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.

SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am so excited about the SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!. One of the blogs I love to follow, Grograin, is having an awesome giveaway. Check them out!!

As a fellow crafter, we are all searching for that elusive "perfect" machine that can do it all and one that we can afford.  Reading through the post on http://www.grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/ makes me believe that this Silhouette machine may just be the one and I am excited to learn more about it.

Do you have a Silhouette machine?  If so, what do you think of it?  If not, what machine do you use and what are the pros and cons of your machine?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Your Source For Inspiration

Consider this a search for inspiration. If you feel inclined, would you mind sharing what inspires you? Is there a place you go, mentally or physically? Is it someone in your life? I would love to contain a single source of inspiration in a picture frame. In order to avoid jeopardizing the effect, I will not pre-determine the size, and the style will be dictated by the contents.

Yet Another T-Shirt Makeover

I like to wear new clothes all the time, I love to wear things that are different, things not everyone has.  Which is why I love to make clothes.  Now because I am not without a budget that seems to get tighter daily, I sometimes need to resort to "upcycling" or remaking an existing item into a new item.  Enter the t-shirt makeover that everyone seems to be doing now but no 2 are the same!!!

I started with this plain t-shirt I bought from Banana Republic awhile ago but is still in excellent condition.  I was in luck because my husband was getting rid of one of his old t-shirts from the same store that was the same color so I was able to make a tone on tone remake this time.

I began by cutting strips from his t-shirt (avoiding the armpit area...gross) then began pinning them onto the shirt in random patterns.

And added!!

Then stitched them all in place.

And Stitched

All done...

What do you think?  Throw it on with some jeans and a sweater or jacket...so cute!!

Full Steam Ahead

We struggled with finding a place where we could purchase unique fabrics and receive superb training.  Our quest is over thanks to the bright, friendly and spacious shop, Scrap And Sew.  You can visit them online at www.scrapandsew.com.  They offer a wide variety of classes and I am sure that you will find something to tickle your fancy.  Check out their calendar for Friday nights when they have "crafters night."  You can bring an unfinished product to work on and also receive help and support.  Knowing that assistance is within our reach, as well as training, has refueled our efforts.  It's "full steam ahead" from now on!  Thanks Scrap and Sew.

We Come In Comfort

Extraordinary items will be coming your way soon.  At the end of this month Heather, who is already a superb designer, and I will be taking a class on how to make pajama pants.  Who can't use a new pair?  They provide comfort on a physical, as well as, a mental level.  We will keep you abreast of these as well as other new items.  Stay tuned!

T-Shirt Makeover - Flowers to Frills

Okay, so I started off with this shirt which is adorable but simply not for me.

First, I removed the flowers and petals...

Then I took a cute fat quarter, segmented it into 2" wide strips, basted it down the center to create a gathered ruffle and did an overlocking stitch along the sides to keep it from unraveling.

After affixing my ruffles to the shirt, I was done!

Isn't it cute?  Here is a closeup...

Now it is a shirt that I can wear.

Stay tuned because there is more to come!!!

Don't Give Up on Us

I know we have been a little behind on new postings on our blog but don't give up on us, we are simply in a transitional state and time is being eaten away rather rapidly.

The "New Challenge" is still on and I even have my first project on the horizon.  What's more, Andie and I are expanding and changing our line to include clothes that will be featured very soon in our boutique at Smashing Darling so stay tuned for that.  Because clothes are much harder to make and take a lot longer, the process is still in the works trying to build up our inventory.

Pictures and a new posting will be showing up soon because I was given a table cloth to work with to refashion into something wearable.  I have a few ideas in mind but would love it if you have some ideas that you can challenge me with to create.

The material is a large round patchwork table cloth so give me your suggestions in the comments!!!

The New Challenge

Okay, so I have begun to sew actual clothes that I wear out into the real world.  Clothes that I am actually proud to sell, garments that I am proud to stamp our name on.

Because my items are turning out better than I anticipated, I have decided to initiate a challenge inspired by the http://www.newdressaday.wordpress.com/ blog with a slight twist.  I need to better my skills at seeing beyond what is before my eyes and redesigning using upcycled garments to create a one-of-a-kind and beautiful garment that I can wear or sell.  However, the caviat is that I, myself, will not be picking out the garments they will, instead, be purchased by my Mother and my Sister.

Perhaps one day they will see a garment that they find the material is beautiful and something they would love to see find new life, or they may decide (insert wicked laugh) to find the ugliest item in the resale shop to see if ANYTHING can come of it.  One more little twist, in my favor, the budget is no more than $5 per item rather than the $1 price tag initiated by "New Dress A Day"...yeah!!

I will be documenting my progress here, good or bad, and will sell any item that I can bear to part with at our Etsy store...www.VinChicDesigns.Etsy.com...that is of course if it is actually sellable.

Keep your fingers crossed and comments coming, I would love to hear back from anyone and everyone.

Hobby or Career?

I have found my interests lately flowing strongly towards sewing and the like.  Although the perfectionist side of me really fights the errors that I inevitably make, I can't stop wanting to work on the next project then the next project then the next.  I search high and low for pattern after pattern and I visit my favorite store, the fabric store, to search through the thousands of beautiful fabrics they have to find that one that will show off my new coveted pattern.

So is it likely that I can make this hobby into a career that can help to provide for my family or will this forever remain a hobby?  I find myself day dreaming at my regular job about being at home sewing and it makes me go crazy inside.  Is it a pipe dream or is it actually possible to make money doing what I love?

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated I am at the end of my sanity, which isn't saying much, and I have read through countless books offering up suggestions on how to do just that, make your hobby into your career but it seems that what I think is beautiful and sure to sell, no one else shares the sentiment.

PLEASE HELP!!

The Summer Hat

Okay, so we are still working on the template for the new summer hat to ensure that the final product is perfect and the second prototype is VERY close to being perfect.  So far it is so darn cute I can hardly stand it and we are in hopes that the third attempt is also the final attempt so we can start cranking them out.

Plus, if all goes well, there will be a special feature that will give it even more options and make it a better value for the money.

SO EXCITING!

Do you have any ideas for hats or other products you would like us to look into? I can’t promise that we are capable of making whatever you may suggest but we will do our best. If your suggestion is one that we are not already working on and is one we decide to adopt, then you will receive a coupon for 10% off of any one product in our store.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Shout-Out

We would like to give a shout-out to the woman who purchased one of our "peace" hats.  We are certain you will love our hat and we stand behind our work, 100%.  The material is recycled, thoroughly cleaned and made with precision and care.  We always welcome feedback on our products on our Etsy page and/or our blog.  Thank you for your patronage.

This is a Callout For Your Help!!!

It has been a bit disheartening that all of our wonderful products have not sold on Etsy as of yet.  I know how hard it can be to trust something you purchase online when you don't have the option to touch and examine it.  I also know purchasing handmade items can be a bit daunting especially when you are unsure of their skills and the quality of work they produce.

Therefore, Andie, Mom and I have been working really hard to continue morphing our shop to include new and different items to entice that first customer to brave a purchase.  I have faith that once those first few sales are made, people will gain confidence in our quality and craftsmanship and our shop will gain momentum and take-off like a rocket.

However, we are very much on the inside looking out and as hard as we try, we will never be able to get a full picture without help from someone who is standing on the outside looking in.  So, that means we need your help.

Let us know what you think the drawbacks are to the products we have listed.  Is there not enough description?  Are the pictures poor quality?  Please let us know what you think, good or bad so that we can make corrections to ensure that everything we provide is of high quality and relates our commitment to the end user...you!

I also know we have been teasing it for quite awhile but our new logo is on the horizon and I cannot wait to unveil it.  We have been working really hard on it and have even sought out professional help so that you can see our branding and have confidence when you purchase an item containing it.

Thank you in advance for any help you are able to give us, we really do appreciate it.

To My Friend Jill..."Damn French Fry"

There are times when I come to this blog that I honestly don't know what to write about.  I am sure that this is not a novice issue but rather one that likely is a concern for anyone involved with a blog.

Well...this happens to be one of those times.  So much is going on that I don't even know what to talk about.  I wonder if sometimes the things I post are really only interesting to me because I am living them.  Be that as it may, here it goes for my blog this week.

Well I am on the mend and doing much better, starting to eat solid food and my body is not very happy with it.  Odd when it is telling me that it is quite hungry.

Because of my previous post letting the world in on personal business (why did I do that again?) a very dear friend of mine from high school, my closest and best friend all through high school, read it and sent me the sweetest e-mail giving me her love and blessings.  Although we have been out of contact for a number of years and we live in different states, we were able to reach out to each other and reconnect through FaceBook and rekindle that friendship that helped me survive the horrors of high school.  Those inside jokes that only she and I share and can truly appreciate because they don't translate into a valid explanation (thus the title of this blog) you simply had to be there gives me a warm and inviting feeling.

Though I have been slow writing back to everyone who has sent me well wishes, that e-mail especially has not gone unnoticed.

So for her strength and the ability she had to push me through school without even realizing it, helping me to strive for more and aim higher...this blog is for Jill.

I love and respect you very much and thank you from the bottom of my heart that you are my friend!!!