Weekend Wrap Up- A Few Good Things + a Box of Inspiration

Weekend Wrap Up! A few good things...

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I've got mail!

On one of my last trips home to Louisiana, I visited with one of my parents' neighbors who decided to get rid of most of her sewing supplies and wanted to offer them to me. She, an artist herself, had worked at a fabric store and had quite the organized collection of fabrics and notions. Going through her things, if felt like I was going through her memories. She had stories connected with the fabrics and piles of beautiful lace, some of which dated back to her childhood. I had to leave the goodies at my parents house as I had minimal luggage space, so my mom recently shipped me some of the items. 

I feel a little pressure when people pass their things on to me, but touched that they think of me and trust that their old things will live on in special new pieces! It's the heart of what I love to do, create new items with vintage materials - unique clothing with stories that can be passed on for years to come.

Yards and yards of beautiful wool plaids have already got me thinking of fall. 

Lace, Lace, and more Lace! 

She also had quite the stash of thread, something I can always use!

The best thing about getting a box from your mom? She always includes a sweet note and a sweet treat! My man has a thing for jelly beans in particular :)

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New Thrifted Threads

This past week I was able to squeeze in a treasure hunt at one of my favorite thrifting spots. I was lucky to hit the store on a special sale day, so the prices were even cheaper than normal! I found so many great things and you'll hear more about them in the future!  

Most of the finds I am using for the fabrics, but this wrap skirt may be an exception. I originally grabbed it for it's yards and yards of printed and pieced silk for $4 (such a steal!)! It's made with 2 layers and completely reversible. Considering the quality of this silk fabric and the yardage, this original piece would have been a couple hundred dollars! It's quickly becoming one of my favorite summer pieces and I've already received compliments! 

The Greater Good

Lastly, I recently watched a powerful documentary that poignantly explains the fast fashion industry. I have included the preview below and it is now available on Netflix and Amazon. 

 When most people grab a piece of clothing at a store, they often don't think about the fact that it was made the world over, by human hands. Some of the largest companies such as Walmart and H&M are getting away with questionable business practices while earning billions of your dollars in their pockets. There's absolutely no excuse why workers anywhere should be battling for safe conditions and living wages while working for companies worth billions. I've worked in various parts of this industry and this is the kind of powerful information that you can't un-know. It's why I want to my own little company to be one I can feel good about. There are more and more companies doing the right thing and I hope to share and highlight them in the future.  

Cambodian factory workers protesting for safer working conditions and a living wage.

“There are hands, physical human hands that touch the things that we wear, and those hands are lives, and they matter... when we buy something, it is a moral act, and there are a chain reaction of consequences, so let’s begin to be more mindful and choose things that support life, not take it away.” - Andrew Morgan.

Rent or own the film today! Visit http://truecostmovie.com for more details.
Available on DVD, Blu-Ray, iTunes, Amazon, or VHX.

Please take the time to watch and be informed about the purchases you make. when you spend your hard earned money, do it for the greater good!


Alright friends, wishing you a lovely week ahead!

xo,

     Erin 

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Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue...

Hope your Monday is going well friends, I'm just returning from a long weekend in Charlottesville, VA from the wedding celebration of a very special couple. We had a blast - reuniting with great friends, cheesy buttered bacon grits, front porches, green grass, beautiful weather, and lots of love all around. 

The bride and her husband feel like a second family to us. A while back while visiting at their home, she handed down some of her grandmother's sewing bits and notions to me. She lost her grandmother earlier this year, and it inspired me to make a little wedding gift that could be a keepsake as well. I realize that objects are just objects, but I think it is possible to inject meaning and memories into them. I wanted this gift to have that. 

For the materials, I used:

- a zipper, blue remnants for the lining, and ribbon for the zipper pull (all from Aimee's grandmother)

- some vintage linen and lace from the my wedding dress materials.

We celebrated the wedding on a beautiful farm. The weather could not have been more perfect. Truly a special weekend all around. 

Photo above courtesy of the glowing bride.

Dedicating this blog post to the happy couple pictured above! Thanks for letting us share in this love-fest Mike and Aimee!  

All the best,

-Erin

http://www.erinelsie.com 

Follow along on Instagram: ErinBlank_Designer

Special Day, Special Dress

Special Day, Special Dress!

...the dress I said, "I do" in, handmade with love!

Creating is more than a hobby for me, it is my life and my passion. I always want to create special pieces that people will cherish and that will stand the test of time. With this in mind, what could be more special than my own wedding dress? Me and my now husband are working very hard on our own creative businesses and dreams, and when we decided to say I do, we just wanted it to be a special, not-stressful, and meaningful day- that we can spend the rest of our life celebrating! We said our nuptials at the Manhattan courthouse with our parents and some of our siblings and then spent the day enjoying our family and this city that is so inspiring to us. 

The internet is flooded with countless wedding dress ideas and as I started to peruse I got quite overwhelmed. I knew I wanted to make it, and I decided to center myself by just hunting for fabric or a vintage garment that might inspire me, as this is my normal creative process. I found this vintage linen and lace caftan from the 70's in a bit of disrepair- a perfect canvas for me. I fell in love with the lace instantly as it was vintage and romantic, but had a really modern feel too. That is exactly the bride I wanted to me. I was immediately inspired. I banished all those Pinterest boards and just spent time with the fabric. I took the vintage piece apart and recreate my own dress - a little bit vintage, a little bit sexy, a little romantic, and unique - exactly what I wanted. I rarely take time to make something for myself anymore, and this was truly a labor of love! I also made my husband's tie with some of the linen from my dress - a perfect final touch! Another fun fact, the sleeves are removable! I hope these pieces can be passed along and cherished by our families. Every piece of handmade clothes has a story, and I just wanted to share a little bit with you all about this very special one!

 Thanks for following along and I hope your day and week is filled with love!

xo
 -Erin

http://www.erinelsie.com 
Follow along on Instagram: ErinBlank_Designer