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!

Logo's and Poppys

So, I finally have my logo, and it is beautiful and exactly what I wanted. They also designed a business card as well, and did a great job. I am excited to be able to order them soon!

As for Poppy's, apparently I love them, and I didn't even know. It all started when a dear friend told me she like the background of this blog. She thought they were pretty poppy's. I saw a pattern when I was searching over 100's of swatches of fabric, and was drawn over and over again to Micheal Millers "poppy Collection". I could not get those pretty fabrics out of my head, so I went ahead and ordered them. One night I was sitting on my bed, looking at the pretty blue and white picture behind my sewing machine, and realized that too was a poppy. I then noticed they were all over my comforter, on my pillows in the living room, on several pieces of clothing I own, and even on my kitchen towels. Being so drawn to poppy's, I looked up their meaning in the language of flowers and here is what I found.

My room is where I found my white poppy's

Poppy (white) - Consolation; sleep

                  





My kitchen and living room are where I found my red poppy's
Poppy (red) -Pleasure; consolation

 When I plan my bedroom I want rest to be the central theme, so I can see why I was drawn to white poppy's. As for the red, it is also the general living and entertaining area. I want all of our guests to have a pleasurable time, and for my family to enjoy themselves as well in our home, so that makes sense also.

So, if you come to my home, be prepared to be overwhelmed by poppy flowers. Other than that I have no reasonable conclusion as why I went into all of this.

Happy Tuesday!

new things, and frustration

As anyone who has ever sewn knows, it is so messy. Your room can be completely spotless and organized and then you whip out some thread, fabric and a machine, and it looks like a cotton tornado passed through in a matter of 10 minutes (or maybe it's just me). So in order to make my husband happy, and my home orderly, I organized all of my sewing things. Patterns, in their place, a wall of scissors, a swatch book of fabrics (in progress) Everything was looking awesome, organized and super clean, but then...I lost my inspiration. I seem to work better in a mess of fabrics. I need the artistic freedom of a mess to relax, and let creativity soar. I guess it is part of the process. At least now when I am done sewing everything has a place.

As a result of this organized wasteland, I had a hard time making things for the store, hence the frustration in the title. The frustration eventually ended and I was able to make some things (I think some extra rest helped too) So, I have had my store open 2 weeks and have already have two very happy customers, and sold three things...amazing

Today I listed 4 new things that I really like, 2 paper doll dresses, a tunic and wallet. I plan on making some forget me knot dresses this week, knee bloomers, and nightgowns(not sure I am going to sell any, just make some for my pretty girls). Also on the menu the blessed responsibility rearing 4 precious souls, and having a lot of fun with my husband!

Happy Sunday!

A mother's influence

A Mother's influence...

I took a peice of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day,
And as my fingers pressed it still,
it moved and yielded to my will.
I came again when days were passed;
The bit of clay was hard at last,
The form I gave it still it bore,
But I could change that form no more!

I touched a peice of living clay
And touched it gently day by day,
And molded it with my power and art
A young childs soft and yielding heart.
I came again when years were gone;
it was a man I looked upon;
That early impress still he wore,
And I could change that form no more.

Anon

it's the little things...

that can make an emerging seamstress so happy. I got these little things yesterday

A wrist pin cushion





And thread snippers ( I even bought the best quality pair)







There is something very relaxing and soothing about snipping all of those little loose ends off. Almost like a cleansing from imperfections.

Happy Wednesday!

it's ironic

I am passionate about both motherhood and sewing. I think I found my niche. The funny thing is that this is exactly the opposite of how I envisioned my life. For those of you that o not know, I was raised from the age of 11 on by my father, a single dad. I, as you can imagine, did not witness firsthand homemaking or mothering skills. During the time that my father was raising me, I had little if any contact from my own mother. Our relationship is healing and growing as an adult, but as a young woman, I was hurting. I was always searching for a mother, always. I think this lack of mothering impacted me greatly as a mother now. When my first daughter was born, my heart was heavy with the burden of being everything that I always longed for. My focus changed, as usually happens when people start having children. I sought out everything I could find on being the mother I was meant to be, passionately. I received a lot of mothering and council for my mother in law Becky, who I still get council from to this day. I purposed never to take my children for granted. Through my mothering them, I have received a lot of comfort. I feel like I am able to somehow make-up for all of my hurt and longing as a child.

In high school, I had big dreams to be famous, not really sure what for, famous for being famous I guess. I went into college with the mindset of becoming an anchor woman on CNN, or Fox news. I was going to be a cooperate woman. After a couple of semester in college I could not shake the the urge to switch to education. I fought it but finally surrendered to that calling. I finished up my degree in education, and still had big plans. I was looking into getting my masters, to move up the ladder. I was not just going to be a teacher, but a principal or superintendent. Well, then I had my first baby a little after I graduated. Like many moms, I did not want to leave her, and my husband was in total agreement. Since I surrendered to the idea of full time motherhood, I decided why not have another, and another and another. We now have four, and I can't say that it is easy, but I guess I did not expect it to be. I can say that I am passionate about motherhood, and I am willing to be everything that I am called to be for them.

So, to me it is very ironic, that a motherless young lady full of selfish ambition, is now happy and content to stay at home, and be a homemaker. With my own lack of direction in the art of homemaking I have been free to develop things and do things my own way. This sometimes works, and sometimes not...but life is learn as you go right?