A giveaway of sorts....

So I've told y'all a teensy-tiny bit about the business that I'm starting (but you didn't know it!  Yep, that's what those photos in my previous post were about).  I'm taking Indian saris and making wrap skirts from them.  (I know, I've promised pictures soon, but I *still* don't have a camera!  Yes, it's irritating.  But I just got informed by my brother that the camera will arrive today.  Eeeek!!!  So, I will post pictures early next week.  Promise!)  I plan to sell them both on Etsy and at the local farmers' markets.  Since they're wrap skirts, they are (to some extent) one-size-fits-all.  I'm making them in two lengths - 25" (just below the knee on a 5'4" girl) and 36" (ankle-length).  I'm also doing custom orders.  Along with the skirts, I will be selling scarfs and am considering making handbags and other accessories aswell. 

But here's my problem, and where y'all come in.......I can't think of a name for my business!   Old-Fashioned Beauty, just like my blog?  But the skirts sure look pretty modern if you ask me.  ARTistically Yours (from my initials)?  Already taken on Etsy. 

So here's the deal.  Comment on this post with your suggestion, making sure to leave an email address so I can contact you (PLEASE don't forget this!).  I will choose the name I like best, pending availability on Etsy, and the person whose suggestion I choose will win one of my cotton skirts in the color and length of their choice from what I have in stock!  How does that sound?  Have fun, and get your thinking cap on!

Still no camera....

....so I'm just going to post some photos of fabric pieces that I just bought off Ebay.  Any guesses as to what kind of fabric they are and what I might be using them for?  Hint: each piece of fabric is 4-5.5 meters long.  The majority are shipping from India.  And I've bought a total of 12 so far, with plans to purchase more in the future.  Sorry, no prize (at this moment) for the correct answer.  I might rethink that, but no promises.  :D

That embroidery is just plain AWESOME!

Green and pink?  Not what I'd normally like, but I find this color combination quite striking.

Looks like a handkerchief!  LOL

And to heighten the suspense, here's some of the fabrics that I plan to purchase in the near future:

I'm loving that burgundy and white!  And the gold embroidery.....wow.

Agghhh!  The most beautiful fabric EVER!!!!

No comment for this one, except that it is quite unique.

More blue!  Did I mention that I love blue?

Have fun guessing, peoples!

I haven't fallen off the face of the world....

......yet.  I would do a post on sewing only I don't have a camera - Dad was in India for two weeks and took the camera and the screen got cracked.  Silly digital cameras.  As soon as we have a new camera, I will post lots of pictures because I have been doing a lot of sewing.  AND I'm opening my own Etsy shop in a couple weeks, so be on the lookout for that!

Quick denim skirt

Late last week, I made this denim skirt in three days.  Without a pattern.  It comes just below the knee, has a wide waistband, and made of six gores.  I'm really happy with how it turned out!  

Button closure on the side adds a nautical flair.

I did french seams, and then top-stitched all the seams.  

Side view.

Disappointment

Saturday morning, I randomly decided to check Fabric.com and check their clearance section.  There I found the most GORGEOUS fabric ever.  Light blue chiffon with a dark blue floral design.  And the tiniest bit glittery.  For $2 a yard.  7 yards of it.  Now, as I am a college student on a *very tight* budget, I was trying to convince myself that I could indeed spare $20 for that wonderful fabric.  It would make a perfect 50's dress, and I'd use dark blue ribbon as trim and for a wonderful long sash.....  Just when I had decided this morning that I would go ahead and get it, I checked and someone had already bought it....I was so sad, I nearly cried!  Oh well.  Maybe the good Lord knew I didn't need that fabric......

Kensington - American Duchess' new shoes

Hi, y'all!  American Duchess is at it again, and has come out with yet another style of period-accurate shoes!  I'm must confess, I drool over every single one.  One of these days, I will have saved enough money to buy a pair of the Devonshires......or the Kensingtons, which are the new shoes!

The Kensingtons

Comparing the shape of the Kensington with that of the Devonshire.  I like the Devonshire just a bit more, with it's shorter, more rounded toe, but the Kensington is quite pretty too.

Right now, the pre-order sale is open for the Kensingtons.  They are available in red and black, but will be coming out in ivory later this summer.  As is her custom whenever she has a new pair of shoes coming out on the market, American Duchess is giving away one pair! And she's including with the giveaway a DVD called "Courage, New Hampshire" which looks very interesting.  So head on over to American Duchess' blog and check it out!

Modest swimsuits

I know, it's only March 6th, but it's been so warm out, that it feels like spring is almost here.  And soon after spring comes summer, and with summer comes vacations, and the beach, and swimming!  I would like to start doing some custom sewing as a side job this summer, and I can sew modest swimsuits!  Here are the swimsuits I made two years ago for my sisters and I:

Grace (age 13) and I in Jamaica in June 2011

Purity (age 8 at the time of this photo).

Regina (not in one of my swimsuits) and I in 2010.

The swimsuits are two pieces, actually - a top and a bottom composed of a skirt, shorts, and panties sewn together.  The one I made for me is fully lined with sewn-in bra, and the shorts are about 2" longer than the skirt.  The top is snapped to the waistband of the skirt to keep it from riding up.  Grace's and Purity's suits are the same as mine except they are not lined, and Purity's has cap sleeves.  My swimsuit has held up quite nicely for two summers, and I can wear it for at least another year.  It has not faded or worn out from the chlorine yet.  Grace, Purity, and Regina, however, have grown so much that they need new suits this summer!

I can custom make a suit like this for about $45, plus the cost of the material.  (After much consideration, this is the best way to do this, that way each person can decide how much they want to spend on the materials as swimwear fabric can range from $4-$15/yard.)  Consider that a modest swimsuit costs:

 $148.95 from Simply Modest Swimwear

$74.99 from Swim Modest (not custom sewn)

$75.20 from Wholesome Wear (once again, not custom sewn)

$107.00 from Princess Modest Swimwear (not custom sewn either)

$60-75 from Modestly Yours

I can alter many of the details, such as length of skirt and shorts, sleeves vs. sleeveless, contrast fabric on skirt, and could even attach the skirt to the top, leaving the shorts separate.

Please let me know if you are interested!  

Climbing Dunn's River Falls, Jamaica.