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.