I'm so excited to be leaving....

for Colonial Williamsburg tomorrow!  It's a year-late graduation present from my parents and an older couple at church.  Can you believe it, I haven't been to Williamsburg in all my 18 1/2 years, and I even live in Virginia! What's up with that?  Anyways, I have already finished a drawstring gown, just need to hand-sew some lace on the neckline while riding in the car.  And I'm going to get off the internet right now, and go sew up a round-gown real quickly, and pack.  Yes, you read that right.  Even though its' 10:30 PM right now, I am going to conquer this dress!!  haha.  I'm so excited, and I will post lots of pics when I get back on Friday!!!!

Etsy shop name and Giveaway winner

First, I want to say that, yes, this is indeed my blog.  I decided to try something new, and get a new template for my blog.  What do ya think?  

I finally decided on a name for my business and Etsy shop!  Thanks so much to everyone who suggested names and participated in my survey!  The name for the wonder wrap skirts sewn by Abi is.....drum-roll please.....Virginia Blossoms!  Now, nobody suggested that actual name, but Stephanie K. suggested "Country Blossoms".  That was already taken on Etsy, so I thought of different variations.  So, for the giveaway, here's what I'm going to do.  Stephanie, you get a 50% coupon to my Etsy shop, and everyone else who suggested names gets a 10% coupon.  How's that???  I will email each of you a coupon code to use whenever you wish!  

Thanks again!

A quick survey.....

Thank you all for your responses as far as a name for my business!  All the suggestions are wonderful, I just can't decide which one I like best.  I put together a quick survey to see what y'all think of the suggested names.  It will only take a minute or so!  You can complete it at this link - Survey for Business Name - or there is a link at the very bottom of the page.  Thanks!

Pictures! Finally!!!

I promised y'all pictures, and here they are!  Can we breath a sigh of relief?  First up, the skirt that started the whole idea - I bought a beautiful Kanga from Jennie Chancey of Sense and Sensibility Patterns (check out her shop on Etsy, and her Facebook page!), and made this lovely wrap skirt from her e-pattern.  

I love how it's so long and flowing! 

Styling it with blouse and jean jacket (what country girl doesn't wear a jean jacket?)

 The other skirts I made from cotton saris, using the same pattern (with Jennie's permission).  So far, I have finished three, another is almost finished, and 8 more have been cut out and are just waiting for me to find the time to sew them.  As mentioned previously, I plan to sell them on Etsy, and at the local farmer's markets.  Here are the pictures of the finished ones.

Maxi-length (37" long) skirt in blue.

Sparkly royal blue ribbon binds the edge at the waist and ties the skirt.

Plenty of fullness in the skirt!

Same fabric, different length (25" long).  

This one ties with a sky-blue satin ribbon.

Twirling is so much fun in this skirt! 

One of my favorites!  This color is stunning!

Skirt ties with a cranberry grosgrain ribbon.

The skirt looks awesome, but me....I look like a dork.  :P

A small note here:  I hear it a lot that maxi skirts don't look good on short women because it only makes them look short(er) and stumpy.  I cannot disagree more!  Maybe that is true for a straight maxi skirt, but this skirt makes me look so much taller and more graceful, and for the record, I'm 5'4" and wearing 1 1/2" heels in the pictures!

Y'all know that I cannot ever do a photoshoot without at some point looking like the dork I really am.  This time was absolutely no different.....

This was just a bit more attractive than the cross-eyed, fish-lips look I'd just made at the camera.

My brother cracks me up.  

I just had to try a jumping photo.  This pic turned out okay I suppose, the others, not quite so much!  :D

Now, if you want to win one of these (or one of the other to-be-sewn-in-the-near-future) skirts, check out my previous post where I tell you about how I'm giving one away!


Photo credits go to my brother, Joel.

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!