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Category: women’s fashion

Features: The Color Block Party Skirt

posted in shop, women's fashion by Sara on

Since starting this blog, putting my work out there for the whole world to see may be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done! It’s hard opening myself up to criticism, judgement, and possibly even failure. I wish I could say that I don’t have doubts and fears, but then I wouldn’t be human. Creating the Color Block Party Skirt and now opening our shop has been it’s own whirlwind of doubts and fears. In fact, both of which I’ve experience today! But, there is something that keeps pushing me along day after day. Maybe it’s my fear of failing. Maybe it’s the wonderful support from our friends, family, fellow bloggers, and readers. Or perhaps it is me believing in myself that I can do it. One thing that I am confident of is that I could not have achieved any of this by myself!

There are many wonderful people who have made our blog and shop what it is thus far, including you reading this right now! Today I’d also like to highlight a few fashionistas who have been a great support in helping us launch our Color Block Party Skirts. The Color Block Party Skirt can be worn on many different shapes and sizes, and can be styled in many different ways. Here are three beautiful ladies to prove it!

Kelsey Bang

Meet Kelsey from Kelsey Bang! Her and her husband blog together about their personal style. I love the chic retro look that Kelsey has created with our light blue and white Color Block Party Skirt!

Kacie's Kloset

Kacie from Kacie’s Kloset pairs a simple ballet tee with our rose and white Color Block Party Skirt for a modern, edgy ballerina feel.

Bella

And today on Bella Blog, Elisabeth in featuring our rose and navy Color Block Party Skirt… would you believe she is 17 weeks pregnant!

Gingham and Color Blocking

posted in sewing, sewing for women, shop, tutorial, women's fashion by Sara on

I have a confession to make… I’ve missed you guys! My mind has been everywhere  but the blog the last couple of weeks and it feels nice to be sitting down again to share with you some of the greatest and latest news. For those of you who have been following along, you may remember me saying that I quit my day job last month to pursue my dream of dressmaking. For the past couple of months I’ve spent hours sewing and agonizing over making my first design something that could be loved by all– complete with pockets, an exposed zipper, and four different color options.

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I first came up with the idea to make the Color Block Party Skirt several years ago when I decided to take up sewing again. I found a gathered skirt tutorial for beginners that I wanted to try, but I couldn’t choose between two different colors of fabric so I decided to use both. I’ve since made many upgrades to the original color block skirt to create a classic, quality product. It has become one of my favorite skirts to wear, as the sturdy waistband accentuates the smallest part of me and hides all my problem areas. It is comfortable, breathable, and I now wonder how I  ever went without pockets in a skirt before– they’re genius and absolutely necessary!

With only two more weeks before the grand opening of our shop, I’m both excited and anxious. I put my heart and soul into each and every skirt I make and will never get enough of seeing the excitement of customers’ faces when they try one on. None of this would be possible without the help and support from my loving husband, family and friends. So mark your calendars, because on August 11th you will finally have the chance to own your very own, custom made, Color Block Party Skirt! 

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Also, some of you may have noticed that we’ve recently partnered up with several other bloggers as hosts for the “Your Designs This Time” linky party, which we will co-host every Monday on the blog from now on. We’ve already met some wonderful people and seen so many inspiring ideas! If you didn’t get a chance to see this week’s linky party I recommend hopping on over to join in the fun!

 

Linked to: http://www.mabeyshemadeit.com/tell-tuesday-34/, http://stylelixir.com/2014/07/style-sessions-fashion-link-up-the-sequin-polka-dot-dress.html, http://dcinstyle.com/printed-shorts-monday-bloom-linkup/, http://www.walkinginmemphisinhighheels.com/2014/08/trend-spin-linkup-full-skirts.html

How to Lengthen A Dress/Skirt

posted in diy, sewing for women, women's fashion by Hanna on

I don’t know about you, but I am seeing SO many cute dresses out there on the market! When I was in Oregon a few months back visiting Sara we found this super cute, summery dress at Old Navy. I just fell in love with it, especially the shift style of the dress. They are my favorite kind of dress since I don’t have much of a defined waist. The only problem with this dress was that is was a little too short for my liking. Standing up was an OK length, but if I tried to walk or sit down it just wasn’t working for me.

How to Lengthen a Dress

Sara and I got this great idea to just sew an extender piece to the lining of the dress and have it hang down underneath the top part of it. So I bought the dress and we went home with a plan to make it my “perfect” summer dress.

Here is the before picture.

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Most dresses and skirts have sewed in lining or slips in them so this is the perfect opportunity to sew on an extending piece of fabric without bothering the hem of the actual dress/skirt. Plus color blocking is so in right now! Just ask Sara and her Color Block Party Skirts that are coming soon to the shop!

So if you have a dress/skirt that needs to be a tad longer here is a simply “how-to” on making that happen.

1. First you’ll need to find some fabric that will go well with your dress/skirt. I used a navy linen fabric that Sara had on hand that worked perfect with the dress!

2. Next measure the width of the lining of the dress and how much longer you want your dress. Take the width and add 1/2 inch for seam allowance and double the length you want the extender to be plus add 1/2 to that for seam allowance. Then cut out two pieces at those measurements. So for my dress, the lining was 22.5 inches wide and I wanted it to extend 5 inches in length. Therefore my 2 pieces were 23 x 10.5 inches.

3. With right sides together, sew/serge the two sides of your pieces together. Afterwards you should have a tube of fabric

4. Fold that tube of fabric in half with the seams inside and iron.

5. Lastly, sew/serge your extender piece to the lining of your dress and iron that seam.

How To Lengthen A Dress 2

How to Lengthen a Dress 3

 

Linked To:

http://lifeinvelvet.com/2014/07/thursday-style-link-party-29/

http://staceyembracingchange.com/2014/07/17/creative-inspirations-linky-party-93/

http://placeofmytaste.com/2014/07/work-wednesday-58.html

The Creative Exchange #10

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2014/07/18/link-party-diy-inspired-10.html

http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/07/link-it-or-lump-it-party-number-47-plus.html

Friday Finds #15: Aqua (Under $15)

posted in decor, home, women's fashion by Sara on

Thank you to everyone who has joined in on our blogiversary celebration this week. It’s been a great and crazy week! If you missed a chance to enter the giveaway for our Numbers Pouf or Slouchy Tee, there is still time! Click HERE to enter!

Today we’re wrapping up our birthday week with a colorful Friday Finds. This summer we’ve decided to assign each Friday Finds a fun color to center our finds around. Today’s color…aqua. The best part of all, everything is under $15! If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to add a pop of color to your home or wardrobe, we’ve got you covered.

Friday finds_aqua

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

What color of Friday Finds would you like to see?

Floral Stamped T-Shirt Refashion {Using Celery}

posted in diy, inspiration, tutorial, women's fashion by Hanna on
Big floral prints are all the rage in fashion right now and I’m all for jumping on the that band wagon. It’s bold, classic, and feminine… everything I like when it comes to my wardrobe. And, for all you “DIY-ers” out there I’ve discovered a way for you to create this bold fashion statement yourself. The answer: celery. I know it sound weird, even my husband gave me the “you’re crazy” look when I told him I wanted to buy celery for a t-shirt refashion. But the results were fabulous, and the steps to re-create this look are so simple!
1. Cut top off of celery.

2. Dip in paint. I recommend using fabric paint; however, you can also mix a textile medium with acrylic paint to make your own. 

3. Stamp on fabric. Be sure to place a piece of cardboard inside your shirt  before you begin stamping so the paint does not bleed to the other side.

shirt: refashioned // skirt: Gap (old) // vest: JC Penny // shoes: Famous Footware // earrings: Kohl’s
Below are some of my sources of inspiration. If you can’t tell, I’m kind of into the color blue right now.

~SARA

Friday Finds #12: Summer Essentials

posted in Friday Finds, inspiration, women's fashion by Hanna on
Happy Friday everyone! Wow, I barely know where this week went! When I haven’t been working or taking care of family business I’ve been sewing away on my sewing machine. As for a little update on the Colorblock Party Skirts that will be coming to our shop this summer, I have receive all my fabric and have my first skirt completed! Samples of all the color options will be completed by the end of next week, I have a photo shoot scheduled after that, and you’re looking at a possible sneak peak by the end of the month! Things are really moving around here!

Image Map
[ click on the individual images to find the source, or click the links below ]
As for other news, I handed in my notice at my day job this week. It’s been something me and my husband have been contemplating and praying about for the last month and we finally decided to take the plunge. I’m not 100% sure what the future will hold, but I believe God has a plan of us and so far He hasn’t steered us wrong. I’m a little nervous and yet way excited at the same time! Even more exciting, we’re taking the month of July to road-trip and visit all of our family and friends. Summer vacation…here we come!
So with school almost out and summer vacations on the verge, we decided to put together a list of all our favorite summer essentials:
1.  A pair of shades. Being daughters of an optometrist, we both value the importance of UV protection…and designer sunglasses.
2.  Sunless tanner or sunscreen. If you work indoors or you live in Oregon where it rains all the time, sunless tanner with become your best friend! If you happen to get outdoors more and live in a warmer climate go with the sunscreen…or both.
3.  A beachy, flowy top. Nothing screams summer to me then a relaxed fitting top that I can throw on with a pair of jean or some shorts. It’s comfortable, cute, and breezy!
4.  A summer dress.  A good dress for summer that you can either dress up or dress down is a must.
5.  A good read. We both happen to love reading and there is nothing quite better then finding a nice patch of shade or a spot by the pool and reading a good book. With all the driving we will be doing this summer, I will definitely have a couple of good books packed.
6.  Sandals/Wedges. I have a confession to make… I’m addicted to wedges! I don’t know what it is about them but I do– I love them! These Dr. Scholls wedges have been my favorite because I feel like I could where them all day.
7. A tote bag.  Being a mom I always think a big tote bag is a necessity, but they are especially great for summer day trips to the park, the beach, the zoo, etc.
8. Colored shorts. Personally I prefer the bermuda length shorts, but adding a colorful pair of shorts to your wardrobe is a fun way to brighten things up for summer.
Have a wonderful summer, and we hope you’ll keep in touch! As I’ve said before, we have a lot coming up this on the blog (including a birthday) and you won’t want to miss it!
Linked to:
http://www.prototypemama.com/2014/06/12/5829/
http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/06/link-it-or-lump-it-party-number-42.html

Coming Soon…

posted in sewing, shop, women's fashion by Sara on
The past couple of months have been filled with much planning and anticipation. We’re constantly thinking of ways to improve the blog, build our talents, and fulfill our readers’ expectations. I can tell you for a fact that when either Hanna or I have an idea in our head we’re anxious to see it out…sometimes too anxious. From the very beginning I’ve dreamed of pursuing my love and interest for fashion design. I’ve been relentlessly working, saving, planning, sketching, and sewing to make my dream become a reality.  The ball is now rolling and I’m crazy excited to introduce my first design, the Color Block Party Skirt which will be available for purchase this coming August! 

While I’ve never had any professional schooling in fashion design or dressmaking, it has been a passion and a hobby that I’ve been developing for many years.  I was eight years old when I had my first sewing lesson. My mother carefully instructed me on how to thread the machine and then sent me to work practicing and sewing on my own. At first it was only straight lines, but as I grew more comfortable I would sew around shapes my mother had printed on pieces of paper. After a little more practice, I started creating and sewing little outfits for my dolls.

By fourth grade my mother had signed me up for sewing lessons with the local seamstress. While I’m not sure I fully enjoyed or appreciated it at the time, my mother was always pushing me and my siblings to develop new skills and learn new things. My mother might not have known that sewing would be a skill I’d grow to love in my adult years but she did know it would be a useful one. 

She bought me my first sewing machine for Christmas a couple of years ago and while I’ve only had it for a short time it has gotten a lot of use. I started mainly sewing things for the house and refashioning some of my old clothes, but soon the sky became the limit. I began drafting my own patterns and experimenting with different designs and fabrics. I’ve sewn many of my own clothes and have even found great joy in sewing for other women.

While I am over the moon excited to finally see my hard work and planning come together, I could not have done it without the love, support, and encouragement from my family, friends, and all of our lovely readers. 
With this being such a big project that is so very close to my heart, I wanted to include all of you in the process from beginning to finish. Over the next two and a half months you’ll see these sketches transformed into a completely finished garment! This is happening!!
What color combination are you in love with?
*To view some of my completed sewing projects click through the links below: