clothing Archives - Try Handmade

Omaha, Nebraska, USA

October 14, 2018 by Tara Gentile 3 Comments

This week’s Shop Local post stops in Omaha, Nebraska. Below you’ll find my favorite picks from the Omaha craft scene. If you don’t find something that fits your fancy, check out the Omaha Craft Mafia website for more fabulous Omaha artisans. When you’re in town, you’ll want to visit the Hot Shops Art Center where you’ll find “over 80 studio artists, as well as four gallery spaces, in [the] building complex located in downtown Omaha.”

The crafter behind Stash comes to Omaha from Finland by way of Great Britain. She’s been sewing since she was tiny, making her own clothes in elementary school, as her mother was a textile designer. Now she makes chic bags out of vintage fabrics! The wristlet above is constructed from a chocolate & red vintage fabric, red canvas, and leatherette trim. Don’t you love the strong shape juxtaposed with the floral pattern & feminine pleats? Fabulous!

Continuing with the strong shapes, Bren Duvall, of BrenDesign, created these sterling silver “Building Earrings” in the image of a city skyline. She says has an “obsessive quest of building an eco-conscious small business from nothing more than a pile of recycled metal bits.”

Shifting gears a bit, when my baby girl gets a bit bigger, she must have one of these skirts! Many children’s boutiques do pillowcase dresses, cute hats, or leg warmers, but Bustle has crafted this flamenco skirt for your tiny dancer. Ellene Mcclay, the proprietress of Bustle, is inspired by vintage fabric and historical fashions. She also creates jewelry, accessories, and clothing for ladies of a more mature age at her other shop, Deciduous Soul.

Last but not least, this clever little idea caught my eye and couldn’t be passed by! September House creates embroidered flower pot wraps that are sure to add a nice touch to even the prettiest plant.

Short Children's Clothing

October 12, 2018 by Erika Jurney 2 Comments

Short Children’s Clothing: My name is Miri and I am slowly but surly attempting to produce a clothing line for children called Short. As some of the smaller items become available I am posting them here for all to enjoy, in the hopes that some day I can finance making the more complicated items.

Handmade Spring Fashions

October 4, 2018 by Kristin Huston Leave a Comment

[hKristin]

It’s Spring Fashion time here at the Seasonal Handmade column and I am here to help you buy a piece or two that will inject a little freshness into your wardrobe.

Let’s start with the basics. How about a tee? Just because we often run around town in tees and jeans doesn’t mean we have to look sloppy. This tee from Limey T’s features a great mum print in lovely shades of blue. Just right for spring and just right for looking sassy while you run your errands.

Another great tee is this lovely circle print shirt from Eliza + Axel. The hand appliqued circles elevate this tee into something that would look great with a skirt and some ballet flats for a casual dinner out or lunch with your girlfriends.

If you want to “spring” for something even dressier try this lovely and romantic tank from Armour sans Anguish. Not only will this top look sophisticated this spring, but the rich blackberry color will take you into fall with the addition of a jacket or cardigan.

Speaking of cardigans, is there any item of clothing more versatile than a lightweight cardigan? This darling specimen, from Good Egg would look great over anything from tees to tanks to summer dresses. Not just that, but it would make a gorgeous layering piece for the fall and winter.

What if you’re a skirt and dress kind of girl? This lovely purple skirt from Zoe Chen would make a great, fun addition to your spring wardrobe and would be easy and breezy in the summer too!

What could be easier and breezier than this perfect dress from Treehouse 28? Universally flattering, this style will look great at the beach and walking down the street in a big city.

And if your closet is full, but you’d still like to add some springtime to your wardrobe, why not accessorize? These fabulous earrings from WillOaks Studio add both color and whimsy to your jewelry drawer.

A new handbag is always a fun way to celebrate a new season. This one from Deyitta is adorable and has some darling spring birds chirping their way across your accessories.

Finally, put some skip in your step with these lovely vegan shoes from Hydra Heart. Cute and planet-friendly, what more could a girl ask for?

Now that you have some ideas for decking yourself out this spring, go forth and buy handmade! Next week we will be looking forward to memorial day and finding some fun handmade goodies to make your long weekend even better.

Tribal: the wild side of clothing

October 4, 2018 by Helen Hobden 1 Comment

I am reliably informed by several fashion magazines, that ‘tribal’ is fashionable for this summer, though I’m not sure sure exactly what this means – especially as this has been a trend for the last few years, varying slightly each time. My mind is drawn towards a native American style – lots of tan leather and suede and fringes and tassels and beads. I also think of a not-very-good-but-popular BBC television programme my daughters used to love called Cave Girl. Although the plot lines were rather iffy, the costumes were cool. If my memory serves me correctly, Cavegirl ran around rocks and desert fighting rival tribes with wild untamed hair and wearing wrapped around pieces of hide and fur. To be honest, it was rather too sexy for a children’s programme (the boys were topless though, so it was ok!), but then tribal is a sexy look. There always seems to be plenty of skin on show; remember Destiny’s Child Survivor music video?

I found the above swimsuit on Etsy, by seller ElvenForestCreations and I love it! You would definitely be the coolest person on the beach wearing that.

This creation by CrudeThings looks fab on the mannequin with all those tribal accessories. In hot summer reds and yellows it is perfect for bellydancing the night away.

African inspired prints are around a lot this year too. I’m always a bit wary of wearing prints – they don’t suit my pale skin and not-so-skinny figure. However, I would give dresses like this one by VC2o a try. It is absolutely perfect for exploring exotic countries on your holidays, and I really like the hanky hem-line and muted colours.

It’s a great summer music festival look as well. It can be as costumey and dressed up as you like. I’d definitely wear this outfit by ConciousLvingThreads. A perfect tribal look and I always love an interesting back to a top.

Amy Echo Clothing

September 22, 2018 by Chelsey Mona 1 Comment

Kisha the designer behind Amy Echo [previously featured here] has been sewing for the last 25 years. Working hard to perfect her craft, she’s read copious amounts of sewing books, endured super cheesy sewing shows on tv and learned through trial and error. The benefits of her hard work are evident in her line of clothing.

Kisha gives great credit to her family for helping her get her start selling her handmade clothing. Her mother, was as Kisha says “hoodwinked” into being the photographer. She had never taken professional pictures before being persuaded by her loving daughter to be the woman behind the camera. Her lovely sister was roped into being her model, bringing her clothing to life. And even the dog is credited for sitting through hours of photo shoots modeling in picture after picture and without complaint.

I got my start in handmade when I was five years old. I wanted more doll clothes and I already had a lot of clothing to choose from. My mother, being the creative person that she is, gave me some old clothes and taught me how to thread a needle, create a running stitch, and how to use scissors while cutting fabric. At first the doll clothes would only last through one play session, but after a few attempts, they started be become more creative than what one could find in a store. I just stuck with sewing because I really loved doing it and over the years I started sewing my own clothing.

My favorite item in my shop is the Muffin Top Hat because my sister, who is the model, looks so pretty in that hat. She makes it look so stunning. I of course have a Muffin Top Hat and I wear it everywhere and whenever I can!

Kisha begins by drawing her designs out on butcher paper, then sews up a prototype and tweaks it until it’s ready. As more and more people started asking where she purchased the clothing she had created, Kisha started taking custom orders and eventually started her own shop in January. Her designs are simple and versatile, making it easy to dress them up or down with accessories. And each item is not only flattering, but well made to last for a long time. So check out her shop and help her keep her momentum rolling.