THE DOMESTIC DIVA’S DISASTERS™

You know you want them.  Get them at West Elm.

Happy Stitching!

With friendship,

Lisa

Way back when I was an active participant in the Ebay custom boutique world, my friend, Jen of Olives Pearls, wrote a piece, The Banished Place, which stuck a cord.  Seriously, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread it.

There is so much work to be done in my sewing room.  Like the chiminea cover which needs to be repaired.  When you can sew, you’re hesitant to purchase another vinyl cover for $50 when you know you could easily repair the old one or even make a new one.  But you don’t.  Instead, you join your neighbors in turning your upper middle income neighborhood into a trailer park.

I am distracted by many things these days.  Or perhaps I am just overwhelmed.  Mr. Diva™ has decided we are having the Big NYC BBQ on Saturday, August 2nd.  Oh crap!  Why does this man put such pressure on me?  I need to sew, not host a party for 200 people.

See, it’s simple for him.  He just pays for everything orders the food.  Me…well…I’ve got to get the house and yard in order.  Now this may seem doable…but it’s not that easy.  I’ll need to enlist the illegal day workers to clean the pond, scrub the BBQ grills, clean the huge coolers, and pick weeds, etc.  Then the Expensive Gardener™ will need to plant a zillion annual flowers so I can fund his trip to Italy this Fall.

Oh and then there’s the garage…I’ve got 4 industrial cutting tables and 4 industrial sewing machines with tables, motors and attachments renting more than half the space in there.  So for the last year, we haven’t been able to use our garage.  I’ll have to hire the illegal day workers for a second day to have them carry all this sewing stuff down into the unfinished basement Banished Place.  I have yet to renovate it (even though Mr. Diva™ has given me the go ahead to have it done 2 years ago).  I just keep putting it off…guess I’ll never get to it.  However, I’ll need to first clean the basement in order to fit everything down there.  There is stuff everywhere!

Anyway, in order to host such a big party, it would be wise of me to get the invitations designed, printed and mailed.  Guess I had better get moving…

Meet Jacob Joseph AKA the Jakester™…

Baby Brother to Emma

Madi and…

Little Miss Anna!

Proud Daddy Georgie Porgie gets the Ultimate Father’s Day gift!

My dear friend, Carrie, knew I would be looking for a new boy model for my Downtown Joey clothing line…see, my own son, Joey, is now 6 1/2 years old and will soon outgrow modeling.  So what does my buddy do?  She goes and grows a new little boy just for me.  Darn, now that’s a good friend!

Notice I stole a close-up shot from Carrie’s blog..I just had to get a closer look of Jacob’s precious lips.  I so want to bite those lips!  She’s lucky I don’t kidnap him.

The Designer Diamond™ has just been unveiled by Husqvarna Viking.  If my currency conversion is correct, it should retail at approximately $7,000.00 USD.

Now anyone who knows me, knows I just love Diamonds…so I REALLY must stop myself from stumbling by my local Husqvarna store and putting one of these beauties in my trunk.  Really.

Truth be told…Mr. Diva™ would buy one of these for me in a heartbeat.  All I would have to do is look at him a certain way casually mention it.  But if I am honest with myself, I know I just don’t need it (I already have 6 Vikings).  I may WANT it…but the purchase of yet another Husqvarna sewing machine would be pure greed overkill.  I think my next sewing machine purchase will be an industrial coverstitch machine…yep.  However, I’m thinking it might be best to get the four Industrial straight stitch machines out of my garage and put them to use before I purchase another machine, KWIM?

Happy Sewing!

When designing a clothing line, one needs to assign style numbers to each design. Style numbers help you and everyone in your supply chain keep track of your designs.  Can you imagine a Chinese sewing factory trying to read “Urban Chaos” or “Hot Kitten?”  Or what about a boutique calling to order 3 “Delicious Wet Seals?”  If you name your styles, then everyone in your supply chain would have to remember the names (and it will show what a newbie you really are).  It’s best to keep it simple.

Fashion Incubator says we should use numbers only.  Liza D says you could use both letters and number system such as the letter F for Fall and S for Spring if we want.  Let’s examine this:

Fashion Incubator says we shouldn’t use names for our styles as it’s not for our benefit, but for those that will work with us (pattern makers, sewing contractors, etc.).  Kathleen points out that not all sewers speak English, but EVERYONE SPEAKS NUMBERS.  I can’t stress this enough.  Numbers are the way to go.

Now don’t go issuing random numbers.  Each digit in your style numbers should have meaning and enable you to grow.  Use 4 digits at a minimum.  However, 5 digits are even better.  Code by categories such as:

First number for gender:

10000 - boys

20000- girls

30000- unisex

OR

10000 - men

20000 - women

30000 - children

If you are making children’s clothing in a range of sizes, you might instead want to allocate your first number like this as your infant size 3 months patterns will be different from your boys’ size 8 patterns,etc.:

10000 infant size newborn - 18 months

20000 toddler size 2T - 4T

30000 children size 5 - 8

second number for type of garment:

01000 - pants

02000 - shorts

03000 - dress shirts

04000 - knit shirts

05000 - jackets

06000 - accessories (hats, belts, etc.)

then you can further code it by fabric type:

00100 - cotton woven

00200 - cotton knit

00300 - denim

00400 - silk

But I’m not going to divide by fabrication as most fabric costs are similar in my line.  You would only do this if there is a significant price difference in fabric costs.  Though really, it isn’t necessary as you’d probably be using a different pattern if you were using different fabrics.

What about seasons?  Liza D. suggests we use letters to identify Fall and Spring (ie., F for Fall and S for Spring)…so your style number would look like this:

F23003 = Fall Toddler Dress Shirt Design #3

I’m thinking it would be better to incorporate a Fall or Spring category into my style numbers by designating a set of numbers for the particular season like this:

23001 to 23004 = Toddler Shorts Fall Designs #1 through #4

I’d know that my next season (Spring) would start with Design #5:

23005

So my Third, fourth and fifth numbers would be actual design numbers:

00001 - first design

00703 - 703rd design (can you imagine how old I’ll be when I get up to the 703rd design?  OMG…LOL)

11503 - Infant Pants Design #503

I’m going to go with the 5 digit style number as I could easily outgrow the 4 digit system in a few years.  A 4 digit system would limit me to 99 designs in a category.  It would be a safer bet to use the 5 digit system and be able to incorporate up to 999 designs per category.

Here’s so more info about issuing Style Numbers:

Fashion Incubator’s Style Numbers Revisited

Fashion Incubator’s How to Issue Style Numbers Part 127

Fashion Incubator’s How to Issue Style Numbers Part 128

Fashion Incubator’s How to Issue Style Numbers Part 129

On the home front, we just got back from Philadelphia where we had a successful Kidney Transplant meeting.  Things are going along as planned and My Sunshine Girl is doing well.  Thanks for your continued prayers!

We made it home from the Philadelphia hospital late last night.  It took more than 4 hours to discharge us as we couldn’t find a pharmacy which stocked the necessary medications.  But problem solved.  Whew!

Today we have a visiting nurse coming to teach us how to give EPO injections (which the Sunshine Girl will need 3 times a week until she gets her new kidney).  But the good news is the pediatric nurse they’ve assigned us is the same nurse who took care of her for 2 years when she was an infant.  Yippee!!!

I truly want to thank everyone for their emails, e-cards, prayers and support over the last two weeks.  You girls are the best!  Thank you so much.

Ok…now let’s talk FABRIC!  Check out Robert Kaufman’s You Got the Notions fabrics available in July:

The fabrics come in 3 different color ways.  I’m definitely going to be adding some of these delicious prints to my collection.

Today the temperature is nuts…it’s going to be 95 degrees Fahrenheit here in NYC…OMG!  Thankfully we have central air conditioning!  Keep cool!

My Sunshine Girl celebrated her 15th Birthday on Wednesday with dinner at the Palm in Philadelphia.  Her doctors let her out of the hospital for the evening.  We had a BLAST!

We’re hoping to come home this weekend if her blood pressure remains stable.  Things are going to be a lot different as she’ll need injections three times a week to maintain her kidneys until transplant.  In a week we go back to the hospital to get her listed for a new kidney.

Thank you to everyone for their prayers and support.  I’ll update as soon as I can.

Have a great weekend!

I forgot to bring my vintage sewing box to the hospital.  Darn…cause I really need to do some sewing.  Even if it is just learning some hand embroidery…anything.  Maybe I’ll finally learn how to smock using those smocking stickers…maybe.

When I’m not doing something with my hands, my mind tends to wander…and that’s not a good thing these days.  There is only so much Law & Order one can watch and BINGO one can play (especially considering B5, B13, I27 and N33 are missing from the box).

Not to worry…I drove home to NY in the wee hours of the morning.  I needed my vintage sewing box some more clothes .  My Sunshine Girl has been asking me to make something similar to one of these in her size:

I’ve also been missing my garden.  Two weeks ago, I bought a bunch of annual flowers.  Guess I’ll just have to leave them on my neighbor’s porch as I won’t have time to plant them this year.  I was going to have my Expensive Gardener plant tons of annuals like he did last year, but the $2,200 bill he gave me persuaded me to do it myself this year.

But luckily I planted some Tall Bearded Iris from my favorite Iris farmer and some other perennials so I will have flowers this Summer.

There was lots of packages waiting for me when I arrived home.  I smiled when I opened the box that contained these two books I won on e-Bay for a mere $2:

Score!  Well, I’m off to sort some laundry (Mr. Diva can’t seem to figure out how to do this and call the laundry guy for pick-up.  Unbelievable.)

The Sunshine Girl is still hospitalized in Philadelphia.  She’ll be undergoing some tests tomorrow and is on a liquid diet today.  Mr. Diva and my little guy are supposed to be driving down there today to spend the day with her woke up complaining of kidney stones.  I think I’ll scream if Mr. Diva ends up in the hospital, too.

P.S. - My Koi fishies are still alive and doing well.  All is good in the world.

I was able to take a long walk this morning…away from the hospital to get some fresh air and do a little shopping.  Now some of you might think that shopping should be the least of my priorities.  You would be so wrong.

First, the exercise is good.  And while I don’t miss my personal trainer and the 50 friggin’ flights of stairs he makes me climb each Wednesday, I do need to do some exercise.  Second, shopping is a great diversion and is good for the soul.

Well, I found a few stores…Ann Taylor, The GAP and Urban Outfitters.  Not my usual shops, but they would do for now.  Anyway, although I didn’t like the musty smell of Urban Outfitters, I found a small flip book which had my name on it.

But when I flipped thorough it, I came across this…

How ironic?!  LOL!

Many of you have asked about sending cards and emails…well, the Children’s Hospital makes it easy:
Send Marielle an E-Card (Marielle Carroccio, Room 5W27)

Gotta run…Marielle and I are watching a movie!  Thanks for everyone’s continued prayers and good wishes!

With friendship,

Lisa

After a rough day at the hospital yesterday, doctors finally saw things my way and have a transport team coming to get my Sunshine Girl later today to bring her to Philadelphia.

A mild panic sets in–will Mr. Diva remember to feed my fish?  Will I bring enough clothes?  Did I remember my cosmetics case?  Got to remember to copy my hard drive onto my flash drive so the laptop is useful.  Can’t forget the cell phone charger.  This is the kind of stuff that goes through my mind every single time I make a trip to Philadelphia.  And it needlessly drives me crazy.

Luckily, the Philadelphia hospital is just an hour and 20 minutes from home and I can usually come home on the weekend for a few hours.  Still, I get anxious thinking I’m forgetting important things like medicine and medical records.  Ugh.

Anyway, although my Sunshine Girl is in need of a new kidney, it may take months to get a donor.  The good thing about kidney disease (unlike liver disease) is that there is always kidney dialysis, if needed, until they find her a new kidney.

I had a long talk with one of the renal transplant team members yesterday and it was an eye-opener.  In order to get her transplanted there, I need to commit to at least 2 weekly visits for follow-up.  Oh and to get her listed for a new kidney, we’ll have to undergo 2 to 3 weeks of testing to make sure it is the right choice (like as if we have any other options…duh!).

Mr. Diva continues to be so stressed out.  He just doesn’t know what to do.  He thought one of these would make my commuting easier.  Thanks guy!  Nothing wrong with my current Beamer, just the color–gun metal gray.  I’ve been bugging him for a white one ever since I got the gray one two years ago.  Poor guy.

Just want to REALLY thank everyone.  The wishes of health and strength bring me to tears.  I read each and every comment and email…I just don’t have enough hours in the day to respond.  But know it means the world to me right now.

I’ll update everyone as soon as I can.