Lions and Tigers and Vintage, Oh My!

(This is Olivia and I, with my hair looking like a total mess!)
Weeks ago, we took Olivia to the zoo for the first time. I've been so busy, I forgot to make a post about it! I made this great 50's walk away dress. The walk away dress was named as such because "you could start it after breakfast and walk away in it for luncheon." The butterick walk away dress pattern 6015 was such a great seller in the 50's that the butterick company stopped producing all patterns except for the walk away dress until they could fill all back orders.




Now, I wouldn't say that you could really start it after breakfast and finish before lunch! It took me about one whole day to do it from beginning to end. Cutting takes a while and so does pinning the bias tape on but it really is very easy to sew. I suggest it for a beginner's first dress! I will say that the under skirt needs an extra tie at the back to keep the hem even and this dress is not suited well for gals with a smaller bust or hip area. It really is a great pattern for curvy gals. I altered mine by adding a front zipper for breastfeeding purposes, which I think needs to be fixed just a little bit so it isn't so loose in the bust area. This dress looks particularly fantastic with a crinoline to give you that extra 50's poofiness, however, I didn't wear one for these photos. The great thing about this pattern is that you can dress it down for a daytime look or use nicer fabrics and dressy accessories for a really posh evening look. A lot of people hate the walk away dress but keep in mind, this dress was intended to be worn with proper undergarments of the 50's, so if you plan to wear it with a non- supportive bra and modern undies, it would probably look a little off. Fabric choices are also a big factor in determining is this dress is fab or a flub.
Anyway, we had a great time at the zoo. We went with Pj's mom, sister and our two beautiful little nieces. Olivia slept through most of the zoo but I really had fun with the other girls.


Hannah, my oldest niece really loves the penuins or "pwang-wins" as she calls them! Here we are, tossing coins into a fountain


After the zoo, we went to the Courtesy diner for lunch. The place was completely emptied so we had it all to ourselves.