was.
The puzzle buckle only became an issue as my kiddo got chubbier 
I wouldn't necessarily recommend a Flex Loc to anyone... especially someone with a small car two door car 

It WAS neat that it came with two bases though! Or at least, mine did. I got it from a trusted friend. It's since expired though

I Loved:

Nothing

I Didn't Love:

High Harness

Large Seat-took up a lot of space front to back

Puzzle buckle as child grew

Conclusion:

Would not reccomend or purchase again

My opinion:

I babysat a girl with this seat...and all I remember is how HARD it was to get that puzzle buckle-that thing was a B*TCH(excuse my language...) Especially when it was cold outside and the baby was not a happy girl. It also didn't fit her well. She was a longer torso'd baby and at 6 weeks the lowest slots of the harness were still above her shoulders (for Rear Facing they must be at or below). The seat also took up a lot of room in their mini van front to back. That side of the car you could not enter (unless you were her 4 year old brother who could crawl under.)

Overall:

Would not reccomend, especially for newborns, because of the high harness and the difficult buckle.

For more information on why not to put car seats on top of carts (as apposed to in) go here.

A new series of posts...

So with the current release of new car seats in the past few months, I'll be making some posts outlining the specs of each seat, and hopefully get some useage pics from some friends of mine at Car Seats for the Little's on Facebook. They also have a closed group that you can request to join that gives great advice on anything from the best car seat based on the type of car you have and your child's age/size to how your child looks in a seat and not to mention can provide some pretty good entertainment! Haha.

I will be covering all seats (If I miss any please comment and I will add it!)

Infant/Bucket/Carrier Seats (Rear-Facing (RF/RFing) Only:

• BabyTrend Flex-Loc

• Britax B-Safe
• Britax Chaperone

• Chicco KeyFit
• Chicco KeyFit 30
• Chicco KeyFit Magic 30

• Combi Shuttle

• Cosco Comfort Carry

• Eddie Bauer Destination

• Evenflo Discovery
• Evenflo Embrace35
• Evenflo Embrace DLX
• Evenflo Embrace Select
• Evenfo Nurture
• Evenflo SecureRide 35E

• Graco Snugride 22/30 (Classic Connect)
• Graco Snugride 35 (Click and Classic Connect)
• Graco Snugride ClickConnect 40

• The First YearsVia I470 

• Maxi-Cosi Mico
• Maxi-Cosi Prezi

• Orbit Baby G2 Infant Car Seat

• Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP

• Safety 1st Comfort Carry Elite/Plus
• Safety 1st Onboard 35/Air

Convertible Seats (Rear-Facing/RFing to Forward-Facing/FFing):

• Britax Advocate 70-G3/XE
• Britax Boulevard 70-G3
• Britax Highway 65 XE
• Britax Marathon 70-G3/XE/Classic
• Britax Pavillion 70-G3/XE
• Britax Roundabout 50 Classic
• Britax Roundabout 55/XE

• Chicco NextFit

• Clek Foonf

• Combi Corocco
• Combi Zeus

• Cosco APT40RF
• Cosco Scenera

• Eddie Bauer XRS 65
• Eddie Bauer Comfort 65
• Eddie Bauer Sport

• Evenflo Momentum 65
• Evenflo Titan Elite
• Evenflo Tribute 5
• Evenflo Triumph Advance 65

• The First Years TrueFit/Recline/Rebound C680

• Graco Classic Ride
• Graco ComfortSport
• Graco HeadWise/MySize/Size4Me 70
• Graco MyRide 65/SSIP (Surround Side Impact Protection)

• Lilly Gold Sit n' Stroll

• Maxi-Cosi Pria70
• Maxi-Cosi Priori

• Orbit Baby Toddler Seat G2

• Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Convertible 5/70

• Recaro Euro
• Recaro ProRIDE

• Safety1st Able65
• Safety1st Babies R Us Aquos 65
• Safety1st Babies R Us EasyFit 65
• Safety1st Chart Air
• Safety1st Complete Air/LX
• Safety1st Guide 65/Sport 65
• Safety1st OnSide Air

3-in-1 (Rearfacing, Forward-Facing, and Booster/Belt Positioner)

• Diono R100/R120/RXT

• Evenflo Symphony 65

• Graco SmartSeat

• Safety1st All-in-one Alpha-Omega
• Safety1st Alpha Elite 40/50/65

Combination Seats (Forward-Facing only, converts from a 5-Point Harness to a Booster/Belt Postitioner)

• BabyTrend Euro Sport
• BabyTrend FastBack w/ Rigid LATCH

• Britax Frontier 85/SICT
• Britax Frontier 90

• Cosco High Back Booster
• Cosco Ventura

• Eddie Bauer Deluxe High Back Booster

• Evenflo Express Chase
• Evenflo Generations 65
• Evenflo Maestro

• Graco Nautilus/Argos 70

• Kiddy World Plus

• KIDSEmbrace Toddler/Booster Car Seat

• Recaro ProSPORT

• Safety1st Essential Air
• Safety1st GoHybrid Booster
• Safety1st Summit
• Safety1st Vantage

Booster/Belt Positioner Seats

• Britax Parkway SG/SGL

• BubbleBum Booster

• Chicco KeyFit Strada

• Clek Olli
• Clek Oobr
• Clek Ozzi

• Combi Kobulk Air Thru

• Cosco Ambassador High Rise
• Cosco Disney Pronto!
• Cosco High Rise
• Cosco Pronto!
• Cosco Rightway
• Cosco Stack-it
• Cosco Topside

• CYBEX Solution X-fit, Solution X-fit plus

• Diono Montery
• Diono SantaFe

• Evenflo Big Kid,Amp.Amp Sport
• Evenflo Big Kid
• Evenflo Big Kid Sport, Amp High Back

• The First Years Pathway B540 Booster

• GoBooster

• Graco Affix/Backless
• Graco Turbo-booster/COLORZ/Highback/No Back/Safety-Surround

• Harmony Baby Armor Booster Seat
• Harmony Cruz Booster SEat
• Harmony Dreamtime Comfort
• Harmony Travel Folding Booster
• Harmony V6 Booster
• Harmony Youth Booster Seat

• Kiddy Cruser FX Pro

• Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR

• Peg Perego Viaggio HBB 120 Booster

• Recaro ProBOOSTER
• Recaro VIVO

• Safety1st Boost Air

I have not included Travel Vests but if interest arrises I will add them to the list. 

So here they are! And here I start. I will be starting either today or tomorrow with infant seats, and work my way down the list!

Sources: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Product-Listing.aspx

It's been awhile!!

So, it has been QUITE awhile since my last post (Almost a month!!) But I can honestly say this is the longest I have kept a blog going (as sad as that is...) Even my sim has more followers and posts on her blog (I'm a bit of a sims addict) as well as more followers, haha.

So heres what's going on this month.

I had spring break, long story short it was an okay vacation. I got to spend time with family,and see my friend's house in Vegas and meet some of her friends. I will include some pics of the grand canyon and the cubs training game we went to!

Warming up before the game

First at bat..do not remember who it was...I'll have to check with my dad, the Cub God haha.

Pitching...again don't remember who it is

Me and Alyssa at the Grand Canyon.
I didn't wear glasses much that week and not sure which I like better (contacts or glasses)

Weird looking formation near the bottom of the canyon (about a mile from where I was shooting)

More of the Grand Canyon

Sunset

So theres my vacation! We had some other crazy times that maybe I'll talk about in another post. 

Continuing on, I started back at college and now only have 5 weeks and 3 days left of the semester! (It's not like I'm counting down or anything...haha). 

In fact, I get to schedule next semesters classes in 2 1/2 weeks and I laid out the classes I want last night. I'm pretty excited because most of my classes are education focused (instead of gen.eds)...one of my classes is entitled "Music and Dance for Pre-Schoolers" How awesome is that?!?!

When I am not working on school stuff, I have been doing a lot of sewing lately! I am currently going to be a part of my town's summer farmer's market with another friend of mine sewing my cloth diapers, wet bags, and the occasional outfit! I am really excited and have been spitting out diapers like no other! I'll post pics once I have more done, but currently I am doing PUL One Sized, PUL and fitted newborn, and small and med/large fitteds. I am VERY excited, especially since I am using up a lot of my fabric stash :).

Now if all that isn't enough, I have been able to spend more time with some of my 'older' friends and their kids. I use 'older' lightly, as they are only 5-10 years older than me, they just have kids, haha. I've gotta say, I kinda enjoy spending time with them more than people my age. They are more mature, and treat me more maturely. Plus they don't judge me quite as much for not drinking or partying etc. Plus, the best part, their kids LOVE me (and I love them!) They range in age from 5 months to 6 years, and it is so awesome spending time with the little ones. I get to watch them grow, spoil them, and get lots and lots and LOTS of cuddles. Best thing ever. I feel so blessed to have all of these special mamas and kids in my life. 

So whats to come? Well I hope as summer begins to near that I have more time to post. I'm thinking of doing a blog everyday time thing in maybe June. I'll be doing a couple reviews on new products, one of them being the NextFit (a new convertible car seat by chicco with AWESOME features). 

I hope everyone is having a great begining to April and spring, hopefully it will be less than a month from now when I write again! haha.