Behind The Scenes At Olabelhe

Today I thought I would give you a little peek behind the scenes and show and tell you a little bit about what goes on here when I have a new idea for a new pattern. It all starts with an idea that usually comes to me in a dream and then promptly wakes me up and causes me to toss and turn until I submit and get up in the middle of the night at some crazy hour and head to my studio. From there I start picking out fabrics and laying them out and deciding which one will suit this idea the best. Then I start cutting and stitching. Most of the time with no template at all, just from how it looks in my mind. It's kinda hard to explain how my brain somehow just turns the finished product into puzzle pieces in my head and then my hands just know what to do. . . I know, it's very strange, but I'm not complaining and I've just accepted that I have some magical powers that let this happen...just kidding, but I swear the entire thing is very odd. To be completely honest I don't even know Abby's measurements. I just eyeball everything and somehow it almost always turns out just right. Last night the "vision" was of a pretty little peplum top with a bit more unusual neckline and buttons all the way down the back and perhaps some pretty lace or trim to accent the whole thing. In the "dream" it was paired up with a adorable little straight skirt also with buttons down the back and a fun little kick pleat and a bow. The entire outfit went together in less than a few hours and I couldn't wait for Abby to try it on. Her comment was "Well at least it not jeans!"

However, when she actually looked at it she said "Now, this is much more my style mommy!" But the fact that I pulled her away from playing didn't make many points with her. Every time I make something for the first time I always test it on her to see where and if I need to make adjustments and of course if it's a keeper or not. We slipped this on her and then I had her quickly model it in the house so that I would have some reference photos for the future. As you can she, she's quite a clown in her own environment and I usually have about 5 minutes before she runs out of patience and starts taking it all off. Anyway, I think this one turned out pretty cute and I may consider this one for an upcoming Spring  pattern because I think it would be perfect for Easter, weddings, and church on Sunday!

Dawn