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A big sale for a big birthday

Personal, Sales July 1, 2023

This is a big one. I’m turning 40!

I remember when I was a kid, my dad threw a big surprise 40th party for my mom. 40 felt so old. Now I can say from personal experience that 40 is really not that old!

For the most part, I am enjoying getting older. There are some serious stresses… raising kids, finances, responsibility… but overall I feel so much more comfortable with who I am physically and emotionally, and that accounts for a lot.

Lots of changes have happened over the past few years. Good things, like my littlest daughter, my parents both retired and I get to spend more time with them, and I made a new friend who means the world to me. But the pandemic threw a wrench into the spinning wheels of my business, and I’ve spent the past year, my 39th, trying to pick up the pieces and really consider what it is I wanted to do with my my life… And, I decided it’s this! I just want to create. Whether it’s lingerie, watercolours, crotchet, or a beautiful flower garden… I just want to make pretty things. I’m really grateful that at 40, I can make that my life. (It’s not always sunshine and roses… sometimes it’s overdraft and kraft dinner).

Anyway, I’m trying to write this while also preparing for Birthday AND Canada Day celebrations. We have a parade go right by our front door today! So I apologize if this is a little disjointed!

I wasn’t sure when to address this portion, but it is important to me to bring up today. In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, I would like to acknowledge that the region I am from is part of the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. Today is Canada Day, and indigenous history IS Canadian History. I try to take some of Canada Day to bring awareness myself and my children that we have a very complex history as white people on indigenous land.

With all of that being said, I hope everyone has a safe long weekend, whatever you are celebrating. And I hope you take a moment to check out my 40% off sale. I’ve never had a sale like this before! Shop Sewing Patterns on Etsy HERE or use code BIGBIRTHDAY here for 40% off. You can also find select items at 40% off in my Made to Order shop.

End of Summer Sale + Personal Updates

Sales September 3, 2021

I’m not a huge fan of summer. My body is the kind that just doesn’t like the heat. I turn tomato red. I sweat. I get grumpy. It’s not my favourite.

So, I’m not one of those people who mourn the symbolic end of summer and start of the school year in early September (for us in Ontario anyway). It’s time to get back into routines, earlier bedtimes, cooler weather and cozier clothes.

This year feels especially pertinent. School and Daycare shut down at the beginning of April. We had 3 months of home school, and just returned to some daycare hours for my littlest over the last few weeks.

Lila also just got the go-ahead to sleep ALL night without having to wake to be fed. If you’re new to my blog, Lila has VLCAD, a metabolic disorder that requires frequent feeding and a low-fat diet to prevent her from going into metabolic crisis, a potentially life-threatening event. Although she is now able to sleep all night, we have to undo 2 years of her being used to be woken up to be fed. Still, I’ve been fairly consistently (except for the last 2 weeks which have been bad) getting about 5-6 solid hours of sleep a night. It has made a world of difference in my mental clarity. I still have a long way to go to make up for the lack of sleep I’ve gotten over the past 2+ years, but I’m getting there. I no longer have an alarm set for 2am, and that feels great.

Me and my crew

I had been feeling so overwhelmed by work tasks and even just replying to an email was so anxiety inducing. I honestly had been considering closing the doors to Ohhh Lulu because it all felt so overwhelming to pick back up again. Being able to have even just a couple days of a break from parenting with daycare, and a little more sleep has really cleared my mind. I can reply to emails, I can communicate clearly (mostly), I can make plans and think ahead. It is crazy how badly a lack of sleep can really affect your ability to function. I still don’t feel like I’m at my peak, but I feel like I can manage now.

My Summer Spin the Wheel Sale really got me motivated again. It was fun to have something to look forward to, and now I’m looking forward to sewing more lingerie for you and finishing up a bunch of new patterns, including some I had let slip prior to going on maternity leave.

I’m running a final End of Summer sale in both my sewing pattern and lingerie shop from Friday, September 3rd to Monday September 6th. No coupon is needed on Etsy, but if you are shopping here, use coupon code ENDOFSUMMER for 20% off.

Click Here to Shop Made to Order Lingerie, Sleep Masks & Silk Scrunches.

Click Here to view my Etsy Sewing Pattern Shop.

Thanks for sticking with me everyone.

One Pattern. One Week. 50% off.

Sales August 1, 2021

I know in many parts of the world, life has returned to a relatively normal state. Not so much in Ontario, where I am. Things are getting there, but it’s been a slow, difficult road.

One of the things I’ve struggled with most over the past howevermany months is the lack of anything to look forward to. No family celebrations. No birthday parties. No parades (this may be an oddly specific thing to miss, but we have two parades a year that go right by our house that bring me so much joy). No concerts. Not even a dinner out…

It took me a while to realize but in a world where our regular fun has been postponed, I’ve had to schedule my own fun. This summer I’ve tried to organize at least 1 fun outing a week – a trip to a splash pad, nature reserve, a playground we’ve never been to. It’s given us all a little something to look forward to.

Drawing from this, I had this idea of running a sale every week for the entirety of July and August. I set up a wheel with some of my most popular patterns and each saturday I give it a spin on Tiktok (@ohhhlulu_official) and my Instagram Stories. Which ever pattern the wheel lands on gets marked down by 50%. I’ve never had a 50% off sale!

So far I’ve selected the Romy Bra, Anouk Bodysuit and Delphine Thong. This week the Cabin Shorties are 50% off. Who knows what it’ll be next week! You’ve got to follow me on Instagram 😉

Black Friday Discounts!

Sales November 23, 2018

How is it already almost Christmas? What happened to fall?

Well, whatever! I’m a fan of the holiday season! Winter is time for me to feel ok about doing a little hibernating, going to bed early, getting a little lazy.

I know it’s Thanksgiving in the US, but those of us in Canada already celebrated a month ago. We’re in Christmas Holiday Mode here. There’s a Santa Claus parade down our street tomorrow, and I’ve already got my Christmas tree up! The joys of an artificial tree! I’ve also already got a head start on my Christmas shopping this year, hitting up some online black Friday sales.

I’ve got some Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals going on in both of my Etsy Shops. Everything is already marked down by 20% on Etsy (and FREE domestic shipping!). If you’re shopping here, use coupon code BlackFriday20 to take 20% off all digital sewing patterns…

Shop Lingerie HERE

Shop Sewing Patterns on Etsy HERE

That brings me to my next thought. What are you sewing this holiday season? I’ve had some requests for sleep masks from family, and I’ve got a super special handmade surprise for my Mom and Mother-in-Law.

Test Driving the new Spoonflower Quick-Sew Project Book!

Reviews, Sales October 9, 2018

I was provided with a copy off the Spoonflower Quick-Sew Project Book in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t often do reviews on my blog, but when Spoonflower let me know that they were publishing a book of DIY projects, I knew I wanted to get involved (and that it would be amazing).

I discovered Spoonflower fairly late in the game, but quickly became totally addicted to their fabrics. I’ve lost countless hours browsing through all of the designs and dreaming up my own prints. Aside from the fact that you can find basically any print of your dreams, I love the fact that I can work one-on-one with and support other indie designers through Spoonflower!

The Spoonflower Quick-Sew Project Book couldn’t have been released at a better time. With the holidays coming up, I’m always trying to think of creative gifts to make and this book is absolutely full of them. My absolute favourite thing about this book is that they include projects that require very little fabric…

In fact, I was able to test out one of the projects that required only 2 8×8″ swatches, a scrap of quilt batting and a zipper!

I used the instructions provided in the book to create a 2-swatch sunglass case. I selected two prints from one of my favourite designers, Holly Zollinger. Here’s a little tip, if you find a print you love but find the scale too big for your project, send the artist a message. I’ve had prints re-sized a few times for different projects (like my dollhouse!).  I used Holly’s Cyprus Floral for the exterior and the Bebe Mudcloth for the lining. For both, I went with the Cotton Sateen fabric. I like this fabric because it’s easy to work with and has a nice smooth finish.

Make it your own

To add a little detail to my sunglass case, I cut a strip of scalloped lace the same length as my exterior piece of fabric. I then used a zig-zag stitch to attach the lace directly to the right side of the fabric. Lace overlays and appliques are an easy way to add a bit of interest. Just stitch them on prior to putting together your bag. I ended up doing an asymmetrical lace overlay, but there are lots of ways you could do it. Just play around by placing the lace over the fabric!

The instructions included in the book were easy to follow and came with easy to understand photos. In no time I had a finished, one of a kind sunglass case.

For more inspiration, you can see how others have whipped up this easy to sew sunglass case over on the Spoonflower Blog .

A Gift for you!

Spoonflower has generously offered my readers 10% off using coupon code QuickSewOhhhLulu10.  The offer expires December 31, 2018 and is valid on one order of fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap.

I’m definitely going to be making more of these for Christmas gifts this year. I’ve also got my eye on the Fleece Mittens and the Travel Case patterns provided in the book!

You can get your hands on a copy of the Spoonflower Quick-Sew Project Book HERE!

Birthday Time

New Items, Personal, Sales June 30, 2018

Has it really been another year already?

Tomorrow is the big day… Canada Day and my birthday!

This year feels like a big one. Thirty Five. 35.

Thirty Five is the year that your doctor informs you that your fertility is quickly declining and you are becoming of advanced maternal age. I joke, of course, but I have to admit I’m feeling the pressure of aging despite the fact that I also feel in the best physical health of my life. I’m active, I’m running, I’m feeling pretty good! But I’m also struggling with certain things, like a recent diagnosis of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which is causing me to worry about my weight (needlessly, but it is a constant source of anxiety for me) and of course that constant question of whether or not I will (or can) have another baby.

This is a question I never considered. When I finally decided that we would have one child, I thought that would be it. It wasn’t until the last year or so that I really started thinking honestly about having a second. I love my life right now. Isabel is amazing and I can’t imagine life with another one of her running around. I’ve talked a lot about my thoughts on only having one child, but I’ve had some things happen in my personal life lately that have me reconsidering…

Stressing about grown up stuff is no fun… fertility worries, a new car payment, Isabel starting school, plus my usual neuroses has had me all out of sorts.  When I get in these slumps I find it so hard to focus on any specific task. I’ve been in the process of revamping my Grace & Bambi Patterns, two of my very first patterns, but I have had such a hard time just keeping my thought process running in a straight line that it’s taking me much longer than usual. My creativity runs like a fast flowing stream with millions of little tributaries running off in all directions… One thing leads to something else, which leads to another thing, which ends in nothing ever getting done.

So, I’m trying to get back to what I did two years ago, when I was in one of the deepest depths of my depression and anxiety… allowing myself time to do the things I like. Making new things when the inspiration hits. Taking pretty pictures. Eating chocolate cake. Picking wildflowers. Making the time to run or do yoga. And writing.

I’m also taking vacation for the first time since Isabel was born (she’s almost 4!). We’re going camping, just for two nights, but I’m looking forward to disconnecting and spending a few days in the woods.

And of course I’m running my annual Birthday Sale! Pretty much everything is 20% off. No coupon necessary in my Etsy Shops, but you can use coupon code Birthday20 to purchase patterns directly on my website. Sale ends July 4th!

One of a Kind Sale

Lingerie, New Items, Personal, Sales May 19, 2018

Can I tell you about the difficult month I’ve had? Actually, it’s been a couple of months. First, our roof leaked which led to a huge unexpected home repair. Always stressful right?

I don’t talk about this much, but I have a brother who has had some pretty serious struggles with addiction and lately things have been very stressful with him. Anyone who has loved someone with an addiction will know how hard it is. I don’t want to get into details, but all I want to say is my heart hurts and it is a constant roller coaster ride and it takes up a lot of my emotional energy worrying about him (and my parents).

I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago that found some sort of “mass” on my uterus, so that’s fun. I’m sure it’s nothing but of course my brain goes to the worst case scenario. Bodies are the worst, right?

Then, we had a huge wind storm that knocked a gigantic, and I mean GIGANTIC tree down. It actually lifted up right from the roots. Luckily it ended up falling onto another tree just before landing on our brand new, very expensive roof. Nevertheless, cutting it down wasn’t a job that we could do… So we had a tree guy come out, who spent half the day slowly removing it. But we were left with a lot of wood which we’ve spent the last few weeks chopping, stacking, and trying to desperately give away! We have enough for bon fires for ages… On the bright side, I do like roasted marshmallows and now my backyard gets a lot more sun!

In the midst of this, we bought a car. “Old Goldie” as we affectionately called our 2002 Honda CR-V, was on her last legs and we knew it was just a matter of time before she literally fell apart (oh the rust). So we found a good deal on a new car, less than a decade old which for us is like living in the future. Gosh, this car is beautiful. However, driving back from puppy class last week it stalled on the highway and refused to start. I was stuck on the side of the highway with an overtired 3 year old and a wound-up puppy. Turns out, somehow a teeny tiny piece of cigarette foil (ugh… cigarettes. Could they be any worse?) got stuck where the engine air filter should have been (oops) and caused some kind of problem that Dan explained to be very calmly. Anyway, at the end of the day my genius husband (who is a mechanic) fixed it and saved us a tow. But it was stressful after the couple of weeks I’ve had.

So… I’ve been stressed.  Ahh… It actually feels good just to let that all out.

I also have a ton of projects that are half started that I need to focus on and complete. I often have so many ideas and I get so excited about each of them that I start them, move on, then never finish them. Right now I’ve got 4 patterns on the go, a really exciting collaboration with another lingerie designer in the works, another top secret project, an art project… all of them started, none of them completed. Oh yeah, and I guess I better file my taxes (again, started that, but never finished). As much as I enjoy starting these projects (not taxes), it stresses me out having so many things half done. Why do I do this to myself?

I did manage to almost complete a couple of things. I posted about my Supply De-Stash yesterday. So many things have already sold out! Thank you every one who visited the sale, I hope you found something special and I can’t wait to see how you use them!

The other thing I’ve almost completed is a One of a Kind Lingerie (and more) Sale! I’ve been wanting to list these pieces for a while. Some of them I’m having a hard time with the idea of letting go, particularly the pastel satin set, but these one of a kind pieces deserve to be loved and worn, not just tucked away in a box.

A couple years ago, my friend Susie was trying out selling some items in her salon. I made up a few pouches and make-up bags, and I had a few left over so I’ll be posting those soon. I kept a few for myself and Isabel to use as pencil cases, but I’ve got more pouches than I can use. I really love these!

Some of my one of a kind pieces are prototypes, others are custom orders that I realized before shipping to the customer that I made them wrong. Oops. This is something my scatter brain does way too often than I’d like to admit. I just get so excited to jump in that I sometimes overlook details… the bra below was one of those oopsies. It was supposed to have black lace…

Other pieces, like this harness, are pieces that just didn’t quite make the cut into a collection. I also have a couple of slightly flawed pieces.  Every once and a while I’ll finish a bra or a sleep mask then promptly cut a hole in the lining… sigh…

Here’s to pretty new lingerie, and hopefully some better luck for me (pretty, pretty please). Although I woke up this morning to find a puddle of water under my fridge… so if you need me, I may be out fridge shopping…

Shop the One of a Kind (and More) Sale HERE!

Supply De-stash

Lingerie, Sales, Sewing Patterns May 18, 2018

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while… I’m having a supply de-stash in my Etsy Pattern Shop!

I’ve been in the lingerie-making business for EIGHT years. It’s actually hard to believe! It feels like just yesterday I was working two jobs, desperately hoping (and working my butt off) for Ohhh Lulu to catch on…

Over those eight years I’ve bought a lot of supplies. I live in a small town, so I do most of my supply shopping online. Sometimes I buy things that aren’t quite what I needed. I usually throw those into a box and wait and see if the need for them arrises…

I finally decided to go through that box. This is just a small selection of what I have! If I have the time and energy, I may post some more.

I had a lot of fun photographing these items! Lately I’ve really gotten into UV Resin crafting, creating glittery faux-crystals (I’m actually prototyping some pattern weights), and I had fun using them in the background…

I posted all of these things last night and I know a few have already sold out, so get ’em while you can!

You can shop my supply de-stash HERE.

Oh, and one last thing! To celebrate the long weekend, I’m offering 15% off all PDF sewing patterns! Offer expires on Monday, May 21, Midnight. Discounts are already applied in my Etsy shop, but you can use coupon code LongWeekend15 if shopping directly here!

This weekend, sleep masks ship free!

Anxiety, Lingerie, Sales April 19, 2018

Some of you might remember me talking about my struggles with insomnia. It was really something that was brought about by my uncontrolled anxiety but I had dealt with it for so long that I just figured it was the hand I had been dealt.

I still hate using the word “anxiety” to describe what I was going through for most of my life. It wasn’t just that feeling you have before a job interview, it was the feeling like someone was going to die imminently and I had to prepare in every possible way to prevent catastrophe from happening. It was also visualizing those things happening, with absolutely no control… and worst of all, it was dreaming about all of those terrible things happening. You know when people casually say, “what’s the worst that could happen?” Well, let me tell you, because I’ve thought of every possible terrible scenario! Ha!

The wonderful thing about realizing that this wasn’t a normal state of being, was realizing that I could get help, and that I could stop feeling that way. One of the best things about getting help is finally being able to sleep. I still have the occasional nightmare and sleepless night, but these days my sleeplessness is usually brought on by dog farts or a screaming 3 year old.

All of that being said, I’m still tired! Isabel is not a good sleeper, and I’m usually the one who gets up with her. Just last night we were up at midnight, at 3, at 4, and finally at ten to six. And this is after a busy day at work/daycare, regular mom/life stuff, and swimming lessons, which I have to participate in!

I was thinking… with Mother’s Day approaching, what would I really like to receive? Well a day at the spa and a massage would be amazing, but even just the opportunity to sleep would be pure perfection.

So, I thought I’d try to pass it on. I’m offering Free Shipping on all sleep masks ordered between April 19-22. 

I’ve been making sleep masks for a few years now, and through trial and error and customer feedback, I think I’ve developed the perfect mask. You now have the choice between 100% silk or cotton lining in either black or ivory. All masks come with two internal layers of soft cotton batting, and a secret layer of black cotton for extra light protection.

You can shop through all of my sleep masks Here.

And, if you’re more keen to make your own, check out my free Kitty Sleep Mask Pattern and Clara Pattern!

 

 

Black Friday Sale is ON!

Sales November 24, 2017

Today is the day! I’m launching a Black Friday sale that will end on Monday, November 27th 11:59PM.

I’m offering 20% off everything (excluding some custom orders) in my lingerie shop, PLUS free shipping when you spend over $200USD.

In my sewing pattern shop, I’m offering 10%-25% off depending on the total value of your order!

All discounts will be applied at checkout, so there is no need for a coupon code. Sales are valid ONLY in my Etsy shops!!!

I know I told myself I would not, could not, would not allow myself to buy any fabric… but I’ve got my eye out for some nice pastel felt for making some christmas stuffies for the daycare kids, plus I already spent a small fortune at fabric.com yesterday (cringe… I did not need half the stuff I bought!).  What are you stocking up on this Black Friday?