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What we wore… Antique Clothing Collection.

Uncategorized December 4, 2011
As you may have gathered -I love vintage clothing and textiles, but even more than that, I love antique clothing and textiles.
I have finally gotten around to photographing some of the items in my very small collection. The unfortunate thing about pre 1940’s clothing is that alot of it is made of silk or fine cotton… which just does not stand the test of time. I want to make sure I keep a record of what I have so I will have a reminder even after the silk is too brittle to touch….
These are both gifts from Dan’s grandmother. The black collar is Victorian or Edwardian and is hand stitched. It is not finished, and I wonder if this was to become part of a top or whether it was meant to be just a separate collar. I think the shape is really unusual, and the lace is absolutely beautiful. I love the appliqué down the front.

This bolero came with the collar but I’m not sure that it is as old. It is stunning and in excellent condition. It is very tiny and just fits my small shoulders. This is one of my favourite items…

Handmade Histories…

Uncategorized December 4, 2011
Dan’s grandmother’s house was full of treasures. My mother-in-law packed 3 large bags full of hankies, silk scarves, hand trimmed cotton pillow cases, handmade doilies and some silk babies clothes. I love all of these little handmade and sentimental items.

I sorted through them last week and found some real treasures, and so many silk hankies!

Many of these were embroidered and tatted or crocheted by Dan’s great-aunt and Dan’s Grandmother. I really love these items… even though I never got to meet these people, having these precious items makes me feel close to them.
Among some of the items were little silk baby dresses and a small silk bonnet and cotton bib that belonged to Dan’s mom and Dan’s uncle. They are so precious, I love them dearly!


Please, please, pleeeeeeease!

Uncategorized December 4, 2011
House hunting has been the biggest roller coaster ride of my life. It seems like there is a constantly a new surprise around ever corner… Today we got to experience our first Home Inspection.

The home inspector was amazing, way more thorough than I had anticipated, and hardly found any serious issues with the house… considering its age I was expecting some major problems. I would 100% recommend to anyone buying a home, to have a home inspection. I actually feel reassured knowing that there aren’t many huge problems with the house. I was happy to find out we have a new roof, new shingles, a new furnace, a solid foundation and updated plumbing.
However, we did find one very pressing “issue;” Knob and Tube wiring connected to the “new” electrical panel. As far as we can tell it looks like there is just a small amount of this wiring which will need to be replaced to bring it to code and make it insurable… but we can only see what is visible in the basement. We are now rushing to find an electrician who can do an inspection and give us a quote on a Sunday so that we can get our insurance quite and have the financing finalized. I can’t wait until this is over and paint colours and floor plans become my biggest worry… I would love to hear other peoples experience with this type of wiring. I am expecting this to be a very costly repair (expecting the worst and hoping for the best), even with the upgrades that have been done, but feel like it would be worth it for the amount we love the house and the condition the house is in.
So, if all goes as planned and we are able to get the wiring fixed (and hopefully the price of the house adjusted accordingly…), we should be moving at the end of the month. But, we all know from the very important lesson learned from House #1: until you are actually in the house, anything could happen! So I am doing my very, very best to NOT GET EXCITED.
But I’m not doing a very good job… I’m already day dreaming and mentally planning everything out. Fantasying about having places to put all of our stuff… Yearning for a backyard for Oliver to run in (However small it may be…)
The house itself is quite unusual; I passed it by so many times because, well, it looks kind of weird. It has a Gambrel Roof, which you don’t see a lot of in this town. It is half brick and half white stucco & board. It has a little bit of everything going on; one Dormer that creates the cutest little window seat in the stairway, oversized wood moulding around doorways and windows, pale wood floors, and the largest bathroom I have ever seen – complete with an avacado green bath tub. But a Bath Tub all the same! Oh…. to have a bath… The more and more time I spend in the house, the more and more I fall in love with it – even the wood panelling.
After looking at 20 homes or so (we have literally looked at every house in our price range in town that does not have a serious structural issue), I feel like we are really making a good choice. I’d even go as far as to say that this might just be my dream house. We put offers on a total of 5 houses:
1. The DIY house – which has sideways light switches installed in the trim around a door, the electrical pannel was behind the kitchen cupboards, and had two bathrooms side by side…
2. The Red Roof House – my second favourite house; it had lost of character but sold for over asking…
3. That 70’s House – in hindsight I don’t know why we put an offer on this one…
4. The ‘Estate Sale’ House – the sellers took a week to respond to our offer (6 days beyond our deadline date!!!)… and countered with more than double the deposit and not a dollar lower than asking. Not surprisingly, that house is still for sale, despite another offer being put on it.
So, necessary renovations aside, I am still so happy (and nervous) and looking forward to getting all of this unfun stuff out of the way! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
On that note – if all goes well I will be closing shop around Christmas and re-opening Mid-January 🙂

Sick in Bed…

Uncategorized November 28, 2011


I had an incredibly productive weekend… followed by a horrible migraine and upset stomach that kicked in moment I woke up this morning. I did something I haven’t done in over a year – I slept in until 11am! I sat in front of my sewing machine for a few minutes before making my way over to the couch where I plan on spending the rest of my day, with Oliver by my side, a cup of hot Chai tea in front of me, some documentaries on the TV, and some knitting in my hand. I love Ohhh Lulu so much I forget that sometimes I need to stop… and rest. So this is a good chance to do so.

I looked at 2 more houses over the weekend (we are up to 20 now). The first was an open house up the street. The house had some serious issues – needed to be jacked up in the basement to fix some sloping floors, had no appliances, a needed a bathroom gut-job, and the garage looked like it might fall down any day now. However, it had some great features and was relatively inexpensive (relatively still being $165,000) – a fireplace that could be converted to gas, a gorgeous 1920’s wood banister, beautiful foyer, lots of space, huge bathroom, beautiful wood trim, and a window seat in the staircase. The second house I looked at was about… one hundred thousand dollars more than what we can afford, but we went to the open house anyway “just to see how the other half lived.” It was nice, and put every house I’ve looked at to shame… I left regretting looking at that house.
Anyway… In more exciting news:
I’m giving away a NEW design on Leelala.net tomorrow! Stay tuned for more details tomorrow. Good Luck!

How To: French Tacks

Uncategorized November 27, 2011


Do you use French Tacks to secure your lining to your fabric, or to make belt loops. I had never done a french tack before I went to college – but it is a great way to stop a lining from shifting during wear, and a look I really love for belt loops. You can use ribbon, twill tape, or a machine stitch to do french tacks but I like to do them by hand. If you havent’ done a french tack before, here’s how I do them:
1. Start by double threading a needle, so you have a total of 4 threads (2 going through the eye, doubled). Knot your end, and thread it through your fabric – I’m making a sash loop in this picture.

2. Thread the needle through the fabric again forming a loose loop about 2-3 inches in diameter (big enough for your fingers to fit through plus some!).

3. Put your fingers into the loop, and grab the thread – pull another loop through the original loop, pulling the original loop taught. You’re beginning to form your chain.

4. Continue pulling loop through loop until your tack is long enough (usually about 1 inch to tack lining in place – do this on each side seam near the hem for skirts and dresses)
5. Secure your tack by passing your needle through the loop and pulling tight – this will for a knot. You can then join your tack the end point on your fabric or lining. Knot securely.

Accomplished!

Uncategorized November 20, 2011

I have gotten so much sewing done over the last week. I have sewn 21 pairs of panties, 6 bras, and 6 camisoles! 33 Garments and I worked 30 hours and I majorly cleaned/decluttered the apartment! I feel like a superwoman, and now I am ready to collapse onto the couch and watch a little X-Files…. I feel on-top again!
It is always so exciting sending garments out to new customers – kind of feels like Christmas!
I sewed a couple pairs of Every Day Panties for a customer, one in black and the other in white eyelet. I had forgotten about how much I love these undies. They are very comfy and super cute. They can be made out of any cotton solid or print you like, with a coordinating lace waist!
I would really like to stock my own shop with some ready made eyelet Every Day Panties, as well as some plain velvet and cotton floral knickers (sans ruffles or bows)…
Dan and I got out and did a little more house hunting… nothing compares to the house we put an offer in a week ago. I am hoping if it sits for a little while the sellers will be a little more willing to negotiate with us… House hunting has really turned out much more difficult that I had imagined it would be. It is especially frustrating because we were ready to move on June, but because of Dan losing his job we had to put everything on hold… Everything went so smoothly with this house, and this time around it seems to be so much more difficult! But, I am trying to stay positive. The One will come along!



Oh my aching back!

Uncategorized November 18, 2011
Does marathon sewing sessions kill anyone else’s back? I sewed for hours today… and am a few finishing touches away from completing my wholesale order. Just need to sew on labels, snip threads, and finish up two pairs of bloomers.

In between sewing, we put in another offer on a house. The offer went in on Sunday… and just a came back today. We offered about 8% under asking & a quick close.; the house had a wet basement, and horrendously high taxes. We figured it was worth a shot. The counter offer came back at asking price, with more than double deposit. We have walked away from house #4. I feel bad for our Realtor… she has worked so hard for us and things just keep falling through.

FREE Ad Space!

Uncategorized November 17, 2011

I’m doing it again, The first five people to comment will receive a month of free ad space (200 wide x 125 high) on the right hand sidebar of my blog. All I ask from you is that you follow my blog, and give me a quick mention on your blog or facebook page, to help spread the handmade love. I’m excited to help promote your fashion/handmade/lifestyle blog or Etsy Shop! Edit: Please leave your email address in the comment!

I also wanted to let my readers know that I have recently added more pages to my blog, including a Press page where I am liking any articles, interviews, or features on Ohhh Lulu, a Reviews page for customer reviews, and a Blog Page, where (when I have time) I will be adding some of my favorite blogs. If you have mentioned Ohhh Lulu in a post, I’ll be happy to add your link; or if you have really great blog, send me your banner!