A SPOOKY THANK YOU!

I want to express a very big thank you to everyone who helped make my first collection so successful. Your enthusiam and support was overwhelming!  

I had more than a few moments when I doubted the collection, not because I didn't LOVE it, but just that it was sooo different, I wasn't sure whether anyone else would like it. It is not pastel or floral or girly and it is not in a fabric that everyone knows and loves, but it is awesome and definitely unique.

I know there are people who really wanted something and missed out and I have ordered a little bit more fabric. I am not in a position to be able to offer custom made pieces, but I will post a link when the fabric arrives for people to be able to suggest a dress style and sizing preference for the new dresses that I make up.

I have to thank my 2 star models, Paige and Holly for rocking the outfits for me in some very impromptu last minute photo shoots!

In between starting a new job and planning my daughter's first birthday party, I hope to be able to pull together a little Christmas Collection, so keep an eye on my facebook page for updates on that.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to enter my competition and for helping me get to the 1000 liker milestone. Your feedback has been invaluable and will help dictate the sizes and quantities I make for my Christmas Collection.... I can't believe the number of you shopping for size 2!! 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand...

THE LUCKY WINNER IS 

LITTLE BOO BOO'S

Keep your eyes peeled for the release of my first collection, The Spooky Collection (planned for release 26 August with preview album loaded a few days in advance). 

These fabric's are AWESOME and so different to what everyone else is using, so your little one will stand out (hopefully for all the right reasons). I took them to work the day they arrived so I could just look at them all day, they are by far my most favourite fabrics ever and I am sad to be coming to the end of them now. There will only be a few pieces in every size (size 0-6) and every piece is different. If you love it as much as me, you will have to be quick to grab something!

LET'S GET TO 1000 LIKERS COMPETITION

At BOO!, I try to do things a little differently.  I don't like to make the same thing over and over and I don't like to use the same fabrics over and over (or I get bored).  I search high and low for pretty fabrics in lots of different places.

I don't take custom orders, mostly because I am just far to busy to do it (see previous blog).  I recently started an 'Expressions of Interest' list. What this means is that if you like something that you have seen me do, you send me an email to let me know.  I keep track of who likes what and in what sizes.  If I know what people like and what sizes, then I can keep that in mind when making things.  I can also give you a heads up before listing the item for sale.

I have received a number of 'Expressions of Interest' lately for things made out of a beautiful fabric by Saffron Craig, an amazing Australian designer.  The fabric is called Magical Lands and it is so pretty, not to mention it features my favourite colours, blue and purple.

For the opportunity to win either a Toffee Apple Tunic or a Tuxedo Top (or dress) using Saffron Craig's Magical Lands fabric, all you need to do is leave a comment on the picture on Facebook telling me...

which style you prefer, and

what size you shop for

Call it market research if you like!  Oh and if we can get to 1000 likers in the process, that would be fantastic too, so tell your friends!

Competion will be drawn using random.org by numbering the comments (one per person). You have until Friday 12 August at 8pm QLD time.

So what are you waiting for?  GO! GO!

MY SECRET ADDICTION

I am regularly asked how on earth I have the time to do BOO! when I work full time.
There are a lot of things that have suffered so that I can sew... here are a few...

MY LEGS
I used to groom myself much more regularly, but now through no fault of sewing, I have become a rather hippy looking mountain goat.  If I try to have a bath while kids are awake, I normally have 2 kids trying to get in the bath with me along with 2 dogs who walk the perimeter of the bath and eat the bubbles while I try to shave my legs. I can't bath after the kids are down as running the bath would wake the kids as it is inconveniently positioned opposite both of their rooms (I DO still shower though).  Thank goodness for winter.  I shaved them yesterday though... yipee!

MY HAIR
I used to wash it and straighten it on a daily basis... not anymore!  A couple of times a week, it gets the old wash and a super quick half-blow dry before being tied back in a messy pony tail.  I also don't get time to go to the hairdresser anymore, so that saves me lots of money!  I washed, dried and straightened it today though!!

MY BEAGLES
They used to go to the dog park once or twice a week so that they could walk around and sniff things and avoid all other dogs or come and sit under the seat at the park while I socialised with the other doggy owners... now they have to be content with just sniffing in their own yard and chasing each other around.

SLEEP
I used to go to bed at around 9:30pm, my husband thought I was mad and wouldn't dream of coming to bed before his scheduled sleep time of 10:30pm no matter how tired he was.  Now he usually has to come downstairs and drag me to bed.

EXERCISE
Well I should exercise and sometimes I work up a sweat whipping out fabrics and running between the sewing machine and overlocker... actually, who am I kidding, I just don't exercise anymore.

CLEANING
My house used to be clean.. it is not now... The clean clothes get sorted into the rightful owners baskets and that is about it these days... I have a giggle to myself under the covers when I hear my husband swearing after falling over baskets of clothes in the middle of the night after doing bottle duty!  I still tend to have to vaccum pretty regularly to clean up the bits of cotton and fabric that my daughter now tries to eat.

The kids are usually both down by 8pm and that gives me a good 3 hours to internet, research and sew while I catch up on my tv viewing!

Would I change anything?  Probably not!  I enjoy it so much that if I stopped, I would only think about it and toss and turn and not be able to sleep anyway.  I think I need to find a less addictive hobby!

NOT SURE ABOUT THOSE ROCKS IN ROME...



Disneyland Paris



I was having a conversation with my husband today and saying how 'Paris' is so in right now in the land of fabric and applique.  We discussed that I didn't really enjoy my visit to Paris and that my highlights were a trip to Disneyland and a dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe where we sat next to 2 very funny American ladies who had a camera that was dedicated exclusively to taking photos of boy bits around town (statue and real)... what a laugh! 

The Eiffel Tower was beautiful, but a bit brown and rusty looking, not like the pictures and I think I almost expected it to have little markets underneath with little French guys in striped shirts selling their wares at market stalls... I blame the movies for over-glamorising things!

Then I mentioned the rocks in Rome (the Coliseum)... well, his face dropped.  "What do you mean the ROCKS in Rome, you mean the Epicentre of the Roman Empire?"  I said "Yeah, what is so fancy about that, why is that so good?"  He replied and told me something about lions and Christian's... not really sure, tuned out!  I do remember him saying something about not believing we have been together for over 10 years and him not knowing that I wasn't interested in the rocks! 



These are some 'rocks' that I do really appreciate and love
- The Giant's Causeway, Ireland



Venice on the other hand, well I loved that place!  I have been twice now.  I loved it because it is still there (and the Carbonara was to die for).  I wouldn't go back to see it after it has sunk though... where is the fun in that? 

Sorry, but I am just not into history. 

Some might say I am uncultured, but others might understand.  For me, I need to see things to fully appreciate them, not look at them and picture what they used to be.

I have an imagination, really I do, I think it just works in reverse.  With fabric, I can look at it folded up in neat piles or thrown in a heap and visualise exactly what I would use it for, what it will become and how awesome it will look when it is finished!

Funny how the mind works hey?




'Brite' Tunic modelled by Paige

 

I GOT IT FROM MY GRANDMA...

My Mum always tells me that when I was little, I was the best dressed kid at pre-school.  This was all thanks to my Grandma, who used to make lots of my clothes.   As I look back at some of the pictures, I realise just how amazing she was.  They were always lovely and far too nice to be covered in paint, but Mum feared that if I didn't wear them there, I wouldn't get to wear them at all and all that effort would be wasted.





Me in outfits made by my Grandma.  The kangaroo dress is so similar to my Picture This! range and I only found this photo tonight!



My Mum is very arty and creative, she has also tried her hand at sewing.  She told me that she hates it, but I suspect there was a time that she didn't given that I do remember a few of the outfits she made including a pair of Cabbage Patch Kids shorts.  Definitely OOAK (one of a kind) and so unique and different to what anyone else had for sure (not sure if that is a good or bad thing)!




Me in outfits made by my Mum



I make clothes for my daughter, Holly now and am very proud to see her wear them to kindy.  I really don't care if they are covered in dirt and paint as at this age, you need to get as much wear out of them as possible before they grow out of them.  I have to say, I think it would be hard for her to get covered in dirt or paint, because they cover her in bibs so that she doesn't mess up her clothes and fight over who gets to carry her around and cuddle her, I don't think she has ever been on the floor!   



Holly in outfits made by me



I did a little Home Ec at school and really enjoyed the sewing bit (less so the cooking bit, although I like making sweets)!  There is one little outfit that sticks in my mind, which included making a little girls dress with an applique of a sailing boat.  I remember how proud I was of that outfit and wish I still had it.  It probably wasn't that good and I am sure that I remember it being so much better than it actually was!

I can't tell you how many times I think of my Grandma when I sew and how much I would love her to be here so that she could see some of my creations. 

Miss you Grandma xxx



My favourite 'Holly' outfit





WHAT'S IN A NAME...

When it came to creating a page name, I came up with KG Designs (my intials, and I thought the play on names with 'cagey' would be cute), it would also still be flexible enough that I could use it to load birthday invitations and other things that I had been dabbling with. 


However, since my son, Jesse was my initial inspiration and the reason I got started sewing, he needed to be in the name.  Before he was born, we called him BOO! after Boo from Monster's Inc. (one of my husband, Aaron's favourite movies), I think I wanted to refer to the baby as peanut, but I lost that battle... thought it would be better to let my husband win that battle, rather than the war after the baby was born!! 




Jesse was blowing raspberries all over us and always had funky 'product' in his hair, so I incorporated a cheeky looking monkey with spikey hair into the logo.  We call it party hair now and he rarely leaves the house without his 'parpy hair'.

When I found out I was pregnant with our second baby, I went and got a bunch of ruffle bum patterns and put them away (I think I even got them before I was pregnant).  This baby had absolutely no choice but to be a girl, I was SO confident that she would be.  Our little princess, Holly was born in September last year.  We secretly knew that she was a girl and that we were calling her Holly, as Aaron caved at 20 weeks and let me run back up to the doctor who did the scan to find out the sex (even though we had no intention of finding out)!  I made some pretty linen in blues and purples since she was moving into Jesse's blue room and they were safely hidden away in the cupboard.  Man, had I come a long way since Jesse's linen. 

My love for making little girl clothes was born from my first pair of ruffles.