Pattern Making Love!

I have to admit, my FAVORITE part of making clothes is the actual designs/pattern-making part of it. Nothing like coming up with an idea, making the pattern and seeing it to fruition after all the pieces have been sewn together!

A few weeks ago, I gladly volunteered to make a dress for my daughter's Fall Festival. I was more than excited to do it, as I love her school and all the wonderful women that work there! I got to work on creating something new...something more in the direction that I envision future k.a.i-y.a designs. I decided to work on two dresses simultaneously (as I often tend to do), and I knew I wanted the skirts to be full....very, very full! So I completed them and decided on which one would be the more ideal to send out to the school. The red Christmas-esque one is the one I fell in love with. The other with the gorgeous damask print (that I have to admit, I've used plenty of times on other designs) that I tend to horde because I love it so much went to my model...a little something she got to use on our very last minute trip to NJ. My fabric collection continues to grow as my addiction doesn't subside.. I think I need to start plowing through my fabric-stash, because I keep forgetting about all the wonderful prints I currently have!

Size: 2T-Size 6
Cost: $48

Size: infants-Size 5
Cost: $48

And now, we sit basking in the sight of this beautiful afternoon...enjoying the snow plowing down on us! I just hope we're able to make it out tomorrow...duty calls, and school and work aren't going to wait :)

Happy Saturday, lovely peeps!

xo-

Snackbags...Ruffles and Headbands..OH MY!

I have LITERALLY been working my tail to the bone (I'm not sure why that expression is used, but I'm not going to lie..it kind of weirds me out)! I haven't stopped. I sleep less and less and still have a continuous serge of energy going on in my body (I've been trying to cut back on the Starsbucks too). I know WHEN I crash it's going to be rough...so I'm hoping it'll be waaaaay after school is out and preferably when I'm sitting in front of the ocean, sipping some seriously fruity high calorie cocktail while sunbathing somewhere hot and tropical :)

I have to admit, with all that's been going on and the amount of orders I've been getting it's been a little rough to stay connected. My girlfriend H - a neighbor and fellow sewer - always told me she make and makes and makes but NEVER has time to actually write about most of her stuff. This sort of bummed me out because I love reading her blog and reading about what she made and who she made it for. But now, I can totally relate to her and know what it's like to not have time to post everything you make on here. Sometimes having the time to snap a picture is a stretch. So I thought I'd post some pics of a few things I've made recently. Here they are...

Size: Infant-Adults
Cost: $6.50

The one thing I will talk about are my snackbags! These guys continue to sell like hot cakes! And I have to say Mother Nature better be appreciative of ME and the AWESOME peeps that are buying these! Just when I think I'm done making my last one, I tend to get another few orders and I get cranking away on those. But, the wonderful thing about making something over and over and over and over again....is that my wheels start turning and I'm ALWAYS thinking about what I can do to make these look or function even better! Sewing on plastic/vinyl/oilcloth isn't the easiest by any means. The sewing machine usually doesn't feed it through as easily as a woven fabric. So, snackbags, although "small", can take the longest to make. I worked and worked to try and figure out the best way to have these bags continue to be functional, but maybe look more aesthetically clean and beautified? Well this is what I came up with!

I worked with my machine, figured out a few special tips and tricks and discovered a way to make the outer seams of the bags look CLEAN! I will admit, it's always been one of the things I didn't LOVE about them. I mean I guess I could have made them cotton on both the inside and outside. But I wanted them to be used for something more than a sandwich. What if you had fruit in there or something that would require them to not leak through? Vinyl, to me, was mandatory.

I have to say the very first one I made using the new design (pictured below) I wanted to make-out with. I mean seriously...look at the gorgeous, bohemian, bright fabric...so hot!!! I am absolutely fascinated by these bags. My wheels contiue to turn, and I am pretty close to coming up with an even more functional and fantastic design. Stay tuned :)

These guys JUST shipped so I'm hoping when they get to their new homes...they'll love them as much as I do!!!

xo-

Headband Lovin'

I see headbands EVERYWHERE! Miss K and I love them, so I decided to start incorporating them into the accessory portion of the line. This one I made with cotton, tulle and felt. I used elastic to securely and comfortably hold the flower details. This elastic is durable, yet snug enough to not fall off their heads. I will be posting more in the next few days...so stay tuned for an array of variations!

Size: Infants-Adults
Cost: $6.50

Sundays Are Indeed Fundays!

Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I don't know why really, I guess I feel like it summarizes my entire week, and it makes me happy! Some weeks are SO busy that I literally cannot wait for Sunday to come...only because in my mind it makes me feel like I have FINALLY made it!!

My Sundays typically start early. We get up, head out to 8:30 mass and continue our day from there. We usually don't end up back home until waaaay later but even so, I'm happy I get to have that day with my family and friends. The thing about Sundays despite starting off as typically busy is that there is a for-sure thing that happens EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY in the fall/winter at my house - we watch Football!!! When I say WE, I really mean...McHubs. Sometimes friends come over and we cookout and I partake on the whole "watching" thing. But for the most part when it's just us...I'm in my WOMANcave sewing, or crafting, or catching up with my girlfriends. The thing about sports and me is that 1. I don't love them, and 2. When I do watch, I get SUPER locked in on the game, find myself yelling at the T.V. and end up super frustrated with the team I'm rooting for that week (because it does change weekly) if they are losing! I'm not a jump-on-the-bandwagon type of sports watcher, but I will say...I don't like the teams my OTHER half likes. NOT AT ALL!! Which is probably my favorite part about watching his team lose with him! hehe :)

But Sundays are a FUNDAY...we love them, and because I'm such a fan, I thought a nice shirt to showcase my love would be cool!

How fun is this little outfit. Great for running errands or just lounging around doing simple, Sunday things. The weather, although still warm, is cooling down. So pants, capris, bermudas will be making their way onto Miss K's little body!! She surprisingly loved these pants....said they were way comfy, but she couldn't get enough of the shirt! She WUVED it!! Not to mention the adorable pom pom notion around the neck. Stay tuned peeps, next to lace, I think these pom-poms will be making their way onto many of my future designs. I just love how cute and fun they look!

The shirts can be customized with the colors of ANY NFL Football team you'd like, or I can keep it neutral for just a fun shirt to wear any time (like Miss K's)

Size: Infants-Size 8
Cost: $20

xo-

A Little Batty Birthday!

I love it when my girlfriends ask me to make them things...give me their vision, and in the end allow me to run with it! One of my girlfriends asked me last week to make her son a birthday shirt! So I went to town! I'm not big on boy shirts having strange appliques on them, I usually like a little more detail and spend some time on my boy stuff! Boys in my opinion get gypped when it comes to clothes, so what I try and do is add a little more love to their stuff only because they have limited options! So I took this opportunity to add a little extra love to this little man's shirt and I think it came out super cute!! However, my friend picked up the shirt before I could photograph it and texted me that her OTHER son loved the shirt SO much he wanted one for HIS birthday....I figured, since I had the materials out already...I'd just whip one up! These boys are seriously adorable...not to mention that the one I made this particular shirt for is Miss K's buddy!! So it was even more fun!!

I made this shirt using Batman fabric and will be making it with other superhero fabric as well! I embroidered their name on the main fabric as well as their age on the bat. The Batman logo is two separate pieces sewn individually to each other. All material are 100% cotton! I love the contrast of the color of the shirt...makes it look sort of vintage and worn :) However, the color of the shirt might vary for future shirts.

Now these two boys are ready to go fight some baddies!

The "Mini" Photo Shoot!

I'm so excited to reveal what I have been working on for a few weeks now!! I hope you enjoy my "mini" models and ALL of their adorableness!

All these kids are Miss K's best buddies...they go to school together, and really could NEVER get enough of each other! All of their parents are pretty much awesome and we just have a blast when we hang out! So it was only obvious that I chose them to be in this particular photo shoot! I would have liked to have included more of her friends, but I didn't have enough time to get everyone together...on top of design, sew and photograph all of the outfits!

I'll have to give serious props to ALL of these kids...they were AMAZING during this shoot! Smiled, listened and believe it or not seemed to have an all-around good time!! It was my first time taking pictures of multiple little ones with my new camera...and I have decided I really need some lessons! I wonder if this amazing photographer offers any lessons??

So here you have it...my Halloween collections. I'm enamored by it, and plan on using some of these designs for the future holiday collections I have coming out soon! So without further ado here you have it...all the ADORABLE kids (and a VERY special and seriously HOT mommy thrown in there for good luck) and their Halloween gear :)

I love October, all these outfits could be easily rotated throughout the month and even for use in later months. Why not, right?? Who EVER said that ORANGE and BLACK were strictly for Halloween...not me!

It's ALL About Functionality!

Last year, I made Miss K a dress for Halloween! I was always a little hesitant about making anything look too "holidayish." Needless to say, the dress was black and orange and I made it a point to rotate it into her repertoire throughout the month of October. Funny thing is, I caught the Mr. dressing her for school in the same dress WELLLLL after October, and it still looked VERY cute. I guess when it comes to orange, for the most part it can be a color that is represented in the month of November (for Thanksgiving) as well!

I got to thinking that dressing your kids in Holiday gear is WAY too fun to have to pass up, simply because you are concerned about making the investment on something they'll only wear a few weeks out of the year! The other night, after I went for my walk with my VCC neighbors I started thinking of a way to get the ol' reliable pillowcase dress to serve even more of its multifunctional purposes. As I mentioned in a previous post, pillowcase dresses are a very popular sell for me, especially during the holidays. They are one of the things that kids can wear for a LONG time...they look great with leggings, jeans and even with a cardigan when they are outgrown as a dress...or even when the weather cools down. Those two reasons alone made me want to explore further how I could make these dresses even MORE multifunctional! And...voila! I decided to make them reversible!! Having two dresses in one, that could be worn for more than just a special occasions/holidays! but there is more....why not offer an array of different straps to go with them?? Some you could easily switch out and REALLY give your pillowcase dress a serious make over?!?! Well this is what I came up with...the reversible/interchangeable strap pillowcase dress! I will sell the straps seperately and you can pick and choose based on color combinations! I mean in the end it's about getting good solid use of your kid's clothes...they already grow like weeds, but how great is it that now you can use and reuse and switch it up a bit! I've already come up with several ideas for this concept, now i'm just working on the execution...stay tuned. In the meantime, here is the latest and greatest! I will be including pictures of this dress with different straps in a future post (sorry it's been a very busy week and I was short for time) so you can appreciate its versatility a little better. The best part is, you can also change the look by the straps you choose - either one long strap or two shorter ones (as pictured in my previous pillowcase post) you tie on each side. Really, your options are endless.

So this was my "Halloween" version of the dress! I tried it with different fabric for the strap and it looks ADORABLE, it really does give it a different look, a look that isn't Halloweenish at all!

This dress was made with three different 100% cotton designer fabrics. However, I will be using different combinations for this dress in future designs.

Size: Infants-Size 7
Cost: $48.00
Straps: $5 each

FFFF Challenge...STRIPES

I haven't forgotten about my FFFF Challenge, trust me! In fact, I wore my outfit last Friday when I went out to breakfast with my friend "S". But, because of the constant running around that my Fridays have turned into lately, I totally forgot to photograph myself wearing it!! This weekend was a bit of a blur, to be honest with you guys! I had the ingenious idea to have a garage sale and throw a party with 40+ people at my house all on the same day! Well, lets just say they were both a success, but I was completely wiped out come Sunday! I woke up early, went to church, did some MORE running around and finally got home with just ENOUGH energy to do homework, make dinner, sew and try and come up with ANOTHER outfit for my challenge!! I'm starting to think that the CHALLENGE is going to be finding the time to put that picture on this blog! :)

This outfit is comprised of some of the favorite things in my closet! The shirt I purchased at my favorite thrift store in Melrose back when I still lived in California. I can't get enough of those poofy sleeves, they are in my opinion pretty bomb diggity ("I like your sleeves...they're real BIG" -Napolean Dynamite). Those are my FAVORITE skinny For-All-Mankind organic jeans, and the shoes....some of my favorite Steve Maddens!! Sadly enough, everything pictured on me is at least 5 years old! I guess I should be happy that they all still fit, right?

And yes, Aqua girls...I have had this outfit for a "million years" LOL :)

Check out all the fabulous looks on the aquaseventy6 blog! These girls are VERY talented~

Halloween Sneak Peek!

Hi Friends,
Today, I'm playing catch-up, so there might be a few posts coming out (we'll see)! Some of you might know, but I finally started my Facebook fan page. I had started the initial process a few months back...but having zero extra time to put into it (I'm not a fan of doing anything if it's not perfect) deterred me from posting it until last week! But, it's finally up and running and growing at warp speed! Thank you all who have liked the FB page and congratulations to the first giveaway winners! Oh yeah...I forgot to mention to those that don't follow me on Facebook, I will be having monthly giveaways, so it's really to your advantage to 'like' the page...share it with anyone you think might like it!

As for me, I've been here working my tail off! I have so many things going on that I'm surprised my head is still attached to my body! I have to say sleep is no longer part of my daily routine, so it goes without saying that looking exhausted is starting to be my look of choice. Maybe I'll start a revolutionary fashion trend where looking not-so-cute is in (here's hoping)!!! Either way creating is still going on, not at the rate I'd like but it's happening :) I'm still working on a few things for my daughter's school, with that and my own mound of school work...I AM SWAMPED :) Strangely enough, I love it. Like I said before, my nonstop personality enjoys the hustle of having to tackle a billion things at once, but I'm more than sure that come December, I'll be ready for a much needed vacation!! And yes, I will be bringing my sewing machine with me once again.

So here is my long-promised Halloween post. Even though this isn't the complete collection, it'll give you an idea of what to look out for!!

I had so much fun coming up with this little number! For one, this skirt is pretty much the most popular thing I make! So thinking about making them with a little Holiday flare just made sense! Not to mention the A D O R A B L E bowtie shirts and tie with hankie shirts that are going to be paired with it! I'm gathering up my models this week so stay tuned, but for now...I leave you with Miss K!!! I've noticed, she's been a little MIA from this blog, I think it's time to bring her back in full force...what do you think?

Skirt/Shirt Combo is made with 100% cotton fabric. I meticulously ruffled the tulle and used matching fabric from the skirt to make the shirt!

In the spirit of Halloween, she really had to make her most frightening face!!! She cracks me up!

Skirt/Shirt Combo
Size: Infants-Size 7
Cost: $58

Again, thanks for all your support, love and orders!!!

xoxo-

What a WEEK!

It's easy to forget to count your blessings when you have an extremely rough week, but today I sit and take a moment to reflect on the blessings that are always in my midst even though I sometimes fail to notice them right away.

These past few weeks, despite being overwhelmed with sad news and a stressful amount of work to do, I reflect and appreciate. I have wonderful friends, that are there for me with truth, love and support. I have a fantastic family that LOVE me to my core, and help me get through these rough patches...they help me out in my time of need, ALWAYS. I truly wish that everyone can be as blessed as me. I am privileged that I get to spend nights with girlfriends that make me laugh, and inspire me to tackle something new...and even those that are so chill that allow me to just enjoy the moment. Afternoons drinking coffee, grabbing lunch or chatting on the phone are priceless...it's a gift.

I get to reflect on these past few tough weeks and love what's in my surrounding. Friends and family...some of those I get to see all the time and those I can only see a few times a year...but even so we are connected, one way or the other.

OK, reflection time is over...here is my entry for the FFFF Challenge. I'm not going to lie, the weather is still HOT out here. So getting into the Fall mood wasn't that easy. Either way I sucked it up and whipped something up that I can wear on a future "cooler" day. I decided to put a little spin to it and include my little one :) She loves rockin' her boots! Each item stuck to the rules of the challenge...all were in our closet, how very frugal of me :)! SCORE!