Let's solve this problem step by step.

1. Define Variables:

   • Let $P$ be the number of pumpkin pies sold.
   • Let $C$ be the number of cherry pies sold.
   • Let $A$ be the number of apple pies sold.

2. Given Information:

   • The bakery sold 12 pumpkin pies yesterday, so $P = 12$.
   • Each pumpkin pie is cut into 18 slices, but this information is not directly needed to find the total number of pies sold, so we'll note it for now.
   • The bakery sold 5 more cherry pies than pumpkin pies, so $C = P + 5 = 12 + 5 = 17$.
   • The bakery sold 12 more apple pies than cherry pies, so $A = C + 12 = 17 + 12 = 29$.

3. Total Number of Pies Sold: $\text{Total number of pies} = P + C + A = 12 + 17 + 29 = 58$

Therefore, Sweet Dreams Bakery sold 58 pies in total yesterday.

Would you like more details on any part of this problem or do you have any other questions?

Here are some related questions:

1. How would the total number of pies change if each pumpkin pie had 20 slices instead?
2. If the bakery had sold 15 cherry pies, how many apple pies would they have sold?
3. What would be the total revenue if each type of pie had a different price?
4. How many slices were sold in total for all pumpkin pies?
5. How does the relationship between cherry and pumpkin pies affect the total pie count?

Tip: When working with word problems, clearly defining your variables and relationships between them helps in setting up and solving equations accurately.