When Bupe told me she needed a dress for her baby shower I jumped at the opportunity to make one for her. I have never done one and love the dresses I see momma's to be wear for their showers and maternity shoots. There is just something beautiful, radiant and awe inspiring about a momma to be. I wanted Bupe to feel and look Beautiful.

After figuring out what color and style she wanted I got to work. The truth is Bupe is very easy going and her only must haves was lace. She loves lace just like me, so I found the perfect lace fabric from fabric.com, some chiffon and originally a techno scuba which I switched up for a poly spandex crepe fabric from Joann's. My original pattern thought was Mimi G's 8045 which had ruching on the side and figured it would be perfect for ease on the belly area. Scratched that and ended up using Butterick 6438  for the top (modified and McCall's M6886 for the bottom. I also wanted to give her options of cold shoulders but it seems no one was a fan of those LOL. Another added option was a detachable skirt overlay for her shoot but she decided to wear it for her shower too. Overall I thought this turned out amazing and Bupe looked beautiful and radiant wouldn't you say?

If you know me you know that I struggle with fear, public speaking, insecurity and being an introvert. You also know that I can do many things but prefer to do them for my close knit circle. My journey this year 2017 has been to push out of my comfort zone and share the talents I have been given because really your gifts are meant to be shared.

In my journey to do this, I had the opportunity to serve and pour into some beautiful young ladies this weekend. A fish out of water, and totally out of my comfort zone I made the decision to be a part of this amazing vision by Danielle Latoya Williams and Nikki Woods who created and founded the Queen Bee Inc initiative.  One of the goals of this initiative is to be a positive influence to our young girls when the media seems to have a stronger pull on them. Exposing these young ladies to alternatives, more positive situations.

To be honest, I didn't think I could offer much but then I remembered I am where I am because someone planted a seed in me, I was fortunate enough to have alot of exposure and so what better way to pay it forward than to teach what I know. Sewing✂️✂️✂️.

The Plan

The plan of the camp involved helping the young ladies create vision boards teaching them to have a vision for their lives. An etiquette session, a much-needed session in today's world where manners seem optional. Christ-centered living, career selection and goals, health, and wellness, Fine dining, Mansion tour, financial literacy, Saving and personal care. Where did I come in? I figured sewing was a great skill to have when you had an emergency (clothes rip) or if you wanted to make a living out of it (prom dresses) and also to plant the seed that with many things we pay others but if we learned the skill, they could be paid doing what they love. The plan was to teach the basics of a sewing machine and how to use it, make a tote bag and decorate it with glitter.

Actual Day

I had to analyze time and space factors and realized there was not enough time and not enough room and so plan B was to teach hand sewing, do 80% of the work and let the ladies finish off the totes and that was that. We had a great time learning the running stitch and the back stitch and the ladies completed their totes and had somewhere to put all the goodies they received from the camp.



Lessons Learned

I would be remiss if I did not experience something and learn from it to give a better experience next time, so these were some lessons I learned.

• You can never do enough planning so plan for success
• Simplicity wins so plan a simple project
• Don't underestimate the power of your story. This one hit me hard because I realized I was so scared and shy that all I did was introduce myself. I didn't tell the ladies of my journey and why I chose sewing and so I wonder if they really got the why behind it all.
• Stay calm and breath
• Accept help when it is offered
• Ask for Help
• Help where you can
• Be patient 
• Have fun
• Enjoy the process
• Remember it not about you