Today I welcome the gorgeous Jenna to my blog. Jenna just so happens to be bringing sewing back, and is proving that gen y's can still use a sewing machine to produce gorgeous fabric creations! You go girl. Hear all about Jenna's little up and coming business today. Hold on to your bank accounts, you are going to want to buy buy buy once you see just how incredibly cute her designs are!!!
Take it away Jenna xxx
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| The little stud muffin Leo! |
I don't remember exactly when I decided I might try my hand at sewing, but I do remember the process that got me there!
I had recently moved back to Port Lincoln after spending eighteen months in Adelaide, and my niece Lacey, (then one), was obviously using bibs a lot. I was talking to a friend and colleague (Kylie) at work who makes patterns and bibs also, and asked if I could purchase some. I only work with Kylie twice a week, and by the time we got to work together again, I'd had a brainwave. "Maybe I could make Lacey a bib?.... I did home ec at school... (six years ago!).... Surely I could sew a few bits together and make one?!"
As I was living with mum after the move back to the EP, I had access to a sewing machine and a helping hand (a quilters hand!) at my disposal.
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| The gorgeous Lacey! |
I popped into Patchwork Pear one day, bought a few fat quarters of funky material, then, after a quick trip to Target, I bought a pack of cloth nappies for the backing. Kylie gave me the pattern she uses for her bibs, and after a few slight changes to the size, I was ready to rock and roll!
At first I had trouble going around the tight corners of the neck and it took me well over half an hour to make one bib, but before I knew it, I could whip one up from start to finish in 10 minutes!
Looking back at those first bibs I made, for Lacey and my cousins daughter, Gia, they are terrible!!! But like anything, you get better the more you do it!
When my nephew, Leo, entered the world on New Year's Eve 2012, I had a new little doll to play with!!
Lacey and Leo was born!
I got excited and ordered labels for my products, business cards and stickers with a logo and then came another brainwave.. (Or brain fart, I'm still not sure!) The bluebird markets were coming up and I thought I'd give it a go! I had under a month to make a stock pile with enough stuff to fill a trading table, and 4 hours of trading at the markets! (Oh dear!)
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| A cute little nappy bag! |
I put my own sewing machine on lay by and told all family members where it was and could I please have my birthday present 3 months early?! I would go to mums after work and sew for hours, most of the time she was right there with me, cutting, ironing, top, stitching, folding, ironing again! Then I got Aunty Kate into it too! I gave her a stack of pinned bibs and asked her to sew around them for me and I'd complete them, it really was a little sweat shop. But we got there in the end, and I am very grateful for everyone's help!
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| Funky pram inserts |
I had a great at at the markets and made quite a profit which I am very proud of! I have signed up for the baby expo in September, but at least I have three months to prepare this time!
The Lacey and Leo Facebook page had 60 likes in less than 24 hours, so here's hoping word gets around and my little business continues to grow with my beautiful niece and nephew!
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| Adorable bibs |
Lacey will be a big sister any day now, but unless my sister Beck names the baby "Laverne" or "Lesley" it just won't go! The eldest from each family will have to do!!
Jenna xx
(By the way, my beautiful niece Della entered the world on June 11, 2013. Another precious princess for me to live and spoil)
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