08/31/2023
Okay, wow, what a summer! There have been some massive projects, some family stuff, some medical emergencies, and definitely a bit of burnout, but overall I am loving this adventure and so appreciative of the support
So, in the time honoured style of the probably rambling info dump, and in no particular order, I’d like to provide an update on the things that are going on right now and some plans moving into the fall!
Current Orders ~
I am SO happy to be wrapping up all my open orders right now. That pink and white dress you may have seen at Pride went home earlier this week (and hits the stage tomorrow omg.) I am so proud of this piece and I will eventually share the massive amount of process photos and video I took
I also have a couple of sports bras and a pretty lace bra that I’m finishing off. And a handful of alterations and a couple of personal projects that have been sitting at 95% complete since idk like April.
Commissions for the Fall ~
I will have some space for costumes and custom pieces this fall, there are a few people on my wait list that I’ll be reaching out to (if we’ve talked about doing something and you’re keen to get that going please feel free to send me a message - spots are first come first serve, and how much I’m able to take on will depend on what folks are interested in)
The Fitting Room ~
Oh my god it’s almost done. I’m so thrilled with this space. It’s still full of bits and pieces that need to be tidied up, but I have curtains and I have a bench and I have lights and I’m so excited to have somewhere pretty and comfy to do fittings and consultations (and, frankly, to not have anyone walk past my kitchen :P)
I really appreciate the patience folks have had with me and how chaotic some fittings have been (at least from my perspective.) I’m looking forward to offering a more professional space and a more comfortable experience for everyone
Stockists ~
I have a bunch of cute pieces in the shop at House of Pole, downtown on Douglas and Fisgard. If you haven’t popped in yet I highly encourage you to! There are a few other local makers with pieces there and it’s an incredibly fun rack of clothing to look through!
If I can get my s**t together, I’m hoping to get in to a couple other local places - maybe someone in Vancouver as well? Who knows! I do feel ready to start expanding a bit, but I’ll continue moving slowly and feeling things out
A Fall Pre-Order ~
I’m currently sourcing fabric for some comfy lace pieces I’m hoping to offer soon. I’ve been looking through the piles of one-offs and samples I’ve made and am picking out a couple of coordinating sets. I have a red and black colour way that I love and a cute floral lace that I’m going to put together some samples of. Keep an eye out for this!
Leftover Neon Fabrics ~
There’s a bit left, and I’ve had a few requests for thongs (I promise I’ll followup with you folks soon!!) I’m also making a couple of tiny bikini tops and hoping to squeeze out a few more scrunchies! Another thing to keep your eyes open for!
Pricing ~
Oh my god. Pricing your own work sucks. If you’ve ever tried to quantify the value of your creative work you know what I’m talking about. I feel like I have a better grasp on what amount of time things take and will be able to implement this knowledge a little better moving forward. For large commissions I’ll be implementing an instalment set up, based around the timing of fittings, and for bras I’ll be putting together something similar. Details to come, when I have them
Timelines ~
So, if we’ve worked together on a project this year you already know that I’m not very good with the concept of linear time. Uh. I’m sorry this has been so chaotic and I’m so grateful for the patience and grace I’ve been shown. I have a tendency to overpromise and overestimate my capacity, this is something I’m actively working on and I think I’ll be able to do better moving forward. Turn around estimates will “extend” in that I’ll be making them closer to what reality has been this year, instead of what I think I should be capable of. I’ll also be making myself some guidelines around rush job pricing and for larger projects I plan to be more proactive about booking a next fitting (deadlines make things happen much more reliably)
Open House and Private Shopping Sessions ~
Once the fitting room is all done I’ll be offering private shopping and fitting sessions. You’ll be able to come by, we’ll play some music, and you can try on things I have on hand or we can look at samples and fabric and come up with something wonderful just for you! I’m considering having an open house of sorts later on in the year, but that’s just a vague notion I’m throwing into the universe right now - let me know if you think you’d be into coming to see the studio/try on some samples/hang out and probably have a glass of bubbly or something
E-Commerce ~
I switched my website off of shopify earlier this year because I simply did not have the capacity to sell things online and shopify is kinda pricey. The current platform I’m on has some e-commerce functionality and I’m planning to get a few offerings up on there soon, and I’ll probably run the next pre-order that way which I think will be a lot more convenient for everyone involved!
Community ~
I’ve worked with some really beautiful people this year, and I’ve had a chance to genuinely positively impact a few lives. I’m so incredibly grateful for the people I have around me and the trust that has been placed in me. I love you all so much, and the support you’ve given me has let me grow and learn (and stumble and f**k up) and I’m just so excited to see where we can take this
Okay! I’m sure that’s not actually everything I have to say, but it certainly feels like more than enough so thank you to anyone who’s read this far!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of this
