CORSET BAG DRIPPING IN GOLD

A few weeks ago, a young lady came to my embroidery shop to pick up some items for her boss.  Once she entered the front show room, she was amazed at all of the items available for sale.  As she surveyed the room, her attention was drawn to a grouping of corset bags.  

She immediately fell in love with these bags and asked if they were for sale.  Of course, they were.  Everything in that room is for sale.  She inquired about the price and looked at the various colors, fabrics, and sizes (10" tall and 6" tall).  Once she saw the little bag with a monogram, she once again swooned.  

I explained that it was also possible to have her signature embroidered onto the purse and she was shown some handkerchiefs embroidered with handwriting.  

Her mind changed from purchasing the already made corset bag, to creating one to her specifications.  Her question was, "Can you make it in gold?"  Yes, of course.  I carry satin fabric in several colors, including gold.  

By the time she left, she had ordered 2 gold satin, over the shoulder corset bags, one 10" and one 6", using gold metallic thread, with her signature embroidered for the monogram.

Anyone who follows me knows how much I enjoy and am passionate about embroidery and this embroidery machine.  So, I was anxious to get started.

I had her signature and the first step was to digitize.  

She later send a picture of her signature, not so rushed. Both were digitized.  The first, rushed, signature actually fit better on the small corset bag.  The not so rushed signature worked well on the larger bag.

Before creating the bag, there were a few things I needed to know.  What type of over-the-shoulder strap did she want?  

I gave her some choices and she chose the beautiful, ornate, gold, sequined trim for the larger bag; and, small, gold cord for the smaller bag.

Since the larger bag required a button for closure, I went through my stash of buttons and found a lovely plain gold button for the gold elastic closure.

The designs were then created in the digitizing program and send to the customer for approval.

Once approved the designs were placed into separate files and the materials and thread gathered.  The embroidery machine was set up appropriately.  The first bag was the 10" bag.  Then the 6" bag.  The cording, trim, and elastic closure were all sewn with the embroidery machine.  Once out of the embroidery machine, the stabilizer and excess fabric were removed.  Voila'!  The only thing remaining to do was to sew the button onto the larger bag.  I sewed it by hand.

The bags turned out beautifully and seriously dripping in gold.

The customer absolutely loved them both.

October in Pensacola

It has been awhile since I've posted anything on my blog.  Let's try to catch up a bit on some of the more fun projects happening at Cajun Stitchery.I'm so used to embroidering names and monograms on the front left or right chest areas.  This nice lady came to me wanting names on the back of these shirts for her maids of honor and herself for her wedding.  She loved them; as did I.  She wanted something that each lady could use more than once but yet was special.  This did the trick.

We had a few people wanting beach towels for guests and family.  There were some really nice towels appearing at the shop this summer.  As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed monogramming. 

I believe both of these sets of towels were ordered on Amazon by my customers.  They got some good deals and the quality of the towels seemed really nice, lush, and soft.

 The towels to the left are turkish towels.  They are more of a flat weave than the usual thick, loopy nap of towels.  Nevertheless, they were really nice towels.

The towels to the right are my usual fringed tea towels that I sell at Cajun Stitchery for $5 each.

Usually, with a monogram, name, or simple embroidery, they are only $10 each.

This wonderful customer has been coming to me each year for these towels for her pastor.

 The two towels to the left were gifts from a real estate agent to her buyers.  I suggested that she might want her logo but she said, "no".  She and the buyers had become friends through the process and she wanted something more personal.  These letters are 2.5" tall only 3" above the hem of the towels.

 A friend and customer of mine asked me to give her a quote on her Mardi Gras krewe's logo.  To the right is the test stitch out of her logo -- still in the hoop.

One day a lady contacted me on my Esty store and asked if I could put a simple Christmas tree and holly on a white baby bib with red trim.  This is the outcome of that little project.  This bib is actually for sale on my Etsy store for $19.85 (free shipping).  I love making beautiful baby bibs and I've had friends tell me they won't buy them because they would be afraid to get them dirty.  I see their point.  The bibs are completely washable.  I just can't seem to stop making them.  I should make some with black cotton fabric. LOL

The simple tote bag to the right is just a reminder that our teachers spend so much of their own money for supplies for our children.  It would be a good idea to get a tote bag and fill it with school supplies for a local teacher.  If you don't know a teacher, there are places online where teachers tell you what they need for their classrooms and you can donate.

I've donated in the past to https://www.donorschoose.org and find this a good organization.  There are many ways to help our teachers.  This is only one. 

One of my customers is a 4th grade teacher and also holds down a second job just to make ends meet.  Teaching really is a work of heart.
 

Until next time, my friends,
Peggy

It's Already Fall

It's Already Fall

I'm so bad about keeping up with this blog.

It's been 8 months since I last posted anything.

That doesn't mean I haven't been busy.  Just to prove it, I'm adding several items that Cajun Stitchery has worked on this year.  

These pictures are definitely not all inclusive.  The machine has been busy this year.

Since last year I've been trying to digitize a Pensacola Beach design for each holiday.  I think that's been pretty much accomplished.

I did the Pensacola Beach Ball and the Pensacola Beach sign for Mardi Gras.  Turned out that lots of people loved the Pensacola Beach Ball but only a few cared for the Pensacola Beach sign.  So, I stuck with the Pensacola Beach Ball.

 This little Nutcracker tee shirt was special.  A customer contacted me on Facebook to do this.  She purchased the tee shirt online and had it delivered to me.  I did the embroidery and shipped it to her.  She paid with PayPal.  That was one of the coolest orders I've ever had.  The project just worked perfectly.

I digitized this crawfish awhile back and listed it in the Etsy Store as a digitized design for other embroiderers.  A potential customer contacted me recently wanting a patch with this design and "Crawdad" printed on the claw.  The potential customer never purchased it but I liked the design so much that I have it listed for sale on Etsy.

I made another USA flag quilt this year out of scrap fabric for my husband.  It really turned out nice, used up a bunch of my scrap fabric, and he loves it.  Yes, that's the Pledge of Allegiance stitched on the edges.

And then I started working on aprons.  Just because I wanted to do so.  Then I purchased waaay too much satin fabric in a myriad of colors.  But it makes me happy.

There is a special spot in my heart for the bridges-to-be who contact me.  From robes to handkerchiefs to anything needed to be embroidered for weddings.  I just love doing this.

Until next time

Visit me at https://www.etsy.com/shop/cajunstitchery

Peggy

Cajun Corner - March 13, 2016

Cajun Stitchery celebrated its 7th Anniversary this month.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around that fact, and I'm still loving every minute of it.

Here are some pictures of project that we did that first year in 2009.  I did not know much about digitizing back then.  Heck, I was still a novice at embroidery but we had a lot of designs.

Here are some of the projects we have done this year (2016).  Over the past seven years, I have learned to digitize and embroider much better.  Many new techniques have been learned, and some were simply created out of necessity.  Cajun Stitchery has well over a million designs and literally thousands of fonts, alphabets, and lettering.

Still stitching and enjoying every minute of it :)

THANK YOU so much to everyone who has helped us through these years by either patronizing Cajun Stitchery and/or being our friend.

Peggy