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Everything takes me 10000x longer these days.
Isabel is in daycare 4 days a week, but they are relatively short days. It’s nice because she and I still get lots of time together, while still giving me time to focus on work.
I’ve been working on a new pattern collection on and off since… October.  I’ve learned, since Isabel entered our lives, that things need to go at a different pace. I get frustrated sometimes because I have all these ideas and inspiration and motivation, but the time just isn’t there right now. When I feel like that, I always try to remind myself that Isabel will only be little for such a short time, so I’m trying to stay cool with a slower pace of life…
That’s not to say I’m not cramming as much into my work-time as possible!
I’m really excited about this pattern collection because it includes some pieces that outside of my normal drafting comfort zone. I’m still trying to figure out a few complicated bits and pieces for one large pattern, but I’m really getting close to a new collection!

A few kits just landed in the shop…

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Last year I had the opportunity to teach a class at the Design Exchange in Toronto! It was fun and a gigantic learning experience for me. Teaching is something I really enjoy and I hope to do a class again someday.
I had a few kits leftover from the workshop and have just posted them in my Etsy Shop. There are only 3 Fabric/Notion kits and 1 Notions kit! So if you are interested, don’t wait, snatch ’em up now!
Current Kits Available:

Black and Coral Floral

Shop Kits

Seafoam and Champagne Kit

Seafoam and Champagne Kit

Abstract Floral

Abstract Floral

If the demand is there, I’ll make up more kits as I have the time!

Shop all Kits by clicking HERE.

Non-lingerie making!

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Have you ever tried doll-making? I had never really made stuffed toys, besides some witch legs last halloween, but I wanted to try to make Isabel a rag doll.
I wasn’t entirely sure where to start, so I bought a pattern on Etsy from Create Joy Make Stuff. I followed the directions exactly for the body, but decided to do yarn hair instead of felt. I also embroidered on the face, which was a real challenge for me, but I am happy how it turned out! I don’t have a lot of experience with embroidery so I did a lot of stitch ripping.  I found this blog post from Big Little to be really helpful. 

I embroidered a little french knot for a belly button. Isabel is obsessed with belly buttons. She always wants me to show my belly button to everyone in the grocery store…
Anyway, I was SO happy with how the doll turned out that I decided I’d try another toy. This time I kind of made up my own pattern, using the doll pattern as a bit of a jumping point. Since it was Easter, I throught I’d make a bunny doll.

I made the tiniest little underwear set for her to wear, as well as a matching easter dress using a Riley Blake Bunny Print.  I used Heidi & Finn’s Pumpkin Spice pattern for Isabel’s dress. I really love this pattern! I want to make Isabel a ton of these. It has a comfortable loose fit, is easy to sew with three sleeve variations, and looks super adorable!

Bunny’s Top
Isabel’s top
So I’m kind of obsessed with making them matching outfits now. I made a striped replica of a Brindille and Twig Ragland Sleeve Top I made for her earlier in the winter.  
Doll making is almost as addicting as lingerie making!

Ohhh Lulu Pattern Hack: Easy front closure

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I had a customer email me a month or so ago asking for advice on how to add a front closure to one of my bras. She had some mobility issues and wasn’t able to easily get in and out of a back closing bra herself.  Last week I came down with a cold (my second cold of the month, unfair!) and my whole body was aching. Strangely enough, my right hand really ached and I could barely do anything with it! I really felt for this customer who had to deal with aching hands on a daily basis. 
I like this method because it uses a simple G-hook, but you can also use this method with a front clip. I sometimes also like to add a metal ring to the center front of my pull on bras, which uses basically the same steps. 

What you need:
1. Any triangle front bra pattern, like my Josephine, Scarlett (which I have used here), or Brigitte Pattern.
2. Supplies as outlined in the pattern.
3. G-hook or Front Clip

Instructions:

1. Following the pattern instructions, assemble cups and apply elastic around front edge.

2. Beginning at the center front and leaving a 1″ tail, apply the band elastic along the lower edge of the bra. Leave a 1″ tail and the end.

3. Feed one end of the elastic “tail” through the closed end of the G-Hook. Turn elastic towards garment and stitch in place.

4. Wrap the tail on the other side of the bra around the open end of the hook and stitch in place. This creates a small loop to catch the hook into.
Your hook should be upside down at this stage! It will get flipped around soon.
5. Turn the band elastic under and topstitch in place with a wide zig-zag stitch. Make sure to securely backtack at the beginning and end of your stitching line.

6. Finish the garment following the instructions in your pattern.



That’s it! now you have a neatly applied front hook closure! Enjoy!

Being a grown up is stressful…

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Oh man, what a week! And it’s only Wednesday.
I know I hardly get on here anymore. Life is busy. We have done so much around the house; new floors in the kitchen are finally done, things are getting in a state or un-pack-ed-ness, our tumbling chimney has been mostly removed, and we’re starting to plan our living room remodel, which will involve tearing out the old fireplace…
Bye bye broken floor.
On top of all of that fun stuff, we had a major flood in our basement. We had a big melt, followed by an ice storm, followed by more freezing weather, followed by a heavy rainstorm, which caused a drain in the floor to overflow. And when I say overflow, I mean 2-3″ of water covering our entire basement… our basement which houses my studio!  Luckily we were able to remove the water quickly and nothing was seriously damaged. We were lucky. But now we are bracing for another heavy rain and the ground is already so saturated…
And, I’ve been sick. Just a cold, but really just the last thing I need.
I needed to get on here to complain a bit. I feel so guilty complaining because as a whole things are great. Isabel is amazing and funny and healthy. Business is wonderful and I’m busy keeping up with orders and working on new patterns. The house is coming along, and we’re loving our new hometown. I just am looking forward to feeling a little more settled in it and having things a little more tidy. I wish I could figure out how to outsource some of my to-do list. I’d say that is the biggest struggle for me as a business owner. I feel so busy and overwhelmed by my to-do list, and much of it could be outsourced to give me more time, but I don’t even know where to start! I find the whole idea very stressful…

Our house is getting some much needed TLC.

Getting (more) settled

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I’m really starting to feel at home in the new house and I am really loving our new community! It is so welcoming and so very quiet.

We’re slowly working on re-doing the kitchen right now. It’s got the original cabinets, counters and floors. We’re currently waiting on our new flooring to arrive. I can’t wait to get it put down. Our current tile is in rough condition, looks terrible, and is impossible to clean. And as anyone who has bought and renovated an old house, old tile can be made of scary things. I just want it gone.

We had a very hard time deciding what to do about the flooring and eventually decided on vinyl planks. Let’s face it, the carrara marble I really wanted just isn’t in the budget right now (hah! the handmade lingerie business is not that lucrative).  Our house is older and has some lumpy floors and we didn’t want to have to go through the trouble or laying a new subfloor right now, so I think the vinyl will be a cost-effective, durable, and easy way to spruce the place up.

Right now, we’re (actually I am) painting our cabinets, adding new hardware and changing out old light fixtures.  It’s looking good, but the process is so slow. Painting cabinets is so much cheaper than buying new ones, but it isn’t a quick weekend project. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar, plain and simple!! It is a process of removing hardware, washing with TSP, sanding, priming, painting, then waiting several days for the paint to cure. Of course, all of our hardware had years of paint build up on them. If you are going to paint cabinets, please, please, please, remove the hardware first!

If you plan on painting cabinets, prepare for weeks of total chaos

 It’s coming together though! I’ve polished up the old chrome trim along the counter top and we painted the ceiling too.

I’m currently on the look out for some art for the breakfast nook and something interesting to display on the glass shelves in the window above the sink. At my grandmas house she had pretty glass perfume bottles that looked so beautiful in the sunlight. I was thinking of trying to find some antique glass bottles, or possibly some pretty rocks and crystals. I don’t think I’ve ever brought this up before, but I love rocks! Not in a “crystal healing” way but in a “geology is awesome” way. 
I’ve also been working hard trying to clean up our old Heartland Stove. It was/is very, very dirty. I’m very conflicted about this range. I’m sure it was expensive when it was purchased. It is very small. I like the gas cook top (though I burned every grilled cheese I made for the first month). I don’t like the empty space above it.  I miss my old stainless steel, brand new appliances… but I’m getting used to it and I’m really trying to love this stove. I’m struggling trying to figure out how to dress up the space around it. The “hall” to the right of it is a fairly large open space.  We’ve put an Ikea island there for now and plan on putting some shelving above it… Does anyone else have one of these repro ranges? How did you style it? I’m not digging it’s location but it’s the only place that has a gas hook-up.

This house purchase was so stressful and seemed to go on for ages. I can’t remember if I mentioned that when we moved in the previous owner had left so many of their belongings behind – dishes were still in the cupboards, items still in the storage areas, and below our deck is absolutely full of old garbage. We had written a condition in the purchase agreement that the house was to be left empty and “broom” swept. When we received it there was broken glass all over the basement floor, and the front door lock had completely fallen out of the door (hah!). We were told on closing day, by our lawyers office that the previous owner was having a cleaning crew come in that morning, which obviously never happened. We were pretty annoyed to hear that the only recourse was small claims court to cover the cost of junk removal despite the fact that it was in our contract. Our lawyer advised us that it probably wasn’t worth our time pursue. Then just a week ago, I got a random call from our lawyer letting us know they had made an error in calculating our land transfer tax and we immediately owed $700. It was just that one last thing that pushed me over the dissatisfaction edge.

Overall, I was very happy with how the sale of our house went – we left our house mopped, clean and completely vacant, save for a bit of extra flooring and paint. The purchase on the other hand just left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m still happy with the house and am having a lot of fun working on it (dream come true), I always just have a hard time when people don’t follow through on things they say they would do. I always feel like I’m the nice guy who just let’s things slide, but end up with the short end of the stick. I keep reflecting back on how I could have prevented these things, but I guess that’s just the way things go sometimes!

New items… Finally!

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Oh my gosh. Guys, being a mom is hard, hard work. Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally worth the hard, hard work, but readjusting my schedule is an on going learning process.

In January, Isabel started daycare! She goes 3-4 days a week. Her day care provider is amazing. She has so much energy and is just so natural with the kids. Isabel absolutely loves going, which makes me feel really happy about sending her.

So, now that I have more of a regular schedule, I’ve been getting back into the swing of things. This week has been rough though. Isabel was sick for the very first time in her life! It was only a cold, but she had a bit of a fever on Monday and I just hate seeing her sick. All her pep just drained right out of her. So, we had a couple of sleepless nights, and a couple of very long days.  On the bright side, I’m a little ahead of work so that didn’t add much stress to the matter.  I’m very happy to say she is on the mend and much more her smiling, giggly self now.

Anyway, back to business. I’ve added a bunch of new items to  my shop this week and I thought I’d share a few of them with you here!

I’m starting to run dangerously low on My Fleur Romper fabric… I absolutely adore this fabric and didn’t want to let a single scrap go to waste, so I’ve decided to made sleep masks with it as well. I made a few of these cat-ear sleep masks for Changing of the Garnet but wanted to offer them in my shop too!

I’ve got a few “basics” as well as some more fun items…

One of my personal favourites…

I wanted to make a quick note about the peach floral set above – this the item that was chosen in the All’s Fair in Love and Lingerie Giveaway in November, and has been named after the winner, Zoe. I actually made a few of these sets for Changing of the Garnet and kept one of the samples for myself. I seriously can’t get enough of it. I am constantly wanting to do laundry so I can wear it again! The fabric is so light and stretchy and it looks absolutely fantastic on. Every time I wear it I feel like supermodel. My favourite part though is the accent of Rose Gold hardware. Anyway, I just wanted to rave about this set because I really value comfortable underwear and was super happy with how this set turned out. 
And lastly, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while is offer a few super-limited sets using fabrics from indie designers on Spoonflower. I so often get lost in the Spoonflower worm hole and end up losing hours looking at fabrics…  I really enjoy working with new fabrics so I’m buying just 1 or two meter cuts of these specialty prints. They cost a little more than my usual items, but they are truly unique and you will not only be supporting an indie lingerie designer, but also indie fabric designers!

Happy Holidays

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We are finally somewhat settled in our new house!
The move was very stressful and there are so many things that need doing still. Today I had to replace the washing machine and we noticed a leak in one of the bathroom ceilings… that on top of all of the other things we knew we had to do with the house!
But, we are enjoying it. We have so much space and it looks pretty as a post card (though all of our snow has melted).
One of the first things I did was paint and set up my studio. Isabel is starting daycare for a couple days a week in the new year and I wanted to have everything set up so that I could get back into the swing of things right away.  My new sewing space takes up the entire finished basement. I have so much room now, but it has really low ceilings so I had to re-organize all of my fabric storage. It’s fine for me, I’m only 5’1″, but if you’re over 6′ it feels pretty cramped.
We will be very busy over the next couple of months. It feels a little stressful with all of the cash that is flowing out of our hands, but that tends to be the way when you buy a new (old) house. I’m looking forward to making it my own and feeling even more at home.
In the meantime I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays! I hope you all get to spend it with the people you love.

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sewing Pattern Sale!

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Big Sale in my Sewing Pattern Shop!
25% off with coupon code Thankful25.
Code expires Monday night!
Click HERE to shop!
I really wanted to run a sale in my lingerie shop… but Dan informed me that I am crazy. With moving, a teething one year old, and the orders I already have, I guess it would be a little much… So, I apologize about that! I promise I’ll get back to my game soon. Isabel is starting day care soon and I’m excited to get back to my normal work pace.

Lingerie Give Away at All’s Fair in Love and Lingerie

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A few weeks back, Meg from All’s Fair in Love and Lingerie contacted me about doing a really exciting give away. I haven’t done a give away in such a long time because I have been so busy, but this was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up.

I also was able to meet Meg in person at the Lingerie Making workshop I did in Toronto recently. It was SO nice to meet another lingerie lover, and I only wish I had more time to spend with her…

So, here’s the details. Head on over to All’s Fair in Love and Lingerie and enter the give away. The winner will be able to choose 1 of 3 sets, yet to hit my shop, and the set will be named after the winner! Here’s a chance to go down in Ohhh Lulu Lingerie History!