It is so exciting to announce that after seven months of hard work MegsCouture.com is now open! You have all been following me through the long process of getting my own online business started by reading of some of my major landmarks along the way. Of course, like any other business, this one will be growing and changing in it’s first couple of months. Nothing is perfect the first time around. I am anticipating trying some other directions in terms of marketing and even the feel of the site so that I can better reach my target audience.

For those of you that haven’t been following along, MegsCouture.com specializes in girls clothing and accessories from toddlers to age 7. All of our products are hand made in the United States and are “eco-conscious”. We take every step to recycle, reuse, and reduce during product production as well as using recycled goods in the office.

We will have more helpful hints on this and other ideas on our blog MegsCouture.

Here are some of the Spring looks from MegsCouture.com!

It’s almost that time of year! School is starting again. And you know what that means…back-to-school SHOPPING! Now, even though I am a 22 year old senior in college, I probably shouldn’t be getting this excited about school shopping. But, I am. For me, school shopping for college is WAY more fun because I can actually shop for clothes! I don’t have to wear a private school uniform anyyyyy longer. Unfortunately, I hate to say it, but I really am missing my plaid skirt. But I am in luck! Plaid is BACK and bigger than ever. I have been seeing it absolutely EVERYWHERE. Whether you want to prep it up or grunge it down, either way will work!

Plaid has been popular for the majority of the summer. Paired with a great pair of distressed jeans, it can be a great go-to outfit. Just take a peek through your boyfriend’s closet for some inspiration and maybe borrow a shirt or two! He’ll never know. Whether it’s a boyish fit or a more feminine fit, you’ll definitely look cool and casual. Heritage1981 and Forever 21 have both of these styles in tons of options.

Gossip Girl has always been known for showing the classy, more sophisticated way to wear plaid on the characters of the show; very school-girl chic. The trend will definitely be moving on into the Fall. YAY! The Twilight inspired line from Nordstrom featured on InStyle’s website shows an amazingly hot plaid jacket that is PERFECT for this season. It’s also EXTREMELY affordable! I’m loving it for sure.

Target and Anna Sui are working together to create a Gossip Girl inspired line that will be available in stores and online on September 13th. I don’t know about all you other fashionistas but I’m counting down the days on my calendar! NY Mag has released the look book here. The plaid ensemble below is inspired by Serena’s chic style. How fabulous is it?! Be on the lookout for this line because it is going to fly off the racks.

All of this chit-chat about plaid has really given me the urge to dig out my school uniform! I’m off!

When I first began to design my senior collection almost a year ago today, I never would have dreamed that it would have turned out the way it did. Before I even began to put pencil to the paper I thought about what I like to design. I love designing and sewing swim wear as well as weekend wear outfits. I knew almost immediately that I wanted to design resort wear. I researched trend reports for the next year and envisioned my collection to be very girly and almost whimsical. With general ideas in my head, I headed to New York City’s garment district to find the fabric to match my vision. My fiancé and I had spent two whole days searching for something that would inspire my designs. At this little hole in the wall store, there it was, hanging in the window. This gorgeous piece of dusty pink tulle with embroidery and hand sewn black and copper feathers on it. It came in a five-yard panel and it started as the base of my entire collection. Immediately I pictured it as skirt on a cocktail dress. After that we visited Mood Fabrics and I was lucky enough to find a crock embossed leather skin that was the exact shade of dusty pink and copper finish to match the tulle and feather piece.

That was my jumping off point. That night I started sketching many possibilities that could come from this combo. As part of our class assignment, we were to sketch many many designs for each garment you were to create. The professor then eliminates the sketches til you have just a five for each garment. Then those are fully rendered in a fashion illustration and matching flats. The critic chose this sketch below for me to create. In just a short seven weeks everything was patterned and fitted in muslin.

This garment was one of my last to pattern. I made all of my muslins out of tulle and pleather vinyl. For this garment I had a total of six fittings. I had first patterned this design with bust and waist darts but changed it to princess seams soon after the second fitting. It fit the bust much better this way and eliminated some of the bulk in the leather. My model Katie was great. She came in so many times so that I could fit her and make quick changes on the muslin and pattern.

When it came to sewing the leather, it was definitely a challenge. I had never worked with real leather before and it handles differently then pleather. After making this garment and other pieces with leather I learned what tools, techniques, and finishing worked best. I will talk about these tools and show you the techniques and finishings I used in an upcoming vodcast. This pic above is Katie on the runway at our Stephens College annual student fashion show…….she looked fabulous!

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

The great thing about sewing is that you can, as they say on American Idol, “make it your own”. In the denim purse , an old pair of jeans, Coats Jeans Zippers and Coats Jeans thread created the look. But change the fabric to a fantastic Amy Butler print and solid, coordinating colors of Coats All-purpose zippers and Dual Duty XP Multi-color threads and you have a total makeover! This purse is a free download, just in time for your summer travels!

Thread color depends on the look you are after-and there are so many options-342 of them in Dual Duty XP alone!! Choose a bright color for contrast. Or select a heavy thread like Dual Duty XP Heavy or Coats Jeans thread for bold, prominent stitching. Working with a print? Select a color closest to the predominant color. For solids, a slightly darker shade blends best, because it will appear a little lighter when sewn in. 

So, break out that favorite pattern and sew it up again. This time you can whip it up oh so much faster, and get set for summer with some wonderful print fabrics.

Grab your most stylish girlfriends and bring them with you to the fabulous DIYStyle Workshop! Our Workshop is a new, fun and exciting way to get together with friends and try something different.  Whether it’s a fashion, home decor or simple crafting project, the Creative Chicks can help with it all.

The DIYStyle Workshop will offer many events and classes including Girls Night Out, Panty Party, open sewing times and even private lessons.  We welcome all types of sewers, whether you have little or lots of sewing experience.  You will not be let down by the unique and trendy projects that we will feature!

Check out the Workshop section of our website to get more information!  If you are interested and have more questions or would like to register for a class please call us at 636.925.1829

Another exciting step in MegsCouture.com is in process–Patterning! I have finished all of my sloppers and have been working on grading my designs into all of my different sizes. Sloppers are the basic patterns that you then change into your design, and grading is changing your pattern into the different sizes.

It’s been a few months since I have patterned and I forgot how time consuming it is. I anticipate that this will take me about two weeks in total to make and grade my seven different garments. The nice thing is if I carry any of these designs into another season the patterns will all ready be done. It looks like I am going to have to find a closet to be taken over with pattern storage now! Maybe DIYStyle needs to do a Do-It-Yourself on how to make your home into your office!

So since I have to pattern like crazy I think I will challenge all of you who like to sew to look online or pick up a book and alter your store bought patterns to fit you or who ever the project is for. This makes your project that much better and makes you appreciate the time that you put into it. Plus, what’s better than having an outfit that fits amazing and makes everyone jealous! Remember that ironing after each step of the pattern while you are sewing helps make the outfit look great!! Steam away!

“Market Day at Stephens”

Boy has this been a long semester!! Graduation is finally over (YEAH!!!!), and it’s been so crazy busy I have not had a moment to slow down at all. Just to give you a quick update of my last semester at Stephens College, from January to March I was working on five ensembles of my senior collection. It consisted of 11 garments total! I worked with a lot of fabrics and trims that I had never worked with before, including LOTS of feathers. Senior collection is all about getting the most experience you can out if it, so crazy me choose a ton of different fabrics. All together I worked with swim lycra, bamboo knit, stretch linen, embroidered tulle, leather, stretch charmeuse, silk charmeuse, china silk, and silk chiffon. We worked on fitting a lot of our garments last semester in muslin but it’s not always exactly the same result when you get into the final fabric, so I also worked on fitting these garments so they looked perfect. Our entire senior collection was turned in seven weeks after we started, and immediately after we began our portfolio’s and a computer aided manufacturing class. I have learned quite a bit in computer patternmaking, and hope to be able to continue this after my training here at school. We began to learn this program sophomore year but this was a more intense seven weeks of it.

April 4^th was Jury of Selection, where all of my garments were judged by industry professionals from companies like Abercrombie & Fitch and BCBG. This day decided what got into the Stephens fashion show. Then (finally!) on April 18^th we had our Annual Stephens College Designer Fashion Show “Avant Cirque”. The show had a high fashion circus theme, and opened with a choreographed high wire type act—it really was very cool. I was juried in to show three ensembles from my senior collection (you’ll get to see which ones soon), my wool tailored coat and dress, and my rejectamenta (the poker card dress).

Avant Cirque Opening Act

Rejectamenta “Poker Card Dress” for Breast Cancer Awareness

Tailored Coat and Dress

And……April 18^th will always be the best day ever because not only did I get to display all of a years hard work to 1,200 people but……… my boyfriend PROPOSED to me that morning before the fashion show! I was so surprised, and I did say YES!

Even with all this going on somehow I have managed to keep up with work at McCalls. There are more cool, fun patterns on the way. I look back at this year in awe and do not have a clue how it got all done! In my next post I will show you the garments I had in the show one at a time with my sketches, so keep a look out for them coming soon!

Allyce

Need a dress in a hurry? A new DIYStyle pattern is fresh out from McCall’s! M5881 is a super easy sundress, with several views to create your own design-it-yourself style. Stitch one up in a fun cotton summer print for a picnic or barbecue, or choose a solid silk or stretch sateen for that special dinner, wedding or evening event. This is one of those patterns you will be sure to use over and over again…..each time you make it up you will have a completely different look……and it’s SO easy to sew!

When you’re done with your creation, send us your pics of your completed dress at info@diystyle.net and we’ll post them here on DIYStyle! The first 5 Creative Chicks to send in pics of their M5881 DIYStyle dress will recieve a free DIYStyle pattern of their choice! What are you waiting for…….that cute new dress is right around the corner!!! 

It’s Spring! Woo-Hoo! Spring for me means new beginnings. And for those like myself that are finding the economic hardships are affecting their opportunities in their chosen field a new beginning sounds pretty good right now! Currently I am dealing with still looking for a full time position as an assistant designer. I’m getting really burnt out on writing cover letters and attaching my resume but only good things can come from it. For my readers that are having this same situation-hang in there!!!

So what are some things that I have been doing in the mean time. I have been selling clothes online and doing custom orders for people which helps keep me a float. All anyone can do is just find a job no matter what it is. For me, I am to the point of searching for work in retail. With my degree I’m sure I could get a management position and still be in my industry. 

I also mentioned in a previous post that I was looking at starting my own online business. I am not 100% sure that the timing would be very good to try to run a small business. Though, through the research that I did an online business would probably be the best kind to start up. If you sew orders as they come in then you don’t have a ton of overhead. Plus the sheer fact that you are not paying rent for a store front. There are still a lot of things like taxes and copywriting and web maintenance that have to be contributed into the money that you make. With sales way down for most major department stores I’m not sure I could make my sales to break even. So for now it is part time jobs and MegsCouture.ETSY.com to keep me a float until sales increase and I can pursue my own business dreams or until one lucky company calls me and hires me on.

On a side note if you’re looking for a new distraction (that doesn’t involve working out!) think about taking up a hobby with DIYStyle. This site posts tons of activities that are easy and great to do that can be used in your everyday life. Check out the DIYStyle Projects section. If you have a specific project in mind that you don’t know how to do or you think would be great for the rest of the DIYStyle readers to hear about post it below. Personally, I love hearing new ideas!

It seems like only yesterday that Allyce went to her Senior Prom. She designed and sewed her own dress, and entered it into a Prom contest and was chosen as one of the winners that year. That was probably her first extensive sewing experience, and helped to cement her career choice and course of study for college. It was made entirely from silk charmuese, with three different colors/layer for the skirt portion (incidently Allyce used charmuese for LOTS of her design projects at Stephens!).

Coincidently, we just found out about a Prom Contest that is bring run by Jo-Anns Fabrics and Crafts. This is actually the same contest that Allyce had entered! Here’s the scoop:

The Sew Jo-Ann Prom Contest is open to high school students who create and sew their own prom gowns. After you have worn your unique creation to Prom, submit two photos of you in your gown, along with the entry form and Jo-Ann register receipt that shows the purchase of your fabric. Entries must be postmarked by June 30, 2009.

You can win some fab prizes, including CASH!, a new sewing machine, dress form, or serger. Judging is based on workmanship, originality and level of detail. And, if you need some help getting started, check out your local Jo-Anns store for a Prom Workshop near you. For more info on the contest go to www.joann.com/prom.

Allyce has some great memories from her senior prom………go “Design It Yourself” and make yours a prom to remember!

It seems that there have been some questions on what type of research I did to start planning for my own online business. Thank you for those of you who responded! The first thing that you must understand about the steps to starting a business is that if you do it the right way it takes a lot of time. Research is only one step of getting your small business started. I was asked specifically about an online business so those are the steps I will give. If you plan on starting a brick and mortar business (in a shop) then there are a few more things you need to consider.

To start out, the research process is to prepare you for success in selling your products.  Your research can be from anything.  The point of it is to saturate yourself with as much information as you can about your desired items to sell.  The more you know the better decisions you can make.  For example, before starting my research I had a simple concept of starting an online women’s wear website.  Then Google key words to find information from every aspect, including the consumers view, of the women’s wear industry.  I also made sure to Google for information on starting a small business.  And last, I for sure researched about the economy seeing that it is a big thing that will influence my future business.  Other important things to look into would be technology if you are going to deal with it and manufacturers.  All of this information gives you the advantage to have ideas in your head about possible future conflicts along with also helping you mold your product to one that will fully appeal to the consumer and industry environment. 

From my finds I further developed my product by changing my simple concept of a women’s wear line to maternity because it was a very specific niche market that is always needed to affordable children’s wear that can grow with your kid.  My thoughts for this came because to start I don’t have a ton of funding to get my business started and the amount of money to go into fabric inventory will be less since the clothes are smaller, two because this is a smaller less concentrated market, and three because if everything goes as planned I can expand this into many other labels such as maternity wear or women’s wear. 

The next step in my process is to get a business plan done so that I can think through the first year of my business to see what I need to tweak so that it will thrive and be the best that it can be.  There are many free downloads for free business plans.  I will do a generic outline of what I did in my next post. 

Leave your comments and let me know if this helped or if you have any further questions.  Good Luck!

Hey Creative Chicks!

Who’s into sewing costumes? Whether it’s for a party or a production of some kind, being able to style your own character is loads of fun. Recently I made a money pouch to go with a Shakespearean costume for my brother-in-law (who was off to a murder mystery dinner). I also sewed my own costume for our church Christmas musical. So why do you make costumes? Are you a murder mystery type? A Halloween fanatic? Do you strut your stuff across the theater stage? Here are some photos of a few of my costumes over the years. Enjoy! Can’t wait to hear about yours!