A New Year

Happy new year, everyone!

We spent the holiday celebrating on the coast, and by celebrating I mean drinking wine, reading, watching Animal Planet and falling asleep before midnight.  Party animals we are not.

The view from our window

Though, waking up without a hangover to a sunny morning on the coast is a beautiful day to start the new year.  I was hoping to spot a whale, it being "whale week",  from our windows overlooking the ocean at the Ester Lee but no whales did we see, though dozens of sea lions were frolicking in the surf.

Today is also the 5 year anniversary of the day I opened my Etsy shop, so I had something more to celebrate as well.   Five years on and I'm still excited to get to my sewing machine every day and make something new.  Thanks to all my lovely customers that have supported me through the years!  I could not have done it without you.

We ended our getaway by watching the sunset at Cape Overlook, a beautiful ending to a wonderful day and a pretty good start to 2014.

Gifted at ADX

Hello lovely people!

Come visit me this weekend at the Gifted holiday show at ADX in Portland on Friday evening and all day Saturday.  I'm bringing clothes as well as cozy earflap hats.

It's gonna be fun!

Velvet (and corduroy) Goldmine

As you may have noticed in my shop, I love making one of a kind garments.  Part of that comes from keeping things interesting....churning out identical pieces of clothing seems like the most boring thing in the world to me.  Also, I love that my customers aren't likely to run into any one else wearing their Love To Love You skirt, so you are sure to look unique in a world full of identical shirts and jeans from Target.

One of my favorite activities is sourcing my fabrics.  I recently moved three blocks away from a Value Village and a ten minute walk to JoAnn's Fabrics.  However, my favorite place to score fabrics in Portland is Knitt'n Kitten where I always walk out with a heaping bag full of fabrics.  Never been?  It's fabric nirvana for vintage fabric junkies like me and also has tons of yarn for knitters, too.  And, it's cheap.

Ethel also hand dyes ric rac and ribbons

They also sell vintage buttons in all shapes and sizes, as well as glass buttons from Prague

Here are some garments I've made from my recent Knitt'n Kitten scores...

They also have an Etsy shop, too, if you would like to do some browsing from afar and they take photos of their recent acquisitions on their Facebook page.  Rome and Ethel are lovely ladies, so you should stop in any say hi and tell that that Loni sent you.  Just don't take all the good stuff!

Now selling at Mag-Big

There is a great little maker's shop on Hawthorne called Mag-Big that I've been drooling over for the last few years.  It's the shop I would want to have, if I had a brick and mortar store.  If you love handmade and have stepped foot in Portland you have probably found your way to Mag-Big, but if not, what are you waiting for?  I've been dreaming of seeing Love To Love You on their racks and the time has come.  I have something in every size at the moments, so if you like to try before you buy, here is your chance.

I'm also about to send a fresh shipment to Sassafras in Seattle which be on the racks within a week, if you happen to live further up the road.

Funny....I just realized that their logos are quite similar.  I must be drawn to the turquoise orbs....

With Fall Comes Change

I've always been one to embrace change, whether it be as minor as a haircut or as major as a move across the U.S., I find a change is always a breath of fresh air and a good way get out of a rut.  This last month has been an onslaught of change and activity which has me feeling great, if not a bit overwhelmed.

I'm envisioning a fresh coat of yellow pain and lots of flowers....

First of all, I am  now a homeowner, a day I was not sure I would see.  Dewey and I just bought a cute little bungalow built 102 years ago.  It charmed us at first sight, though it's definitely a fixer.  The worst part of buying of the house was moving all the things that we had managed to accumulate in the last seven years of living at our rental house.  I had boxes that I had not even unpacked from my last move. The best part is painting and decorating and making it our own, which I'm sure will keep us busy for years to come.  I'm planning on taking some carpentry classes this coming year in hopes of becoming a somewhat handy(wo)man.

Also, I have taken over the biggest room in the house for my new sewing studio.  I'm still stuck in the basement, but this one has four windows that open and decent lighting and plenty of room for all the fabric I have amassed in the last few years.

Slinging books at Powells
Taken by Scott Ryan- coworker
and photographer extraordinaire 

I also just worked my last day at Powells yesterday which means that I will be dedicating all my time and energy to Love To Love You, which I am very excited about.  I'm looking forward to having more time to flesh out new ideas, grow as a designer and finally learn how to use my serger.  I'm also planning on opening a vintage shop on Etsy as well since I have amassed a good amount of dresses that I will never have the occasion to wear.  This also gives me an excuse to thrift shop, since it is one of my favorite activities.  To get paid to shop is my other dream job.

Finally, I am going to Europe in just a few days with Dewey, on his Plankton Wat tour for three glorious weeks.  I'm so excited as it has been 12 years since I was last there.  I'll be sure to post some photos upon my return...hopefully of more than the inside of of music venues and a rental car.   Just days after my return I will be heading back out on a long weekend to Detroit for my yearly college roommate reunion.   After that it will be time to hunker down and sew and get to fixing up my new home as the rains come.  For the first time in my Portland life I am welcoming fall with open arms.

Handmade with Love

I got a package in the mail yesterday with this cute printed label....

My stepdad, Don, retired a few years ago.  Though he has always been a handy man, he found found his artistic side when he had more time on his hands.  It started with a wooden cutout of a fish that he crafted and then painted quite beautifully.  The fish turned out so well that he ended up making dozens, and then came bird paintings and other critters, too.  Now he successfully sells them in a handmade goods shop in downtown Brevard, NC where he and my mom live.  I've been so impressed with his success.  My mom is a wonderful painter as well, so they have quite the little art studio going at the moment.

His latest creative venture made it to me yesterday.  He and my mom crafted and stained dozens of buttons for me to used on my clothing in various sizes and stains.  Check out my goodies....

And that's only half of them!

I'm so excited to put them to use.  Thanks Don and Mom!

Channeling Nudie Cohn

I'm a big fan of Nudie Cohn, the Rodeo Tailor and man behind the Nudie Suit (no, it's not a "birthday"suit).  Not familiar with him?  Then you can read about him here.  You've most likely seen some of his work, having dressed many celebrities and musicians.

Nudie and Graham Parsons

Flying Burrito Brothers

The King

Dolly

Sir Elton John

  So, I was thrilled when Dewey's coworker asked him if I would be willing to embellish a vintage western suit that he had purchased, in the style of Nudie.   He supplied with with the drawings, and this is how it turned out....

The pants are embellished too, though I have no photos of them.  They have the same bone and diamond embroidery as the arms of the jacket.  Rick performs in a country western band, so I can't wait to be able to see him action in his suit.  I'll be sure to post some photos!