Aprons For One Of The 70 Best Restaurants In The World!

Last October, I was commissioned to find materials and create some oldie worldie looking aprons for a new Restaurant that was opening up in my favorite town in the whole wide world: Port Costa!

The aprons turned out really cute. The old time look and fee of the Hickory fabric that we found suited the time travel image that the owners of the Bull Valley Roadhouse were trying to convey. We made about 8 of these aprons for opening night and a few months later, they had become so busy that they needed more. But on returning to the source of the fabric purchase, I found out that someone had come along and bought up the rest of the roll! This is not unusual and kind of the story of my life, but I couldn't believe it. That bolt of fabric had been lying around the warehouse for years! After we got our 15 yards, the rest sold immediately. This happens to be how things work, I guess. I somehow , often manage to arrive at the scene of a burgeoning trend.

So I spent hours finding a source for more of this Hickory. This is the old workhorse fabric that the early train engineer's overalls were made of. This was a very utilitarian fabric that is still being made in the U.S.A but is mainly used now for designer jeans. It isn't found in most retail outlets, so a bit of finagling had to be done. But we got our fabric.

And now my favorite town in the WHOLE WORLD is now home to one of the 70 best new restaurants in the WHOLE WORLD according to Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Now how cool is that????????
I knew good things were in store for that town. And I'm here too, in the cute little town next door! So make an appointment to come out and see me and we'll make an appointment to go do brunch if you come out on a Saturday or Sunday. I fear it might be hard to get in sometimes, but we'll figure something out!

I'm so happy for Sam and Earl - the owners of this fine establishment! Not only are they extremely creative, but they are two of the nicest people that Ive ever met.

See you soon!

HAPPYBIRTHDAYTOMESALE!!!!!!

 I woke up this morning and jumped out of bed full of life and energy and a touch of narcissism. Thats right - bonafide narcissism. My favorite word of the day. Usually I putter around for a while making coffee and answering emails and being a facebook friend. But not today. I donned some makeup and curled my hair.  Matthew James (you'll know him soon enough) said that I'm going for that 50's housewife kind of thing. I think he may be right. And this isn't so bad before coffee and a big birthday (we'll just say I'm 37 and leave it at that - because I say so. Don't argue with me). In truth, I had some clients coming over - so I do like to make a good appearance, but this morning was just different.

I don't know what happened. The moon is done with being full? Jupiter and Saturn collided?  The dish ran away with the spoon?

I never celebrate my birthday. I don't enjoy my birthday. I would just as soon forget about my day of birth. I don't know why. I don't say anything to anyone.  Sometimes the day is great. Sometimes its lonely.  I love to be remembered, but I feel no need to talk about it or announce it or remind anyone about it. It usually embarrasses me to have a fuss made. So what has changed?

I just don't know.

         Hmmmmmmmmmm. Its puzzling, int it.

So what should I do for my birthday?

I'll have a 25% off sale!

For my birthday, I'm having a 25% off sale in my Etsy shop. Thats right - 25% off.  I'd go higher, but I have to eat. Thats only fair. Ive never had a sale where I marked everything off 25%. And its making me HAPPY! Patterns and custom goods will be excluded from the sale, but there is a lot of fun stuff in there!

Please enter this code at checkout: HAPPYBIRTHDAYTOME
This will automatically take 25% off of your Etsy purchase. Pretty neat, huh!

So there ya go........hope you see something that you've lusted for and cant justify right now. I wish I had more sizes, but this is what I have left after my festivals and events over the last 4 weeks. When it moves out the door, there is room to make more! (yes, Jeanette, that's your vest in the mirror - I'm finishing it up!)

 Ive got a couple sword bags that I'll put in the shop. Vintage trims and drapery velvet make a lush bag to carry your dance sword or your gym clothes in - I dragged mine through the U.K three times (before the sword ban).Maybe its just the thing you've been looking for!

 Now that my Fluffie Rufflie Dance Pant pattern tutorial is up, I'll just put the finishing touches on the FR Pantaloons, and then I can focus on finishing some custom orders and new merchandise. I had talked a lot about teaching sewing lessons at one time, but my patterns ate up my life there for a while. So keep checking in - Ive got some ideas that I will throw out there. I think you'll like what I have in mind and I know we can have fun with it!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Efficiency

I'm always, always, always trying to find better ways to be more efficient. And with this economy putting a damper on spending, this has become very difficult. The less the public spends, the harder the artisan has to hustle to keep food on the table. Its nobody in particular's fault and I'm tired of finger pointing. It just is what it is and hand made goods are fighting hard to not be a thing of the past!

My friend Lee kidnapped me yesterday and we ran around doing errands and catching up. For some reason I thought that by moving closer to some of my friends, we would all see each other a lot more - but we are all so busy making, creating, designing and working, that we don't see each other much at all most of the time! But when we do, its great, and we can talk about whats working and not working in our creative lives.

Time management seems to be one of the things that hampers us the most. Sometimes we end up working til the wee hours of the morning - just to have to get up in a few hours and do it all over again. But I think that there is a lot of puttering around in all those hours that just sucks up our day. And I think that this is common for those of us who live and work in the same space. We lose track of time. We are in our own universe. We set our own stage and make our own hours and forget that there is a world out there that runs on an atomic clock somewhere that dictates how things should run hourly to the second - 24/7. It doesn't matter if you have calendars and clocks in front of you in our little worlds - alarms and bells and whistles that go off at certain times - yes, things have to be done at certain times of the day. animals have to be fed, we have to be fed, packages have to be shipped, deadlines have to be met...........................but damn it: the day gets away and then its a month later and where the hell did that month go????

I think that this is very common. Articles on how artists and the self employed think and work have been in my face recently. I think a lot of us have ADD or ADHD - call it what you will, but we don't think like the 9-5'ers, so our problems may a bit unique. But  I don't like how this has been working or not working  anymore. I would like to change this. I would like to get more done in less time and start to have part of the day just for me now and then. Fancy that.

 The nature of my beast is always going to determine how my day is spent. I have two hands only and four hands one day a week. I do the impossible job of doing things by myself and juggling way too many creative balls in the air because I simply have to. I love my life and I have a job that Ive created for myself.. I dont want my job to disappear. I need to be more productive with my time.

So the consensus with my kidnapper was that we need to set hours and treat those hours like one would a real job that you would leave the house to go to. We have to get up, shower, get dressed (perhaps even set our clothes out for the next day) prepare our lunches and plan our errands during our lunch hour just as if someone were handing us a paycheck. And maybe the clue phone has been ringing for years and I have not been picking up...........but I had to try all different ways to have my life. And now I'm trying this new self disciplined one....................and dont get me wrong - I work very, very hard!!!!!!!!!! It does take a great deal of discipline, will, strength, focus, and faith to live this kind of life...........perhaps we just need to tighten this up a bit.
New.hours will be 10am - 6pm.

Of course, I'm going to take fittings and consultations in the evenings and during the weekend when I can. Of course I'll still work late if I have to. Of course gigs and vending opportunities will affect any hours I lay out for myself............but maybe with this new mindset, more will get accomplished and we will all be happier for it!

Well, if I were to officially be starting this new schedule today, I would officially be late for work. Tomorrow is another day!
kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Bias Summer Dresses

 

Im starting to make some little summer dresses and slips. Flouncy and bouncy, pretty and versatile with an old world charm, these can be paired with pants, skirts, worn under or over another dress to create new styles for your every mood this season! Lightweight and practical, as well as feminine and flirty,  they are so easy to care for!

For those who dont understand the term "bias cut", this means that instead of cutting out a garment straight on the grain, I lay out a pattern on the fabric nearly sideways. When this is cut and sewn up, the fabric hangs on the body in a more graceful way. The fabric moves with you, is stretchy and form fitting without being sculpted. It is a process that uses up more fabric and many refuse to even to attempt to sew ANYTHING on the bias, but the results are well worth it. 

These little dresses are cute and affordable!

Happy Spring!

Check out my etsy store and give yourself a treat with a new dress! Keep checking in as I will be posting new items as I can make them!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Etsy Equinox Sale!!!!

Im having a little Autumnal Sale on Etsy for specific items that perhaps you are sitting on the fence about...........
   like this plus sized coffee dyed and distressed 18th century styled corset........very Steampunk (well, they traveled back in time) .........15% off might help!

I'll be putting new things up for sale and for your perusal as well as a new mark down here and there. Ive already marked my aprons down by at least half - so no new mark downs for those! :(

Thank you, everyone who helped me with your purchases, for getting me jump started into a new location and a new life! Im loving it here!

kc.costumecuture@gmail.com

Port Costa Art Show

 Yesterday was a vending day for me at the Port Costa Art Show. It wasn't technically a Salome's Suitcase gig, but those of us living nearby set up a booth there. It was such a great day! We hung out and schmoozed with the neighbors. I met a bunch of new people and made new friends, I sold some of the new scarves that I made last week, and my sister brought my niece and nephew - so the afternoon in Port Costa flew by. I had no expectations for the day other than to participate in a fun cause, hang with friends, and meet new ones.. I was kind of blown away by the high caliber of creativity in this area. Its not your typical arts and crafts event. We've got some fairly famous people in their particular chosen craft living here in this remote oasis.

I participated in an art show several years ago here at the school and they have done a lot since then to fix her up and keep her going. The school was built in 1911 and the community is working hard on preserving this landmark that I have grown very fond of.

 And then, after the day, after the four of us helped each other unload, we all headed over to Toots Tavern to unwind - also conveniently located. I proclaim the day a success.

Now to clean up the clutter that a vending excursions creates, and on to finishing up some projects. This will keep me out of trouble for the day!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Aprons Are Not A Thing Of The Past

I found a box of aprons that I had made a while back (ok - several years ago). I had sold a lot of them, but then moved on to other things. I didn't want to make aprons for a living and it wasn't catching on like I had envisioned. But since then I have seen several adorable ladies wearing aprons over their capris and dresses  - one in particular was wearing hers at our Salome's Suitcase trunk show this August. I wish I had taken a photo.

So now that I have a wall to shoot photos against, I pulled them out of the box, ironed them and started a little photo shoot. I could only get to 4 aprons so I guess its just going to have to be a slow process. I started putting them up on Etsy at a lighter price. There was a lot of work that went into some of them, but hey, its an apron. And I need to clear them out for new stuff. They will be great for Christmas and birthday presents!

You can wear them with your pants and with your skirts. I used to wear mine with tassels over my dance skirts because they are so long and full. They really worked well for a certain gypsy-esque look and it made me happy! But as you can see here, Sandi Ball of Hi Beam Bindis is looking pretty happy and snappy in hers! Ok - snappy is kind of an old lady word, isn't it. Phat. They look phat. No that doesn't work, What is the new slang.........snappy. They look snappy.

                                                                        Cute. Very Cute!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com