a sample of the bridesmaid dresses...

how the cuffs are made and why we are always out of them...

i have an obession about saving fabric. even the smallest pieces i fold and stack in the designated color group. below is a sample of the last years garments, well what is left of them. i love looking and remembering who wore what when... easter, the cup, homecoming... mother of the bride. sometimes they are made into bow ties or small bags. maybe used as trim or to inspire a new design.

on a trip to ny this summer it came to me... a way to use the small pieces. since then i have been working to create cuff bracelets.

first step... fabric on to the cuff. at the stage things are moving slowly but i am very excited to see the fabric in the shape of the cuff.

i had envisioned the cuff to have a laquared effect. heavy, shinny and glossy to the touch. after several trips to lowes and different mixtures of laquare concoctions i think i have found what works best.... (you didn't think i was going to tell you the secret did you? ) they turn out beautiful but takes literaly hours to dry and many coats.

here are a few from the last collection as they dry....

ta da! a few from the first group... the new cuff's are much more shinny ...

a few happy customers stop by wearing their cuffs on the way to devine foods... love mixing the cuffs with other cuffs.

so... in a short while... more cuffs.

i am experimenting with a modern monogram on the cuff. maybe one letter or an important date. look for pictures soon.

oh, and look for them in southern living in march along with the story about the shop and the carolina cup.....

alicia and brantley tie the knot

alicia and brantley were married last weekend at canal and senate. i have made several wedding dresses but by far this was the most special. i have know the couple for a few years and felt very honored that alicia choose me to make her gown. also, this was the first wedding that i attended that i had made the wedding dress. very rewarding to be there... and what a beautiful location... right by the bridge. have you been there? its a secret wonderland down under the gervias street bridge...felt almost like being in a postcard the setting was so perfect. oh and as much as i would love to take credit for the photography i have to tell you that all of these lovely photo's were taken by melinda register. her work is always incredible.

and here was the monogram for the inside of her dress...

below is sweet jenna and brice. jenna's dress is little laroque with a match bow like alicia. brice is wearing a tie just like brantley's, his dad.

love alicia's monogram sash...

travis and i at the reception... im wearing our new tulip skirt from the fall collection.

so brice's tie is the smallest tie i have ever made... 7' long.... very tiny and so sweet.

this is what the office looked like at 830am on oct. 1 as i waited for Gary Clark from Southern Living. looks great. flowers on the table... new lamp, bags perfect, rug with not one thread from a garment in the works. you can actually see the top of my desk ... and take a look at window. no clutter. amazing.

the week prior i was a wreck....

to plan a party in a week can cause stress to anyone... to plan a party for southern living, that must look like spring is beyond emotional. we redid all the flower boxes one night... (yep, thats a lamp on a chair so we could see.)

being october an all new collection of seersucker and bright patterns had to be made to hang in the shop to carry out the "day before the carolina cup" theme. skirts in bright pink and white and bow ties in electric prints soon filled the shop and the winter collection took a rest in the back room while spring appeared in october.

the article will be in the the march 2010 issue and i am so excited. this will be the first national magazine to cover the shop. i could not have done everything to prepare for the party and shoot without the help of all my friends and family. i am so greatfull for their time and support. folding fabric ... polishing silver... are the clothes tagged? no back room in southern living had ever looked like mine does normally does. now the back room is perfect. buttons in jars color coded. all the bins labeled... floor swept and spotless. we all came together and pulled off a really great photo shoot and party.