Jacquard Stars

I have this dear friend who keeps me motivated when I need it. Having your own little business is amazing but can also be a bit creatively challenging when you hit a wall and there is no one to bounce ideas off of. Or you find yourself in need of a warm body to reality check some of the more eclectic ideas, ha.

My friend is this person to the Pink Evita business. She provides tons of moral support and creative energy and asks for nothing other than a place to come "play purses" now and then (which helps me creatively) and perhaps to make up one bag now and again when she falls deeply and passionately in love with a certain material. She even brings me material when she has an idea or two. Yes, she shows up on my door step with a yards of material. I am not worthy.

She brought me this pretty brown and black mix jacquard a few weeks ago. She loved it and I liked it but saw nothing over the top outstanding about it. I made her a little bag with it. Which in her defense looked darling on her shoulder.

Last weekend she brought her little bag when helping with my most recent "Design Your Own" party. It was just sitting on the counter holding all her personal stuff. Wouldn't you know that little underwhelming bag, in my humble and not so with it opinion was the hit of the party. Several women wanted to buy it from her and have her empty her junk on the counter! I sold no less than 5 bags that day with her material. It was the bell of the ball, that little material of hers.

Here's to you Miss Jacquard Stars...and your wicked cool eye for what women want. Many Thanks. And if you order this bag...ummm....it will be a semi-original not so one of a kind. :)

Bryn's Stripes

Gah, the best part about this little Pink Evita gig is to see what other people design at the "Design Your Own" parties.

I never tire of seeing people at their most creative. This little mini pink was designed by a gal who patiently waited for a table spot to clear at the last party. She then started scooping up materials but kept saying "You just surprise me, I'm not sure about this design your own stuff."

Ha, in my opinion she wins the creativity award for best overall design. I absolutely love this bag and had not one smidgen of influence in the design dept.

She mixed ice blue and deep browns with several layers of texture being careful to layer the heaviest and thickest at the bottom and end up with a duponi silk at the top. She even selected a heavy brocade in coordinating colors for balance.

Oh, if she doesn't love it I'm buying it back from her to carry on my arm.
Best in show for sure.

Leopard Love

This wristlet has been designed for an oh, so cool high school senior who has a passion for spots.

This leopard print chenille is absolutely wonderful to work with it is so luxurious. And cat like, which is the important part, yes?

It has a small black satin stripe, zipper closure, and satin lining.

It is sold, but if you just have to have one email me! I have more spots in the sewing room.

Little Leopard

A mini change coin purse in leopard print chenille with a black racing stripe.

Wheeee!

Are You Blue?

Are you blue? This bag set with matching change purse will certainly bring you back in the pink.

This Evita Goes sized bag was designed by a fellow textile artist who attended the last Pink Evita party. She chose the most beautiful deep chocolate brown velvet mixed with a gray ice blue chenille jacquard. The bag has a hand covered button and tri tiered light brown fringe on top. The little change purse matches exactly and has dark brown lining and a zipper.
I knew she had good taste. Hope she enjoys her new Pink Evita bags.

Scraps and Tidbits and Spreadsheets

At 1:30 in the morning I was up thinking about whether this particular red and gold ribbon trim I have would coordinate with this black and cream and gold material I'm currently working with. I almost got out of bed to check. But thought better of it and rolled over.


Then I was awake at 6:15am, a usually unheard of hour for me, calculating in my head the square inches of a yard of material and exactly how many square inches there are one of the bags I am making right now. What I was really working on was...what percentage of 1 yard of material was I using to make this bag. I suppose to be perfectly honest I was also calculating if a yard of material costs $20.00 am I charging enough to recover cost and make a profit to boot? I'm quickly becoming the material snob and love love love these high end decorator materials.

I couldn't stand it I hopped out of bed and grabbed a calculator. I distinctly remember my ultra bright engineer father trying to explain to me why I should give a rat's ass about anything that smelled remotely mathematical (by the way I had to spell check that word, that's how pathetic I am I can't even spell mathematical) in 9th grade. Oh, now I get it. Calculating square inches = width x depth. Add up pieces and divide by or into 1944 square inches since I can't ever remember but I know the right one when I see it...and presto you get the percentage of 1 yard of material you are using to make said handbag. Although, that is if you are using one piece of material that costs one price. Uh uh, scroll down at this site...I like color. Lots of color and texture and ribbons, and fringe. I like lots of fringe. I was sitting up in bed with the pillows propped up banging away at the solar calculator telling myself I would remember these numbers and there was no need to get up again for a pencil and paper. It is now 4:27pm and I can't remember even one calculation.


Enter the spread sheet. Thank goodness I passed 9th grade math by the skin of my teeth and went on to graduate from a decent state university, albeit without much math in my major, and to score a job with the biggest and bluest of all corporate mogols in my late 20's and early 30's. Want to know why? They had spread sheets there at big blue. I was simply forced to use them. I grumbled and whined at the time, somewhat similar to my 9th grade moaning for my father...but now I'm groovin' on my little grossly simplistic Excel sheet telling me if I am anywhere close to making anything close to the shade of black with Pink Evita.

Why all the middle of the night numerical antics? As of yesterday I have 4 definite and 2 probable Pink Evita "Design Your Own" purse parties booked for this fall. That started me thinking, I better get my groove on and know what the heck I am doing. Beyond playing with my beloved scraps of material mixed with fluffy trims on the sewing room floor while the baby sleeps.

Then again, I could keep track the same way I do with the household check book and go with my gut and spend the rest of my time creating this.
Denial is ultimately a good thing for the human psyche, yes?

The First Ever Pink Evita Purse Party

It was a smashing success. I could hardly believe 12 ladies came to the open house style party and I sold 10 bags. I've been scurrying here and dragging the baby there to 4 different vendors all week to make sure I had all the materials needed to fill the orders.

A few people chose to purchase bags already made up that they could see completed at the party. Whew what a relief...because making 6 bags this week was enough for this full time momma, part time production manager of the sewing room.

It was a complete hoot to watch several women congregate around a kitchen table with one little order form in one hand and a pen in the other. I ended up dodging fabric swatches and trim samples as they were flung from one side of the room to another. I hunted and gathered that all too elusive black suede swatch that seemed to match everything. (Will bring more black swatches to the next party.)

I am eternally grateful it went well and have had big fun filling orders this week. Next up on the Pink Evita Design Your Own road show....September 16th.

Jane Ann

A classic name for a wonderfully classic bag. I am chic sized (see sidebar) and have the prettiest bronze iridescent diamond satin material. I have solid black suede handles.

Look at my lovely vintage brooch. It came with a request to make a bag designed to show off it's lovely color and shape. This is what we came up with.

Truly one of a kind. I hope Jane Ann takes me to the symphony and carries me with a smile on her face.

Black Velvet Flowers

I'm going to a swanky party. I just have to...I'm too cute to stay at home watching Law and Order re-runs. (Not that Pink Evita would know one thing about that.)

I am Martini @ 6 size (see side bar) and have the softest black suede bottom and handles. My satin ribbon is mocha brown and my body is mocha bronze with black velvet flowers. I have a nice topper of heavy black silky fringe. I even automatically close with my magnetic snaps.

I was designed at a purse party and am sold but of course there is lots of ooey gooey black velvet love to go around if anyone would like a twin.

Little Pink Wristlet

I am little flowery wristlet with sweet cream sparkly trim hand sewed on for a bit of bling. I was designed at a Pink Evita purse party by a gal who will hopefully take me around the world. Maybe back to Japan? That would make me happy.

I have a zipper top matching fabric for my lining.

I'm sold...but my twin could be made up pretty quickly.