Wild Woman Dress (Simplicity 2444 with Cape Collar)

Hello guys and dolls! I finally did it! I picked a pattern to make my graduation dress!
It is Simplicity 2444 with the cape collar

 

Here are a few shots a different angles to show how great it fits 



and here are the details which define why I fell in love with the pattern.

The cape collar is adorable for one. It is what attracted me to the pattern.

The bodice front has 4 darts and the front skirt has 6 pleats

A bit hard to see with my wild woman fabric, but trust me! this dress has great lines!

The back bodice has 2 darts and the back skirt has 6 pleats as well.

And the best thing ever!!

POCKETS!!

I will have pockets to keep some lip stick and my cell with me all during grad

I have 4 months to decide on the fabric because I will need to sew it up next semester break.

That will be my last semester break ever!!

Right now I am thinking I will get polka dot fabric and make the collar the color of the dots

 

Besides graduation, I plan on making more of this pattern simply because I have fallen in love with the fit and the look. There will most definitely be a nautical one in my future!

 

What are your thoughts?

 

XOXOXO

Lily Bean

Animal at Heart (Simplicity 4127 View B) and a few Pirate Tattoos

Howdy!

I was busting out a new wardrobe when I wasn't sleeping like a bear during my semester break.

I finally made a successful blouse from a pattern.

 

 

It is Simplicity 4127 in View B

I chose not to add ribbon trim to the straps for this shirt.

Maybe next time...

 

 I am happy with my choice in keeping this shirt plain. I love the giraffe print and think it is loud enough without trimmings.

Super easy construction and no problems at all

Unless you include the fact that I was sewing past my bedtime and didn't realize I had no more thread in my bobbin haha

 

I'm not sure if you remember me mentioning a new tattoo a few posts back...

Well I am finally posting proper pictures.

Me and my kid brother have always talked about matching pirate tattoos... since before either of us was even legal to get inked.

When my family came to town 2 weeks before my birthday I asked my dad to buy me some ink for my gift. It took some begging and convincing but my brother got my mom to agree. That kid can get anything he wants from mommy hahaha. Worked to my advantage this time. I have been in love with pirates since I was a child. The Halloween where I was 8 and Tony was 3, we were both pirates. I think we both fell in love with our costumes. (I wish I had a picture of us, we were pretty cool little pirates)



 We did not use the same artist because we wanted to be tatted at the same time.

It was all part of the bonding moment.

Here is my baby brother getting started.

This was his 4th tattoo but first professional and proper one

When he was younger he pierced his own ears multiple times and I was the one who took him for his first professional ear piercing too

I am a pretty awesome big sister who always puts cleanliness and safety first.

 

I have an appointment to get new ink today at 1

Wish me luck! This may be my biggest piece to sit for on my upper arm (so far)

XOXOXO

Lily Bean

 

Gingham Style (New Look 6457 View B)

Hey there! Forgive the silly pun in the title.. I couldn't resist =P

I have had the New Look 6457 pattern for years!

It is probably one of the first 5 patterns I ever purchased.

I tried making this dress once before I knew how to measure myself and read a pattern:

complete fail!

Now that I have a bit more knowledge and experience I was able to put it together proper.

I am feeling pretty adorable in it!!

 

I decided to try view B and wanted to make it exactly like the gingham sketch. I love gingham and have always wanted a dress made in red gingham. This was my first time using piping. I was worried it wouldn't turn out good but I didn't have any of the trouble I anticipated with the piping...

... I did however have a HUGE fight with the elastic and casing.

A fight lasting hours

I lost 2 safety pins in the battle

I am not sure what went wrong. I followed the directions and everything seemed great until I started trying to feed the elastic in. I practically ruined the interfacing in some areas and ended up ripping a few seams from the casing so I can manually feed the elastic from outside the dress.

Had I not  had the fight with the elastic, I am positive I could have finished this dress in under 2 hours. The rest of the construction was easy peasy for me.

All in all I am pleased with the dress and have no regrets

However I don't see a round 2 for this one... not in the same view at least

maybe in a halter with no elastic needed.

 

Any tips on getting elastic in?

XOXOXOX

Lily Bean

Jane of the Jungle Dress (McCall's M6027 View A)

 

I was so happy when I finally finished y "Jane of the Jungle" dress.

This is my first dress with princess seams and I was actually pretty nervous about it.

When it was done and I was ready to put on the finished product I was pleasantly surprised: it fits like a glove! I fell in love with princess seams!

 

McCall's M6027 in View A

 

I did have a little bit of trouble with the strap/armhole area. I had to seam rip a time or two. But all in all it was not hard to construct

 

 I love the way everything came together in the end. I had never heard of a gusset prior to this dress. I like the way the black gussets help pop the animal prints of the dress.

 

 

I will enjoy debuting this dress at the roller derby this weekend!! My last hurrah for summer before Fall semester starts on Monday

 

XOXOXOX

Lily Bean

 

 

 

 

 

Epically Awesome Award of Epic Awesomeness: a reason to SMILE

Hello there my pretties. So I am finally ready to address this epically awesome award passed on to me from Shelly over at Follow Me Home. 2.5 months late is better than never haha

The Rules for accepting this award are:

1. Accept the award! A huge thanks to Shelly! Thanks for thinking of me on this one =)

2. Post the award and link back to the person who gave it to you.

(click here to check out Shelly's blog)

3. Give ten facts about yourself.

4. Award some other bloggers .

 

 

Now for 10 facts about me:

1. I was terrified of dogs until a few weeks after having Theodora melt my fear

2. I am so scared of needles that when I need a blood draw or shot at the very least I start to sweat and my heart goes crazy. At my worst I have passed out and lost my stomach.

3. I am a middle child and firmly believe in middle child syndrome.

4. I was a teenage runaway and high school drop out. I cleaned up my life very quickly with the help of loved ones and managed to get my high school diploma faster than if I would have stayed in school.

5. I played baseball since I was 4 and moved into softball when I grew out of peewees. Baseball is my happy place. I was a catcher and center fielder

6. I love listening to Glenn Miller, The Andrew Sisters, and Sinatra

7. I grew up listening to rap and moved to rock when I was introduced to No Doubt when I was 10. I immediately wanted to be like Gwen Stefani and she is still one of my heroes

8. I enjoy going to the shooting range

9. I have always had professional jobs and been in the medical field since I was 16... unless you count the one time I took a part time position in a sandwich shop just to see what it was like to have a normal kid job.

10. I was in a belly dancing class once and would love to pick it back up when I have time (9 months left for graduation)

 

When I think of blogs I follow that are epically awesome, I think of:

Kalandra Jane (I love everything she makes! Adorable hats)

Solanah (she has the greatest sense of style and always looks great)

Reyna (wonderful new mom who is still managing to sew beautiful pieces and go to school)

Debi (I am so inspired by her vintage sewing skills)

and

Kitty (*fingers crossed* that you have great news about the bar exam, and congrats on your wedding)

 

Thank you all for your epically awesome posts that inspire and entertain!

 

I was paper crafting the other day because I needed a small reminder to help me get through the hard days of these next 2 semesters. I framed "SMILE" with scrapbook paper I got at Hobby Lobby at 6/$1, frames from the Dollar Tree, and foam sheets I had lying around.

 I love how it came out but can't decide just where to hang it on my wall hahaha 

 

 

I have 3 dresses and 1 shirt to share with you all! Stay tuned

 

Oh! and before I forget... I got an A in my Coding class last semester! Hurray for straight As and keeping that 4.0

 

XOXOXOX

Lily Bean

(here with my paper chain graduation countdown which is only 9 months short now!!)

 

 

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Hair Flair and an Award

Hello my pretties!

Summer session is officially over and I have 3 weeks to enjoy before Fall kicks in to gear.

I wanted to finish my "Jane of the Jungle" dress (which I started right after the skulltastic dress was finished), but I have no more interfacing! A trip to Joanns is on my to-do list. I plan on starting a skirt in the meantime.. one which requires no interfacing or zippers.

Today I crafted up some new hair flowers. My! How I missed my glue gun!

 

This first one is my favorite! Who wouldn't love pink leopard with cherries?!?

 

This flower is very fun, with a cupcake in the center.

 

 

A bold, red flower with a skull and crossbones is perfect to match half of my outfits.

 

This under the sea mermaid flower makes me happy

 

This one says "rock star"

 

I love the contrast of such a girlie flower with the skull and cross bones

 

Another pink leopard one, this time with a white star.

 

 

I also made a few pieces from some felt. This heart one is so sweet.

 

 

And these two adorable little minis...

 

It always feels good to get back in the crafting game.

 

Sweet Shelly Bean over at "Follow Me Home" nominated me for another blog award back in early June.

(click here to see her post)

 

The award is the "epically awesome award of epic awesomness". I will have to take some time to do a post just addressing the award and passing it on to my fellow bloggers.

 

Thanks again Shelly! I appreciate all your kind words.

 

I will try to write again on Tuesday.
Tomorrow in my birthday so I expect to be busy.

I will be 27.

That is 3 cubed

(For all you non-Math geeks out there, that is 3x3x3)

I will be 3 years away from my third decade.

 I expect number 3 to be lucky for this year.

Let's see what it holds!

 

XOXOXOXOX

Lily Bean

 (Here with my sister at the Border Beer and Wing Fling last night)