When we were young - Week 5: Probably Actually

July 10, 2013

This week for When we were young, Gail from Probably Actually is here to share the gorgeous creation she made for her daughter Lila.  Gail's blog is lovely and I have been following it for about a year.  I first found her blog after seeing this sweet (Oliver + S) Sunday Brunch jacket on pinterest.


Her daughter Lila reminded me of one of my good friend's daughters, so I clicked through to find her blog and quickly signed up to follow!  Gail has two children - Lila and Oscar.  Here a few more of Gail's lovely creations she has made for them...


I love the dress Gail made for my series - and check out the haircuts - identical!  Thanks for participating Gail!
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Where were you born/where did you spend your childhood?
I was born in Michigan and spent my childhood in Salem, Oregon.

Who did you grow up with?
My parents and two older sisters.

Did you have a childhood ambition?
To be a mother. Look at me, living the dream!

What did you like doing when you were little?
Collecting things, playing with dolls, trying to convince my parents to provide me with a younger sibling.

Do you see any similarities between yourself and your child/children?
Lately I've noticed Lila organizing and arranging things....I think she got that from me!

Do you live far from where you grew up?
Nope, about an hour's drive north.

Where do you live now and who with?
Portland, Oregon with my husband and our two children, Lila (4) and Oscar (8 months).

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Hello sewpony readers! I'm Gail from probably actually and I'm very happy to be a part of Suz's When We Were Young series! It's such a sweet idea for a series, don't you think? Going through old photos for inspiration was really fun, and there were plenty of early '80s gems to choose from.

whenwewereyoung gail

This particular photo caught my eye for a few reasons. For comparison purposes I wanted to choose a photo where I was roughly the same age as Lila, and we're within just a month or two of each other in this one. I also hoped to find something my mom had sewn - she made lots of our clothes growing up, and I thought it'd be fun to recreate one of her hand-mades. I think she may have sewn this for one of my sisters (poor third child, always in hand-me-downs!) but she definitely made it, along with both my sisters' dresses in this photo.

whenwewereyoung

Anyway, this little sundress seemed like a simple design that would translate pretty well to today, and I knew I'd be able to find that classic pink seersucker. So it won out in the end.

lila2-5638

And it was indeed a simple look to recreate - I thought about drafting something myself, but instead I googled “shirred back sundress tutorial” and came up with this one from From an Igloo. Just what I was looking for.

whenwewereyoung lila-5562
 
I ended up using my Geranium Dress pattern for the skirt pieces, and added wide shoulder ties and patch pockets trimmed with eyelet to match the original, but otherwise pretty much followed the tutorial. Since the photo is cut off, it's unknown where the dress hit on me, but I'm sure it was Cindy Brady-style - we wore 'em short back then! I made Lila's a little longer, but I gave it a nice wide hem like the one I wore. And there's no photographic evidence, but I'm 99% sure I was wearing white Saltwater Sandals, too.
whenwewereyoung lila-5573
 
So there you have it - like mother, like daughter.
 
gail_lila
 
Thanks so much for having me, Suz, this was so much fun!
 
when we were young

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22 comments

  1. Ahhhhh you're twins!!!! Great job, Gail. This is awesome. You were a cutie (and of course Lila is too!!).

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  2. Sooo so adorable. I love the style-and seersucker just shouts summer! And you are twinners all the way!

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  3. Wow...you two look so much alike! Beautiful recreation of your childhood dress!

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  4. Spitting image, Gail - you're both absolute cuties!! I love the dress(es) and Lila looks great in pink seersucker :-)

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  5. This series is so awesome - I love to see all these lovely creations from the past come alive :-)
    Lila is a blond version of yourself (both too cute for words) and I do love the timeless design of the dress (perfect in seersucker) :-)

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  6. Love this re-creation...a perfect match! It's like you cut Lila's hair to match yours, too! :)

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  7. Beautiful dresses and photographs (old and new)! I love this heartwarming series.

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    1. I am glad you are enjoying the series Christine:) I am too!

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  8. How cute!! And you two look so much alike! Very sweet dress, and the series is fabulous!

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  9. you two really do resemble each other! love the pink seersucker- and your sister's dresses are fantastic too! :)

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  10. thanks everybody! and thanks again for having me, suz! can't wait to see everyone else's re-creations!!

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  11. oops, that last comment was me! obviously :)

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  12. great reproduction.
    i too wore white salt waters, am sure they were my easter shoes some years

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  13. you're killing me with the cuteness! love the dress - both the original and your version. Can't get over how much you two look alike!

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  14. Super cute! and I love the pink dresses!

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  15. so cute!!! just got my oldest a pair of saltwaters. The seersucker couldn't be more perfect!

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  16. Oh wow! Wow, wow, wow! I love those side by sides. Thanks for a link to a fun tutorial as well, perfect! This came out great, and I love the seer sucker. I also love the reference to 'Cindy Brady dresses,' I still love 'em short like that (on the girls, not me)! :)

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  17. Love the classic seersucker! I'm sure I had a dress just like it too :)

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  18. Adorable! I love the side by side too, such a resemblance!

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