Capes for Boys

I made capes mostly for girls before, and now for boys too. Actually someone ordered as a birthday gift for twin boys (around 4 yo), and I proposed Batman & The Boy Wonder (Robin).

 

My clients loved them and hope the twin boys will love them too :)

Preparation for Marché des Créateurs

It will be my first time joining Marché des Créateurs at l'Usine de Genève on December 13th. It looks fun. Crowded but fun.

 

Every craft fairs or Christmas market have their own unique ambience. I tried bigger scale of exhibitions before like in Palexpo and UniCréa both twice, and many smaller scale of exhibition and one day bazar. Bigger fairs were less fun, because in our head we were worried if we didn't make enough to pay back the fees - which often quite expensive for a small scale of homemade businesses.

 

I took notes too that I gained more in smaller scale fairs, because firstly the rent was cheaper for a stand (or a table) even sometimes it's free. People who came to these fairs were fairly easy to open their wallet as my stuffs were also affordable. The worst fair was the one I participated across the border last time (as I need to pay "service" in custom, I lost 160 CHF last time for an expedition bureau who's work was only fill-in a tax form and handed it to the custom office upstairs - which actually I can do it myself, plus 40 Euros for tax I had to pay for France custom). So, one experience was enough.

 

Okay, so right now I'm in the middle of preparation. This time I will make more fun clothing for kids. I'll remake animal capes and thinking to make animal themed shift dresses for girls in fleece fabrics. I had sketched some of the items before going fabric purchase this week end.

fun fleece dresses sketches.

 

What do you think? :D

 

Journèe Culturelle

Last weekend (Saturday 05 September 2015) I participated in a cultural day organized by Indonesian Association in Geneva (AIJ). There were music performances, dance, martial art demonstration, traditional food stalls and handicrafts.

 

It was a success. People appreciated my creations. I sold 3 of my creations and took some custom orders too. I didn't imagine that the visitors could be so enthusiastic and even 2 of my creations bought by locals (which means foreign women, who love Indonesian unique, ethnic fabrics). I sold both of my songket dresses and tenun rangrang skirt! awesome.

 

It was tiring, but I'm happy. I heard people said that my works is neat and like a boutique made. I feel grateful, my hard work paid off.

 

And today, as I'm still doing people orders, I received an email from Ateapic boutique commercial assistant that 2 of my creations (dresses) are sold and I will receive the 80% commission in my bank account. Great! so it's true what people said, my work it actually is a neat boutique "standard" :D

 

Here, I'd like to share a picture of my stand at the cultural day ...

La rentrée

La rentrée is usually a back to school for kids.

But it's also back to work for me. Since end of August I've been busy preparing bazars. I got two bazars to prepare. I'm not panicking, because I know I have enough items to bring to the two events. I just need to add some new creations to complete my stand.

 

Depends on what kind of event I'll be attending, then I create something to go with it. Like a garden (outdoor) bazar or indoor. How much spaces I got. Who's going to attend? the public? will it be families with children or many adults? is it an informal or a formal event? etc ... so I could design my stand to be matched accordingly.

 

For garden (outdoor) bazar, on a sunny Satuday morning until 6 pm in August, I brought colorful, fun, bright stuffs. For an indoor formal Cultural Day with a piano and violin musicians, I'll bring a more sophisticated and classic creations.

 

I try to prepare all events with the same enthusiasm. Big or small events I'll try to  treat them fairly. The amount of works only depends on how big or small the events, the spaces, the time that I got.

Back to kiddie stuffs!

I've been playing with my creations again, and boy it was so much fun!! .. I think if we're doing something that makes our heart sing, we're actually make great things.

 

I started making kids 'animal theme' capes when I got fabrics leftover from the ice skating costume my little client ordered. I brought the adult size animal (leopard) hoodie cape to the Ateapic boutique and the manager took it to put it in the boutique, then my little girl wanted one similar cape for herself, I added ears to the hoodie just for the fun effect of kids version.

 

Then her best friend wanted one too. I started selling my first 'animal theme' cape for kids to her. Then another girl wanted one, the other girl wanted too, more and more different animal requested by these little girls .. until just yesterday I've completed all orders.

all of the animal theme capes for girls.

Funny how unintended designs like that first cape I made from fabric scraps could become a hits. Now almost anyone at school know I made capes, and they can ask any design as they wish :) 

 

Although I first made these for girls, I could do boys too. The design could be a 'superhero theme' or .. just about anything. It only takes a bit of imaginations to create and personalized it :)

More dresses!

No?! ... more dresses? ...
Oh yes! oh yes.

 

See, there were two people wanted the denim embroidery dress I put in the boutique, the manager emailed me asking if I have enough fabric to make it in smaller size (34), the dress is in EU size 38 actually, and I don't have anymore fabric to make more similar but smaller size dresses, so I asked if they would just alter the dress and make it smaller.

 

As I currently working in another project (I wrote story books for children in my country), and I need to finish 5 new series, I took my time and organized them carefully .. we also went to visit Turin during Easter long week end, we loved the city and it's my source of inspirations (for the new story books series) .. so it's true that it's not how long you stay in one place, but what really matters is how the place inspire you, at least for me it works.

And, oh yes, we are so occupied with our moving next summer. There are things we need to tackle, like new school registration, site visits, dealing with annoying régie (landlord), etc .. so I think my sewing activities will getting slower during these next couple of months.

 

sarong dress

songket dress

Okay, back to dresses .. I'm using traditional woven fabrics (like sarong and songket), I took my time, I really enjoyed my slow pace creations, as I could rethink, remake, re-drape in no hurry. I could finish the dresses meticulously to get the neat results, and I'll keep them for the next events, for special customers or for next season's pieces to bring to the boutique, whatever the occasion, I'll have a beautiful stocks in hand :) 

A dress A day, keep the doctor away :)

cotton silk embroidery dress

who says? ... me!, évidement!

 

Lately I made some lovely dresses in black and white (or sometimes a bit of red). Maybe I got influenced by those beautiful dresses the top designers showing us in Paris Fashion Week and London Fashion Week? .. well actually, I just want to make something "neat" classy with more skills and sewing exercise needed ..

 

And, once it's finished ... it's sold! (I have to find excuses not to sell some of them because I plan to bring them to the exhibition -- and well, I love the dress so much, I don't know if I will let it go!) haha .. my deepest secret confession ;)

The 3rd dress I made with batik fabric was reserved for a friend in Germany, she bought 2 batik dresses before, and she wanted this dress too. So, I had to let it go :)

this dress was sold and sent to Germany.