Baby Boom {New Baby Bedding and Decor from Love Elaine}

Just to clarify - no baby boom or bump over here ;) But lately, there has been a baby boom with my friends, and I couldn't be happier! Because, I've been BUSY creating custom nursery decor! Its been so much fun helping my friends decorate the rooms for the babies - so without further ado, here's a peek at what I've been up to lately!



Bunting Baby Quilt for the super sweet Caris Brinkley

 My friend Christy was expecting a girl (Caris, who arrived in May and is oh so cute!), and once Christy saw the pink and green fabrics from Riley Blake's Indian Summer line she was sold. The pink isn't too pink and the green isn't too lime green - which worked perfectly for her nursery.  We did the quilt, crib bumper, crib skirt, curtain and bunting banner to hang above the changing table.



Reversible crib bumpers with extra long ties


Next up are my friends Stinson and Gardner. They were expecting a boy (he has since arrived and I get to meet him TONIGHT!) and determined to go with Lime Green and no "theme."  So, after providing about 24 different fabric options (luckily I LOVE them :), they pulled a fast one and decided to go with Dear Stella's Anchor's Away fabrics and the rest is history! The nursery came together quickly after that - and I just LOVE the combination of navy, baby blue and orange. We did a crib skirt, crib mattress bumpers (so they don't have to be removed!), changing pad covers and matching pillows. There will definitely be more photos to come, once I get my super talented photographer friend Callie to come to Richmond again :)



Mattress bumper and striped crib skirt for Watson



Baby Watson's Nursery

 Another boy is on the way for my friend Katherine (my super fabulous model for the Mommy & Me aprons with her adorable daughter Norah!). Katherine already had her colors picked out, and we decided to go shopping at local fabric store Ufab. Perhaps not surprisingly, but we both were thinking "chevron" without telling the other, so after looking around for a bit we were both SUPER excited to find the perfect chevon print in grey, blue, red and green - all of the colors that would go perfect with the rug, chair and quilt already in the nursery. I made 90" long panel curtains, crib bumper and changing pad covers, along with a small pillow for the super fun red chair!

Chevon Curtains and Crib Bumper by Love Elaine



Chevron Baby Bumper by Love Elaine

I absolutely LOVED being a part of such a wonderful time for my friends! Soon, I'll be offering all of the baby nursery items in my Etsy Shop for the masses (as soon as I can get the photos taken), but in the meantime, if you are interested in any of the above items or something you don't see, please send me an email at christen (at) love-elaine.com or visit my etsy shop and send me a message.
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Mens Aprons {Just In Time for Fathers Day}

New Men's Apron in Blue and Orange Stripes by Love Elaine on Etsy

I'm so excited to announce Love Elaine's newest product line - Mens Aprons! Made exclusively for the modern man who isn't afraid to wield his spatula over a hot grill, Love Elaine aprons are sure to be a hit for Fathers Day and birthday gifting!

Features a large pocket and loop for holding grilling tools nearby.

The aprons currently come in 6 different fabric combinations, sure to please even the pickiest man in your life!

Orange and Maroon Mens Apron by Love Elaine on Etsy

I'm super excited about the apron above. As a Virginia Tech Hokie, I'm always partial to Orange and Maroon anything! I'm sure there are plenty of Hokie guys out there would would love to have this apron for Tailgating.

A huge thank you and shout out goes to Callie Hardman of Callie Hardman Photography! She continues to make Love Elaine look good - I couldn't ask for a better friend and cheerleader for Love Elaine. And also to Ricky for making his modeling debut (and Katie and Jackson for being patient!!).

Be on the look out for more news and announcements from Love Elaine, as summer 2012 is shaping up to be a very BUSY summer :)

InstaFriday {Post Vacation Slump}

While it was a super busy week here on the blog and in the shop, my Instagram feed was pretty light this week!  But, in the name of full disclosure, I'll share what I've got with ya!
 

A stack of oh so pretty pot holders ready for a BIG wholesale order that delivers next week. I cannot WAIT TO TELL YOU about the news!!!

New ruffled tea towels are now available in the shop! They come in a variety of colors just in time for spring, and what's better? They match the aprons in my shop for a great gift set!

Part of having a handmade business is marketing and branding. While browsing the shelves at Target (ok, so maybe while BUYING from the shelves at target) inspiration struck for a new tagging option for some of my products. Luckily, my fabulous friend (and model of all aprons!!!) Carter of Away We Go Studios, happens to also be Love Elaine's graphic designer. So, be on the look out for some pretties soon! (**Side note: if you do have a handmade business, contact Carter. She is amazing at what she does, and her logos are fabulous!)

And finally, please forgive the HORRIBLE photo of me, but I said I was keeping it real. Here I am with the BF on vacation last week. We were in the Mountains. It was quiet, and sunny, and warm, and it was just WONDERFUL. He gets huge amounts of bonus points for planning the whole thing! I think I'll keep him for a while ;)

So, I totally forgot to announce that I'll be a vendor at the upcoming Spring Badda Bing craft show here in Richmond on April 15th! Mark your calendars and come visit me - I'm going to have a new booth (there is a lime green rug involved) and lots of new bags that are not in the shop yet! I hope to see all of my local friends there!

A Modern Christmas House Tour

Whew. Yesterday was the first day in over 2 months that I didn't sew anything. Not a single thing. And I must say, it felt really great! I wrapped presents and made a few Christmas treats for my co-workers - all things I don't usually get to do in advance of Christmas Eve!

Now that I'm not sewing, I can catch everyone up on the custom orders I completed this season.  I must say, my customers continue to be my number one source of inspiration - they push me to think outside the box and come up with new ideas for their projects and future products!

Katie from Dallas, Texas was no exception. She found me on Etsy, and she sent in her request for a custom order - complete with computer drawings! Katie is an interior designer and was working with a home that was going to be featured on a house tour in early December.  Based on her drawings, I knew that her client must be uber modern and super fun - I mean the drawings included teal, lime green, bright orange, and pink! I was beyond excited, and then even more so when she told me a photographer would be taking photos!!! I was floored when I saw the photos - I hope you are too!

 Double sided-napkins in Michael Miller Funky Christmas Yule Trees

 Made our first double-sided stockings because of the glass fireplace. I just LOVE how they look!

 Also made a custom tree skirt to match that had a grey 2" border and binding, along with large wedges of the same fabrics you see in the stockings.

Its just too pretty to be real! Don't you just wish you were invited over for Christmas dinner?! I know I do!

Getting Crafty with Design Sponge

Last night I was one of the lucky few who stalked secured a ticket to the Craft Event for the Design Sponge at Home book signing at Anthropologie in Stony Point here in Richmond. And, happy day for me, a few of my friends repeatedly refreshed their browser and stalked secured tickets too! I just love group craftiness!

My station all set up ready to begin! Notice how cute a water bottle looks with a bit of fabric tied around - who knew?!?!

Craft project for the night - make sealing wax stamps! I made a Love Elaine inspired heart within a heart (just check out the logo).  I was worried that the impression on the inside wasn't going to turn out - the wood burning tool is not as easy as it looks! 

Amanda & Meena wielding their wood burning tools with might :) It was SO GREAT to see these ladies! 

My finished product! I think it looks pretty good. This just might show up on my holiday card if I have the patience to do 100!

 

And, because no trip to Anthropologie is complete without a lot of drooling browsing through the super cute items in the store, I spotted a few adorable vases that I MUST own for various rooms in my home. Consider these firmly on my Christmas list for Santa! (Hint... here is the link for easy shopping!)

There are a million other things in the store that were SO CUTE.  Are there any items from Anthropologie that you hope Santa will bring you for Christmas?

Work Not In Progress

This week's post was supposed to be very different - as I had planned on making a ton of progress and finishing a custom order for a bride by today and sharing lots of amazing photos with everyone! However, Hurricane Irene had much different plans for me, as we are now on day 5 without power. I must say that we fared better than most, as the storm hit the Richmond area harder than we were expecting, and many people are still without power. Some even had trees fall on their homes and cause a lot of damage. And, to make matters worse, the current estimate for power is FRIDAY! By that point we will be a week without power.

Tree down on power lines in our neighborhood.

View from our front porch during the storm - luckily no homes or cars were damaged!

So, no power = no sewing. And no sewing = no finished products to show you. However, I do have this photo as a sneak peak of some linings I was able to cut during the day on Sunday.

Don't you just LOVE the bright colors? I am so in love with all of these patterns! Anyone want to guess what they are going to be?

Hopefully, our power will be on soon and I can get back in the sewing room to finish these custom orders! And with that, I'll leave you with something I did get to finish last week - a gorgeous pink & green fabric wreath!

Hope everyone on the East Coast weathered the storm! Hopefully I'll have some updates on finished projects soon!

The "Studio" Gets Organized

This weekend I was finally able to get my sewing space organized. I use the term "studio" lightly, as its really just the second bedroom in our tiny, rented townhouse. It also serves as my dressing room (as it holds my closet with all of my shoes and clothes), the laundry room (as it has the washer & dryer), our guest bedroom (as it has a single bed pull out couch), and general storage catch-all (as it currently has the box for a our new 47" TV that is waiting to be brought to the real storage unit!).

A few months ago, I put up shelves with bins (from Home Depot - the bins are Martha Stewart Living and in Love Elaine branding colors) for all of my fabric, and I bought a rod with hanging containers from Ikea (love it there!) to put on the wall to hold my scissors, rotary cutters, pens, zippers, etc. to get them off of my sewing table to leave more room for fabric as I'm mid-project. I finally put the rod up this weekend and I couldn't be happier. I also put up 2 clip-boards ($2 each from Target) - one to hold the notes about the current project I'm working on and my pattern, and the other for my current orders. I also can't forget the wall-mounted, magnetic "pin cushion" (also from Ikea). The one I was using on my sewing table previously always used to get lost under fabric scraps and projects in process, so I love that this one never gets lost and its really easy to access with only one hand as I'm holding pieces of a project together with the other.


So, there's a glimpse into my "studio." I'd love to know how you've organized your sewing or crafting space.

2010 Holiday Recap

I know, its January 26th, and I'm a bit late in providing a Holiday Recap. But, in a word, the 2010 Holiday season would be described as "ABSOLUTELY INSANE BUT I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!!!" Ok, so maybe I needed more than a single word to describe the roller coaster that was my handmade life from October through December 24. Yes, you read that right, things were absolutely crazy right until the day before Christmas. Why were things so crazy, you ask? Here is a quick recap of the holiday cheer that Love Elaine helped spread for Christmas 2010.

35 Christmas Trees stood proudly with new Christmas Tree Skirts
10 Very lucky women opened presents from loved ones that contained a unique, handmade bag
7 Equally lucky women now have a new apron to bake lots of homemade treats for next Christmas
6 Doors were decked with fabric wreaths that sold as quickly as I was able to make them
25 Bottles of Wine and good cheer were given inside a Love Elaine wine bag
20 Jewelry bags made their way to new homes

I know, you are thinking, well that doesn't sound like so much to keep you so busy. And, you would be right. Because, I was soo busy taking orders, calling Mom, ordering new fabric, and shipping the...

175 Christmas Stockings that were hung by the chimney with care this year. 175, its not a typo. Each stocking was custom made to order for the 100+ new customers in my Etsy shop.

Did I mention that I started a new job in October at an Advertising Agency, and that I worked full time hours + during all of this? Yeah, I don't know how I survived it either.

The good news? Sales of the popular tree skirts and the addition of customized stockings grew sales by 350% from 2009 to 2010. I'd say that is VERY good news :)

And last, but not least...

Thank you!

Thank you first to my Mom, without whom Love Elaine would not be possible :) And thank you to all of my friends, family and new customers that have supported Love Elaine and have given me the confidence to keep the momentum going.

Please stay tuned - there is lots in store (at least in my mind right now) for 2011, which is sure to be Love Elaine's best year yet!

xo,
Christen

What's Under Your Tree

Inquiring minds always ask me, when discussing fabrics for custom Christmas Tree Skirts, "Well, what do you have under your tree?" The question always reminds me of when I ask servers at restaurants which entree they recommend. To me, whether in Christmas Tree Skirts or meals, it always comes down to personal taste - but I know we all find comfort in getting an endorsement on our choice from an expert (although how I became an expert in Christmas Tree Skirts of all things stills boggles my mind a bit).



This is the tree skirt that started it all for Love Elaine on Etsy. As I (and Mom, and Grandma, and Aunt Faith, and Aunt Sue), can now see the end of the tunnel on another successful holiday season coming to an end, I continue to be amazed by the overwhelming response for Christmas tree skirts and stockings that started from a little project Mom and I finished on our beach vacation 3 years ago.

Thank you to everyone and Happy Holiday Decorating!

'Tis the Holiday Show Season

Its now official, the Holidays are now upon us! Although, to be honest, I've been thinking, breathing and living Christmas since July when I bought all of the Christmas fabric for this year's Holiday items. And, my Etsy shop has been a flurry with lots of convos and orders for personalized stockings since October. This list might be a bit late, but I've been busy dreaming of sugar plums and elves at night and mending my needle pricked fingers :)

Love Elaine Holiday Craft Show Line-up

St. Bridget's Girls Night Out - Thursday, November 18, 6-10 PM

Collegiate's Holiday Boutique - Saturday, December 4, 9 AM - 2 PM

Richmond Craft Mafia's Handmade Holiday - Sunday, December 12, 11 AM - 5 PM

We'll have stockings, and Christmas Tree skirts, plus lots of great gifts for those hard to buy people on your list!

Give Handmade This Holiday

For the first time, Love Elaine will be a vendor at the Richmond Craft Mafia's Handmade Holiday on December 12th! Please come out and Give Handmade this Holiday! Your friends and family will thank you for it!

The 12 Days Christmas By Love Elaine

Yes, I know its January and I am just posting my Holiday recap - but its better late than never right? (At least that has always been my motto!) So, without further ado - I give you the 12 Days of Christmas Love Elaine style :)

On the 25th of December, Christen finally was able to rest after sewing...

1 reversible place mat (with an IOU to my Mom that I will finish the rest sometime soon)
1 Christmas table runner to match a Christmas Tree Skirt ;)
2 pleated tote bags
3 international orders fulfilled
4 wine bags
7 half aprons PLUS 2 full aprons
9 birdie slings
11 Christmas Stockings
19 jewelry bags
Annnndddd, 25 Christmas Tree Skirts in all shapes and sizes, 22 of them custom!!!!!!

Thank you everyone who supported Love Elaine this Holiday season - my first! And my first on Etsy! I had no idea the level of response I would receive! Thanks to Mom & Grandma for helping and keeping me sane (and for understanding that your gifts are on back order!). I am coming out of my much needed break from sewing, so I'll be posting new items for sale in my Etsy shop soon, finishing past due orders (thank goodness I have understanding friends as customers!) and keeping everyone in the loop as I figure out what 2010 will have in store for Love Elaine!