It's been a busy weekend! Not complaining, I hate being bored! I'm just so happy to have Monday off. I'm so excited for my vacation in a few weeks! I will be closing up the shop while I'm gone (contrary to popular belief I do not have house elves doing my work for me!) but I will reopen the very second I get home!
We were out eating breakfast this morning and I had Clara in her new peasant apron dress with matching green ruffles. I could not believe the reaction people were having! There was a russian woman that came up to me and told me that her outfit reminded her of a Russian Folk Dress. I'm not sure what that is, but I chose to take it as a compliment! I really need to learn to toot my own horn - people will ask me "Where did you get that outfit?" and I simply tell them that I made it. I need to be more bold and hand them a business card or something. Ugh. I stink at this marketing thing!
Anyway, I'm putting out a new shirt! This is from the new fall line and it looks the part with its vivid autumn colors. I'll also be making this same shirt in different colors so keep your eye out!
I've done did it. I've started working on my fall line. Of course the summer line is still available through the summer, but for those of us proactive sort of people (ha ha) we can now look to the future!
I started off with an adorable peasant apron dress. I have always loved the peasant look - perhaps I had a past medieval life?
Don't kill me - but these are not exactly for sale yet. This particular blue beauty is one of four pieces going to a photographer who will be showcasing my designs. However, you can expect the same style on the ones I plan on starting as soon as I get off this computer.
If you look hard enough you can see the embroidered detail on the apron. Lots of little extras on this dress - from lace around the bodice, crocheted flower button, embroidered apron, down to the rick-rack above the skirt ruffle.
Now this happens to be the Miss Mamie in Clara Garden print fabric. And unless Nancy decides this is too loud for her taste (is there such a thing?) it won't be for sale either. I started making this outfit with skepticism but as soon as I finished it I decided that I wanted to keep it. The problem with that, however, is that I can no longer find this fabric anywhere. So I guess this will be a one of a kind!
Not a drive by shooting - don't duck, it's okay. I'm just passing through here really quickly because I'm up to my eyeballs in work. Today is the most beautiful of days (it is up here anyway, they're probably not enjoying their 90 F plus weather in Denver today) and I'm stuck in my house doing 10 audits - each of which take an hour to complete. >:(
So now that summer has officially arrived, I get to start working on my fall line. I started working on a peasant dress today but I'm still not 100% satisfied yet so I'm tearing it apart and starting over. I hate seam ripping with the fire of a thousand suns, but if I'm not happy nobody else will be either. Of course, first I have the 10 audits to complete....sigh.
I will start offering applique t-shirts and tank tops very soon. I'm feeling far more confident now, and while I've seen some of what's been offered on other websites (and wasn't particularly impressed with the stitching) I want to make sure I am as close to perfect as can be before I offer them up for sale.
Now that being said, here is my latest applique creation, as well as a pair of pants that I love to death but others may not but I'm okay with that!
No, but it's close enough! The weather is almost beautiful up here (some have laughed when I tell them high 60s is downright hot but it really is!), I have a light work load tomorrow, and only one more summer outfit to do!! Ironically, as soon as the weather starts looking like summer around here I get to make clothes with long sleeves, corduroy, and flannel. It does seem a bit backwards to me too!
Here's the latest - fresh off the sewing machine. It's a peasant smocked cherry shirt, denim flare pants and matching reversible headband (cherries on one side and red gingham on the other). I'll only have enough cherry fabric to make about 2 of these shirts so if you want it you might want to hurry!
Good question. Part of it is the copious amounts of Mountain Dew running through my system. Another part is my chronic insomnia...but mostly it's because I was moving my stuff over to the new Etsy site and updating my website.
After weeks of pressure from my dear Canadian friend, I have finally broken down and made stretch knit pants, reversible headbands and applique t-shirts. I keep telling her not to abuse the poor seamstress but she's downright militant about it! Now that I've achieved this goal, I'm sure she'll have another "honey-do" list waiting for me in no time. I'll be getting the stretch knit pants on my website shortly and once I get some pictures of the headbands I'll start selling those as well. I still need to practice my applique t-shirts, though I have to admit that for a first run I was impressed with myself! There is, however, a fatal flaw in my tulip design and it isn't the stitching. Can you guess what it is? I bet Rose, the horticulture major, can figure it out.
Sorry, I don't have the greatest pictures today. If you have ever considered moving into the Rocky Mountains, please allow this first picture to enlighten you. Yes, that is snow coming down. This picture was taken yesterday.
Here are the stretch knit pants. It took some work to get the stripes to match up perfectly but I managed to get it done right. I made these pants a little big for my older daughter - I'm actually hoping they fit her perfectly around next spring. But you get the idea.
It might have escaped my attention that I am a push-over. No, really? After promising that only one Natty Huckleberry Halter Dress would ever be made I was talked into making another one - so that, and the fact that I have extra fabric now, means that I will still make ONE more (and only one! I promise!). First one to order gets to pick the size (sizes range from 12 months - 5T).
Hope you guys are getting the required amount of pampering today and tomorrow! I had every intention of sleeping in this morning and letting the hubs take over...but I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep so he ended up getting to be the one to sleep in. Oh well!
Not really debuting anything today, more or less just showing off. That's okay, isn't it? I made the girls semi-matching outfits but I don't think I'm going to end up selling more of them. The pattern I made had to be adjusted 1738 times so now I don't even remember what I did anymore. Hate it when that happens!
I also had a cute custom order I wanted to show you. This Olivia Tea Party dress was ordered in red, white and blue - for a birthday girl who has a birthday right around that time. What a cute idea!
I'll be pretty busy this weekend - not sure when I'll get the next "new" outfit up, but I have some cute fabric and a few ideas swimming around...so keep checking back and don't forget about this month's promo!
I was in the fabric store last week and I saw some cute cupcake fabric. I picked it up and pondered what on earth I could make with it. All by itself it was just too cutesy for my tastes, if you know what I mean. So I took a lap around the store, waiting for something to jump out at me. At first there were no bites...then it all came together and I had to have it. I had no clue what I was going to make but I was in love with this fabric combination. I took it home and since I had no plan what to do with it, there it laid in the bag for a week. Finally, I decided to jump in and I just started hacking away at it with no particular idea what I was going to make or even who I was going to make it for. Eventually it started to take shape and I was falling head over heels for it. When I tried the finished product on my little cupcake I jumped around the room and gleefully giggled like an idiot. It's actually sad how much I get into my work.
So here it is - the fruit of hours of having no idea what I was doing but enjoying every second of it. The entire bodice is shirred, with my tell-tale twisty straps in the back and little strap loops in the front with sewn on buttons. The pants have a double ruffle and a drawstring. I'm not sure, but I think she'll get two seasons out of this outfit.
Now, I'm gonna be honest here. This is not the most practical outfit I've made. Sure, I took her to the mall and fabric store in it, but it's not exactly made for the playground. As much as I love it, it's really only suited for pictures, parties, and pageants. And based on all the work and materials that went into this thing it will not exactly be priced "reasonably". But, if you're ever in the market for an unnaturally adorable outfit that will make you gleefully giggle like I did, then you know where to get one!
Happy El Cinco De Mayo! Not sure what we're celebrating here today, but the girls and I, and some good friends, will be heading off to the zoo to drink...soda. We are the original party animals, aren't we?
But I'm going to give YOU something to celebrate! For the month of May, buy a pair of ruffle pants (any size, any color) and receive any top half off (dresses not included - sorry)! Might as well start getting ready for summer, right? Of course...you have to be a blog reader to get this deal, so make sure you mention this promotion when you order and I'll give you a refund!
So, I was actually able to take some pictures yesterday. It was the first halfway decent day we've had in over a week! Here is the newest outfit...
It's called Haylee Honeydew. The pants have vertical stripes with an oversized ruffle. The matching shirt is an explosion of some of my favorite fabrics and looks great with the matching pants or with a pair of jeans.
The pants are shown here with the Riley Peasant Blouse and as you can see that is beyond cute.
And just because she's funny and insisted on this pose...(what is this...kungfu?)
I have not been a lazy blogger. Heck, I haven't even been a lazy sewer! You might call me a lazy photographer, however. I've made several adorable outfits but I haven't had the opportunity to take pictures of them yet. In my defense, it's really difficult to make adorable summer clothes when it's still winter in my neck of the woods! I did manage to take a picture of my older model wearing her own Sophia Mae Apron Dress - over a long sleeved shirt and jeans, of course. I guess it goes to show how versatile some of these pieces are, though, right? If you could see the back, you'd see that it is smocked with reversible twisty straps.
My daughter is such a girlie-girl. She picked out those shoes herself and she's really good at matching them with the right outfit! Her mother lacks the shoe and purse gene, however, so I guess she'll be picking out my ensembles in no time.
The good news is that the weather is beginning to perk up a bit! After a weekend of absolutely no sun, this week is supposed to be beyond beautiful. So, knowing me, I will lock myself in my sewing room to make new creations, and ignore the bright sunny weather. The better news is that I will be able to actually take pictures of them, though!
