New Ink: Pin Up Study Bug

Hey everyone! Remember that ink I mentioned last week...

well I have uploaded the pictures to show off my pinup study bug

Here is the last picture of my arm without the ink... Trying out the stencil
You may notice the stencil does not have a necklace. It was when I took this picture that I realized all she was missing was some pearls. I asked my artist to add the pearl necklace and he threw on the earrings as well. Perfect!

Working on the outline, here is the brain

Beginning to color and shade from the bottom up

All the books are some of my favorite school subjects

She is reading Anatomy (my absolute fave)

and sitting on Pathophysiology, Intro to HITT, CPT, Literature, ICD-9, and Law and Ethics

Working up, shading the dress and skin

Coloring her hair

and 3 HOURS LATER... yes, 3 hours. I hit my pain threshold on this one. I even left polka dots on the chair I was in hahaha 

here she is

my pin up study bug learning about the brain

Once again, a big thanks to Alex! He never lets me down.

I love all the details that bring this tattoo to life



XOXOXO

Lily Bean

 

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