Embroidery Machine v Hand Embroidery

I am a big fan of embellishing.  For a while, I did some hand embroidered patches that I turned into hair  clips.  Some even considered them big enough to be called fascinators.  I cut a little slit on the black felt backing, slipped the clip in and hand stitched it to the embroidered image.  Templates that I designed, I might add.
But, as an accessory for my kids' clothing business, most people couldn't appreciate the time and effort it took to make these.  Translation:  Nobody wanted to buy them for the asking price. Which I can't remember now.  I was really bummed.  Aren't these cute?  I would wear these, if my kids could handle things is their hair, they would wear these.  What I realized was that most people really don't understand the time and effort it takes to produce hand crafted items.  Why buy something at a premium price, when you could head down to the local Walmart and buy it for next to nothing?

I am really passionate about creating things that are special and unique.  It's what makes designing clothes and accessories fun.  I also love the tedious work for hand embroidery.  It's almost meditative.  No thinking about the laundry, dishes, nothing but the project in front of me.  When I'm done.  I feel a real sense of pride.  The only really nagging thing is..  Is it worth it?

That's when I really started investigating the possibilities of owning an embroidery machine.  Like everything, there are pros and cons.

The most important feature for an embroidery machine for me was that I didn't have to babysit it.  You know, sit by the machine wait to change threads, adjust thingamajigs, who knows.  I just didn't want to do that.  The only machine I could find that didn't require any of those things was the BL6.  That is Babylock 6 needle.  The real deal.  The kind of machine used commercially.  Do I invest or dream about it?  A friend once told me that at some point during my business journey, I will come to a crossroad.  Sounds dramatic, but, she's right.  To be successful, I'm either all in or wishing I'm all in.  I decided with the help of my husband, all in.  Since my purchase, about 2 months ago, I've done some small embroidery jobs.  But, since yesterday, I have my first major client.  A chain laundry cleaners on the Hawaiian Islands!  It's a challenge.  I am nervous as hell.  But, this will certainly lead to greater things.  It doesn't hurt that I still get to make cute things.

I found this rad pattern on www.urbanthreads.com.  Another reason why I was so amped to get an embroidery machine!  On a side note, I did end up selling those hand embroidered lovely hair clips, at a reduced price.  Hey, I gotta make a little money!

Japanese Imported Fabric!!!

Over the past year or so, I have become obsessed with Japanese imported fabric.  The quality of fabric is amazing, and the prints those Japanese come up with are too cute! It's not to say that American fabric isn't a quality product.  There is just something very special about the subject, humor, and cuteness of the fabric.

Recently, I took a trip to California to be in a wedding for one of my best friends.  I had a chance to really cut loose.  No kids or husband, but I digress.   When I visit California, I like to source fabrics with the other crafters in my family.  Namely, my sister, Jill and Mom.  My Auntie Susan was also visiting, so we all hopped in the van for an hour and half trip to the fabric store.  Superbuzzy is the name of the very special fabric store.  Like me, the owner and employees really appreciate the specialness of Japanese imported fabric.  I went absolutely nuts when I saw a Chinese inspired printed fabric.  Manufactured by Kokka, these killer fabrics reminded me of my childhood.  I used to eat these chewy candies wrapped in a clear edible paper.  I ate the wrapper and threw away the candy.  Anyhoo, the boxes these candies came in had Chinese characters on them.  I can't say for sure if they were Chinese, but, they were asian.

So, if you get a chance to visit Superbuzzy, they're located in Ventura, and worth the drive.  If you don't feel like driving, order from them online.  I live on Kaua'i, and have always got my order within a week.  www.superbuzzy.com.  Check them out!

                                                                  Entrance to store.

                                                                 Awesome selection!

                                                One of my many purchases at Superbuzzy.

                                                              I took these home too!

By the way, they definitely had fabrics I have never seen before.  Believe me when I say, I scour the internet for unusual and beautiful fabrics.  I'll post some projects made from these fabrics when I'm done.  8~)

Using Bias Tape to Finish Armhole of Dress

I absolutely love to use single fold bias tape to finish an armhole. Especially for children's clothing. It's quick to do, bias tape is usually under $2.00 for 4 yards and you can make it yourself if so inclined. When I designed this dress, I wanted it to be simple. I added a ruffled skirt to up the cute factor.

You can add single fold bias tape to any sleeveless garment. It gives the garment a very finished look. Think of it as a mini facing for the sleeve. Some may think it's a little tricky to sew. Let me demystify it. First, pin the right side of the bias tape to the right side of the garment armhole.

Next, you'll want to sew the tape to the armhole. The seam allowance is 1/4 inch from edge. Turn the bias tape towards the seam allowance. Now you should be looking at the right side of the garment and the right side of the bias tape.

Topstitch on the bias tape, closely to the seam. The last step is to fold the bias tape over to the wrong side of the garment and sew tape down to garment close to edge of tape for a neat looking finish. You're done, and it looks great.

If you're interested in this pattern, please check it out at etsy.com/shop/ginafern1 or http://www.craftsy.com/project/view/Pillowcase-Dress-with-Ruffle-Skirt/52737?fresh=true. Thanks for looking, G

Embellishing Clothing

One of my favorite things to do is to embellish clothing. Kids clothes are especially fun to embellish because children really do appreciate the little things. I once made a dress with 2 little pockets and added woven european ribbon to them. The pockets caught the eye of a 3 year old girl and she had to have the dress. She and her mother had a really cute conversation about how pretty the dress was, but the 3 year old kept referring to how much she loved the pockets. Funny. I almost didn't put them on the dress because I thought they would be more trouble than they were worth. Had I not put them on the dress, I may or may not have sold that dress that day. One thing I know for sure, I sold that dress then because of those pockets. Little girls like added "things" to their clothing. Recently, I have been appliqueing hearts to dresses, shorts, tops, anything I make I try to add that special touch. The results have really been successful. I have found out from the consignment store owner that the garments with the appliques have been selling well. Up to now, I was using an older Viking sewing machine. I have really beat that machine to hell, but it keeps on. I decided it was time to upgrade. I bought a Babylock Tempo plus tax, plus 3 year warranty, in the ballpark of $875.00,on the recommendation of the manager at the local sewing machine/fabric store. The result? LOVEIITTTTTTT! Usually, I don't really feel comfortable with computerized sewing machines. My thought is if it malfunctions, it's big bucks to fix. The manager assured me that Babylock machines don't have too many problems and that I would love the machine. The one feature I have been experimenting with is the embroidery stitch. Here's a picture of the first applique I sewed using this stitch. I am really excited about the results! I happened to be in the consignment shop Crush Boutique, when this little girl was trying on this dress! I added a black and white polka dot fine mesh as trim to the dress, along with the applique, and the results were darling! Hope you like the dress. For sale in my etsy store. etsy.com/shop/ginafern1. Happy stitching!

Meeting a Model at Crush Boutique

Today, I walked into Crush Boutique. This is where I sell my children's clothing wholesale, and my women's on consignment. I brought new inventory in to show the owner. I dropped off the box, told her I would be right back. Desperate for coffee! When I came back, I found the cutest little girl trying on my clothes straight from the box! I thought my skirt was cute before, but after this little girl put it on, it was magical for me. I have only seen one other little girl in a local grocery store wearing a dress I made. I felt a little flutter in my belly. Exciting. I can't wait to see more little girls wearing my dresses. I smile and giggle to myself just like I did when I was a little girl wearing my favorite dress. ;)

A Wedding Dress

I was asked in March to do a wedding dress for a cousin of a client of mine. The client is the mother of a 1 year old that I have done a ton of baby clothes for. Some for a baby pageant, others for her first birthday, and some just to be adorable in. I have been drafting baby clothing patterns for about 3 years. This will be only the second time I have drafted a custom pattern for a wedding dress. To tell you the truth, I'm terrified and excited. I took on the project because "If I don't take up the challenge, I won't become a better patternmaker and seamstress." The drawback? I could mess up someone's special day. At this moment, I'm in the middle of redrafting some parts of the pattern and I needed to think. I started making baby clothes because it's not as complicated. Basically, the front is much the same as the back. Not too difficult. I think I'm pretty good, almost masterful.... Almost. I'm actually very scared and grateful. Grateful that these two women have enough confidence in me to take on such an important task and scared for the obvious reason, ruining her wedding. The fear is what really holds me back. I can sew a straight line, invisible zipper, put in boning like no one's business, so what's the problem? Technically I'm capable. I've been told that I'm a creative person. My hope is this dress will give me the confidence to say that I can design and sew women's wear. For now, it's back to the pattern and redraft. I think this dress is going to be awesome ;)

Creative Ways to Share your Wares

I've been busy making baby and kids' clothes. I also just started to design women's wear. A friend of mine opened a boutique called Crush Boutique that's located on Kapa'a. And I've been neglecting my blog. I just started selling clothing wholesale and on consignment. It's really hard to let the things that I have spent a lot of time on for half my usual asking price. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. I had a small fashion show with a fellow designer, Sew Maid in Hawaii, and Crush Boutique at the local bar/restaurant, Trees. My hope was that women would come to the show, love everything they saw and buy. Well, the show was very successful. Standing room only. The place was packed and we had nothing but positive reviews. The bummer... I didn't sell a thing. We each spent around $500.00 and there is no price tag for the amount of time and effort. I made 60 small gift bags made of scrap fabric and filled them up with handmade things from each of the participants. The show was in May and since then business has picked up. People are becoming familiar with my brands, pintsized and KosaKosa. My plan now is to have a stronger "presence" online. I just bought a new fancy camera with a back drop, have willing models and more ideas for building this business into something great. The next event will happen in July. I recently went to a grand opening of a cup cakery, (I made that up, I think) Sugar Mill Cupcakes. The owner is bubbly and energtic. I felt totally comfortable asking her if she'd be interested in a boutique event. We invite girls ages 2 to 6 to come on July 28th to the bakery and enjoy cupcakes and crafts, while parents shop. We have a table for girls to design their own cupcakes, bracelets and necklaces, and skirts. I'm going to make plain skirts in advance for sale. The girls can add an applique that I will sew on the spot. They'll have fabric pens and iron ons to use to decorate their skirts! I think this event will be a ton of fun, how could it not?