And with the left-over fabric....

This weekend, I made an A-line dress for the client's daughter. Now they have matching polka dot ensembles..

Halter Dress Knock-Offs

A client brought me a discontinued dress made by a major label and asked me to copy it. I've now made three copies of this dress, which is fully-lined and has a back 18" zipper. There are darts at the bustline and on the sides (both the dress and the lining). The hem on the lining is a rolled hem; the hem on the dress is serged and turned under. It's an extremely flattering dress for all shapes, and (if I can figure out a way to speed up the process!) I may start taking orders for custom sizes. I bought material to make a couple for myself! In Bloomingdales, this dress would cost around to $300. I can do this for $150.

The original dress...



MY KNOCK-OFFS:

In a leopard print...



In a floral print...


In polka-dots...

Doll Clothes

Green linen tea-length dress, zipper in back, ribbon sash with rose

Gingham clothes for a new line of dolls (male and female). These models don't have faces yet (that's someone else's job)! Self-drafted patterns.

New and exciting things in the pipeline...

It's interesting...I've been hired to do a lot of "prototypes" lately, for budding DIY entrepreneurs. I think this is a sign of the times.

I had to actually sign a confidentiality agreement for one of these items (so I can't divulge what the product is), but suffice it to say that I believe this gentleman is going to sell a kazillion of them. ( Hopefully!!) It's really fun to be on the ground level of a brand new idea and contribute to its structure and design.

When it's out and in distribution, I'll post some photos....

Also, I've been working on doll clothes for another client - again, a very different idea, and really adorable. I'll post when the clothes are finished. I'd like to help these guys, anyway I can.

On yet a THIRD note, I was approached by a graphics designer at Dreamworks to help her with a charity project for the people of Ghana. I'm really excited about this. I'll be working with indigenous materials from Africa to create grocery and wine tote bags. All proceeds will go to a vocational training center in Ghana. She and I are getting together next weekend to exchange materials and get started.

Wouldn't it be great if I could do this for a living? (sigh......)

An order from Nashville

Another scarf with pockets! I made one just like this for Mom for Christmas. She wore it to the bank one day last week, and the teller asked here where she could get one. So, my mom, acting as my sales rep, took an order from the lady at the Green Bank in Green Hills! I finished it this morning, really liked the way this one turned out, and took a few photos before I popped in the mail. This is actually fleece on the white side, and a silky terry cloth material on the red side. It feels so good against your skin.

I have to say, as soon as the weather turned colder, I was inundated with requests for these scarves. One trip to the local dog park ended up with three orders. All I did in December was sew scarves. I'm ready to move on to something else!

Holiday pants for Mom

I did some sewing during my trip back to Nashville last week...Mom needed pants for New Year's Eve, and she specifically requested red satin, to match a pretty red satin top she bought at Steinmart a few months ago. We went to a textile shop in Nashville on Franklin Road, picked out the pattern, Kwik Sew 2990, and bought some polyester red satin. (I can't believe how expensive fabric is in Nashville!) It matched her top perfectly! Mom wanted something free flowing, easy to move around in since she was hosting a party, and no bulk on the sides or front. We opted for these pants with a zipper in the back. Mom also has one leg slightly longer than the other, so hemming these bell-shaped bottoms was a challenge! I did a blind hem by hand. Everyone loved the outfit that night, and Mom was the Belle of the Ball....

My New Etsy Shop - "Sew On & Sew Forth"

I just opened a new shop on Etsy, called "Sew On & So Forth". Please stop by and give me some feedback, when you get a chance! I'm selling my fleece scarves with pockets, as well as some vintage sewing supplies I've picked up at various places here and there. I'm going to start selling more and more items each week. Let me know what you think!