New Contract

Yesterday, April 22nd I got an appointment with the boutique manager in her office. As the boutique in Genève was closed, and they've moved to Lausanne, Vevey and Yverdon, the meeting took place in the company office (Démarche - Artraction) in Charmilles area.

I've never been there before, and I drove all the way from Nyon to Genève in the morning. It only took about 30 minutes through the motorway, exit in Vernier. I parked our car in the mall nearby (Planete Charmilles) and walked to the office (about 5 minutes walk) not far.

Sophie took me to the meeting room and explained how things work now. She gave me a 3 months probation period (for my creations in the boutique) and we'll see how it goes. I came to bring her mostly the spring-summer creations like floral batik dresses, sundress, tshirt, shorts for kids and she took 12 creations. She said she'll put them in a boutique in Vevey. She'll let me know when it's ready. The commission is 70-30 now, before it was 80-20 .. so the company will take 30% from each sold creations. I think it's fair enough.

Doing a collaboration with a boutique is not the only thing that matters to me. Being able to create things and continue learning to upgrade my skills and my creations to be more polished that's what really matter to me. Being able to get paid for what you love and enjoy doing, that's the main reasons. I also take client's orders and looking forward to put my animal themed capes inside the creator's boutique in my area. I think with only two hands that I got, it's enough to fill my days and my pocket :) 

My First Kebaya

I have a client from Luzern, CH, she asked me to make kebaya for her. She got these gorgeous fabrics (I think it's a silk shantung embroidery - not an ordinary satin, I thought it was satin but it's more like silk shantung). I told her that I've never made any kebaya before, but I'll try .. she said okay. One thing I had in my mind: ask someone who've already done kebaya! and BANG! I got few names, one of them was a friend I knew briefly in Singapore who's now also take people's sewing orders at home. I was lucky she accepted to help.

Actually, she said: "you know how to make dresses, so basically it's the same" .. alright, but I was still puzzled and overwhelmed by the fabric and embroidery positions. I asked her once again, and she said: "open your fabric so I can see clearly" -- then, I took pictures of the fabrics and by a short text messages and pictures discussion, I thought okay, now I got it.  

I started by making sketches, showed them to my clients. She approved, and I could carry on to the next step: pattern making, cutting and assembling.

I didn't forget to take pictures for each steps I've done and completed. So my client (and my teacher) knew the status of the project :)

At 90% completed I showed my client the result of her kebayas and she was delighted. I guess mission accomplished. The rest is finishing (zipper for the orange one, and buttons for the green) then I could wrap them up to be sent back to Luzern.

client's orders - April 2016.