Invasion of the Purses

Well, it had to happen sometime. The mound of fabric pieces too small to make a dress with, but too big to just give up on, was growing larger by the day. If you sew clothing, you have some idea of the proportions of which I speak. We are talking a good shelf full of smaller pieces that weren't going away, but were cluttering up the view so to speak.



For my show a few weeks ago in Concord, NH, I decided that something had to be done. And it's always a good idea to offer a variety of price points so that people can commit to a little something instead of a big something. My solution to both challenges is the little purse, new to my shop.





These are so fun to put together and very easy to embellish. I try to pick out three coordinates; two for the purse itself and one for the handles. The trick is finding pieces of fabric that will all work together in the sizes I need. And of course I can't leave it just plain, so I decided to go through my vintage button collection and add to the fun little yo-yo's on one side.





Oh, I know I'm certainly not the first one to make a little girl purse, but watching my daughter pick one out for herself was tons of fun. So the only trick now is keeping them out of her sight just in case she decides to help herself to all the other lovely colors.

I may do a tutorial on this if anyone is interested, just comment and let me know. No advanced sewing skills required, I promise. And no piping this time...

~Kansas City, MO
Melissa

Bursting to tell you...

OK, I'm done. I can't wait one more day to let you in on my secret. I just didn't want to jinx anything, you know? Drum roll please...

little girl Pearl is going to be in Woman's World Magazine!!!

Here's how it happened. I wandered into the Etsy forums one day this past summer, and noticed a post from Adam in admin. The title was press opportunity, and as it turned out two national magazines were looking for businesses geared to different demographics. "Magazine B" was a better fit for me, so I submitted a one paragraph essay on how I started my business.

You know, I had my daughter, wanted to dress her in cute things, couldn't find any I couldn't do better myself, started making them, people asked where I found them, etc., etc.

So, I promptly forgot about it until I received a call from a writer at Woman's World who loved my story, and voila, after a phone interview and a photographer came to my house (more on that in a minute), it should be in the November 16th issue! Which means that it will be on check out stands on November 9th.

Oh man. So, remember back to me having to clean my house for three days straight? Yep. A photographer who was contracted by the magazine came to my freshly neatened home to take photos of my workspace. Ah, there's the rub. My workspace is also pleasingly cluttered, and in an unfinished basement. It's true. This would not do.



So I staged a nice little corner of the living room with a few bolts, my sewing machine, and who else but the P. and her best friend B. Mine was of course the one trying to hide, and her best friend stealing the show all the while. I wish I could share those pictures, but alas they don't belong to me. I was able to take a pic of "my workspace" though, just to share.



I am thrilled beyond belief, a little nervous (certainly about the picture, hoping I don't look too cheesy), and so excited about the whole thing.

So check out Woman's World on the 9th, and know that my house NEVER looks that good. Take heart.

From Minneapolis,
~Melissa

Spring/Summer 2009 Collection!

I've been thinking about this collection for so long that the styles made themselves in my head long before they were translated into cloth and thread. However, I think having them all in one place would be helpful for you to see how they work together and all of the possibilities!

So today, it's all about the aqua with dashes of hot pink, apple green, and sunshine yellow...



This first dress is reversible, and you can see that you get two totally different looks in one dress. One of the features I love about this one is the elastic under the arms which makes it so that you can get more use out of it. As she grows up, she can wear it next season as a top with my aqua capris!



I love the combination of these fabrics because they are so refreshing and cool for the summer heat. The wrap dress has an easy style that can go from casual to a bit more dressy, and the apron dress has a trendy appeal.



Finally, all my mix and match styles in one place! The polka dot apple green skirt reverses to a solid aqua, and will go with all of my tops. The yo-yo garden skirt can also be paired with everything and the aqua capris can extend the life of those aforementioned dresses. I designed everything to mix and match even for when it's Daddy's turn to dress her up. I know you know what I mean...

Everything is available in my etsy store and as always if you like a fabric but want it in a different style, I can do that too.

The other thing I'd like to try doing is letting you all know where I am in the world when I write these posts, because I'm sure it seems like a crazy life for many. As you know I'm a flight attendant and travel the country on a weekly basis. I'm headed home after a four day trip which has included layovers in Edmonton, Detroit, and right now Madison. By the way, I have stumbled upon a wonderful shop at 218 State Street which features all manner of paper, fabric, and handmade creations that fit my aesthetic perfectly. Its name is Anthology, and if you live in Madison, you should go check it out. Today I tried on a pendant from Sofia Masri that was really hard to leave at the shop. More on that later...

Anyway, from Madison, happy spring!

Custom Creations

I've been thinking a lot about custom orders, because I've been getting a lot of them lately! Let me just say that I love working on them because they usually present some kind of challenge. Most of the time this involves a change of trim or button. One of the things I love the most about designing clothes is putting it all together. With a custom order, my customer has been inspired by something they have seen, and then they inspire me with their desires!

A dress that seems to have provoked its fair share of orders is this one, my new green pinafore wrap dress:



I love everything about this dress, the style, the colors, the trim. I've had that green floral for some time, but couldn't bring myself to cut into it. That's how much of a fabric disease I have! I think what people respond to are the bright springy colors, and of course that great loopy trim.

So the dress inspired not only the pink dress pictured above, but it will hopefully also be a part of my signature asymmetric jumper, on the reverse from the aqua side. I think it will be smashing.

Here are some other custom dresses I've done:





Such fun. What I love about custom orders is that it is usually something different. I love variety, and enjoy the diversion from my styles. Plus it almost always inspires me to think about what else I can do with any given fabric. If I get the chance to do that new green asymmetric, I'll be sure to post a picture!

CPSIA-The Gift that Keeps on Giving, Business ICU

One of the best gifts we gave our daughter this Christmas was a six month subscription to the best play dough on the market. It comes packaged in a reusable tin, and my daughter gets a new color each and every month. Not only does she look forward to getting her present in the mail, something kids at her age adore, but the colors are not exactly what you find in the store. This month it happened to be a charcoal color with sparkles mixed in. I can't tell you how much enjoyment my daughter has gotten from this monthly surprise, and this stuff is amazing!



I'm sure there are lots of homemade play dough recipes out there, but I just love the fact that I don't have to do it, and the "mail thing" is an added bonus for my daughter. This dough stays supple (as long as you promptly put it away, like all dough) and goes through all her molds like a dream. Better still, it doesn't take too much to clean it up, and leaves very little mess behind.


I haven't checked in with the proprietor of this wonderful shop to see what she might do about the CPSIA. Clearly, her products are intended for use by children under 12, and even more clear is that they are not toxic in the least. In fact, they are most likely made with things everyone probably has on hand in their pantry. To lose these sellers in the wake of this inane law would be a real tragedy. There are so many non-toxic, imaginative toys, made and sold in this country. I hope we can all keep the pressure on to get the law amended.

By the way, that isn't charcoal gray play doh on my daughter's fingernails. She ate about a half a package of frozen blueberries last night, and the juice stained them purple. Hey, at least she loves fruit!

Down to Business

Couple of things going on for me, that are keeping me busy. First is the etsykids team trunk show that will take place in the etsy virtual labs (http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php) on Thursday, December 4th, at 8pm EST. I will be doing a presentation along with others from the team about our shops and creative process. There are lots of special offers and free giveaways, so it should be lots of fun. Mark your calendars!

The other bit of business is that I will be doing a show in Canterbury NH at the elementary school on Saturday, December 6th. So, for those of you who are local, please come out and support handmade!

trad rad skirt

trad rad skirt, originally uploaded by littlegirlPearl.

This is the name my husband dubbed my little drop waist skirt when he saw it today. Traditional because of the classic school girl wool, and rad because I can't leave well enough alone, and added red polka dots! I've been messing about in my work room deciding on what to do for cold weather. Not always easy when I am amongst a sea of cottons. So, after looking at the forlorn wool pieces at the bottom of my cubbies, I decided to let them see the light. This is a one of a kind skirt for little girls. The wool used is from the Dorr Mill Store in Newport, NH. A fabulous source for 100% wool fabric. This is my second attempt at my own drop waist pattern, and I really like the two layers on the skirt. I also added some vintage trim to the seam, and threaded this unbelievable yellow green ribbon for the pop of color I wanted. It can be removed, but why would you want to!