Christmas Dresses, handmade dresses, red retro dresses....

This has been a busy week for Sweet Home Boutique on Etsy. I registered my business in South Carolina, filled several orders, started to set up a wholesale account with Westminster fabrics,  and was featured on a blog! One of my customers was so happy with her purchase, she wrote a whole blog post about my shop.
You can check it out here
http://beaandolly.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-new-favorite-shirt.html#comment-form

I also have been working on some new handmade dresses. I am 8 weeks pregnant with my 5th child, so I am trying to get these dresses made and listed before I start showing. At that point I will be and  building my shop with maternity clothes. I have one more red retro dress that I want to list soon. I have the pieces cut, but I am trying to finish up several more orders before I sew it together.
Another exciting thing is that I made my first sale to England, and has reached 99 sales in my shop...Now in only one more sale, I will have officially have graduated into the triple digits club! 

Here is my newest listing, I know it is a bit early for Christmas dresses, but like I said, I want to list some new regular women's clothes before I start showing and move into maternity clothes.

red corduroy, bell sleeves, black linen belt

In my mind Christmas dresses are the things that you wear to grade school recitals, so that was my inspiration for this dress.

no Christmas dress would be complete without a little bow!

I also felt a bit like Mrs. Clause when I put this on (maybe it was the black boots), so that is fun!

close up!

You can check out this dress, and more handmade clothing for sale in my shop on Etsy here
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweethomeboutique

how to change your serger thread, quickly!


how to change your serger thread, quickly....If you are like me, it  already takes enough time to  thread your serger. You shutter at the thought of changing it again.  I somehow stumbled upon something about the tie off method for changing serger thread. I did not get a change to read the article, but thought  I would try it based on the title "tie off method"....A serger is also called an interlock machine, and is used to make those pretty neat seams on most professionaly sewn items.



1. Start with your serger already threaded




2. Snip the thread as close the spool as possible, add the new color and begin to tie on



3. Make sure when tying on you secure the knot very tightly.

4. Cut off the extra thread on the side.

5. Run your machine as usual.

VOILA the thread is now changed...

It use me around 20 minutes hunkered over my machine meticulously changing the thread, and with this method it now only takes 5.

                                                                      Happy Sewing!!!
You can check some things I have been serging up in my shop here...
                   http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweethomeboutique