The Color of 2014!

So it's been decided, ORCHID is the "color" for 2014!  How they decide these things, I haven't quite figured  it out, but I'm always checking on it as I make my fabric choices for the new season.  And it's not just plain ORCHID, its RADIANT ORCHID.  Not purple, not lavendar, its that beautiful color in between the two.









As you can see on the right, it can range from a shade of pink to a shade of purple, and it just screams spring!  Now, I'm picturing it in a simple pair of ballet flats.  But........I'll also be making hats from this fantastic color!  I've already started on my spring/summer line, and I can't wait to show you the finished products!

Vintage Christmas

Look at these beautiful pillows!!  I was asked by a loyal customer to take a few pieces of hand embroidery she had and make them into pillows.  I absolutely love the hand work done.  It makes me want to learn a new trade, even though I have enough hobbies already!  I framed the pieces in whites and neutrals so that the colors of the embroidery would be the showcase.  I can't wait to deliver these to her.  I know it's after Christmas, but if they were mine, I'd have them on my couch they whole year!

Traveling in style on the outside

My excitement in packing only a carry-on for my trip slowly became a let-down when I began packing my belongings into the only bag I have that fits that carry-on size requirements.........a free duffel bag from New York Life Insurance Company.  A bag we received over nine years ago when we bought our youngest son his first life insurance policy.  The bag still works, but it has seen better days!  So, I used my "free time" this weekend to sew together this bag by the author of the "Noodlehead" blog.  It is the perfect size for all of my belongings with a little room to spare.  And it's washable!

Baby doll cradle

Purse strings pulled for carrying.

Snug as a bug in a rug.......or should I say snug as a baby in a cradle.

This pattern has always caught my eye, but I've never had the perfect opportunity.  The perfect opportunity came this week when my daughter needed a gift for her friend's 5 year birthday party.  What little girl wouldn't want a doll she can carry around in it's own little cradle!  This pattern is a spin off of the crocheted cradle pattern from many years ago.  My grandma would make this cradle using the bottom of a dish detergent bottle as the cradle.  Go to http://emmalinebags.blogspot.com/2012/03/fabric-cradle-purse-new-take-on-old.html  for the tutorial!  The swaddle baby is from the tutorial at http://beccamariedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/04/swaddle-baby-tutorial.html

Vintage patterns

 I was given a collection of vintage patterns by a good friend, whose mom was cleaning out her closets.  The patterns range in dates from the 1960's to the present.  I had a wonderful time going through each individual pattern, and setting some aside to make an outfit or two for myself or my family.  Even though the patterns may be 50 years old, the lines and the cuts of the patterns can still be used today.......now, I don't think I will be using any of the 1990's patterns, those lines and cuts haven't quite made it back into style!

Minimalist traveling

I am so excited for a trip planned with my husband and his family to San Antonio, Texas.  Since I'll only be there four days, I've given myself a goal of only using a carry-on for the trip.

With a little research online and a little ingenuity in my sewing room, I've come up with 9 different outfits using only 8 pieces of clothing.  And 3 of those pieces I'll be wearing the day we leave, so they won't be packed in my small bag. 


 I love to shop for clothes for myself, but I love to make clothes for myself even more.  And this came in very handy for this trip.  The wide leg pants shown in the pictures is from a Japanese sewing "Simple Modern Sewing".  It took a little studying to figure out the pattern pieces, but once I figured that out, the pieces come together quickly.  I made them out of a cotton/spandex blend,so they are comfortable and they fit perfectly.  That is why I make my own clothes.......so that they actually stay up when I bend over and the hem actually falls to my heel not to my ankle.

The dress in the pictures is from that same sewing book.  I made this almost 2 years ago already, and I have gotten my money's worth.  I wear this dress year-round.......in the summer, as is, and in the winter with a sweater and skinny jeans.  And I haven't exhausted all of the different combinations of these pieces.  So with a couple different pairs of shoes and a red scarf as an accessory, I should be set for a        few days of  relaxing and sight-seeing.

WAHM

As I delve farther into my sewing business, there is new terminology that is constantly emerging, and not necessarily related to sewing.  One of those terms is "WAHM" or Work At Home Mom.  There is a whole community of women out there designing tools and resources to help other WAHM's.  One of those tools is a cleaning checklist.  I never thought I would be "one of those," but I need something to help with time management, both on the business side and my home life.  There needs to be a balance, and of course, that balance will always be tipping, but at least, I can have a starting point.  Check out some of the blogs below that have some great lists. 

http://simplykierste.com/2013/12/a-clean-home-every-day.html

http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2013/09/04/daily-cleaning-checklist-free-printable/

http://www.girllovesglam.com/2012/03/organization-board-tutorial.html

I like a simple list........I already have a gigantic list of to-do's.  I just need something to get me started every morning and make sure that I have the necessities done. So I've created my own using a combination of the online lists and put it behind a framed piece of glass so that I can use a dry-erase marker to reuse the list.  I'm sure that I will be tweeking it as I go, but my family's needs are always changing so I'll just go with the flow!

I also made one for my business.............

NEW WEBSITE!

As I get farther into the business world, I learn more about what it takes to make the business successful.  An important part is marketing.  Although I would rather be sitting at my sewing machine, I understand that I I can make thousands of hats, but if nobody knows they exist, I won't sell any.  So here's the next step.......a website that you can purchase my hats from.  Take a look!  www.rellabel.com

These make me smile.......actually, giggle out loud.

These come from a blog called "The Burlap Bag."  Check it out!

  I may be putting this one on my chalkboard sign that I                      use at shows.  I think it would make for some great conversation.

  My husband says this is me.

Music, updated.

I love music, all kinds of music.  I love listening, I love singing, and I especially love playing music on my piano.  I mostly play at home for my own enjoyment, but I do get to share my talent in church a couple times a month.  Well, tomorrow I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and playing the music from the iPad.  I always knew the technology existed but never had the means to use it myself, but now I do thanks to the new planter my husband bought.  The planter's "brains" need to use an iPad, and it just happens to be kept in our house.  Lucky me!  Now I can keep my all my music in one place, and if I want to change my mind on the song I want to play, no problem, I've got another piece with me.  Now, I will be honest, I'll probably have a hard copy of the music sitting beside the bench come tomorrow morning in church.......just in case.

The Pioneer Woman Wanna-be

I always considered myself a baker not a cooker.  I love making quick breads, bars, and snickers cheesecake.  But the thought of preparing three meals a day was always a chore, until I met The Pioneer Woman.  OK, I didn't actually meet her, but I did meet her cookbook and became a die-hard fan.  Her recipes are easy, and her writing style is down-to-earth.  It also helps that she takes pictures of every step of the recipe, so I know immediately if I've done something wrong!  I've also got Elliott obsessed with her TV show, and he's always coming up with a new recipe he wants to help me try.  

Below is the start of the Chicken and Noodles.  

We raise our own chickens every year to butcher, so I only had to go to the deep freeze to get the main ingredient.

I didn't have any egg noodles, so I decided to take advantage of those eggs that our chickens provide us with and made my own whole wheat egg noodles.  

I'd love to pat myself on the back, and tell myself how extraordinary it is that I did this today, but then I have to remember that my grandmas did it this way every day, every meal.  Maybe it's not as extraordinary as I want it to be, but it sure helps me to enjoy cooking more!  And anything helps!

Tell me more.

I want my blog to be more.  I can only post about hats so often before even I get bored.  And while the occassional side sewing project is great, there is so much more out there.  I thought I'd give you a glimpse into who I am......what I like, what I love, what makes me happy, what I do besides sew.

Classic

After chambray, this is my second favorite fabric!

Sweet and Sassy

 Need a sunhat for the sweet or maybe a fedora for the sassy.  This hat does both with the flip of the brim.  I love wearing this style hat with a soft infinity scarf and dangling earrings.

What's "in" for Spring?

Bright pastels, especially aqua and coral are everywhere.  Black and white are popular, too.  But what catches my eye as we head into spring is the easy, simple, carefree look of chambray.  It goes with anything. I've added a little vintage lace and gunmetal buttons to this hat to make it sweet and sassy.

When you wear a hat.......

"Go Ahead and Bloom" -- A Philosophy

"When you wear a hat, it is like medicine for the soul.  The hat is the expression of who you are as a women in every moment!  The hat is your dreams of who you can be.  It facilitates the different parts of who you are:  With the wave of the hat, voila!  You are mysterious.......no, you are sexy......now proper......now playful.

You cannot hide in a hat; you will be noticed, especially men.  To men, you become a lady when you don a hat--one who they rush to open doors for.  To women, you become an inspiration, reminding them that they have a closet full of hats they have not had the courage to wear.

When you wear a hat, you become the dream that started when the hat was conceived.  The original energy that was put into the hat doesn't die; it only changes forms and owners.  The dream doesn't die; it is passed on, sometimes from generation to generation.

And when you see a women in a hat in the next car on the freeway, the dream grows.  We as women acknowledge each other's growth.  It is the symbol of the feminine which is so needed for us and our earth to heal.  So let's share this gift with as many as we wish to share such a vision.

For this is how you will 'Go Ahead and Bloom.'"

Hats for Spring/Summer 2013

Here are some of the new styles for Spring/Summer 2013

Spring is just around the corner, which means I'm busy making new styles with new fabrics!  Take a look at the new cloche-styled hat.  This hat has a brim that protects from the sun like a sunhat, but doesn't completed encircle the whole hat.  With a rolled flower on the side, it makes the perfect addition for a little girls wardrobe!

The fedora is making a comeback this summer.  It started last year, and is going full blast into 2013.  This one is made from a gray-blue chambray, another popular fabric for 2013.  The band on this hat makes it perfect for a boy, but I can switch it out with a lighter color to make it work for a girl, too!

If you're not quite sure about the fedora, the this is the hat for you!  I myself have this style hat in a charcoal gray with a chambray band.  It can be worn as shown in the picture, mimicking a fedora hat.  But if the brim is turned down all the way around the hat, it turns into a bucket hat.  One hat - two styles!

This hat is the epitome of summer/spring style in 2013.  It's a light gray color with interchangable flower.  The gray is a great neutral color, the perfect backdrop for a pop of color.

Parkston Advance

I was honored to be featured on the front page of the Parkston Advance.  Wendy Royston did an article featuring myself and another local woman, Jane Barz.  Both of us own new sewing businesses.  I focus on hats while she focuses on purses.  This is the picture from the article.

Children's clothing line for Kairo's

An amazing woman in Freeman, SD, owns a store called "Kairo's" which means "In God's Time."  It is a soda fountain/Christian bookstore/boutique that her aunt previously owned and now she has taken ownership.  We connected through a mutual acquaintance, and have become good friends.  I have my hats in her store, but she has also asked me to make a children's clothing line.  Her vision is to have interchangable pieces, from pants, leggings, tunics, skirts, and shirts all made from coordinating fabrics.  

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