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.

 

Talents de femme 2015

 

Around December 2014 I got an email from Soroptimist Internatiomal Women Association, Mont Blanc committee, a call to submit a candidature for their exhibition on March 2015. As this will be an exhibition in Megève, FR and it's my first doing it outside Switzerland, I was a bit reluctant .. I weighed a lot.

 

My concerns are:

 

1. Douanne (custom). I have to past the border and have to declare all merchandise which are my creations to both Swiss and France douanne. I have to ask them how and what forms to fill in, how much tax to pay, etc.

 

2. The registration fee is not too expensive 180 Euros for 3 days exhibition, I think it's not much, comparing to exhibitions I've done in Swiss (like Unicrea or Palexpo, that we, as a small homebased homemaker felt too much).

 

3. The trip from Genève to Megève take about an hour, and the event start on Friday, which means I must look for a childcare options on Friday, I think the team in Parascolaire will be able to help me on this as usual (for the little one), her big sis is now more independent and we could ask her help too, and of course, husband got to take a day off.

 

4. Making more creations, and carefully choose the designs, fabrics, etc. I don't know what kind of public will come to this event, as it's a women associations I might see more official, women, people who come to the ski resort (as Megève is also a wellknown ski resort).

 

So I came to decide, I submit my candidature, and on January 18th I got the result: I got selected.

Closing the year ..

Good news from the boutique assistant came through my email yesterday, it's the sales report for November and 4 items sold.

 

So people actually bought my stuffs, that's cool. I feel relieved, because I could continue to make more creations, that's my goal .. to continue .. I'm still new in this domain, sewing wasn't my thing before -- but as I love colors, fabrics and put them into a nice piece of clothing or accessories or whatever my mind came up with -- I began to sew (and never stop ever since) ..

 

Okay, now it's almost near the end of 2014. I already had some plans for 2015 actually, but as they say .. "DON'T TELL YOUR DREAMS, SHOW IT!" .. well, I just gonna keep on showing it .. ehehe ..

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!