Little Funnel Neck

I'm so excited to reveal to you one of Mercy Me's newest designs: a funnel neck sweatshirt!  This one is sized for a child, but we plan to offer the same style for adults as well.   This design is very kid friendly because it's easy to get on and off, but at the same time I think it offers a touch of sophistication that appeals to adults, too.  The neck can be worn down or buttoned up, depending on the weather and your mood.

The sweatshirt pictured  is made from cotton knit, but we plan to make this out of organic wool and other yummy fabrics.  Stay tuned!

It feels great to have our designs coming along, although I'm impatient for lots of inventory!  To help with this feeling, we recently purchased an industrial Singer Serger from the '4o's, and it's beautiful!!  And talk about fast; the thing is finished sewing before our fingers can move the fabric.  Suzanne has pretty much mastered the thing, while I remain terrified of it.  For now, I'll stick with the home serger...



Industrial Singer Serger from the 1940's



For The Love of Indigo

I recently got an order for a custom Tomboy wallet, and I loved the way it came out.  The fabric is distributed by Marcus Brothers and it's been in my stash forever.  Now only scraps remain, and I'm sorry to see it go!

I'm really enjoying the process of dyeing my fabric!  It's like a little mystery.  Most recently I dyed a batch in a color called, "Gunmetal" and I was expecting a grey/blue color.  As I put the wool into the pot, it turned a lilac purple and then gradually became more blue.  When all was said and done, it was a rich and lovely denim/indigo blue; not at all what I was expecting, but gorgeous nonetheless.  Next up: Cayenne Red.  And my other business, "Mercy Me! Designs" now has massage table face cradle covers for sale in the Artfire Shop.  These are great for massage practitioners, chiropractors, or acupuncturists.  Check them out and tell your therapists!

 

A New Adventure

Well, it's been a long long time since I've had time to sit down and write; thanks for sticking by me anyhow!  There's a lot that's new, and I'm so excited to share.

There's a new boutique carrying my line, and they're just about to open shop.  They're called Circa. and they're located in Jackson, Mississippi.  If you're near there, check them out; they plan to be open late in October.  The address is 2771 Old Canton Road.  They have a unique and fun layout, and are planning to offer a "Scent Bar" where one can go to design one's own fragrance.  How cool! 

Here are some of the wallets that I sent them:

  

And also, I am starting another business with a close girlfriend, Suzanne Wenner, who is an excellent seamstress of clothing.  We're going to be making clothes out of organic wool and cotton knits, as well as with some nice linens and other natural fibers.  We're in the process of getting our patterns drafted and our fabrics stocked.  Last week, our first shipment of 100% organic merino wool knits arrived and it is beautiful!  We are getting together in the evening to dye the fabric into lucious colors; a process that is interesting and fun!  Here's what the wool looked like before and after dyeing:

I will definitely keep you posted with each color that we add!  So fun!     

Sweet Friends

I have been hard at work getting Bronwyn all ready for school, and I have also been sewing a lot because BCharmer recently got picked up by another boutique; HOORAY!  I will share more details about that soon.

Yesterday, in the mail, I got a little package all the way from Budapest, Hungary.  My good friend Judit of Vadjutka sent me this stunning necklace and also the sweetest little hair clips for Bronwyn (which she wore to her first day of school).  This necklace is made from a lovely combination of fabrics and is hung on twisted silk cord.  I feel ever so fancy wearing it and have received many compliments already!  If you haven't checked out Judit's blog, you should; she's ever so talented in everything she endevours. 

 

It's the Journey

Happy Anniversary, my darling. 16 years strong. I look forward to many more years on the trail. I love you.

Friday's Finds

I know it's been a while since I've shown you anything from my studio, but my garden has been taking up a lot of time lately.  We're in the thick of cucumbers, raspberries, squash, beans, tomatoes and basil.  A heavenly chore, if you ask me!  So in honor of other people who have been steadily working on their handmade lovelies, I curated a collection of linen wares that I covet on Artfire.com.  Check it out!

Linen Lovelies

Curated By: BCharmerDesigns

ArtFire.com

Handmade Goodness and Supplies

I Believe in You

Good morning.  I had a lot of ideas for topics of discussion today.  Some pithy, some ethereal, all fairly lengthy.  Then I saw this.  I think I'll wait to talk for another day and just let Sadie tell you her important message.