A Tribute To The Sarong

As we continue our quest of paying tribute to fashion I would like to offer my kudos to the sarong. How lovely is a garment that can cover-up bloating from a beer on the beach, or hung low to show a lack of bloating. Indulge us and others by sharing your own sarong creations.  Perhaps you read some unique ways to wear a sarong online and you could share those links with us.  I read a suggestion on wikipedia.com to add a belt to your sarong.  There's nothing like being able to go straight from the beach to a bar or restaurant.  So the next time you pack your beach bag, throw in a wide belt, some matching wedges and transform that already smoking hot beach babe look into a diva ready for a night on the town.

HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween is my favorite season and it is upon us again.  One of my top hobbies this time of the year is to handmake my costume and this year is no exception.  I am reluctantly taking a shortcut on a few items however what I lose in personal time spent on my own costume, I will more than makeup helping others make theirs and I LOVE it. 

I will be making several posts regarding costumes as Halloween approaches and will share photos as I progress.

Thus far, I have purchased a bustierre for the top of the costume as well as a cape.  I will be embellishing the heck out of both as well as making the skirt from scratch...well nearly from scratch.  About a year ago I purchased a petticoat from a thrift store for $2.00 of which I will remove the satin and leave all the tulle but die it black to go with my outfit.  I will be making ribbon roses by hand to adorn my skirt witch (hehe) matches the ribbon rosettes on my witches hat.

My friend Starla knows what I am saying when I say that HALLOWEEN IS THE MOST AWESOME TIME OF THE YEAR.

Can't wait to share more with you.

Keep That Piece Alive

Do you have that article of clothing that you just can’t part with but it’s so bland that you can’t bear to wear it anymore? Try revamping it! A perfect example is a denim jacket that my Mom is spicing up. She distressed all the edges and assisted the resulting frays with a seam ripper. Next she is going to add some black chiffon type ruffle around the bottom of the sleeves and jacket. You could take this a step further, or in a different direction, by switching out the buttons, adding a straight cuff around the edges, or sewing random colorful stitches. If you would like, share some photos with us of some of the spectacular things you have done.

Our Focus

Happy Thursday!!

Okay, so our focus has been a bit off the charts lately and I understand it can lead to some confusion.  However, you should know that we have reined in the crazy and have begun to focus on where our training lies and as we expand and extend our knowledge base, so will our product line.

You will find our pajama line expanding to include more and more items that will be so cute and extremely well made.

In the next month, Andie and I have another 2 classes where we will be learning new skills which we will implement and feature in both of our stores.

What do you think of our pajamas so far?  Are you ready to give them a try?

Husqvarna Viking Serger Giveaway

Hello All,

This posting is my entry to win a serger, something my workroom lacks and is in desperate need of.  A serger is one of those items that many consider a necessity and yet others don't even know what it does.  With a serger in my arsenal, my products will have a more professional finish and will hopefully help me create a name for us and create trust in our clothes.

I like the look of an exposed serged finish and would love a clothing line that features a serged finish and perhaps the serger training class I am scheduled to take will be even more beneficial to me if I actually had a serger to use.

Because the economy is bad and business is slow, I am unable to purchase a serger on my own and therefore am opening my hand in order to receive.  But you know what they say, a hand opened to receive is also open to give.  Therefore, if we are blessed with this amazing serger, we will be running a promotion in our Smashing Darling store for all of our items, not just those we make with our new serger.

We hope to hear your feedback!!

Heather

Keep Chuggin

I feel the need to pass along, once again, some advice regarding any frustration that might occur when you are receiving training for a new hobby. This past Saturday, Heather I took a class on how to make pajama pants. With the exception of the cuffs, I completed my pants but not without some struggle and self doubt. What I did to not kill the buzz I had at the beginning of class was to walk away when I felt completely overwhelmed. It was at the end that I discovered that I needed to re-cut new cuffs. I felt mentally taxed for the day and decided to finish them later. Moral: It’s okay to stop and take a breather as long as you go back and finish at some point.

Pillowcase into Skirt and...

I was given these 2 pillow shams with the desire for them to be upcycled into something new.

I began by disassembling them...

Each pillow shaw yielded 3 distinctive pieces as well as an additional strip that I will probably re-introduce next week.

With the fabric taken from the back of each pillow sham, I cut out the front and back of an a-line skirt.

I stitched the front and back together at the sides.

When it was done, I felt like it was missing something so I decided to add a little bit of lace trim around the bottom, just enough to peek out.

I stitched it on...

After adding elastic to the waistband (forgot to take a picture of that) it was all done.

Didn't it turn out so cute?  Any suggestions on what I could have done differently?  Pros or cons, let me know.