Made for Mermaids: Daphne at Red Oak II

My little brother went into the Air Force straight out of high school. For the past 11 years I've only seen him intermittently in between deployments. He has never lived somewhere within driving distance, so when he moved somewhere that was only 12 hours (more like 15 if you are traveling with kids) we were all thrilled! When he met a nice girl and asked her to marry him, we were even more thrilled, not just for his happiness, but because we know that means he will be around more! Ha ha! This week we all made trip halfway across the country to be here for his wedding. I obviously spent sometime thinking about and planning my family's outfits for the wedding. I still hadn't decided on what pattern I'd use for Pretty Mama's dress when I was asked to test Made for Mermaids' newest pattern, "Daphne". Sometimes, the stars just align and the perfect pattern presents itself and Daphne sure was the perfect pattern. I planned everyone else's outfits to coordinate with it. I will post some family pics from the wedding soon. Before we left, I had to get my tester photos done and I thought of the perfect location.

I had heard about Red Oak II and seen many photos taken there over the years and I had been dreaming of doing our own shoot there for a while. I mentioned it to my husband and he thought it sounded like fun. We packed up all the kids and headed out. Lowell Davis relocated many old buildings from his childhood hometown of Red Oak to his farm to create Red Oak II. This sort of Made Ghost town is like a giant piece of art filled with Davis' sculptures and chippy vintage goodness. It was an absolute dream to shoot there. My husband and I often take turns with the camera, so there is a good mixture of shots taken by both of us here.

This post is less of a pattern review and more about showcasing it's beauty! Made for Mermaids Daphne comes with options for top, dress, and Maxi length, It can be made with a full off the shoulder ruffle or off the shoulder flutters and can be made with or without tie straps. I made dress length with the flutters without straps.  I added a little scalloped lace to the flutters and I love how it looks, although it did change the way the flutters fell a bit. It was a super fast sew and it fit my daughter pretty perfectly.  She loves her dress and had to run and show daddy right away as soon as she tried it on.  We love it! Daphne and Mama Daphne release tomorrow! Make sure you pick them up. 

Anyway, We took lots of pictures! Enjoy!