Handmade Tweens

So...what to do when you want handmade for your big girl...

Tweens are so fashion conscious, you have to make sure you find something that will still fit in with what all of their friends are wearing. Let's face it...some of the clothes marketed to middle school kids are just ridiculously priced! Plus, it's just so hard to give up all those ruffles and lace we used to doll our girls in when they were smaller.

Well, denim is so in! So are flip flops, sandals, and not too many ruffles, but just enough to give it a girly touch. How about Danielle?

So cute, so sassy, so hi-low...which is so in right now! Danielle is perfect for teens and tweens with a zippered denim bodice trimmed in the fabric of the ruffled hi-low skirt. My daughter couldn't wait to get into this! I made her a matching headband for style, or just bad hair days!

Of course, with three girls, there's no way I could make only one of these. I actually made this next dress first. Michelle was a mixture of pattern and imagination...some of my favorite creations!

I really wanted the big girl look of the bodice for my big girl, but I realized the zipper I had on hand wasn't long enough. So I added the eyelets for the semi corset look. I thought this turned out really well, and my daughter was eager to wear it. I LOVE this print! The contrast ruffle and trim on the bodice totally set off the colors in the skirt.

And let's not leave out my baby girl! At eight, she could care less about style and fashion. She just wanted a new dress because her big sisters had one, and the fact that hers even resembled theirs was good enough for her.

This dress, called Danae, was a new adventure for me. I've always wanted to know how to do this square circle skirt, and once I found out how easy it was, I made this dress with a double skirt! I really think this turned out cute. I figured since I was having fun, I'd play with the lace trim. So there's one lace on the overskirt, and a different lace on the underskirt. I'm so into vintage right now, I used some simple lace with a slight vintage look. The one thing I hated about the the pattern for this bodice was that I had to add a zipper into the side, even though it ties in back. That made the circle waist kind of tricky to attach to the bodice. However, I saw the advantage when my baby slipped out of the dress with the pretty bow still in tact in back. That means I won't have to re-tie it. Yay for me!

I wish my girls could wear something everyday that I made. I'm actually working towards that. But I hate that there's so much for little girls in handmade clothing, and not much for teen girls. Of course, as a seamstress, I think handmade clothes are far superior to retail clothing, if for no other reason than they were made especially for you. All of these dresses are for sale in my Etsy shop, but I'm just so excited to show off how we're starting off our new school year in style...with clothes my big girls couldn't wait to get into!

Ultimate Blog Party 2014

Thanks to Janice and Susan of 5 Minutes for mom, I am an official participant of their ingenious idea of a blog party. As a sometimes blogger, but most of the time seamstress, this is the first time I have been a part of this block party. So cool to meet other people who have some of the same interests that I do. My name says Tailormade Girl, but most of the time I just go by Vita. No, the "i" isn't long, which seems to be a general habit. It's a Latin word, and the "i" makes a long "e" sound.

Now that that's over with, it's so great to meet everybody, and I hope to be chatting with you soon!

Finishing Seams

So I'm kind of a nerd...I like to read. So what do I do before I make a pattern? I read through the entire guide sheet. Kind of weird, I guess, except I hate surprises. Don't want to get halfway through the garment and have to do something weird I wasn't expecting. Some patterns, like Butterick, are good for that. They kind of go all around the world to get back to the simple steps the other patternmakers went straight to in the first place.

But once you've been sewing for a while--forever if you're like me--do you really even need the guide? I mean seriously, all pants are made basically the same, whether they're pants, shorts, leggings, whatever. They all have side seams, a crotch and a waist.

Anyway, people like information...free information they can actually use. I know I do. So I'm going to start adding free info and tutorials to this blog. No need for a guide sheet. Just think...all those people long ago didn't have guide sheets. (I always wondered what you did for clothes if you were no good at sewing!). Maybe instructions are like guide sheets... Just thinking out loud.

So let's start off talking about finishing seams.  In the beginning there were fig leaves... We've come a long way from Adam and Eve! We're even a long way from the invention of the first sewing machine. As sewists, we can do at home now...everything that the commercial clothiers can do. And for that, some silkworm somewhere is ecstatic that the cotton boll yielded itself in glorious abundance! So as we gather today to discuss the intricacies of the art of sewing, let's do first things first...seams! Seems weird, (forgive the pun!) but seams are one of those topics that many a seamstress has had to just agree to disagree.

To finish or not to finish--that is the question! Some seamstresses swear by the finished seam. Others not so much. It all comes down to personal preference, I guess, but maybe just for personal use.

The biggest concern with leaving seams to themselves is raveling. Without some way to secure the ends, separation is inevitable. If the edges of seams are not secured some kind of way, they will ravel up to, and eventually through the seam itself. While some fabrics may not ravel after a point, the hanging edges are numerous and unsightly. Even fabrics that do not ravel at all, like knit, make the inner look of a garment seem unfinished.

Personally, I feel that if you are sewing for profit, it's just professional to finish seams. Even if you don't personally see the point of doing so, it could be the difference in future sales, if nothing else. Even though the customer may not always be right, they do know what they want to pay for.

Like anything, there are several ways to finish a seam. Pinking shears are the easiest of all the methods. These heavy duty scissors have zigzag teeth so that they leave  triangle cuts in the edge of the seam. After sewing your seam together with a regular straight stitch, use a pair of pinking shears to trim the seam as close to the stitches as you can without cutting through them. The only downside to pinking shears is that when they get dull, and they will, they're useless until you figure out how to get them sharpened...or buy new ones.

A zigzag stitch is the second easiest method. It's the stitch I've taught my daughters, as beginners, so that they can wear their little creations for the life they can squeeze out of them. The more advanced your machine, the more zigzag stitch settings you have. I personally like a smaller zigzag to the bigger ones. Smaller stitches have a neater appearance, and tend to make the seam more durable because the stitches are closer together. A bigger, wider zigzag works best for knits and stretchy fabrics. After stitching the seam, trim it as close as possible without cutting through the stitches.

French seams are absolutely beautiful. The raw edges of the seam are enclosed, so you can't see them. To make them, you sew the seams of a garment with the wrong sides together, then fold over the garment with the right sides together and sew the seams again, enclosing the raw edge. You then stitch the seam to the garment. This method is very pretty, but also time consuming. Also, if you don't allow enough fabric, you could end up with a beautifully sewn garment that can't be worn!

Another machine method is the overedge stitch. A long time ago, before I could afford a serger, I used this stitch to make my seams neat and have a 'close to professional' look. The overedge stitch, coupled with the special overedge foot, allows you to sew a line of square stitching over the raw edge. The stitches resemble a zigzag stitch...only they're square.This stitch gives the consistency of a zigzag stitch with the mock look and durability of a serger stitch. The only downside is the amount of time it takes to completely sew over the edge of a seam you've already sewn together once. It's like sewing the same seam twice, and can really consume lots of time. Also, since you're using regular spools of thread to do the job of a serger, this method can use tons of thread. The final product is pretty neat and clean though.

Of course, the easiest, quickest method, and my personal favorite, is running your seams through the serger. A serger has three or four spools of thread that interlock over the edge of the seam. This is possible because as you sew, a moving blade cuts off the jagged edge of the seam, leaving it smooth for the machine needles and loopers to enclose them in an intricate pattern of durable thread. Sergers use a massive amount of thread, so you purchase cones of thread for this machine. Once you use a serger, there's no looking back! There have been times when I've been without my serger, and absolutely no sewing got done. I can't live without it!

As a seamstress reaching for professionalism, I believe finishing seams is paramount. It's a good habit to have, and a great finish to all your hard work. Trust me, your customers will thank you for it!

Sewing Patterns

So I love sewing patterns. No, I mean I love patterns...so I can sew! Patterns and fabric. I've been told I have an addiction. Whether it's unhealthy or not is not really known. What I do know is I just like patterns, and I don't even use them a lot of the time. But if I see one I really like, I just can't resist purchasing it!

So the new thing with patterns right now, that's not really new, is PDF patterns. These are patterns you can purchase online, and then download them onto your computer. You never have to worry about the pattern tearing up or pieces getting lost. If anything ever happens to your paper pattern, you can just print out another and tape it together. The thing I really love about PDF patterns, besides not having to wait on them in the snail mail, is that a multi-size pattern doesn't have to drive me crazy. I can cut out the size I need, and if I need that same pattern bigger or smaller, I can print it out, and cut out the new size. No more folding the pieces under on the size I don't need. No more pins in the crotch just so I can cut out the correct one.

PDF patterns add great value to the pattern world. Now, all those beautiful boutique clothes you buy in the store and online, you can make yourself. So gifted person is generous to create pieces and put them and their instructions out there into cyberspace so that you can make the exact item for a fraction of the cost of buying it! No, the patterns aren't $ .99, which is the going price for pattern buying for me, but handmade patterns are worth so much more than the price you pay for them.

Now don't be run off by "hand made" patterns. Most PDF patterns today are only hand made in creation of the completed garment. Thanks to wonderful technology, a pattern can be drawn up and printed by computer. The pieces are not actually hand drawn...not like they used to be.

With that said and done, my spotlight today will be on Mountain Ash Designs. If you have dancers like I do, or maybe a gymnast, or just a really active child, these are the patterns for you. My girls take lots of dance classes several days of the week, and one also takes gymnastics. That's a lot of dance clothes for one week! And dance clothes aint cheap! Any place that actually has variety in dance outfits is going to hit your wallet a little bit too. Being a seamstress, I realize that most of the clothes girls dance in are not even a yard of fabric! Why am I paying $30 for a pair of booty shorts?

Well, I'm not any more! I made a cute black pair the other day that looks exactly like the ones in the store! Plus, they're glittery, which is something I haven't even seen in the store. Having a pattern allows you to make things out of whatever material you want. Creativity is endless! Plus, your child will have something totally original.

Besides the different variations of a garment that Mountain Ash Designs offers, the clothes actually fit. A lot of the patterns you buy in the store don't actually look on your child like the ones on the pattern. I hate it when a leggings pattern produces a loose pair of leggings instead of the fitted ones on the pattern model. The pair of booty shorts I made fit exactly like the picture. That was enough for me! The next pattern I'm going to try is a leotard.

The absolute best thing about PDF patterns is you don't have to sit and wait for someone to check their email, and then send you a file or a link to download from. Right after your payment is received, you can download the file onto your computer. Immediate gratification! Your project can be underway in a matter of minutes.

You can visit Mountain Ash Designs here, and try your hand at all kinds of cool activewear.

Designer In The Spotlight

                                                        

                                                          Francoise Lama-Solet

As a designer myself, I can easily admire the work of another seamstress. I do have favorites also. As I stated at the beginning of this bblog, this is my opportunity to showcase some of my favorite designers. One I have enjoyed following is Francoise Lama-Solet.

As an eBay veteran, I have been watching Francoise's designs for many years. She creates fairytale clothes with a French twist. Her store is the perfect place to find all those girly-girl outfits and dresses. She takes you back to the original boutique designss that once graced the pages of eBay.

Francoise now has her own website, and owns a store on the everpopular Etsy.com. Go and check her out, and bring a little French cuisine into your life!

Sew Chic Boutique

It's finally here! I'm so excited! I went looking around for a magazine of handmade clothes, and couldn't find many. Let's face it...if we as handmade designers don't tout our own horns, retail never will. So I decided to help out with that with Sew Chic Boutique. This is a magazine filled with beautiful handmade designs, from clothing to jewelry to headpieces. Issue 1 is fresh off the press! Go check it out and like us!

The Return of Handmade?

I’ve noticed that when I type “handmade” in the search box, whether it be Google, bing, or Yahoo, I get a whole list of stores selling handmade clothing for children. The only thing I don’t understand is why the results include pages and pages of stores selling designer children’s clothing. Immediately I’m disappointed, because when I think handmade, I think of some mom or grandmother sitting at home on her sewing machine stitching away on some unique design dreamed up in her head alone. I see art and colors and ruffles and lace, sewn together as a masterpiece and serged with love!

How dare designer children’s clothing stand in the gap as handmade items! As a matter of fact, I tend to be quite a bit biased toward custom made clothing, and I begin to wonder why designer clothes are designer. What’s so special about a pair of baggy pants with big pockets, or a t-shirt with ruched sides and a logo on the front? Couldn’t I buy Fruit of the Loom and duplicate that?

Perhaps what makes it designer is the quality of the fabric. Is it because it’s kona cotton or soft knit jersey? Most home designers can get their hands on these kinds of material if they simply visit the local fabric store. You can even buy imported Japanese fabric online.

Why have people gone back to handmade? Could it be because of the hard recession we've all endured? Actually, unless you're making the clothing yourself, it's not actually cheaper to buy handmade. You pay for the one of a kind individuality of each seamstress, and the time they devote to the construction of each garment, and that alone can come with a hefty price!
So is it really a recession, or just a passing fad that has begun to send massive amounts of people to the handmade market? I think it’s a personal sense of pride, to be unique in every way, including fashion. Many of us no longer want to be a carbon copy of the person next door. We don’t want to have the same outfit as a hundred other people because we’ve pulled off a rack of mass production.

It’s no wonder stores like Etsy and Artfire have become so popular and well searched. Nothing says “you” like a one-of-a-kind dress or shirt that has been made especially for you. I pledge allegiance to handmade clothing, and I’m sure you wouldn’t be disappointed if you did the same!

The New Girl

It's been a long time coming, but we have finally added our new model to the Munchskinz family!




Meet Miss Bella Mae! At the ripe old age of three, she has accomplished so much! Not only is she a mainstay online, but she has graced nationally known magazines and sported outfits by some of handmade's best designers! In these photos she is wearing an outfit from the Munchskinz Color Me Whimsical line.




Bella's mom Brooke is an awesome photographer who knows just how to capture Bella at her best. Brooke and Bella make a great team, and Munchskinz is honored to have them as part of our family! Check out Bella's success at www.bellamaecouture.blogspot.com

The Euro Experience

Zuma by Studio Tantrum

European patterns are all the rage on eBay. You can click on just about any boutique outfit, and it has some unique flair that was adapted from European design. The ultra cute look and flair of European patterns is what draws seamstreasses everywhere to try to make them.

At first purchase of a Euro pattern, a beginner may be surprised. Even a seasoned seamstress may be caught off guard. The patterns are not like American patterns at all. The Euro patterns are on one piece of paper that unfolds and unfolds until you have a larger than poster size paper sitting before you. All of the pieces are drawn on this sheet. Don't cut them out, or your pattern will be useless! You are about to become an expert in tracing!

Now, I do things the hard way. I use my computer paper and tape the pages together so I can sit them on top of the pattern paper and trace the pieces. But there is pattern tracing material that is sold in fabric stores. The material is thin enough to trace through, but is durable, so it doesn't tear easily. This allows you to trace just the size that you need. I went to JoAnn's to buy some of this material, but it was gone by the time I got there. I'm thinking with the Euro pattern revolution going on, this material is extremely popular!

Not only do Euro patterns have to be traced, but they don't have any seam allowance. Trust me, it's not fun to miss this little fact! The first time I made a Euro pattern, I had no idea it didn't include seam allowances, and my cute little creation didn't fit! How frustrating when I read this little information after the fact, right on the pattern!

There are different ways you can add seam allowance to a pattern. One way is demonstrated here. If you're like me, and don't mind a little work, you can use this method I found online about a year ago. Put two pencils, two pens, or whatever two writing utensils you have, together with a rubber band. Then, place one pencil on the tracing line, making sure both pencils are pressing down on the paper, and begin to trace. Both pencils will trace onto the tracing material. The outer pencil mark is your seam allowance, and this is where you should cut your pattern piece out. I always find myself just sitting in the dance studio for hours, so I use this method because it gives me something to do.

I think the absolute best thing about the Euro patterns is the versatility. You can see the same pattern a hundred times, and it never looks the same. The patterns are made simple so that each designer can put their own spin and creativity into it. You're never held to a standard with Euro patterns. I've seen patterns made to be long made short, or even longer! I've seen extra ruffles, lace, and pockets added. I've even seen patterns which were supposed to be skirts used as shirts, or shirt extras! Some seamstresses even mix two or three garments to make one outfit. The possibilities really are endless.

The most popular Euro designers, by far, are Farbenmix de and Studio Tantrum. Though these patterns are written in German, they are translated into English. There's something about translation, though, that I think sometimes some of the instructions are lost, and you can get really confused as to what you should be doing. So there are sites dedicated to helping explain the steps to certain patterns.

One such site is Banberry Place. I love this website. It's the ultimate in Euro finds. Not only do they have instructions for these patterns, but sell the patterns themselves. There are lots of Euro patterns on this site, by different designers, and they showcase children's clothes to women's clothes to purses and stuffed animals! At Banberry Place you can purchase patterns, imported fabric, even the popular kids fashion magazine Ottobre from Germany. You have to check out this site! It's one of my favorites, and I like to go there to just "window shop" sometimes. Check out this site at http://www.banberryplace.com/

Anna Wrap Dress and Paula Pants by Farbenmix de

You Can Make It!

I Made This with YouCanMakeThis.com!

I have lots of favorite sites, but there are a chosen few I just can't stay away from. As a seamstress, I'm pretty much a do-it-yourselfer, as most of us are. I like to take on a project head on, and I don't stop until I get to the end result.

I guess that's what drew me to this site. As a seamstress you can never stop growing or learn too much. I can search the internet and find all kinds of tips and tricks, from making my sewing more professional, to taking shortcuts that save time, but work just as great as the alternative.

I discovered YouCanMakeThis.com on another favorite site which I'll discuss at a later time. As soon as I began looking at this site, I couldn't get off! YouCanMakeThis.com offers patterns and instructions for a lot of the clothes that are in boutique style at the time. You can look at all those cute clothes on eBay and Etsy, wondering how to make something...

And now you can! YouCanMakeThis.com offers all kinds of patterns for pants, shirts, skirts, dresses, and many of the things you can think of to sew for your little prince or princess. The best part about the site is the patterns are affordable, and allow you to get them right away. After you pay for your items, you are given a link so that you can download the patterns directly to your computer! How's that for convenience!

You can make pants, legwarmers, pettiskirts, hats, purses, even dolly clothes to match your daughter's version of an outfit. There are free video tutorials to help you learn how to use certain techniques. And for all you blogger followers, a blog site with lots of information and free projects.

Once you have downloaded your pattern to your computer, you can open it, read it, print it out on your printer, and use it over and over again. You also gain points everytime you make a purchase, which allows you to get patterns for free. You like quilting? There's YouCanQuiltThis.com, and SwakEmbroidery.com for embroidery fans.

You really should check out this site. If there's something you've been wondering whether you could make it yourself or not, YouCanMakeThis.com is the place for you to find out!

On a Smaller Scale

I never thought I'd make anything for anyone but humans. I guess I was wrong. When you have kids, you'll do just about anything...if you think it'll make them happy.

Well, my girls love the Bratz dolls. It's funny, because even long ago, before the birth of Bratz, I used to sit and thumb through the Barbie clothes patterns in the pattern books in the fabric store. Of course I thought it would be a cute idea to make them, but I never actually tried. I think I just couldn't bring myself to have to deal with something that small. Sewing is complicated enough, but having to do it for a tiny doll?

I thought about the baby dolls the girls slept with every night, but really. Was I up to the challenge of making clothes on this really small scale? Needless to say, I just passed the patterns by. There was no way I was gonna even bother...

Then came the Bratz dolls, all sassy and done up with their fashion forward clothing. This wasn't a deciding factor for me or anything, because I still didn't want to deal with the small clothes. Plus, the Bratz dolls are even smaller than Barbie. I could see myself trying to force a piece of cloth the size of my finger into the feed dog and under the needle.

I don't think so!!

But as my daughters grew, so did their love for these dolls. So I began to search the stores for clothes... No luck. Barbie clothes everywhere, but no Bratz. Only the outfits that came in the box. Eventually, I discovered lots of cool stuff on eBay, but decided I couldn't keep paying the high price for these tiny clothes...no matter how cool they were.

So, I had to dig deep, and come up with a plan. I began measuring the doll, just like you measure a person, so I could make up patterns. With no guide, lots of tweaking go into the pattern making. I'd make a pattern on my computer, cut it out of muslin and try it out on the doll. When it didn't work like I wanted, I'd have to start all over--re-tweaking the pattern, cutting it out of muslin, and trying it on the doll. Finally, I had my first creation: a dress. It wasn't terribly detailed, but it worked, and it was cute. Strangely, from then on I was hooked!

I think the thing I like most about creating for the Bratz dolls is that I can put the coolest, up to date fashions on them, and not feel guilty, because it's not my children. They allow me to play with bigger styles than the cute little princess things I make for my girls to wear, and at the same time my girls get more things to put on and take off of their dolls. It makes me feel so good that they treat the things I make just like the rest of the pre-made Bratz clothes. They even have favorites!

Looks to me like handmade can go anywhere on the spectrum...even to the dolls!

Tailor Made Boutique Suggestion

So once again I'm going to suggest another boutique that I love. I've followed this young lady on eBay for quite a while. Everything she does is amazing!

I always sit and wonder how much time it takes other seamstresses to create the beautiful outfits they showcase online. I always find myself saying that I wish I had the time to work like that. I can always come up with fab designs, but they never come to fruition.

So I find myself, ever so often, following someone else's work and marvelling at everything they do. This is how I found Bellabebeco. Honestly, I'm not sure if I even pronounce the name correctly, but I know Cynthia's awesome designs when I see them, even from just the thumbnails!

Bellabebeco used to be a part of the group StudioE, which is how I kept up with her awesome work, but now she is part of the group Polkadotz on eBay. There are some super powerhouses (as I call them!) in the Polkadotz group, which I will highlight later.

Cynthia makes awesome character outfits like Betty Boop. She also makes themed clothing, like Little Red Riding Hood, which comes complete with a red cape! She mixes designs and colors like a painter, and finishes them off with ruffles.

If you would like a preview of Bellabebeco from Cynthia herself, you can go here. I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do!

My Tailor Made Models

I was talking with a friend at the dance studio a couple of days ago, and we were discussing pageants. She said that her girls would never go for that. She said they would complain about the dresses, and don't really like to be in one place for too long. She says they're not really girly girls, and that's ok, because she wasn't either.

I was quite the tomboy myself. There wasn't a tree I couldn't climb! I played tee ball, football, kickball, dodge ball, and anything I could to outdo the boys. But as I got older, I began to fall in love with ruffles and lace, earrings, and ribbon and perfume.

Once I began to have my own children, I felt blessed to have girls who were girly, because I want to put them in all the girly things I can! All of my girls love dance, fashion, shopping, and dress up. They also love the camera. All this makes it so much easier to showcase my creations to the world.



Alannah is my baby. At 3, she is the youngest to enter Mommy's tailor made world. Ironically, she's had the most benefit from it, because she's 3 and 4 years younger than her sisters. This makes hand-me-down clothes touch and go. Basically, it takes that many years for her to get into the clothes, so in the meantime, she's stuck out. So I've had to do quite a bit of sewing for her, so that she could have a wardrobe. The fact that her need came at the height of my creativity was a plus for her. Alannah loves new clothes. She also loves playing with her baby dolls, going to school, and baby ballet.



Michaela is my middle girl. I call her the closet diva! She's the one who loves tee ball, basketball, and football, but I'll catch her going through the fashion magazines. Michaela is the one who told me last year not to put her in dance this year, because she wanted to play basketball. But after she got her costumes and performed on stage, she was hooked. I knew Michaela was a little fashion girl when I started noticing how many times she'd change clothes in a day. She'd start out the day in a denim skirt, and end it in leggings. I actually had to threaten her to stop running through so many of her clothes in one day!

Michaela is 6. She also loves new clothes and shopping. She loves school, year round even, and she likes to write. She takes ballet, tap, and jazz, and she likes to play with her Bratz dolls with her big sister. Michaela loves posing for my photo shoots, which is great, because the camera loves her. I always have to choose which photos not to use, because almost every one she takes is beautiful. It's a good thing she's going to be tall, because there might be a career in modeling here!


Aaleigha was my first baby girl. At 8 she's my oldest daughter, and she knows it. And trust me, she lauds it over the other two! Aaleigha is the daughter I call my diva. She's very particular about everything. She can already dress herself perfectly, down to the shoes. She knows what things can go together, and which things can't. She even tried to correct me one day!

Though all my girls love the mall, I'd have to say that Aaleigha is my shopaholic. If we're in the store, she can find something she needs, and there's no shortage of those things! She likes jewelry, sunglasses, lip gloss, nail polish, purses...all the things a girl could want! It's almost hard to say no to her sometimes, because she's so good at what she picks out. She already knows that she wants to design clothes for a living, and has actually already begun to draw out some things. But Aaleigha's first passion is dance. She takes, tap, jazz, ballet, and hip hop. She's already trying to talk me into clogging for next year! She was chosen to perform in Production this year, which is exciting, so I hope this means bigger and better things are to come.

I'm so excited to share this sewing experience with my girls. I remember telling my husband, after I had my son, that we couldn't stop at just the boy that he was satisfied with. I said I needed a babydoll...and I got 3! And even though I'll never force them to be interested in everything, I'm so blessed to have three little girls who love to do what Mommy does!

Tailor's Boutique World

Since I became good friends with Tailor, I discovered the world of boutique clothing. At first it was just awesome, but then it became overwhelming. Especially for a seamstress...how do you get into this world of buttons, lace, fabric, ruffles, tulle, and frilly creations without getting lost?


Needless to say, there will always be some who stand out among the crowd. Of course, to each his own, but there are a few custom made boutique designers who I follow regularly.


The first boutique I want to highlight is Cocoloka Boutique. Josie has to be a stitching genius! There's no limit to her imagination and creativity. I can sit back and look at her collections for hours! Pictures upon pictures of beautiful handmade clothing you want to dream about. You could never find anything close to outfits like these in

stores. If I was the type to have idols, I'd be her biggest

obsessive fan! I can see myself screaming like a crazed seamstress maniac: "I want to be just like you JOSIE!" The sky is the limit when it comes to her designs, and her craftsmanship is amazing.

You can check out her creations here. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!

Tailor Made This

It's amazing how much Tailor made. In the past she was all there was. Even today what Tailor made is more expensive than store bought. Yet, there seems to be some kind of neverending stigma to her work. Tell anybody Tailor made your outfit, and you get a sea of mixed responses. Most will turn up their noses: "I can't believe Tailor made that for you, and you're wearing it!" Others will just think you're poor and can't afford to buy clothes, but they'll smile and pretend they like your outfit. Still others will genuinely adore your Tailor made garment, but would never actually wear it themselves.

Even though handmade clothing appear to be making a comeback, there is still some hesitation for the masses. The ironic part of this is that people will flock to a designer store and wear a "one of a kind," but that "one of a kind" was handmade by someone! I think it's time for seamstresses
to band together and bring back the honor that Tailor is due!





So with this blog, I intend to do my part to show the world what Tailor can do! I've seen many handmade outfits, and they're far superior to anything you can find in any store! Not to mention they're better made, and customed to fit you especially.

I started with my daughters. I introduced them to Tailor before any of them had the ability to remember, and now they actually prefer her to store clothing. Handmade clothing allow them to use creativity in choosing fabrics, colors, textures, ribbon and lace, and anything else they can dream up to add to a garment. I have helped them to appreciate at a very early age that the way of Tailor will always be the way to go!