so, how I began to sew...

Well it all started out when I was a wee little girl    26 and just had my second daughter Naomi. I was living in Charleston SC. hmm...I think first I need to say that I have never taken a sewing class, never had anyone teach me how to sew, and I have only been really sewing for about two years.  So, if your wondering what my qualifications are for having a shop I will tell you. In 7th grade I was voted most likely in our class to start a new fashion trend  At that point I knew I was going places...j.k. Fast forward back to 26 in Charleston SC. I was inspired by motherhood, and the beautiful simple living of the south. Also, having two little girls I knew sewing for them would be a lot of fun. My own mother came down and I thought it would be a good bonding time for her to teach me to sew (she made some really sweet bell bottoms for her little sisters in the seventies)...We went to the store and got a pattern and supplies...We got home and pulled out the patterns and were both thoroughly confused...So, instead of making a fabulous outfit we drank a lot of Pepsi, and wondered what in the world was selvage edge, interfacing, and binding...

This was my experience until I found YCMT (you can make this.com)...I purchased one of their pdf downloads that had not only instructions, but pictures, real pictures, lots and lots of pictures. It was beautiful and after a late night cutting about 400 squares with scissors I had something somewhat resembling a patchwork twirl skirt. It was amazing. I was hooked. I sewed and sewed until one day Andrew stated that I could now let Audrey out of the house wearing something I constructed it was a grand day. I was so proud I hung the dress up for decoration in their playroom.

1 year old Audrey wearing my first "acceptable" dress

Somewhere during that time my mother in law felt impressed to give me an amazing sewing machine (which remained in storage mostly for over a year because I was intimidated by it) After we moved to Hawaii, we had a fourth bedroom so I set up a sewing room, and worked  until the wee hours of the morning, only stopping to nurse my newborn Benjamin. I sewed away testing patterns and fabrics. After a little scare with my infant, I decided to pack up the sewing room, and focus on home and children again. I pulled it out here and there but it was defiantly not part of everyday life. Then one day recently I pulled out the sewing machine again to make some cloth diapers, and have not put it away since. My passion for sewing was revived, and my deep ambition to start a boutique finally came to fruition. It is in the early stages, but it is improving daily and so am I....and I am having so much fun in the process

new designs

I have been making a lot of peasant tops for myself and shop, and I was ready to expand. I have been making things from some basic patterns, but I am now altering them more to my style. For example, I have a cute ruffled top, which I lengthened, narrowed, and added a belt to give it more shape. What do you think? I think that the pictures do not do it justice, but there is only so much you can do with a 4 year old taking pictures in the hopes of earning a pixie stick for her labor.

 I also have a sleeveless pattern that I am experimenting with, and having a lot of fun. I have a great retro  pattern  that looks like a lot of fun. It has got  some great reviews from pattern review. com. The only thing that has happened with that pattern presently is it has all been printed taped together and cut. I wanted to start it Sunday night, but got intimidated by the amazing 6 yards of fabric it requires. That is a lot of fabric to cut up, and lay out. For reference, the dress above was made with two yards.

On the Etsy shop, in the last week I had someone buy an item, but the payment did not show up, so I had to cancel it, I also am in talks with someone to make another mushroom fall dress, I have been messing around with my titles and things on Etsy to hopefully get picked up more on google searches. I have had my shop open for almost a month, so I have a lot more to learn, and I am looking forward to it!