Brady Street Fashion Show

Seeing your creation cheered on, in public, on stage, is hard to describe.

It's hard to describe seeing it on someone's body...and seeing that person thrilled to be wearing your creation. And knowing it's so, because of how hard they're working it. How the crowd receives it.

Hearing your name over the PA system, albeit mispronounced, couple with the words "local designer".

It's hard to take in, and is a little overwhelming.

But afterward, I felt, like I said before, I needed a moment.

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I hustled it down to Brady street. I didn't want to be late. And I was overdressed. I made myself a copy of the outfit but in another color because you know... I can't pre-empt the display :)

Soon I met up with Nick, who was on the east side to attend the Downer bike rally event. Even though we were on the east side, it was a hot one on Brady Street.

We went to find our vantage point at the main stage, but there was no escaping the hot sun. We settled on a spot near the curb by the side of the small runway they had set up. The strangest thing happened, I heard a familiar voice near my feet. My boss was sitting on the curb in front of us. She, her husband, and their two out-of-town guests! For the record, my boss is a tough, smart lady. And we don't always see eye to eye. It meant the world to me that she was there.

The show flow had groups of models showing fashions from different shops on Brady Street, about 4-5 outfits per store. Not every shop did a great job and some of the "models" were amateurs. One of them was a great model though, I mean, there are some things you just can't pay money for.

The models were entering stage right which was near where we were sitting. I couldn't always see who was coming up, but I saw a woman with a green headband, and I knew that my 15 seconds was about to come true. My outfit was to be accented with green accessories.

She came out to the stage, she was tall, leggy, and perfect for the outfit. As she walked across the stage something in me just went WOW!!!!!!!! The way the outfit looked, the way she worked it, the crowd's reaction... it all came together like planets lining up.

As the model went offstage, my boss said audibly, "now THAT'S cute!" The boutique owner was standing near my boss, and she turned to her and said "it's a local designer!!!"

Afterward... I was ready to go. A whole month of hard work and anticipation and all I had been holding with it had been released. It was hot and I was exhausted. Nick and I went to get something cool to drink and get out of the sun. We sat and chatted for a while at Anodyne coffee, it was the perfect end to the afternoon.

It meant the world to me to have the support of friends and colleagues throughout the process, and on this day to share my special moment. And thanks to all my readers for their interest and support - and patience when I didn't get MRQ up until late :) As you can see, things turned out just great!

A huge thank you to Nick for taking the pictures!

I Think I Need A Moment

Moving, sewing, deadlines...

Today was the fashion show... I will write more about it later and share some pictures and possibly video.

But right now... this place is a STY!

Not terribly, really, but it's probably best to relax and take stock :)

By Tomorrow I Should Know

....what time my outfit goes across the runway on Saturday at the Brady Street Festival. I'll post it here, but I'll also post pictures from the event. That's hoping that I get close enough to take pics, being as short as I am. It all happens after 3:00.

A Sleepy Jones Greeting

Well y'all, I delivered the first three outfits to the boutique today.

Nothing could have been more satisfying than the look on the owner's face when she saw my work. She was visibly smitten with the quality and the design. She said, and I quote, "This is Boutique quality work, and I can charge boutique prices for it".

One of her models was there, and she asked her to try it on. When she came out to show us, I can't really explain how it made me feel to see my work on this person. Even the owner tried it on and she looked great in it too. She fell in love with the top and I don't blame her, it's very pretty.

She asked if I would be able to make the top in two additional sizes, she doesn't expect them by this Saturday's show, and I don't know if I can make it by then, but I'll do what I can. The top will retail at $120 apiece, so that's motivating. I already have the pattern sized for 10 and 12.

But tonight, I have to sleep. My work here is, well, not done. But a huge milestone has been met. I can't wait to see it on the runway this weekend.

Go Wayne :)

Update from the Jones Sweatshop

.....because it's HOT up in heah....

Things are rolling along well. My goal is to be able to show these to the shop owner on Tuesday. Tops should be done Sunday, snaps and stuff should all be on by Sunday night. There are other quality checks I need to make and other finishing (you know, so sht doesn't unravel in the wash, or anything). And I need to press them.

To be honest with you, it'll be kind of hard to part with them, as crazy as that sounds.

But I have to make more, at least two more shorts in sizes 4 and 6. And um, I want to fit a pair of them in to the next run for little old me. I do have a pair that I made in these pictures, but now I can make them better and according to scale because of what I've learned throughout this process.

I'll tell you this. What I've learned so far could never have been given to me. The motivation to be able to create and sell something that won't be returned in 30 days, is powerful stuff. And upon hearing that many fledgling local designers were turned away from this shop because of:

- Inability to create more than one size of their design
- Inflexibility to alter a pattern to be appropriate for other body types
- Crappy work
- Not meeting deadlines
- Not seeing an opportunity and being able to change in order to take advantage of it

...have all been motivators to outdo the competition and do this really, really right. Something that is giving me a little bit of a shot in the arm to do this and other things in my life a lot differently.

Now don't get me wrong. I haven't spent my entire week off sewing. I've alternated it with copious partying, nursing hangovers and subsequent crappy attention spans, getting a little exercise in spite of a messed up knee, and doing all the things that a young single woman should do in order to enjoy her life. Today I had to turn down a boat party - which don't get me wrong, I wanted to attend - but right now I think I've had enough partying and I want this just a little bit more.

So I'm writing this as if I'm done, but I'm not. Besides, sometimes at the end of a project you're so thrilled at finishing that you've forgotten all the little thoughts you might have wanted to write down, anyway.

But by next weekend I want to have my own new pair of shorts complete to wear to a specific show at Bastille Days. It'll be appropriate for me to get my Jones on and be fabulous. Having an extra week to relax or make more outfits before the show is also a really, really nice option.