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Peony

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 Last year I planted three peony bushes.  My mom separated parts of hers to give me – one of them came from my great grandmother! I haven’t gotten any blooms off mine yet, so I went out and bought myself a small bouquet last week… they are so pretty, one of my favourite flowers.

I am just about to head out camping for the rest of the week. I am hoping for good weather, though we might get a lot of rain! Oh well, it would be an excuse to put my feet up and read a good book…

Basic Black Organic Cotton Bralette

 This Basic Black Bralette is what’s getting me through my pregnancy.  It’s so light and soft, yet pretty at the same time.  I wear a lot of black, so it’s perfect for under my everyday clothes….

Basic Black Organic Cotton Lingerie Set – My personal favourite.

Oceanic Sheer Bra & Panties Set

Catnap Sleep Mask
Cheetah Mesh Longline Bralette and Panties

Natural Unbleached Organic Cotton Bra

Natural Unbleached Organic Cotton Lingerie Set

Lush Neon Longline Bralette – a little something different!

Nightshade Triangle Bra – another favourite
White Eyelet Sleep Mask
Vagabond Bikini Cut Panties
Forty Winks Polka Dot Sleep Mask

Picnic

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Summer is so short in Canada… at least where I live (only in central Ontario!!).  So, we try to make the most of it.  I love summertime activities, like camping, hiking and picnic’s.  I came across this red gingham cotton jersey a while back and was inspired to shoot a mini picnic-themed collection.  I love the gingham set! It’s so Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island (I was always more of a Mary Ann than a Ginger).
I had a lot of fun photographing these items.  I hauled my picnic basket out to the back yard, bought some yummy pastries (and got to eat them afterwards!), and laid a vintage tablecloth.  It turned out really pretty!
Dan and I are heading camping tomorrow.  Camping over my birthday seems to be our new tradition. I can’t wait to get away! 
Today we’re off to Ikea to pick up furniture for the baby’s room.  Dan put up the first coat of paint in the baby’s room yesterday, and hopefully will finish today.  It looks so bright and fresh now.  I will feel good to finally have a few things prepared for when the baby comes.  I feel like the last half of this pregnancy is going way faster than the first half!

‘Picnic’ Lingerie Set
Gingham Panties

Strawberry Shortcake Bra

Strawberry Shortcake Set

Lemonade Floral Bra

Lemonade Floral Lingerie Set

Holy Crap!

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I took this picture last night. I’m 23 weeks. I swear, the camera adds a few (several?) inches! Being pregnant is so weird. There’s really no other way to describe it.  So far, everything is going pretty well (*knock on wood*). I feel great, aside from some aches and pains and a minor case of absent-mindedness. Based on the size of my stomach and the kung-fu kicks that are going on inside, I’d say baby is also doing well.  That doesn’t stop me from being nervous though… I’m still so afraid something might happen and ever doctor’s appointment and ultrasound comes with a huge amount of tension then a big sigh of relieve when I see and hear that little heart beating. At my last ultrasound appointment, we found out that we will be having a baby girl (pretty sure! she was very squirmy and didn’t stay still very long). We have picked out names, and will be naming her after both of our grandmother’s.
I’m uncharacteristically relaxed about actually looking after the baby. I don’t know if that’s me being naive, or the result of some kind of hormonal free for all going on inside of my body.  I just feel like I will somehow make it work with, you know, common sense, moderation and patience. I’ve read some message boards and blog posts about mother’s who are disappointed when motherhood doesn’t turn out to be exactly how they imagined.  The upside of never having imagined myself as a mother is, I wont have to deal with that! I have absolutely no idea what to expect.  On the flipside, I have absolutely no idea what to expect… In the wise words of my husband, “Don’t worry… it will be FINE!” (Me: “What’s that weird noise the car is making?” Dan: “Don’t worry… it will be FINE!”. Me: “I think you should check on the grilled cheese sandwich you’re cooking, it appears to be burning.” Dan: “Don’t worry… it will be FINE!”)
As the due date slowly approaches, I am starting to get a little anxious about the things we need to do to prepare.  Like, how the hell do you pick out a stroller? Is the $800 stroller really better than the $200 version? Why does a play pen have to come with so many attachments? Do they even call them play pens any more? Why are there so many cloth diaper options? It’s just a poop catcher! (I am making flat diapers.. it it was good enough for me, it’s good enough for my baby!)  Someone is making a mint off of new parents, that’s for sure.
Mostly, I am just thinking about getting the room done right now (ie. the fun part).  We spent the last few weekends sorting through boxes in the basement and spare room, and getting rid of furniture and things we no longer needed to make some extra space. 
I’ve had a hard time finding baby room ideas I like. I’m not so into cutesy baby things, but between Etsy and Pinterest I found a general colour scheme and some art and ideas I like.  I’m hoping we can get it painted soon, then work on furnishing it… 
Butterfly Art Print by Susannah Tucker , Fabric swatch via Fabricworm, Framed Deer Print by Burrowing Home,  Colour Palette via Design Seeds, Cloud Shelf by Shop Littles, Felt Cloud Mobiles by Shop Kiddo, Polka Dot Fabric via Fabricworm

Success

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Something that’s been on my mind lately, is the idea of ‘Success.’  
Success is being able to spend most of my time with Oliver!
I had the opportunity this winter to take my business in a different direction than what I’ve been doing now, by expanding into a much larger retail market. It would have required me to outsource labour and change the model of my business.  I hmm’d and haw’d over it for a long time, and finally decided that direction wasn’t for me.  When I mentioned this to someone, I got a surprising response.  “So, it sounds like you don’t want to be successful.”
Obviously, I was a little taken aback by that response.  
I am so grateful for my parents. They taught me so many important things.  One of the first thing they taught me, is to always speak my mind.  Speak it in a polite manner, but always speak it because what I have to say matters.  So, I told that person that they were wrong.
The second thing my parents taught me is that success isn’t defined by the amount of money you make, the newness of your car, the brand of jeans you wear, the size of your house, but by the feeling you get at the end of the day.
A weeks worth of orders cut and ready to be stitched
So, this got me to thinking about how success is defined in terms of Ohhh Lulu… A large corporate entity and billions of dollars does not equal success to me. Okay, I’m not going to lie, a billion dollars would be super awesome. But, I currently do not feel in want or need of anything.
A larger business to me, is not necessarily more of a success, and in fact, I feel like it would take away part of what makes my business different. As it stands now, I get to work one-on-one with people from around the world.  I get to make them pretty things.  I get to offer something different, because I can customize and personalize things as people wish. Every day, I get to take a piece of cloth, and stitch it into something unique and beautiful with my own two hands! To me, there is nothing better than that.  Talking on the phone all day to suppliers and manufacturers and negotiating wholesale rates sounds like the worst day to me.  On the other hand, making stuff all day is a dream come true. And if success is that feeling you get at the end of the day, I guess I feel pretty successful. 
Going forward with Ohhh Lulu, I’d love to be able to hire a person or two within my own community to help me increase production.  I would also like to expand into some smaller boutiques, especially within Canada.  But, seeing Ohhh Lulu at Your Major Department Store isn’t something that I want for my brand.  Being a maker is what makes me happy, and I don’t want to change that!
Last week I had the opportunity to have a little interview with the ladies from Gallant & Jones.  They run a business out of Vancouver, and make beautiful outdoor furniture.  I talked a bit about what I do and where I see the future of Ohhh Lulu. If you’d like to read more, you can see the full interview Here
A custom set for a lovely summer bride!

Here, there, everywhere!

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This weekend was awesome! It was hot, sunny, beautiful… I even got a sun burn (not so awesome, but a true sign of summer for this fair-skinned lady).  Dan and I got our yard cleaned up. It is slowly looking better and better.  In our backyard, we have a rickety old garage that I have mentioned many times before (it is literally falling down).  It had a metal overhang off the back that collapsed under the weight of the snow this winter.  So, we got rid of it, got rid of our pile of dirt and brush that had collected over previous years, re-seeded the lawn, weeded all of the gardens (my job), and repaired some holes in the fence with new lattice.  It looks so much less like hill billies live here now! By Sunday night I was pretty exhausted, but we went out to my parents house and sat in the backyard and we all played fetch with Oliver… he is the best at fetch.

Yesterday was one of those days when I got totally consumed by computer stuff… editing photos, reordering labels, packing supplies (damn! I forgot to order envelopes!),  fabrics, writing up tutorials, sent out quotes, replied to long lingering emails… It feels good to have those things off of my To-Do list, and now I feel like I can really get down to work!

Last month, some of my bras were featured on the blog, Undiegamer.  If you haven’t seen this blog, you need to check it out.  The tag line is “Lightheartedly Loafing in Legitimatly Lovable Lingerie.”  How can you not love that? She also featured some Fortnight pieces in that same post, which is a brand that I’ve been dying to try myself.

So, I have a million orders to try to tackle this week and next, but what I really want to be doing is finishing these damn swimsuits! I also wanted to add some of these hair tie packs to my shop… I make these for my hair and I love them! I have very fine hair that gets tangled around every type of elastic except for these.  Unlike most of the FOE hair elastics, these aren’t just knotted; I sew them together.  I’m kind of obsessed with these things…

Thinking of the Mom’s in my life, present and past.

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Today is Mother’s Day, a day with growing significance for me as my due date approaches and as I spend more and more time with my own Mom. This is a sweet day for those of us who get to spend time with our Mom’s, but a sad day for those of us who no longer have her on our lives… I was browsing through some photos that I prepared for our wedding, and came across this snapshot of  my amazing Mom & Me playing in the backyard.  I must be about 1 here, and my mom would be about my age.  Gosh, we are cute! 

I’ve been kind of quite lately, partly due to being very busy but also because I am afraid that this blog will turn into one of those annoying pregnancy blogs (do they annoy you as much as they annoy me?). I will say that everything seems to be progressing well.  My belly sticks out now, which is weird for me, and I am feeling some pretty solid kicks in the lower right hand side of my belly which is a very strange feeling.  On May 28th, Dan and I are hoping to find out if baby is a boy or a girl and then we will start preparing the babys room. I’m always excited about a decorating project!  As things get farther along, my house is starting to feel smaller and smaller.  We’ve been looking at houses but haven’t come across anything larger in a price that we can justify.  I love this house.  I have a feeling we’ll be figuring out a way to add on somehow…

This weekend has been the first really nice weekend of the “summer” (it’s not quite summer yet, but it feels like it today!). We cleaned up our front yard and gardens yesterday afternoon, and spent the morning downtown browsing through the little art galleries and had pastries at a nice little bakery.  I spent so much time outside I actually got a sun burn! Today we will try to tackle the back gardens and yard, which is a total mess.  The heavy snow from the winter partially collapsed a metal awning extending off the back of our garage. It’s got rusty old nails sticking out of it and is tetanus waiting to happen, so I am hoping that will get taken care of today…

In Lingerie News, my spring collection has sold very, very fast.  I have been maintaining about 60 orders in queue, most of which are for several garments, so as you can imagine it’s taking me a while to work through the backlog! In the meantime, I am STILL slowly working on Swim Patterns & Suits (ag! I feel so slow), as well as a mini summer collection to keep my shop stocked.  You can see the photo that inspired me below.  I’ve got some saturated florals, gingham print jersey, a large strawberry print, and some dainty floral lace on its way!

Image Source: Betty Le Bon Bon

Let’s try this again!

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If you follow me on Instagram you will have already heard the news: I’m trying out that having a baby thing again.  I am currently just entering 14 weeks of pregnancy, and onto my second trimester, and am due October 15.  After having a miscarriage in September, pregnancy has taken on a whole new level of scary (and excitement!).  That being said, everything this time around feels incredibly different, but there is always that nagging thought in the back of your head, ‘what if it happens this time too.’  However, after hearing that wonderful little heartbeat several times, and seeing him or her wriggle and squirm and hiccup on the ultrasound on three different occasions, I’m feeling pretty safe and sound.
My first pregnancy was a bit of a surprise.  As some of you may remember, I was pretty on the fence about having kids, and didn’t have that drive that a lot of future mom’s and dad’s seem to have.  I feel pretty fulfilled in my life, with my business and my marriage and my animals.  Dan always knew kids were something he wanted, which  always worried me because it didn’t seem that cut and dry to me.  I bring this up, because I know there were a lot of you who commented that you had the same feelings.  Even after I lost my first baby, I felt like if it never happened again, I would be ok.  People are so much more complex than our drive to procreate.  However, I can say that as someone who never imagined herself as a mother, growing a little person feels pretty amazing (once you get over the initial fear and occasional queasiness)! A lot of my initial fears and apprehensions about pregnancy, birth, and taking care of the baby went away once I got pregnant.  I blame it on the hormones, but this has definitely been my experience.  Everything feels like it will just be ok somehow.  My husband, on the other hand, is a little more nervous.
The last few months have been weird (but exciting!). It’s weird doing pregnancy twice in such a short period of time, telling family and friends that you are once again pregnant. It’s weird to have a “do-over.” I felt very detached in the beginning but over the last few weeks I’ve been able to “enjoy” pregnancy.  So far, everything seems to be going just right (and I have the belly to show for it too).
Yesterday, I decided I’d let myself finally indulge a bit, and sewed some baby clothes.  I bought the patterns from Brindille & Twig on Etsy. They were so fast and  easy to sew, I think I have a new addiction.  I am anxiously awaiting Mid-May to find out the sex of the baby so I can sew a few more things.  Babies are a great reason to get your craft on!

I wanted to share this news with you because I had so many people reach out to me after I had written about my miscarriage.  It felt so reassuring to hear your stories, and now I am glad to continue on with mine! 

All Over the Place!

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Spring has officially arrived, though you’d never know it if you stepped outside.  Yesterday, we went for a walk in the woods. The trails were pretty hard packed, but every once and a while you’d hit a soft spot and sink up to your knees in the snow.  The constant falling down just made it all the more fun… Regardless of the snow on the ground, it was actually a really nice day and I was grateful to be able to get outside and feel the sun on my face!
“My feet are cold” 🙁
I know you’ve heard this one before, but I am actually ahead on my orders by about 2 weeks.  This is the first time in, oh… 2 years that this has happened? My new collection is selling very fast, which is making me think I might be designing a mini-summer collection, but in the mean time I’ve started working on some swimsuits.  I’ve just drafted this one-piece which I will offer Made to Order and in PDF Pattern format. I’m also going to do mix and match two piece ensemble’s. I had talked about doing a sew along. I might be over-stretching myself a bit by doing a formal sew along, but I am absolutely going to be posting tutorials on how to convert my lingerie patterns to swimwear.
I’ve also been working on “Pattern Hack’s”, including one on how to convert the Jane Bikini Cut Panties pattern into Ruffle Bloomers.  It’s supper easy… I just need to get my act in gear and get the tutorials posted. I’m going to also post tutorials on how to add strapping, how to add padding to my bralette patterns, and how to add scalloped lace to the Grace & Lola Patterns. 
I was super excited to have my Spring/Summer Collection featured on the Lingerie Addict last month.  I have to give a shout out to Cora for supporting indie designers like myself.  If you love lingerie, The Lingerie Addict is a must-read.

Ohhh Lulu S/S2014 on the Lingerie Addict!

It’s been a pretty busy month for me.  My Bambi Bra was featured in the latest issue of Sew News Magazine.  I was thrilled to see this feature!

Lastly, I woke up this morning to find that my Tropical Floral Knickers were featured in the Etsy Women’s Browse section.  So awesome! I love the pastel mix they’ve curated.

So, I’ve kind of been all over the place this last month.  This week is finally a quiet one and I hope to check a few things off my to-do list!

Mix’n’Match

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Thanks, everyone, for the awesome response to my last blog post and the new item’s I’ve launched! 
I finally got everything from my new collection up on Etsy, and things are selling pretty fast!  So, if there is something you’ve had your eye on, I wouldn’t wait too long to get it as it might sell out.  Some of these fabrics are pretty limited. I thought I’d show a few pieces below that mix and match well.  I love mixing and matching prints and textures… 
Yesterday, I also finished putting up a few Sample Sale items.  I’m really trying to clear out old pieces that I was hanging onto for too long. 
Today, I’m going to finally make my way back into the studio.  The first thing I will do is CLEAN.  I worked my butt off last week trying to finish up orders so I could focus on admin-type things for a few days, and left my workspace a disaster. After, I’m going to get a head on a few orders (that feels so good to say!), and (here’s the exciting bit), order swimsuit supplies.  I want to offer a few ready-made swimsuits this summer (and maybe do a sew along using some of my patterns…? yay or nay?).
Mix and Match Bras

Eventide Blue Satin Bra

Mix and Match Hipster Panties

Midnight Blue Velvet

NEW Nautical Three Pack

Nebula Lace-Back Panties

Bon Voyage High Waist Knickers
Eventide Blue Satin Hipsters

Thinking Summer…

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Yesterday it felt like -31° C, but I’m day dreaming about much warmer weather…
I always find this time of year hard, but this winter has been particularly difficult.  We can’t see past the snow banks to pull out of our driveway, temperatures seem to hover around -20° C, the side walks are so icy and lumpy and hard to walk on, the roads have deep grooves in the packed down snow that make it hard to drive… it feels like it’s been snowing since December 1st! At first, the excessive snow was a bit of a novelty, even for this seasoned Canadian, but now it’s just depressing… 
I am really itching to get back out into my garden.  In the meantime, I’ve been making frequent trips to the florist up the road to buy fresh flowers for in my house.  The smell alone is just so uplifting! 
I’ve also been using these flowers as props for the photos of my new items! I am really excited about these pieces.  I’ve gone back to basics with this collection.  The first thing I need to mention is that this collection is huge.  I get tired of sewing the same things and using the same fabrics, so I’ve got a huge variety for myself to work with.  Secondly, I wanted to be able to mix and match a lot of these pieces.  Third, I did a lot of thinking about what Ohhh Lulu meant to me when I started it back in 2010.  I remember clearly, sitting in Dan’s cramped, wood-panelled living room, and telling him how I pictured Ohhh Lulu.  The thing that I wanted Ohhh Lulu to capture is how beautiful you can feel when you are wearing the simplest garments that show off your natural shape.  I don’t know about you, but there are days when I roll out of bed and my hair is a glorious mess, and the sun hits me at just the right angle, and I’m just wearing a simple tank top and panties, and I feel like the most beautiful person in the world! That is what I want to capture, that relaxed and natural state of beauty. Something I struggle with in my personal life as well as in my “designer” life is doing what I want to do as opposed to what I think other people want me to do. I kind of feel like I veered off course a bit… not that I am not happy with what I’ve done, but I feel like these pieces are really “me.” I made a point of just makings things I like and that I want to wear (and that I am frequently wearing!).
One thing I do whenever I design a new collection is think of a loose theme… often a place or an era and how that makes me feel. Capturing a mood or a feeling through my lingerie is something that is important to me, and I hope comes through in my designs! I’ve been thinking a lot about morning and the sky, and how that is my favourite time of day.  One of my favourite memories is from my honeymoon.  We camped for a week, and got up bright and early each morning.  We would walk down to the lake and sit on the dock, listening to loons and watching the sun rise.  Then, we would do the same in the evening and watch the sun go down.  If you haven’t stopped to watch a sunrise and sunset, you need to do it ASAP because it is one of the most amazing feelings in the world.
Inspiration: Untitled Photo by Angela d’Avignon, Clouds via Pinterest, Flowers via Pinterest, Sky at Dusk via Pinterest, Beach via Tumblr. As for the lingerie, you can find it in my shop!
I’ve been slowly posting new items in my Etsy Shop.  I have to say, I am personally wearing a lot of these pieces day to day.  I have a couple of new styles, with my favourite being the longline bralettes, like the one show below in midnight blue velvet.
Midnight Velvet Lingerie Set

I also am doing triangle bras (yes, the bra below is a hack of my Brigette Triangle Bra Pattern, and showing you how to do this is on my To Do List!).  I’m a fairly busty lady, and I have to say, I’ve been wearing nothing but the long line, triangle, and cross-over wrap bra for the last few months. I try to put on an underwire bra and I just can’t make it through the day.  I get quite a few messages asking if I do underwire bras, and the answer is, “no, and I don’t plan to.” First of all, there are plenty of nice underwire bras out there in a variety of price points points and styles.  If you disagree, just hop over to Figleaves and try to tell me you can’t find something you like!  But most of all, I really like the shape that a soft bra gives.  Most people are used to the super round, bowling ball shape that foam push-up bras give, and while that is all fine and good and has it’s place, there is also a place for a comfortable bra that feels like you’re wearing nothing at all.  I have to say, the natural shape and curve of the bust, waist, and hip is just so pretty… why not show it off? A soft bra provides a bit of support while still showing off your natural curves.  One thing I will say is if you have exclusively worn underwired, padded bras your whole life like I had, switching to a soft bra does feel strange (kind of like you’re half naked), but for me, it’s hard to go back to the bowling ball boob look.

Tropical Floral Lingerie Set

 The other thing that was really important to me when I started Ohhh Lulu was trying to represent a realistic body type.  I don’t think I’ve always been successful at this, and the longer I run this business, I realize how hard it is to try to represent everyone.  My resources are minimal and models and photo shoots are costly. Some models and photographers will work on trade, but there is still the time and cost involved in preparing and sending samples…  When I first started Ohhh Lulu, I thought I’d use myself as a model. I’m petite, but otherwise a fairly average person (ie. I certainly don’t have thigh gap). I soon found that modelling/taking photos is not as easy as one might think and that it is also extremely time consuming.  However, I think there is some merit in seeing clothes on your “Average Josephine.”  I really do wish I had the resources to represent multiple body types, skin tones, aesthetics, etc, but as a DIY shop owner, it’s really hard… way harder than I thought it would be! There is a lot of pressure and competition to have the right look… I was spending so much time worrying about my photos and stressing that I wasn’t living up to the competition that I feel like my designs suffered. So, I said “Screw it!” and I diy’ed it.  I still plan on doing some professional photos down the road, but as I said earlier, I’m going back to basics.  I am a DIY’er.  DIY is what I do! DIY is what Ohhh Lulu is all about. All the power to the DIY’ers!

Black Satin Basics

 So, I’m pretty happy (despite this miserable weather). In the past year or so I found it really hard not to compare myself and feel a sense of competition with other businesses, and I really hated that feeling.  Of course, I want to run a successful business and be the best that I can be, but most importantly, I want it to be fun.  For a while, it wasn’t so fun… it was really stressful! I was trying to run my business the way I saw others run theirs… and that’s not for me. Like a lot of creative-types, I’m highly self critical.  I looked at what everyone else was doing, everyone else looks so professional and like they’ve got it all figured out.  I needed to remind myself that what I do is for me, not for the approval of anyone else (but in the hopes that other people will share my passion).  I am glad I was able to take a step back and concentrate on what’s really important… Pretty lingerie!!!

Black Satin Basics