Friday, May 31, 2013

Exciting New Dog Apparel Line (Yes, Another One to choose from!)

Hi, everyone!  I hope all has been well with you and your pets if you have them.

My regular buyer has raved about the harness clothes I've made for two of her teacup Chihuahuas, and so far she's ordered eleven garments (more than that if I lost count) in the past 5-6 months.  Her enthusiasm about my designs and workmanship has increased to the point where she recently started twisting my arm to start listing garments of that style.  A few days ago I yielded to her persuasion, and so far I've listed three.  Here they are:


Dog clothes of this type are so versatile, since they double as a high fashion garment and a harness; a D-ring is attached by means of a length of cloth fastened vertically to the bodice.  They really don't take much longer to make than the styles I'd previously listed, which have no D-ring and are closed at the front of the neck (no Velcro there unless the buyer requests it, and I've offered optional D-rings).

I mailed her last order two days ago, and she's already talking about her next order.  I'm so happy to have her as a regular buyer!

To change the subject, I just had an aggravating experience with part of a social networking site, the name of which will be anonymous here.  I was recently emailed an invitation to join a group of crafters.  Accepting the invitation, little did I know that participation in it would be so heavily regimented, with the person in charge of the group giving orders as to where to post, how often to post, what each post should consist of, and by what means we must post.  On finding that out I beat a hasty retreat from the group and have decided to start one of my own with no rules aside from the common-sense one of showing friendliness in posts, period.

What's so sad about the extreme regimentation of that group is that it promises an increase in sales, which may be materializing for me despite my brief tenure.  This morning I received an inquiry regarding my shipping costs.

How anyone can stand to remain a member under those conditions is beyond me, and other members expressed similar feelings, saying that they're afraid to post anything.

Thanks for letting me vent.  Stay tuned for more info, which will appear here once I find out how to fill out the required form for starting a group without getting an error message telling me I need to enter invitees' names, which I'd tried doing.  When it comes to computers, never a dull moment!


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Flower Garden Pics


As for the pot holder in the center pic, a friend of mine, knowing I'm a dog lover, couldn't resist giving it to me.  I'd never seen anything like it, and neither had she.  The bottom photo is of my potted herbs: in the left foreground, a miniature variety of basil known as 'Boxwood Basil,' plus rosemary; to its right, oregano; behind them, sweet basil.  How I like to snip pieces from the herbs and take them inside to lay on my kitchen counter, the most wonderful aroma filling the air!

That's all I have to report for now.  I'll be back soon with a mouth-watering recipe.  Take care!

Bright Flowers Aplenty in This Post

Hi, everyone!  I hope all has been well with you and your pets if you have any.  Between putting together my most recent listing, which I posted in my Etsy Shop a while ago (it's already garnered four Favorites!), and helping a dear friend get ready for her and her husband's move to the Dominican Republic, I've been pretty busy.  Better than being idle.

Here's the Mexican-style hat/bandanna combo I've been talking about.  I'd planned on using a bright striped fabric for the scarf, but couldn't find one bright enough, so after carefully perusing the bolts of fabric in the store, I decided on a cloth I used to make a dress for one f my regular buyer's Chihuahuas.

For a means of securement around a canine head I'd originally planned on using a loop of thin black elastic, but while rummaging through the contents of my trims bag I came across the yellow rick-rack.  I immediately realized how well it would go with the bandanna, so out of the bag it came and - presto! - with a few dabs of Liquid Stitch fabric glue, it became anchored firmly between the inside of the hat and the sweatband I'd fashioned from a length of the scarf material.

How I enjoy creative activities!  Over the years I've learned from several sources that anger is the fount of creativity.  Aah, who knows if that's true, but I do know one thing: \after having been evacuated from Iran in late 1978, my creativity blossomed, so personal experience tells me that it may well have something to do with survival of a traumatic experience.

Now for another floral subject: the pics I'd promised of my flower garden...I'll have to close this post briefly, since it looks like Blogger's photo uploading setup might well post the hat/bandanna combo again, if I understand the images on the upload page correctly.  Be back shortly.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Cowboy Dog Accessories and Inspirational Books

Hi, everyone!  I had every good intention of posting here by now, but a busy, and exciting, schedule stood in the way (at least I haven't kept you folks waiting too long).  This post will be brief, since I have to leave for the post office in a while to mail a dog dress, and I have the inevitable trip to the grocery store as well.

One thing that's kept me busy is the beginning of collaboration with the author of a series of inspirational storybooks titled "The Thrilling Adventures of Roleafeo and Jazzie" as well as "Fluffy the Cat."  Publisher is www.createspace.com, and the price is $11.95 plus shipping & handling.  My involvement in her project will consist of being her publicist and making clothes for her trademark stuffed dogs named, appropriately, Roleafeo and Jazzie.  The author is the twin sister of a close friend of mine.

The cowboy hat/bandanna combo are listed in my Etsy Shop!  Here are some pics:


As you see in the "upside down" photo, I made a loop of elastic and secured it and the bandanna print sweatband to the hat with non-toxic fabric glue.

Be back another day.  Take care!

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Sundress Pics

Here they are...oops, due to my computer's failure to save the back view pic, I have to change "they are" to "it is".
I wonder if there's a computer user who doesn't have a love/hate relationship with them.  At least my recent switch from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome has made that part of my life more enjoyable.  I love Chrome's lightning speed and it's overall reliability, which means I can count on the back button working with each and every click, etc.

I have two potential orders brewing, so I need to get back to Etsy.  Bye for now, and take care!

Back at the Sewing Machine and Listing

Hi, everyone!  No more of those long absences from posting for me!  I've resolved to keep you up to date on developments in my Shop, plus goings-on in general.

Yesterday I listed a sundress, and I'm so pleased at how it came out.  It's only the beginning...I plan on  making and listing, for the males, a pair of swim trunks in the same fabric.  The waist will be partly elasticized to keep them from falling off.

I've been having so much fun working on expansion of my Shop to include more beach party-style apparel (I already have the Mock Aloha Shirt & Surfer Shorts) and the little hats and bandannas I mentioned here recently.  Yesterday I bought an assortment of colorful thin satin ribbon for the Mexican hats, and the guinea hen feathers came in yesterday's mail (they're really nice).  For the Western bandannas I  plan on using a traditional red, black and white bandanna print, and I'll make the Mexican ones out of a colorful striped cloth I've had on hand.

To change the subject, planting season has started here in Florida, and you should see my little garden patch!  It's a blaze of color!  Today I filled in the bare areas between the bright orange marigolds, crimson and pink dianthus and white petunias I call them my "petunia shrubs" - they're huge!), with rusty-orange marigolds and more of the crimson dianthus.  I'll post pics here as soon as the new plants have grown some.  Gardening is such good therapy, and so is viewing beautiful plants.  There's nothing like God's creations to soothe one's soul, which we all need in view of the distressing stuff we hear on the news.

Here's a photo of the sundress, and then I close for now,..oh my goodness, I don't believe it - the pic seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth.  Those dinky thumbnails can be soooo frustrating!.  Tell you what - I'll find the original one, edit it, and then come back to post it.