No-Coast Craft-o-rama is Here!

Super quick post this morning as I get the last of everything together for the show today.  My office, most of my house for that matter is a big mess of display items, promotional postcards, and product hanging here and there.  All the same, I think my booth is going to look pretty rockin'!  I'm super excited and ready or not, here I come!  Hope to see you all at the Midtown Global Market this weekend! The show starts at 3pm Friday and at 9am on Saturday.   Stop by booth 22-E and say hi!

Sunday Edition

Happy Sunday everyone.  Hopefully you've had a good holiday and are having a great weekend as well.  Sorry for the minimal posts lately, but it will probably continue for one more week.  It's now less than one week until the No-Coast Craft-o-rama... and I'm starting to get a little stressed!  What if I don't sell enough and I have a bunch of left overs?  What if I'm not making enough product and I sell out too fast?  I'm still not entirely sure how I'm arranging my booth space either!   I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it but I'm also nervous and can't wait for it to be over at the same time!   There is still so much to do so I'm guessing I won't have a blog post every single day this coming week.  Cross your fingers, eyes and toes and wish me luck! 

From last week, neckties awaiting to be sewn. Fortunately this task is now complete!

Product Preview: Pocket Squares

I know my posts have been have been scarce this week but I've been working my tail off to get ready for the big No-Coast Craft-o-rama!   I'll be debuting several new products there including the new Men's Haberdashery line!  You've already seen a sneak peek of the slim plaid ties and here is a preview of the latest addition, pre-folded pocket squares!  A decade ago seeing a pocket square in a mans coat pocket was a rare thing but today no fashionable man should be without one.   Ah, but to deal with all the pesky folding and refolding is inconvenient for today's guy on the go.  The solution is our quality pre-folded pocket squares, available in four different fold styles.  Each is made of fine Egyptian cotton, reinforced at the base, and stitched in place to permanently hold it's shape.  And unlike the cheap cheesy pre-folded pocket squares that came with your prom tuxedo these are not stapled to large pieces of card board, so they are fully washable should they become soiled.   Look for them December 3rd and 4th and the Midtown Global Market!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday all.  It's been hitting me now how fast this month is going by and how much work I still have to do before it's over!  I'll be spending my weekend hard at work, hopefully making lots of progress.  I wish I had a whole factory of seamstresses  like this at my disposal!  Ah, well.  Hopefully your weekend will be more fun and relaxing than mine!

What I'm Working on Now.

Oh boy what a day I had yesterday!  And it's still kinda going.  My sewing machine broke down.  After 11 years my faithful, wonderful Necchi just jammed up.  I spent an hour trying to fix it, pulling out sludgy black oil and lint clods, scraping up my knuckles and then took it to the repair shop where the man confidently told me he might even have it fixed by the end of the day.  I was like a nervous mother as I waited for the phone call telling me I could pick my baby back up.  The phone call came but to my sadness it was news that the machine had frozen up for good and was going to heaven.  With sadness in his voice the repair man said he'd never seen any thing like it, that he tried every bit of magic he could.  It would have to be replaced.  It was heart wrenching for me, not to mention that my work load is extremely heavy right now and project deadlines are looming, plus the preparations for the upcoming show... to not have my trusty machine for one day was bad enough but to hear I would never be able to use it again was just too much.  I thanked the repair man for his efforts, hung up the phone, and had myself a little cry. 

Today I picked up the remains of my old friend and came home with a rental machine.  As much as I need a working sewing machine everyday, it was too soon to chose a permanent replacement. I kept asking my self, "How can someone feel so emotionally attached over a machine?"  It would have been like picking out a new pet the morning after your dog was run over.  It was just too soon.   I've decided to rent for a week while I research a replacement.  Ebay is proving helpful actually!   I even found this awesome vintage poster that put a huge smile on my face.   Ah, well.  Back to work I guess.

New Trend: Old Romance

Okay so it's been a while since I've given you a wedding related post.  Sorry! Hopefully this will make it up to you!
 
For a while now I've been noticing old fashioned themes emerging in wedding trends.  From the invitation styling to the off-tinted photography there is a clear trend emerging!  While the sleek retro 1960's style is still prevalent I'm seeing brides and grooms moving away from retro kitch and seeing more movement towards styling of the 1930's and 1920's often with a southern country angle. Fashion-wise, I'm seeing a lot more bow ties & suspenders on the men and, while birdcage veils still reign supreme (like!), the ball-gown silhouette is losing momentum and slender lace sheaths worn with finger-waved hair is becoming more prevalent.  Extravagant luxury is out and simplistic homespun beauty is in.  Perhaps this is an indication of our lean economic times making us feel more relatable to the difficulties faced during the great depression.  Perhaps Boardwalk Empire is trumping Mad Men in tv ratings.   Whatever the reason, the results are a unique and very beautiful!  Here is what I consider the best of old fashioned themed weddings.  Enjoy!

{above images from 100 Layer Cake}

{above image from snippet & ink}

{above image via green wedding shoes}

{above image via ELIZAblog}

{above images via green wedding shoes}

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!   I'm looking forward to this weekend and to having a little relaxation.  I'll still be working on things for the show of course but I'm pretty adamant about at least giving myself Sunday off!   It's supposed to be chilly in Minneapolis and we might even get some snow.  Maybe I'll find time to go shopping for a new winter coat!  Have a great and relaxing weekend everyone!