A Christmas Stocking for Susan!
It's funny how things work sometimes....I'm just starting on a new venture of creating more things for home and garden and gifts. I had an online business called "Bay to Bay Gifts" for three years doing that before I started Cameo Kids Boutique in 2001. I mostly sold new product items as well as things I had made myself for those three years, even opened a booth at a Flea Market in Tampa. Loved it! I had never made much of anything before, except as a child so I amazed myself that I had somewhat of a crafty nature to myself. I was loving it!
Then one day in 2001, I was in an antique shop and discovered the sweetest thing ever....it was a vintage pillow case dress. I bought it and took it home to use as a pattern to try my hand at it with some vintage pillowcases I had from my grandmother and ex-mother-in-law. That was what brought Cameo Kids to life. I started creating and designing children's wear from not just those beautiful vintage pillowcases, but also from chennile bedspreads, vintage hankies, table runners, dolies, napkins, linen towels, etc. You name it, if it was any type of vintage linen, I was making anything from clothing, to stuffed animals, to accessories for kids, and gift items for kids and moms! I was so excited as my sewing skills were increasing everyday to where I was even drawing out my own patterns and designing my own creations! eBay loved me to death as that is where I found the majority of my vintage linens to work with.
Well the last couple of years, I have also been getting into this love for junking also! The world of recycling, upcycling, and repurposing is tugging at my heartstrings. So now I am going to put my time into both Cameo Kids, and my new venture which is "Cameo Cottage Designs." Here I will be creating whatever my heart desires and what the mood strikes me into. It may be children's items one day, or something useful for the home or garden the next, or something just unique and different that just appeals to one's liking. And, I started the ball rolling with making some things for Christmas...more for next year because as usual, I'm always a day late by the time I get inspired! Funny thing was though, I was making some things and posting on my Facebook page some the things I had finished, and ended up selling them to some friends without even trying! How cool is that! It's just the nicest thing ever when you make or create something, that others actually like it to, enough to even buy it! Always surprises me! But what a nice surprise to have!
Anyway......(I can get sidetracked so easy hehe), and I'm not a short story girl by any means either lol! So anyway, a couple of weeks back I was just sharing away on my Facebook this one day as I love to do, love the pretties and inspiration! But anyway again, I shared this photo of a very pretty bedroom decked for Christmas. Hanging off the foot of the bed was three Christmas stockings made of vintage chenilles! Very pretty ones too and I loved them myself! Funny thing was, I had those very same vintage chenilles those stockings were made of packed in a box in my sewing room! How cool is that!
Well, one of my dear friends Sharon said she loved them, and would love to have one, but bigger. She was hoping for an IPad for Christmas and would need one big enough for her hubby to put it in her stocking. But, her hubby had just purchased this very expensive little dog so she figured it would have to wait until next year. Well then another lady commented about the stocking, saying she was getting an IPad for Christmas and how she would love a stocking like this for her hubby to stick it in. She asks, "Can you make one for me! I said, "sure" never expecting she was serious, but she was!
Well as silly as it sounds, I have never made one before and didn't have a pattern for them either, but I can sew lol! I couldn't back out now hehe! So we chatted about what she wanted and I said, "you got it", all the while freaking hoping I could do this. Then I prayed! I prayed all the way through making it! I really did! :) I got the measurements from my grandsons IPad, (thank goodness he was here at the time,) and set out to drawing a Christmas stocking for Susan and the size she needed. She also had this piece of gorgeous pink beaded lace she was wanting for the cuff of the stocking that she sent me. I was so nervous thinking "oh my gosh, Lord don't let me screw this up" lol, well I really wasn't laughing, I was scared to death. That piece of lace she had wasn't cheap! She also wanted it nice and fluffy plush too so I set out to see if I could do this. Fine time to think that right! :)
I made the pattern and added extra for the seams. Decided that I should line it and add padding so it would be plush and fluffy. I used a white cotton linen for the lining, and then used some cotton batting for the padding. Then wracked my brain from all the other things I had made with a pattern, of how to put this all together so the inside would have a finished look and I wouldn't screw up adding the pink beaded lace as there was JUST enough with nothing to spare. After a couple of hours of thinking I starting pinning it all together. I know that sounds funny but when you have never done it before and with no paper instructions, it isn't as easy as you would think, but I did it, and with no mistakes! YEA!!!! My sewing skills are really growing lol! And here it is! I was so happy and RELIEVED when I got it done and thought to myself, "I DID IT!" "I REALLY DID IT!" And!!.....I really loved it myself! Now all that was left was hoping Susan would love it! And now!!!!,................... I have a pattern and know what I am doing! Double YEA!!! And!!!.....it came out the size I needed when it was all sewed up and done!
Will miracles never cease!
And!!!.....The best news ever was......Susan loved it too!!! :)
I think it turned out pretty nice, even if I do say so myself lol! A challenge is fun if it works out haha!
Well this is the little gem. What made it even sweeter was Susan's lovely piece of pink beaded lace!
In this photo I laid this pretty filligree flower (kinda looked like a snowflake to me), with a pearl center just to see how it would look with a little bling, (I'm a blingy sparkley kinda girl), and I thought, "Perfect Touch!" I sent a photo to Susan and she liked it too! She had just purchased some rhinestone snowflake brooches, so now she knew this was just what she was going to use them for....her new stocking! Funny how things work out!
Not to shabby! And I have a happy new friend to boot! :) Life is good! Now I want to make more of these, and in my stash of stuff, I got lots of ideas for more pretties! So starts the new beginnings of Cameo Cottage Designs!
Wow that was long hehe!
Thanks for visiting and putting up with my chatter!
Have a beautiful and blessed day my friends!
Hope to see you all again!
Until the next post....TaTa Till Later!!!
Love and hugs!!
Debi
