Shopping online has always been one of my guilty pleasures. I’m usually just browsing, but if I find a good sale I won’t pass it up. Browsing different websites is also a great way to find out what the growing trends are for the season.

Forever 21 is one of my favorite stores that tends to knock-off some higher end looks. There is actually a link on their site to a page that gives you the option to shop by trend. Also, don’t forget to check out their fairly new couture line titled Twelve by Twelve. This top below is fabulous with a pair of leggings and it’s only $36.00!

When I’m feeling eclectic and in the mood for something “urban” I’ll stop by UrbanOutfitters.com. They have a great sale selection on the site. The top below is very L.A. I could definitely see Nicole Richie walking down Robertson Blvd. in this tank, paired with some denim cut-offs. And the best part about it, you ask? It’s only $10.00!!! Can’t beat it.

One of my favorite lines of clothing is Free People. The look of their clothing is so care free. It’s simple but they find a way to make everything look very put-together. I love,love, love going on their website and checking out the new looks tab at the top of the page. It gives me great inspiration for looks I can put together with garments that I may already have in my closet.

I hope you enjoy these sites!

DIYStyle has been featured as a Podcast Spotlight on an iTunes e-mail blast! The e-mail entitled, “Podcast Spotlight: DIY,” features video podcasts that teach subscribers various ways to DIY. We are very excited to be included. DIYStyle is on the rise and we couldn’t be more happy about it! Thanks for being one of our fans!

Hey Sewers! One more exciting step has taken place in my process to get www.MegsCouture.com up and running-Photo Shoot! I got together with a wonderful photographer (whose stuff can be viewed at www.JonQ.com) and two adorable models and we shot the first season of outfits for MegsCouture. I have never worked with nor made clothes for kids before so I was a little nervous about the fit and about getting the kids to do what we needed to get great results. Fortunately, it went off with out a hitch and the kids were naturals. As far as the fit…

I used some average measurements for kids to help create my slopers. After seeing the garments on the models I feel like the measurements I used were a little outdated or too averaged… i.e. they were a little short and squatty. There are always going to be rather long and lanky people/kids in the world and shorter and more petite people/kids and unless you have a plethora of sizes to accommodate all, you must pick one of these types or something in between to set as a standard for your fit. This choice will narrow your target market a bit to that size person. I think most models are a little taller and skinnier than average for their ages. The garments might not be, so this may have contributed to the fit.

So, I guess I have yet another decision to make (woo-hoo!). What will I do with my patterns? I need to decide who my customer is going to be in conjunction with body type. I am not offering a plethora of sizes to fit all body types (you can’t please everyone) so narrowing it down will help. I am leaning more towards tweaking the patterns to a little skinnier and a bit longer in the upper body. To me, it seems that kids are getting taller and taller each generation (or at least in my family) so it only makes sense to appeal to “growing” kids. Let me know what you think!

Meghan

It all started when I was cleaning out my sewing room. The stuff was too good to toss in the trash! I started thinking…maybe I could get a little cash for the items. The resale shop was not interested, so, I had heard about “eBay”, an online site for the selling and buying of just about anything. And I mean ANYTHING!

I hooked up my account and went to work. It was easy, trust me, I am not a computer guru by any stretch of the imagination. The site leads you through the set up, step by step. Once my account was in place, I started taking photos of fabric, patterns, books; you name it and listed each of their wonderful and valuable attributes. Five days later I was raking in the dollars from the items that I had sold. I was pumped!

Photo + Description = DOLLARS…for the things I didn’t even want anymore. So now I continue to clean and search for items to “list”. My family members are a little worried that if they sit still too long I may list them on eBay! Ummm, no I really wouldn’t! But, I have really made some progress to a more organized nest with the benefit of a little extra cash.

The only thing you must watch out for is when doing research for selling items…you may be “seduced” in to buying an item or two or three. But, the deals can be great! The other great benefit is when I’m looking for a unique item or one that may be older and no longer available…eBay can be a great resource. In fact, that happened recently, I wanted leopard look spandex for some lingerie, at the store the fabric can run upwards of $18.00 a yard! On eBay I was able to score 10 yards for $24.00. You read that right…$24.00!!! Granted, I will have leopard panties for the next 50 years!

Excuse me I gotta go, I have an eBay listing I need to post! And so do you!

Elizabeth