No Prob-Llama

Here's a llama, there's a llama, and another little llama, fuzzy llama, funny llama, llama, llama, duck. Llama, llama, cheesecake, llama, tablet, brick, potato, llama, llama, llama, mushroom, llama, llama, llama, duck.

If you couldn't help but sing the above, I'm sorry! I know from personal experience how inescapable this catchy tune can be -- I sing it to myself every time I wear this dress, and hummed it the entire time I spent making it. If you've never heard the llama song, Google at your own risk! It's very, very, very catchy.

I made this dress using Simplicity 8635 and novelty fabric from JoAnn. I made view B, and lengthened the skirt to midi length. This dress features a gathered waistline, pockets, and strappy back detailing.

While the majority of pattern steps were a breeze, making the spaghetti straps was a nightmare! To make them, you fold a long strip of fabric in half lengthwise and sew, forming a narrow tube. Next, you have to turn the tube inside out, such that the seam is on the inside. While this is simple for thicker straps, this is SO painstaking for narrow spaghetti straps. This is made even more challenging by the extreme length of the ties of this dress. This one step took me several hours.

I honestly don't know what I was thinking -- I don't even like spaghetti straps! While I adore this dress, I've never worn it without a tee shirt or sweater underneath. At least I dislike wearing spaghetti straps as much as I dislike making them.

While I'm just getting around to photographing it now, I finished this dress to wear on my 26th birthday. Always the perfect gift giver, Maggie surprised me with the perfect accessory: matching llama earrings. These earrings match the dress SO perfectly that I'm still not entirely sure how she pulled it off.

Time for me to retire now and become a duck.