brownie-goose

when life hands you lemons...

2012-01-18T14:57:00.005-06:00

you can make lemonade. OR, if you are like me...you can make the lemonade dress.

OR if neither tickle your fancy, go get you some retail therapy and buy you a lemonade dress. (well, not completely true...she isn't for sale just yet) isn't she fabulous?

oh i just love her. and i am so glad too since it took me an embarrassing amount of hours to perfect her. you may or may not have seen my post on facebook where poor sandra dee was looking like a voodoo doll. i knew i wanted something different (imagine that) that would define the dress as a BG Original. i think i did good, huh?

i find myself swooning over her angel sleeves, the sweet neckline with a button flap and military-style tab all the way down to the soft a-line shape of the skirt and the cute little opening slit in the back. my size, please!

the lemonade dress will debut on the dock of the bay line. however, not in these fabrics. i have to give a huge thank you to meagan of the mean princess for the awesome eye in picking out that amazing blue fabric. she did a fabulous dress out of it (if you haven't seen it, please go drool yourself over her taylor...it is amazing), and i knew i *needed* some too. on dock of the bay, lemonade dress will be just as fine...with a color combination that just might make you squeal for joy.

just a little teaser...before i shade out big time to finish the design-phase of dock of the bay. hope you likey. now to get to cleaning - showing in the house in a bit and i have learned that unfortunately a sewable sewing room does not equal a showable sewing room. fiddlesticks and gargamels.

oh what can it mean to a DAYDREAM BELIEVER

2012-01-05T19:18:00.006-06:00

wow. the end of daydream. i am actually very sad to see it go. i said it from the beginning and i still mean it...by far my most fave line EVER. dock of the bay has some really, really big shoes to fill.

and i think you all loved it too, dare i say? i am having a hard time letting some of it go. and usually by the end of one of my seasons i am so far over the fabrics that i don't want to see them again...but not this time. i mean, i am ready for the challenge of new designs and finding fabrics - but i don't know if i can honestly say that if i ran across some of the fabric from daydream at a great price that i wouldn't jump again. yep, i am completely, certifiably nutso. love me or leave me.

anyways - what you really want to know is the info about the last upload. it is tomorrow. i know, i am getting to this blog late...but today, life happened in my house and even though i had a billion things to do BG-wise, i practiced what i am trying so hard to preach...i turned off the light in my sewing room and told it all to wait - i had life to attend to.

so, tomorrow, friday january 6 at 10 am CST the last of the daydream believer will be uploaded on the cartel. be there, or be square.

debuting this upload are the lola bells - both the limited edition and the 'regulars' (the lola is hardly ordinary) and the skyline tank. also up for grabs are some of the ever-popular sleepy jeans, plum hatties, rusty ninas and a few of the lucky star pants. and then it will be done. and for the first time in BG history, the girl behind BG is actually sad to see it go.

anyways - below is all the sizing info you will need for all of the new styles debuting. if you still need info on sizing for any of the other styles, you can click on the daydream believer tab up top and scroll down to see all the other information in posts past. all items will ship or be ready for pick-up on or before next wednesday, january 11th.

and for just a little teaser...i have more of the fabric that i did that sweet little katie top that is pictured in the lola bell photo. i have had many requests for that top...so i might just have to whip up a few of those to pair with your lolas. but i will let you know ahead of time, promise. i will also be working on getting the nelle pattern published and for sale in my etsy shop (yipppppppppeeeee). once all that is done...i will park myself under my shade tree for a while while i dive into the new designs and colorways that will become dock of the bay. this next line is inspired by a song, duh...of course, but also by things in my childhood. and just so you know, i had a pretty cool childhood - so get excited. :)

as always, keep on rocking the BG kiddos. you are awesome and i love everyone of you! i appreciate the snot out of my incredibly loyal customers that, in my opinion, have fantastic taste in children's clothing. okay...now i am just getting cheeky. but i mean it. thank you BG'ers!

xoxo - amy

the last of the sapphires

2011-12-29T08:56:00.004-06:00

oh dear sapphire nelle...

you have by FAR been one of the biggest hits of the daydream believer line. and why not? your beautiful maize color paired with sapphire buttons and lace just make you irresistible. but as i sit to sew my very last sapphire nelle today (let's count them...19 yards of fabric for this beauty, phew) i hope that somewhere in there my sweet louisa has one since i just cannot stand how much i love this dress on her.

so, tonight is your last chance at a BG sapphire nelle. i will be uploading them to my big cartel store this evening around 8 pm CST.

need a refresher on the sizing info?

so, once again...the last of the sapphires going in the cartel tonight at 8 pm CST. be there.

oh, and for those of you out there that love to sew BG...you should be excited. i will be sewing my last sapphire with camera in-hand. what that means to you is that there WILL be a pattern to come soon. not in the next week though, as my head is currently spinning with all that needs to be sewn for daydream to get all the inventory out so i can play with my new fabrics. :)

and for those that may not grab a sapphire...no worries. the girl behind BG happens to love the nelle so much that she might end up a staple on the lines. :)

i have more daydream believer to come. stay tuned for more info. also, i wanted to give the option for those of you shopping tonight, if you want more of the daydream and don't mind waiting...you can shoot me an email to HOLD your order and ship it all at once so you don't have to pay shipping multiple times. or, if you are like me and tend to be an instant gratification kind of girl - it will be going out tomorrow. :)

my inner dorkiness

2011-12-28T14:36:00.003-06:00

today i had to run to the fabric store as i had run out of thread for my current project in the wee hours last night. story of my life. and although that was ALL i needed, i still couldn't help myself from roaming around the rest of the store. i need more fabric kinda like i need a hole in my head, but you see - i have a slight problem when it comes to fabric. there isn't much self control to be had. (okay, we can be honest...what self control?) granted, i did leave with my thread purchase, plus some other fabric...BUT in my defense, it is all for either me or louisa - which we all know means it will probably sit on a surface in my sewing room while i work on all things brownie-goose and then get covered in the mess otherwise known as my creative-sewing-disasters and i will find it in about a year and wonder why i had bought it. sound familiar?

anyways, back to the point of my blog. while i was roaming i came across two girls that were looking at clearance fabric. i was probably looking scary as crizzidy since when i look at fabric i actually cross my eyes so that i can see it in a blur to know how i want to use it and how to match it. yep, sounds crazy as hell...but one of those methods to my madness. and somehow, even my crazy cross-eye-stare-trance didn't scare off the amateurs. one of the girls looked at me and asked if i minded answering a question. i told her of course not, but there were no guarantees that the answer would make sense (coming from the cross-eyed crazy lady). she laughed and then asked if i sewed. hehe, why yes. every now and then i like to dibble my hands in it. so, i tried to help.

and 30 minutes later, the two girls walked away to the check-out with all of their new purchases and grins from ear to ear. it turns out they both got sewing machines for christmas. one had a grandmother that sewed and the other just wanted to learn. i answered all of the questions they had (well, that i could...) about fabrics, threads, notions, buttons, patterns, etc. i am not sure how the girls didn't run away screaming since i was probably way more excited about the lesson than i should have been. but they didn't. instead, they listened, i could see the excitement in their eyes and i was beaming. not because i had helped them (for there is a mighty fine chance that i passed along some of my fondness of my way vs. the right way) but because...here we go:

sewing is cool again.

and somehow that single fact makes me happier than a clam. call me a dork, whatever...you can. but you are wrong. haha. but it is. and i think that is awesome. aside from these 2 girls, i know of 2 other people that got machines for christmas. sewing is the most fun. and the fact that people are catching on to this is awesome.

yes, kinda random i know. but exciting. now if only i can get those amateurs trained well and take them under my wing and open a workroom in my garage so i can get inventory out faster. haha. maybe i am getting ahead of myself here. :) or maybe i should have gotten their numbers.

anyways, speaking of inventory. i need to get back to my machines. you see, there are more sapphire nelles going up in the cartel at the end of this week (the LAST of them) and this is where they stand right now.

must get to work.

Betsy's Dress Upload

2011-12-07T15:35:00.005-06:00

here ye, here ye.

haha, not really. but the nerd in me took over my blog for a sec. okay - the fabulous betsy's dress. so cute and so adorable that it even got it's very OWN page in the South Magazine. can you even believe it? do you wanty? well, here is the skinny on how to get.

i know i said that i would have one more upload in december with everything, and then i changed my mind. imagine that. i started to work on the betsys and realized that christmas is coming a LOT quicker than i am prepared for it to, and i need to go ahead and get inventory out and available to all of you as quick as i can.

so, these dresses will either SHIP ON FRIDAY or be ready for local pick-up on friday. ready to ship i think is the fancy word for that.

i also think that the upload may not be as crazy with christmas being so close. i may be wrong...but if there is any leftover inventory, i will be putting up in my etsy shop.

enough talk. here is the info. tomorrow, THURSDAY DECEMBER 8 @ 10 AM CST this dress will be available for purchase in my big cartel store. here is the direct link.

for the rest of the uploads, i will work as quick as i can to get things up in a timely manner. i have petals to the medal and am busting it whenever i can. i have had some people ask if there will be other opportunities for more daydream after all the uploads, and the answer is yes...well, kinda. the pieces that i have fabric left over will be made up into designs and placed for sale when i make them in my etsy store for those that aren't ready yet, need to wait for some christmas funds, or whatever the reason. hope this helps!

once again...if you must have a betsy's dress (and you really must, trust me) go to my big cartel store tomorrow at 10 am CST to snag one!

thanks again kiddos - keep on rocking the daydream believer!

welcome, welcome

2011-11-29T15:05:00.004-06:00

hello to all the new faces from the south magazine!!! i am so glad you stopped by brownie-goose and hope you love it all as much as i do!

and for those that have the condition that i suffer from as well and may be thinking right now, "hmmmm...what did i miss?" no worries. it happens to the best of us, PLUS facebook is being super crazy now-a-days and hiding all sorts of posts from BG so you cannot see me. grrrrrrr. methinks facebook might be a BG hater.

anyways - i was EXTREMELY honored to be asked by a designer who is working as a stylist (who is also a project runway designer, i was slightly star-struck on the phone and was glad when he quickly realized how dorky but cool i can be and tried not to be too mortified when i asked certain questions, haaa - mitchell, ONE day i will laugh about it all) if he could pull some things brownie-goose for a photo shoot for the south magazine. ummmm, HELLS TO THE YEAH. i was super excited, but also very nervous. and so i got quiet and shady. and we all know by now that i am super obvious and when i get quiet - i am most likely up to something. :)

and so i sent lots of BG goodies to savannah and to my absolute shock and surprise, i saw yesterday when the issue hit the stands that MY DRESS MADE THE COVER. oh my word. when i saw it, i immediately thought i was gonna cry. and then i laughed, and kinda did a half cry in which i had a small snort with tears coming from my eyes. then my ears got all hot and i felt dizzy. and then i giggled again, and then the tears came. you see, this is HUGE for itty-bitty old me. i put so much into brownie-goose and pour every single bit of my heart into it, and to see a dress that i designed staring back at me on a cover - simply took my breath away. to me, at that moment...it had all paid off. this was me. this was my brownie-goose. this was my heart and soul of design. whether i decided the next day to quit it all (i am kidding here folks) or go big-time, i DID it. i am not one to pat myself on the back too often, but i did. yay me. and now i am chomping at the bit to see the rest of the magazine! and for those that are wondering...that dress on the front - well, that is a small sneak of what is to come on my next line, dock of the bay. just so you know, i LOVE teasers and sneak peeks.

so, now on to what i sat down to write about in the first place. you see, for all of you that are new to BG (what i lovingly nick-named brownie-goose) - i am a very wordy person. when i blog, you are lucky if you actually see a sentence that is pertaining to what i sat down with in mind the first time. my mind runs wild. you can read more about that here. but just to warn you. :)

if you want to purchase some of the frocks you saw in the magazine, this is how it goes. i am the only girl sewing and my demand outweighs my supply something crazy. and until i figure out how to fix that silly issue, this is how i roll. i sell my collection in uploads. i have already had 2 for my latest line daydream believer. i have one more that i want to do that will have bits and pieces of the entire collection in it. i ALWAYS post to my blog/website in advance of an upload sizing information, time, place, etc. for the past 2 uploads, i have used big cartel. i *may* and *may not* use it again, i may just use my etsy store for organizational purposes to make the control freak in me happy. so, in essence....stay tuned on here and also on facebook and you will be informed. promise!

so thanks again for loving brownie-goose, welcome and glad to see you! stay tuned and i will keep you posted!

happy birthday dear brownie-goose...

2011-11-14T16:11:00.004-06:00

wow...what a whirl-wind again. once again, you girls rocked my daydream believer upload like no one's business! thank you, thank you, thank you!

on a whole other note. brownie-goose turns 3 this month. oh my goodness. i remember quitting my day job like it was yesterday. i remember sewing in the guest room which is now louisa's room. i remember almost jumping up and down every time i heard my blackberry chime for my brownie-goose hotmail account meaning someone was interested in me. i remember ordering fabric by the yard, and maybe 4 at the most. i remember moving my sewing room to the dining room when i out-grew my space in the guest room. i remember taking orders all.the.time. i remember building my sewing room and realizing that maybe taking orders all the time wasn't such a good idea as i sat chained to my machines. i remember moving into my sewing room and doing a holiday line. first and LAST that BG will ever see. i now have an aversion to holiday clothing because that christmas line almost broke me. i remember doing a lottery system for orders and getting some of my very first hate mail. all of this seems like yesterday...yet here i am.

crazy. humbling. and grounding. sometimes enough to make my head big, but thankfully i get knocked back down by murphy and his law in my sewing room.

so, here's to you brownie-goose. you've come a long way baby. where will you be this time next year? i honestly don't know. but it is awesome to think that BG has come so far in this time. it is awesome to think of everything that i have put into it. and so far, it has all gone over well. knock on wood. there have been bumps in the road for sure, but those speed bumps have just given me the time to slow down and re-evaluate the path i am on.

i have some really, really exciting things going on behind the scenes at BG lately. nothing i am quite ready to share just yet, but i can say that i am blown-away by it all. it creates so much excitement and pride for me, but at the same time puts me between a rock and a hard place with a decision that i cannot make to save my life. i swear i am not trying to tease here by any means, but i wanted to let you know that all of this couldn't be possible without the amazing support i get from all of you out there that love brownie-goose and spread the word. you all rock, but i think you know that.

on another note....ohhhhh brother.

i mean, really. meet my newest addition to the BG family of brothers. pepper. she is my new coverstitch machine. as you can tell, i have quite a fondness for brother machines. the only one not pictured is thelma, who is still on disability because of a certain seamstress who thought she could moonlight as a sewing machine repair lady. hmmmmm.

anywho. pepper has earned her name. she is spicy and fiesty. and she makes me say very, very bad words. i bought her one day on a whim and in the midst of a knit-induced temper tantrum. i have yet to figure her out, but then again...i have also not spent quality time with her. i am hoping this week to take some time from daydream and spend it with pepper, sewing for my hooligans so that maybe nash will have more than one thing to wear, and also getting cleaned up and organized in the sewing room...which means there will be a destash coming. and this one is going to be LOADED with blanks. i am no longer going to be stocking blanks (shirts for appliques) and want to unload all of the inventory that i have since i do not want to move it with me to georgia. stay tuned on facebook. and, if the inner hoarder in me doesn't take over, i may just destash some fabric too.

so again, thank you always. i always credit my unbelievably loyal fans for everything that BG is today - and today is no different. you all are the bestest and my faves. daydream believer will be having a 3rd and final upload in december. stay tuned for info on that one.

let's all raise our glasses, diet coke cans, coffee cups, etc. to 3 AMAZING years of brownie-goose. and here's to many, many more. :)

daydream believer upload TWO

2011-11-03T15:05:00.012-05:00

okay ladies...the second upload is tomorrow! wahoo!!!

4 of the designs from daydream believer will be up for grabs tomorrow, friday november 4th at 12 noon (central time).

yes, that is friday november 4th at 12 noon central.

tune in to my big cartel store (http://browniegoose.bigcartel.com) for the upload of the goodies.

up for grabs this upload are the butler britches (with matching shirt), the plum hattie (oh be still my heart), trudy's picnic dress and the lucky star pants (with matching shirt, it is a slate grey...pics make it look purple, that isn't the case). here are all the details.

CORRECTION - FOR THE LUCKY STAR PANTS, I ACTUALLY HAVE SIZE 18 MO SHIRTS FOR THE 18 MO PANTS.

(PS - if it helps any...lou is wearing a size 2-3 hattie and trudy's picnic. she is about 37" tall and weighs like 28 lbs.)

okay - last time it all went quick. and it was crazy. in fact, big cartel oversold a few items and got the shipping all kinds of confrused - but i am giving it another try because SO MANY people (shop owners) love it. so, here is another chance for the hearting to happen between BG and big cartel.

the difference this time is that all items will ship by next friday, november 11th. i have the majority of the construction done, but many of the details still need to be added. time in my sewing room lately has been really hit or miss since i cannot seem to keep my kids well. so, i still have some work to do - but as i said...your order will ship by next friday. with that said, some people said that they were never asked for shipping or for a code, and so it may get crazy again. so, if you can...please make sure that you have the correct shipping address with big cartel and if you are local, enter SHIPFREE for local pick-up.

thanks girlies, and again...thanks for rocking and being such loyal customers! and don't forget, brownie-goose on big cartel at 12 noon (CST) on friday november 4th.

look at me...

2011-10-22T14:11:00.004-05:00

i'm sandra dee!

introducing the newest help in the sewing room, my dress form, sandra dee. here, she is modeling one of the two patriotic penny lanes that i am so proud to say will adorn one of two sweet little girls when their daddy returns home from overseas. swoon.

i have been wanting a dress form for quite some time. however, i have been holding out trying to find an adjustable (chest, waist, etc) toddler form and i just have not been able to find one. of course in 5 minutes after i post this blog i am sure to have someone email me that they know of someone who sells them, but it just wouldn't be the same without my good friend murphy (as in law).

so, i now have help in the sewing room. i no longer have to lose my patience with a sweet, tow-headed little mess that refuses to stay still when i ask and wiggles and squirms and squeals when she sees the pins when i am working on pattern drafts. sandra dee will take lou's place in that regard - making that a fore-mentioned tow-head quite happy.

i will say she will take some getting used to. i have her in my sewing room and will admit she keeps freaking me out every time i walk by and she catches my eye. i keep thinking there is someone in my sewing room (and that is quite possible considering what a disaster it is at the moment, yikes). but none the less, she skeeeeeeeers me right now.

hi-ever (i used to have a teacher in nursing school that always pronounced it that way and it makes me giggle), i have no worries...sandra dee and the girl behind BG will be BFF 4-eva soon. real soon.

PS - you can make this dress. promise. this is the tutorial that spawned the idea of the penny lane. http://icandyhandmade.blogspot.com/2011/06/tutorial-three-part-harmony.html

i shouldn't sweat when i sew

2011-10-20T12:14:00.003-05:00

now, the title of this blog post has absolutely nothing to do with the temperature (although i will say we turned the heaters on for the first time yesterday so the house is still in that 'heaters on for first time of the season so it smells like the house is on fire' phase) NOR should it be confused with 'i shouldn't swear when i sew' since we all know better than that.

it is what it is. i shouldn't sweat when i sew. but i do. and i did for REAL this morning when i was working on a knit that has since been chucked out the door and halfway (well, as far as my arm can throw) across the backyard.

i notice that the last few blogs have mentioned sewing issues. truth be told...i am trying desperately to get out of a sewing funk. it happens to the best of us. my problem right now is mostly that i have toooooooooo much shiz on my mind. when i should be focusing in daydream, i instead am thinking about the next line, whether or not to take the plunge and order some fabric from overseas, where i see BG in the next few years (this one is weighing heavily), putting my house on the market, cleaning my house, packing, real estate in athens and of course my sewing shop in athens (hehe, remember to never give up on something you cannot go 24 hours without thinking about). oh, and sick chirrens. i mean, i simply cannot sit down and sew daydream believer. what is wrong with me??? that is a rhetorical question in case you were wondering. ;)

well, this week i have allowed myself to have a 'catch up' week to hopefully get me back in the mood. so, i have been working on auction/donation items, birthday gifts, personal gifts, new ideas for lou, etc. and everything was going great...until this morning.

i sat down to some knit this morning for a project for a personal gift. nothing that i will profit from (of course...those always seem to be the worst times!) and nothing that i gain anything from. the fabric was brewtiful. usually with knits, i order a swatch before i jump (if it is online since i cannot feel it) but this was a piece of vintage fabric that i could NOT live without. i 'needed' it. it was pricey (of course) but i simply had to have it and i knew exactly what i would do with it. so i ordered, and then fell head over heels when i got it, imagine that.

i should have known after it giving me a fit just cutting it that it was going to be a bad experience...but i kept on with my stubborn self. i put it on louise, my serger and it all but jumped straight off the side. so, i made some adjustments to all my settings and tried again. it still acted a fool. i thought, maybe i should take it to myrtle (my machine) and sew my seams first and then serge over so that i have a little more stability. well, i put it on myrtle and it all but chomped and chewed the side and made that AWFUL sewing machine noise that sends chills up your spine. so, i decided i needed my walking foot to keep it from going down into my feed dogs. well, i put my walking foot on, made sure i had my ballpoint needle in and tried again. chomp, chomp, chomp and CHAAACHHAAAAAACHUUUUUUUUNNKKKKK (that is my best attempt at putting letters to the sound of your machine eating fabric). i was speechless, i have NEVER had my machine act up with my walking foot on. i mean, it is like the equivalent of the best seamstress ever holding your hand while you sew.

well, the sweating (and swearing) began and i got mad. i ripped seams, tried again, ripped seams, changed settings, ripped seams, changed needles, ripped seams, turned all machines off and re-threaded, ripped seams, etc, etc, etc.

i was FURIOUS. i was sweating, and i shouldn't sweat when i sew. this is supposed to be fun. so, i decided i need a break. i got up, turned off my machine while talking sweetly to it for i know it wasn't her fault and then turned to the fabric and had a come to Jesus meeting with it. then, i came to the computer, and treated myself to some retail therapy with some new amy butler i had been eying to make a skirt for myself. i then got a styrofoam cup and filled it with diet coke and finished off the rest of a bag of chips.

with a new outlook on life (diet coke in a styrofoam cures all disasters) i walked back in the sewing room to try it all again. i thought surely everyone just needed a break and a breather. well, chomp, chomp, chomp and CHAAACHHAAAAAACHUUUUUUUUNNKKKKK later...i opened the door to the backyard, grabbed the fabric and used every bad word i could muster up while stomping on it on the floor and then hurled it across the backyard. i am convinced that the fabric itself and the components of it have somehow dry-rotted over time. bless it's antique heart. or at least, it is making me feel better knowing it is a flaw of time. ha! i can honestly think of no other reason that it acted the way it did. i have sewn with some pretty hairy knits, but this one definitely took the cake.

so, i am giving the stink eye to my sewing room at the moment. i need to get in there with some good old-fashioned quilters cotton and get on with it. but in my tempered tirade (who me with a temper? never...) i also made a big ole mess. gargamels...and the sewing funk continues.

humor me sewing buds - what makes you sweat in the sewing room?

gargamels, fiddlesticks and other PG bad words

2011-10-07T15:10:00.003-05:00

wow, 3 blogs in 3 days. can you even believe it? this is a sure sign the wheels are spinning.

unfortunately what happens when the wheels spin is that i kinda become this out of body personality that has a hard time focusing on anything BUT what is going through my mind at the time. you can talk to me, but there is a very good chance that i don't hear a thing.

bad, isn't it. yes...but from what i have heard from other creative folks - it is completely normal. this is the time that i call my 'manic state.' i get this odd headache that doesn't really hurt, but makes me unable to focus on ANYTHING but textiles, fabric, designs, lines, etc. it is kinda crazy.

when i should be focusing all of my energy on finishing up inventory for the second upload of daydream believer, i am instead dancing in la-la land designing my next line. crazy, i know. but i cannot make it stop. i have visions. (haaa, famous last words) kinda weird, huh?

are you still there? or are you thinking, hmmmm...now may be the time to give up on this crazy lunatic known as the girl behind BG. well, if you stick around...i promise it will be good.

i just cannot help all the turning wheels. mostly because i got my hands on some amazing old patterns that were my grandmother's. and then i got one of the most delicious (and expensive) fabrics in the post. the texture on it brings me to tears. and all of these fabulous buttons that keep coming from Little Red Cottage in the most fabulous of colors. and then the songs. shame on me for listening to my golden oldies, they make my head spin. and now i cannot help but to look in my sewing room and find color and fabric combos that i never thought of before. ooohhh, it is dangerous.

but yesterday, i MADE myself get in the sewing room and work. on daydream...and not just daydreaming. hehe.

well, to say that i ran into a minor snafu with the boys shirts would be an understatement. i now have half of the shirts that i ordered, am so fed up with the supplier that i canceled the rest of my order and am now trying to find substitutes. gag. so, to burn off some negative energy i headed to the sewing room to create. singing along to tommy james with crimson and clover, i drafted, cut and sewed some lucky stars pants. i was feeling good. then, disaster occurred when i went to measure.

you see...i could not stop those wheels from spinning all the while i was working. and i tend to be one of those personalities that cannot do more than one thing at a time. so, while daydreaming about opening a small fabric store and sewing school when i move to athens...i somehow did not pay close enough attention to the super-organized measuring charts that i have. see below, count them.

yes, 1...2...3...4. one would think i would have compiled them and organized them by now for when i go to draft patterns, but i haven't. and i made a big mistake. now see this...

yep, that is 4 yards of out of print fabric that is gone. all of the pants i constructed yesterday have the wrong inseams. bad, bad, bad words were said. and pants were thrown. buttons were flung and scissors speared into the cork floor. and then i did what needed to be done. i turned off the lights and shut the door and walked away from the sewing room before it got worse.

well, i have managed to beat myself up pretty bad about it all. but i am just having the HARDEST time focusing right now on the task at hand. i need to go and draw out some of the next line that is in my head and put it away for just a while. then, i need to stop thinking about this fabric store/sewing school that probably wont be (but i have heard that you should never give up on something you cannot go 24 hours without thinking about) when i return to the beautiful state of georgia. but oh my word, how fun? i mean, i already have the design planned out and how i can bring my doggies to work and have fun tunes playing and open sewing nights, etc. sigh...

i told myself this morning that i would focus and get my work done. i would go shopping for substitute shirts and get a move on. well, of course the shirt shopping didn't go as planned, but instead of being bummed...when i got home, i smiled. a big, fat girly grin. know why? not only did i have two of the most fab-a-lous pairs of jeans sitting on the porch in the post from an amazing boutique, and really...i am a girl that can have a complete change of heart with a good pair of blue jeans.

but i also had a happy (a sweet one at that) from a customer.

and then, 14 yards of joel. swoon. i cannot show a picture of that because a girl does have to have her secrets. :)

and on that note...i will go into my sewing room and first things first - get my measurement chart organized. then, i will redraft all of those pants and get started again. i cannot guarantee my mind will stay where it should, but i guess tis better to have a wandering mind that a wandering eye?

cheer up sleepy jean. :)

going once, going twice and SOLD

2011-10-06T08:32:00.006-05:00

Okay, this is about to be the most fun.

Here at BG, I love to contribute items to auctions when I can. So, when a sorority sister of mine posted on facebook about a live auction, I jumped.

Want to know why? Well, you should meet Heather. I know her as Heather Kaney, but she is now Heather Burge (funny how we girls always remember the maiden names) the owner of two FABULOUS boutiques in my hometown of Savannah, Ga. You see, she has always been uber-stylish. In fact, when I lived in the ADPi house with her in good ole Athens, Ga she was my GO-TO for style help. Unfortunately, I have always been S.T. Rugglin' in the fashion department. Super ironic considering my choice of hobby/home-business, haha. Anyways, I would walk down to Heather's room and she would give me the hook-up on clothes, what I should or shouldn't wear, etc. And she was always so nice about it although I am sure there were times when she probably should have just laughed at my ensembles. :) And, I will say one night she did my make-up (for I S.T. Ruggle there too) for a formal and I all but fell out when she told me that yes, eyeliner goes on the top lid too! One would think 4 years at an all-girls school and 2 years in all-girls living I would have caught on by then...

Anyways, the girl is awesome. Not only is she uber stylish and has the cutest stores (if you are ever in Savannah, Ga you must check out Bleu Belle and Bleu Belle Bridal) but as long as I have known her she has also been super helpful. She is now a celebrity in the low country and will be one of the dancers in the upcoming Dancing With Savannah Stars, an event that benefits the non-profit organization of Savannah CASA (an organization geared towards the health and well-being of children that have been neglected or abused). This is where the auction and BG comes in.

Tonight she is hosting Fashion For the Kids. It is going to be a fabulous event with a runway presentation and a live auction. Enter the BG.

This is the beauty that will be on the blocks (towhead model with a sour face not included):

A BG Original that knocks my socks off. The top is made of a super soft knit (it almost feels like a bamboo it is so soft) and features a curved boat-neck with a strip of mustard corduroy and fabulous buttons (but of course...you did see my last post, right?). The sleeves are full and sort of 'winged' (I have NO clue if that is the correct design term or not, but that is what I call them...they are full, flared and flowy) with an empire waist and gathered skit. The pants are made of a cross-hatched denim with the signature BG ruffle on the bottom and button-tabs on both legs. This pant is super close to the Sleepy Jean that sold out like crazy in the first Daydream Believer upload. The top is a size 2-3 while the pants are a 3T. I mean, love it. In fact, I may have to bid to get this one back for Lou!

So, here are the details...this is how you can have a go at this super fun outfit.

I will post the photo of the outfit on my brownie-goose facebook page and will open bidding at 5 pm CST. To place a bid, comment under the photo with your bid amount. At 6:30 pm CST (since the auction will start at 7:30 EST) this BG Original will hit the auction blocks at Fashion For the Kids. This is where the fun begins. Heather will start the bidding in Savannah at the amount it is on the Facebook page, and people in the audience at the auction will place bids live, and Heather will enter them as comments on the photo (most likely coming from BleuBelle Boutique). This is where the bidding war commences. Remember...ALL proceeds go to benefit children. After a minute has passed and bidding has stopped (no one has commented in over a minute) Heather will close the auction and the outfit will go to the highest bidder.

So, who is excited?? Let's show our support for the sweet kiddos out there!

my newest love

2011-10-05T09:14:00.006-05:00

it is no secret that the girl behind BG can fall madly in love with some sort of a sewing notion. it is the inner sewing nerd in me. whether it is fabric, trim, elastic, thread, lace, etc. when i find something i like, i fall fast and hard. and once i have fallen, i stay very loyal. take for instance my sweet joel. as in dewberry. yes, i feel as though we are on a first-name basis even though he has no clue who i am. i have emailed him once, but granted...i never heard back. sigh. oh well, i still love just about anything that comes with his name on it. however, i have been forced to get creative with joel lately. you see - one of the reasons he is my fave designer (other than his brilliance) is that no one used his fabrics often. at least, not in the arena of children's clothing. however, that has changed all too quick. his latest lines of modern meadow and heirloom have been so spot on and amazing that people have picked up on him. so now, i find myself getting creative and coming up with ways to incorporate joel with a little spin. but that still makes me happy, mostly because it is who i am here at BG...adding my own little twists.

well, my newest fascination/obsession/border-line hoarding beginning is buttons. i prefer the vintage variety (check out the lovelies in the mason jar here that a friend surprised me with)

- but found myself becoming heart-broken as i could never find enough of the ones i loved, mostly because they were vintage finds. well, one day i stumbled across a girl in california that has just about knocked my socks off lately.

you see...i really, really, really was going to keep her as one of BG's dirty little secrets, but the more and more i look at this lovely right here...

i realize i need to share. because it is right to share, right?

well, girls...meet michele. she is the fab lady behind little red cottage. phew, secret is out. she has recently become my favorite enabler. you see...she hand dyes buttons. i have no clue how in the world that happens as it is above my chemisty-lacking-brain, but she does. and let me tell you...i squeal when i see that there is a package with her happy little red cottage sticker in my post. the colors and the variety, all of it just makes me smile. and then, the brain goes into over-drive thinking of all of the ways that i will use these beautifully colored buttons.

if you aren't head over heels for buttons yet, but maybe you have a love affair with trims...still go meet michele. she has the hook-up on that too. you will not be sorry that you did. she is sweet, she is fast and she brings all sewing nerds like me happiness.

go visit her little red cottage. and smile. :)

daydream believer upload ONE

2011-09-27T09:59:00.016-05:00

wow...so, here we go.

are you as nervous as i am?

okay kiddos. daydream believer's first upload happens TOMORROW. what is that?? oh yes, tomorrow, meaning

Wednesday, September 28 at 11:00 am CST

head on over to brownie-goose on big cartel (http://browniegoose.bigcartel.com) to get you some goodies.

up for grabs in the first upload are the sapphire nelle, the sleepy jean, the rusty nina tunic and the mocha penny lane. all of the sizing info you need on these 4 designs are below. the sapphire nelles will definitely make another appearance as will the sleepy jeans, but the sleepy jeans fabric is on back-order until november...so grab these while you can! as for more appearances from the mocha penny lane and the rusty ninas...we shall see...

UPDATE ON WAIST MEAS for sleepy jeans - the measurement is for relaxed elastic, like for instance i just stretched the 5's waist to 26"...does that make sense??

i am SO stinking excited about daydream believer you have no idea. it makes me so proud to see it all come together so well to know that months of planning, designing, grading, textile matching, etc. paid off. rock on BG. i have no idea how i will ever up-stage this line. but, i will damn sure try. :)

thanks again for always being so awesome and so supportive of me and my family and my little-bitty clothing line. knowing that so many amazing people have my back means the world to me.

now, back to the sewing room to start on the second upload...

and again....

Wednesday September 28 at 11:00 am CST check it, BG on big cartel. Don't be late. Or Square.

PS - don't forget, if you want local pick-up, enter SHIPFREE at check-out to avoid shipping charges.

the old switch-a-roo

2011-09-25T15:18:00.003-05:00

okay, so since the last post i figured out how i am going to work the uploads of daydream believer.

no more etsy for daydream...i have nothing against etsy. in fact, sometimes i think i love etsy a little too much. this is one of the reasons i am still holding out on pinterest. i mean, i can lose hours on etsy...i can only imagine how pinterest will rot my brain. :)

all of daydream believer will be uploaded to my new store on big cartel. bookmark this one NOW.

http://browniegoose.bigcartel.com

the main reason i swapped over for the uploads of DB is for you guys. unlike etsy, big cartel will hold something in your cart for 30 minutes. if you haven't paid for it after 30 minutes, it will be dropped. but...this allows you to add in a sapphire nelle and go back and grab a pair of sleepy jeans too without losing that nelle - which unfortunately is how etsy works.

now, this may be a disaster, who knows. i just really want everyone to have an opportunity to get what they want. i lost out on some vintage buttons on etsy one day after i put them in my cart and went to shop in the same store to see if there was anything else i 'needed.' i still dream about those buttons...i don't want the sleepy jeans to be your vintage buttons. :) i will continue to sell on etsy mostly patterns and such, so don't forget about me there. etsy really is such a great place for all things creative!

so, on the first upload...which will be this week sometime you will see the mocha penny lane, the sapphire nelle, the sleepy jean and the rusty nina tunic. i am going to put up on the blog pictures, descriptions and sizing info for all 4 of these the day before the upload so you can plan what you want and what size works for you. i had HOPED to have this to do today, but a certain little sweetness decided against napping yesterday and then another certain little seamstress chose the bed over her sewing room last night. whoops. so, keep an eye out and i will let everyone on FB know what is going on. remember...facebook is kinda acting a fool right now. you may NOT see me post, so you may want to click on there every now and then to make sure you aren't missing.

i know for sure that there will be more sapphire nelles down the road. i hope to have more sleepy jeans too, but the fabric is on back order until november and i have already used one bolt. i will not be getting in more of the brown/oatmeal stripe knit, so penny lanes may and may not go back in stock...just depends how much of the fabric i use for skyline tanks and butler britches.

sound good my dears?

how DOES it work?

2011-09-20T14:37:00.003-05:00

okay, question for you etsy-savvy BG-ers out there. i know you are out there.

i had a customer email today and ask how the whole daydream believer upload would go and if etsy let you keep things in your cart while shopping for others. and you know what...i have NO clue and had honestly never thought about this until now. i know that you can leave things in your cart, but since i will only be putting up a certain quantity, if you don't check out and it is sitting in your cart it is still available (i lost some FAB vintage buttons that way, sad) for others to grab and checkout. did that make any sense?? so, hmmmm.

i had thought about doing uploads by size. so one day upload everything 6-18 months, the next day 2-3, etc so that no one has to spend time searching through the sizes. here i was thinking this was brilliant, but i never thought that while someone put a sapphire nelle in their cart and went back to grab some sleepy jeans if that nelle would still be there...

so, now i am thinking that i need to do uploads by outfit maybe? and then hold off on shipping (and refund if people paid shipping more than once) until the uploads are done???

what do yall think? help me here girlys!

speaking of being technologically sub-par...brownie-goose has joined the world of twitter. follow me @brownie_goose - but until i figure it all out i cannot guarantee i will do anything. hehe.

let the assembly line begin...

2011-08-31T09:34:00.007-05:00

okay, so phew...the design and implementing phase of Daydream Believer is finally done. man - i worked my poor creative brain to the BONE this time. with the exception of the Rusty Nina Tunic (pattern by Nina Bonita Designs, this girl is brilliant), each and every design is my very own. that makes me uber proud, and exhuasted! i need to find something mindless to reward that brain for a few.

as i said before, this is by FAR my fave ever. i mean, i just adore it and am so proud of it and hope that you all like it as much as i do. i can almost guarantee that if your kiddo is sporting some DB, there will not be many kids out there dressed the same - and THAT my dears is my whole vision and goal behind BG. keep it small, and keep it real. :)

so, now that all of the designing is done and everything has been worked out on fabric (not saying i didn't have some pattern fails...which is very frustrating, but allowed me to come up with even better designs i think) it is now time for me to turn my attention to the assembly line part of it. confession...this is my least fave part. but, it gets the BG from my sewing room to your kid's closets.

off to the cutting board i go...but just some love in case you haven't seen it on facebook yet.

(ps - these rust leggings will not be on DB...i am sorry, i LOVE them and would love to share, but i simply cannot wrap my head around assembly-lining these yet...but, if you sew check out Lily Giggle for the pattern!)

and i realized something quite important this morning that i completely FORGOT in planning DB. i never made arrangements for a photo shoot. oh crap. and we all know who BG loves as a photographer, but her awesomeness keeps Mary Moment Photography busy and booked so prepare to see louisa's probably unhappy face (she told me the other day she was 'ober being a super model for now') over and again, whoops! but, i will post photos of the complete collection in plenty of time before i upload to etsy (BG on etsy) just so that you can see it all out in front of you and decide what you would like. i plan to do more than one upload to the etsy store. i will make a certain number of each item and put up for sale, and then later re-visit the assembly line and produce more. so, don't fret if you don't score anything on the first upload...there will be more. :)

in the meantime...sing it girls,

getting soooooo excited!

2011-08-02T23:09:00.005-05:00

okay, while i am no where near putting daydream believer up in the shop yet...i just wanted to share.

i am SO stinking excited about it. with each line, it is always fun to watch all the fabrics come together and the designs to finally be put on fabric. however, for some reason...this line is just speaking to me. it is giving me the chills. and it is funny, as i have been very disorganized with it. i have made last minute fabric choices when usually i study them for weeks. i don't even have all of my designs drawn out, just cutting and drawing as i go. i guess i am just kinda winging it. but i am having the most fun in doing so. and i just may dare say it...

i think this is by FAR my fave BG ever. and i mean, ever.

the colors, the designs, the coordinates, the lines, the trimmings...it is all so ME. i honestly want to wear each and every piece i have made so far. i don't know if i will ever be able to upstage this one.

but more than anything, as it usually goes when i pour my design heart out to the public...i hope it is just as much you as it is me. i hope that you 'get it' like i do. i hope you find yourself wanting to lose yourself in it. and i hope you find yourself forever singing that familiar tune that started it all...

peace out kiddos.

are there any cuter bloopers out there?

2011-07-31T17:06:00.005-05:00

okay, i actually meant to do this forever ago, but i got side-tracked. imagine that.

last fall, the fabulous katie stafford of mary moment photography photographed all of my goodies for my fall line-up. it was fabulous. she has such talent behind that lens.

well, we shot for about 3-4 hours with toddlers. it was hot. i was pregnant and sick and poor katie had to get all over the ground with her 100 lb camera and was such a sport. we had fun. we had wardrobe changes numerous times, a break for grapes and ice cream and so on. she made my fall line look AMAZE-BALLS. if you know katie, that comes as NO surprise.

well, i was going through all the pictures today trying to find a good shot of the jill frock to put on the pattern (yep, i said it...whoop, whoop) and i came across the ones i had tagged and giggled at as bloopers. hehe. i had to share. i mean, you can only hold their attention so long. bless them, it was hot outside, i was making them wear fall clothes, we were making them behave themselves, sit still, etc. i mean, it isn't easy being beautiful. :)

remember, ALL of these photos are property of mary moment photography...do NOT try to copy them. thanks. oh and also, these are pics of LAST fall. BG's Get Your Fall On rocked the house. thanks to all of you!

okay, is this a sign of how she would be with a baby brother?

now, this is how addie kate does fierce...watch it as it evolves. :)

oh dear me, check out the nostrils on my child!

i seriously think i remember katie asking lou to give her a face like she would kiss her boyfriend...not kidding. wow.

haha, no words...

"i am a gopher girl, i only go for guys, but they don't go for me...i don't know why...chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp" and you must really know that old-school song for this one to be funny.

arrrrrrr matey. parlay?

and this is when it started to go downhill...

and really, done...

more done...

and on this note...it's a wrap!

aaaahahahhahahaha! but on a serious note, just looking through makes me remember how much i LOVED all the colors of last fall. oooh, it makes me want to stop everything and go and lose myself in daydream believer right now too!

the girl behind BG

2011-07-26T09:51:00.006-05:00

okay, as usual right before a season begins my inbox is flooded with emails asking how to order, when to order, etc. now, one would think going on 3 years i would have this all figured out by now - but the secret is...i don't. so, i am gonna put it all out there to answer any questions or wonderings of who i am and why BG is like it is.

i am amy. i am blond, i am short and i am fiesty. i am a type-a personality that is dealing with her control-freak demons and i am the owner of a creative brain that never turns itself off. i am haunted all day and night by a mind that constantly puts fabrics together and pieces out patterns and designs. i am a sewing nerd that gets overly excited about buttons, thread, top stitching and inseams. a tailor that finds it soothing to walk into a sewing room and lose herself in design. i am the girl behind BG. that's me.

i am also a mother to these adorable little chirrens and a wife to that handsome hubby.

i have struggled over the last 3 years trying to figure out the balance between the amy, the BG and the family. for too long i let the BG be first. i was sewing for everyone that emailed and staying up late at night and not spending QT with my family. but i was everyone's seamstress. i was making everyone happy. or so i thought...deep down, i wasn't. so, i changed it up again. and here i am now.

this is the new BG.

i am not trying to be the biggest, the best, the busiest, the first or the fastest. i am just trying to be me. i am simply a girl that loves her sweet family, and is thankful to have a sweet family and even more thankful that it wasn't too late before i realized it. i am also a girl that falls victim to her spinning wheels in the brain and is thankful for that creative design that is embedded in my mind. thankful for a passion of design that lets me be me.

and so we have BG. on my time. so, when all is said and done and the family has been first...it becomes my time to walk into the sewing room and talk to those fiesty voices in my head and figure out the designs. it is time to put fabrics together and put designs on paper. and then, it is time for me to create. my fun time when i get to let the amy out. when i am simply the girl behind BG.

as i have said many times before, i honestly have the best customers out there. understanding, supportive and unbelievably loyal. and while it makes me sad that i cannot have all of your kids sporting the BG, i am glad that yall keep coming back. many ask why i don't bring someone else on to help out and to be able to pump out more...and the answer is simple. that is not my BG. i cannot even begin to explain the amount of flattery in knowing that people love what i do as much as i do. humbling, to say the least. and while i think it would be fantastic to see my work out there more as in trunk shows, wholesale in boutiques, etc...it just isn't for me now. check back in a few years if i can keep it all coming and the kids have grown up, but for right now...BG remains me, myself and i. a small-time kid's clothing business run by a sewing nerd on a small budget. :)

so, that is me. i hope it helps to clear up any questions and wonderings. i am not being selective and picking favorites, i am just creating on my own time, which any mother of small children know is very minimal. and as usual, thanks for being the most supportive customers a girl can ask for. thanks for being there through it all. thanks for loving BG as much as i do. :)

and if you are wondering how to get the goodies...bookmark my etsy store for that is where it will be if it comes off the machines. :) http://www.etsy.com/shop/browniegoose?ref=si_shop

showing some love for the BG originals

2011-07-23T21:57:00.006-05:00

okay, confession...if you are looking at the blog tonight, you can see i am trying to catch up. lawdy goodness. so, while i am trying to spruce it all up and have it all fancy and working before daydream believer i thought i would take a moment and post some of the BG originals that have crossed my machines as of late.

the darby short. oh dear me, i just love this one. you simply cannot go wrong with a bubble short in the summertime. and this pattern is available in my etsy shop and has been flying off the shelves! it is shown here with the wednesday tank, another BG original.

oooh, and nelle. i haven't made one of these in a while, but looking at the picture - methinks i need to. i forgot how feminine and old school she is. oh, just loves.

but my ABSOLUTE newest fave and obsession...the penny lane. i think she speaks for herself. :) i even made myself one. swooooooooooon.

now, how's that for catching up. another thing crossed off the list...one step closer to starting daydream believer. eeeeks!

BG originals patterns

2011-07-23T21:40:00.005-05:00

these are the BG Orignals patterns that are available for purchase in my etsy shop. i am always coming up with new ideas and adding the patterns...they just take some time. :)

introducing...topstitchers

2011-07-16T10:39:00.004-05:00

okay, this is something i have been wanting to do for quite some time. and i have been putting it off for various reasons, and i realized the other day... i only have a year left here in jackson, and time is going to fly...so i just need to get my feet wet and go with it.

byron has been wanting me to teach sewing classes so bad he cannot stand it. i have been steady holding my ground though. honestly, it overwhelms the snot out of me. i know how to sew, i know how to fix things when they go wrong (ahem, jerry-rig right phoebs?) and i know how to do things the way i want and the way it works best for me. however, those ways aren't always the 'right' ways and i don't always do the best job of explaining. not to mention my patience level is pretty much null and void. so, sewing lessons from BG are still a no-no.

however, i still LOVE to sew with friends. so, how to find a good balance??

with top stitchers

what you may ask? well, top stitchers is gonna be kinda like an open mic night...with no mic. it will be bring your own sewing machine, fabric, project, notions, extension cord, etc. and come and have fun. kinda like a modern-day sewing club...but not really a club. there will be no dues and no rules (unless i have some hooligans up in here, hehe). growing up, my mom had knitting night with her girl friends and i can remember spying on them in the hallway and watching them have so much fun. and i want to do that too. so, here we go.

now, let me just go ahead and put it out there...these nights will NOT be perfect. these are things i cannot guarantee:

i cannot guarantee that...

my chirrens will cooperate at all
my husband will be home to help with the hooligan/chirrens
i wont say bad words or throw temper tantrums
my tabby cat wont try to lay all over your fabric or run off with your measuring tape
my labradors wont try to snuggle with you and lay on your sewing foot
there will be proper lighting...my house is DARK, and the lighting is pitiful
that we wont blow a breaker and if said hubby isn't home...i have NO clue what to do with that electrical box
i wont teach you how to jerry-rig
i wont sing out of tune to a song that may or may not be playing on pandora
we will have enough room
my iron wont have an 'accident' all over your fabric (it likes to tinkle on things)
my house will be clean or that you can walk in my sewing room without making a path with your feet first
that i will have showered that day (oops)
if you stand still too long i wont try to serge you or topstitch you, tendencies in my sewing methods
anything will actually get done :)
etc, etc, etc.

so, who's in?

i don't have a date set for the first night yet, but this will all be very informal! either eat before you come, eat on the way or bring your dinner (just remember...those labradors may beg). feel free to bring your own beverage (i will not be providing any food or drink...i will provide a potty, but it may/may not be clean...see 'rules' above) and we will have a good time.

this is NOT a sewing lesson. however, i can almost guarantee you will leave knowing something new. one thing i love about sewing with others is that everyone has their own way of doing things, and when we all sew together...we learn from each other. this will not be organized sewing. meaning we will not all be sewing the same item. bring whatever you are working on and come for the chit-chat and fun.

space is limited, so i will only take about 4-5 people per each night. when i set a date, email me and the first 4-5 to email have a spot. sound good? as i said...informal as they come! also don't know times just yet. it would be great if i can work it on a night byron gets home at a decent time so i can have dinner and kiddos squared away ahead of time!

when you do come, this is what you need:

sewing machine
project & all included notions (scissors, thread, bobbins...it also may be great if you can already have it all cut since cutting space may be limited)
extension cord, just a house-hold one...not one of those big orange ones (unless you plan on sewing in lou's playhouse)

oh my, i am so excited! i am leaving tomorrow to go on a beach/sewing trip with one of my besties and when i get back i will look at my schedule to see when a good night will be and announce on here and facebook. anyone else getting pumped???

UPDATE: i came up with something i thought would make me smile even more than sewing with cool peeps...i may do something like have everyone bring a can of dog or cat food (depending on the need at the time) for donation for CARA. is everyone cool with that? you all know how much i love my 4-legged babes.

give-away

2011-06-27T09:27:00.005-05:00

okay girls, you know how much i love to share cute stuff and some other momma talent. in fact, i have been referred to in the past as a bad influence for the bank account. hehe. :)

well, today is no different. i have more to share, and luckily for all of you...she is hosting a give-away.

i want you to meet erin of easely erin. this girl is uber talented. i mean, like full of talent. i don't know if you recognize her name or not...but she is the brilliance behind my new logo (well, new about a year ago). she came up with the idea of that sweet little brown goose that you see on my logos. pure genius. well, not only is she a whiz in the graphics design department...but she also sews. and she makes some fine-looking stuff. i drool over her bags daily.

i have known erin since elementary school. i knew her then as 'ubin spoon' a nickname that i still find myself calling her. we grew up in savannah together and found each other again through the wonderful world of facebook. she has become one of my good sewing buddies over time and i know that i can shoot her an email in the wee hours venting about some stupid thing my machines or doing or what-not. she is also a huge animal lover, which you all know how much i think that says about someone's character.

but, it is now time for you to meet her. here you go.

Wondering about Easely Erin? Well, it isn’t misspelled… EASELY comes from Erin’s background as an artist. Not just an artist in a specific genre of mediums either. With a BFA from the University of Georgia in painting and drawing, and then a resume full of graphic designer positions to marketing positions, Erin is now being creative at home with her two sons. Being a stay-at-home mommy to one year old Huck and two year old Elton has given her some time during naps to learn how to sew and find ways to let her creativity escape! Easely Erin was started with hand-made doggy snuggle pillows out of her love for animals and then blossomed into original handbags, totes, pouches and other goodies. She’s always brewing new ideas. Right now it’s handbags, but who knows what kind of creative goodness will eventually be shared with her loyal customers through Facebook and Etsy. For stories of how she got started and tons of fun photos of projects that she does outside of making handbags, check out her blog: http://easelyerin.blogspot.com/

one of the things i love about this girl...her brain works like mine. she, too has a problem sleeping at night with all the ideas brewing and going on. we giggle together about sitting up in bed and grabbing a pen and paper to jot things down as they come up. it's funny in our own warped, creative way. :)

well, now on to the give-away fun! you see, she is so organized that it is all contained in one beautimus graphic.

got that? like her on facebook, if you haven't already. here, she will post updates about the give-away and what all is at stake. but, you must make haste...the first give-away will be on WEDNESDAY!! i mean, i don't know about you...but i NEED that chickadee bag. for real. or maybe that is just the bag-lady in me talking.

so, get on over to Easely Erin on facebook!!

coming soon (well...not in the near soon)

2011-06-23T17:05:00.002-05:00

just doing some website work ladies...no need to stalk the etsy! taking a breather from the machines to work with some lovely html codes. yippee. :)

but get ready and start singing...

cheer up sleepy jean,
oh what can it mean.

your welcome for getting it in your head.

support the moms!

2011-06-10T08:44:00.003-05:00

okay, first of all...just a few 'business' things to do. fortunate for us, BG 'business' is the most fun. :)

there is anther give-away going on. whoop, whoop! amanda jones is hosting a give-away that includes brownie-goose AND molly blossom. remember her? she is the awesome bag-maker and earring-maker that i featured earlier in the year. she is also doing some sew-alongs for those in the area, and just happens to have her hands on my milly pattern! check out her info for more details on the sew along. AND check out amanda's blog for give-away info!

i am having some serious moments of pride here at BG! i keep getting photos that you awesome seamstresses out there send me of what you made with my patterns. this is an amazing feeling and it is so fun to see all of you put your own spins on it. man there are some talented folks out there!

i have about 3-4 patterns in the work as we speak. i am trying to divide my time between chirrens, husband, house, labradors, sewing and pattern making. TRYING to find a good balance here, but am having a ball sharing my patterns. the other fun part is having great friends and talented tailors test them for me. i LOVE a sewing bud and this just fuels my fire. the other fun thing is learning what i have been mis-spelling for eons. hehe. so far, i have learned that all my life i have been spelling the word "voila" as "viola" pronouce....ve-oh-la. hehe. and also been saying the phrase, "the patience of job" and calling him jobe. hehe. awesome. think i must have missed the day in elementary school when they taught spelling. :)

another proud moment i had was when i let my little lou be a seamstress for a day. check out what she did here on my blog. love that child.

now, let's get down to supporting the mommas.

being a stay-at-home-working-mom myself, i decided early in the game to make a sort of pledge to try my best to support other work at home moms when i can. for instance, i don't buy fabric wholesale. i could, and i could probably save myself at least $2-$3 a yard (which adds up quick considering my addiction) but i don't. instead, i head on over to etsy and hit up mommy-run fabric stores (like my most fave, HB Fabrics) and feed my fire. those extra few dollars don't really matter to me in the long-run since i know just that little bit helps that momma stay at home with her babies. something that i wish EVERY mom could do. i also try to promote mom-run businesses when i can. there are some crazy-talented moms out there that should be showcased! anyways, this basic reasoning is why i JUMPED at the opportunity that was presented to me by another talented mom, meagan of Made-By-Meagan.

she came up with the idea behind Made By Mommies which is a facebook page devoted to all sorts of mom-run businesses. this will be a place for people to go to find mom-run fabulousness, for other moms to advertise/promote their businesses and for networking. it is FREE, no strings attached. :) this is not limited to just clothing, whatever your trade...sewing, cooking, baking, photography, stationery, etc. BRING it. if you want to be featured, email your info to:

buy(dot)mommies(at)gmail(dot)com.

this is gonna be the most fun, and i can only imagine what kind of trouble my paypal account is about to get into. :)

so, get your info in or get your shopping on! thanks again to meagan for the awesome idea!

and now, let's see if i can muster up the motivation to finish up this sweet pattern....

lots of news & fun stuff!

2011-05-29T08:47:00.002-05:00

okay, i would apologize for being a slack blogger and not letting all yall know what has been going on...but for once, it isn't my fault. for some reason, blogger has not wanted to publish my posts the last week. whatevs, just glad it wasn't some serious news like orders open or something like that of the past. :)

anyhoo...let me just list all the fun and fabulous stuff i have going on here at BG.

1st - did you know about the BG giveaway? oh my, you must! BG was featured on the blog of Amanda Dove Wells and she did a little Q & A with me. so, if you have ever wondered how BG came to be, what goes on in my crazy little head when i design or anything else about me...check it. here is the link. http://www.amandadovewells.com/?p=559 but, even if you don't want to know about me or think you already do...check it anyways because she is offering a giveaway and at stakes is an oh-so-popular Milly Dress, one of the faves of the BG Originals. eeeeks. the giveaway ends tomorrow...so get on it, dog-gone-it!

2nd - i finally, after many, many requests and pleads from many of my sewing buds that i have met along this journey made a decision. i am now selling the patterns that i design. holy moles. it took a lot of soul-searching and talking to myself before i came to this decision. i had a hard time at first letting go of what i considered dear to me, but once i made the decision and saw all the support and positive feedback that came, i could have cried. have i ever told yall how amaze-balls you are? so, i am slowly learning the world of pdfs and conversion and scaling and all that jive. my patterns will be available in my etsy shop (brownie-goose on etsy) as i finish them. i currently have only gotten the Milly done, but so far...she has done very well which further encourages me to get my camera in my sewing room and sit down in the wee hours to my pdfs. :) so far, i have had requests for the mae dress, lola bells, katie top and jill top...any others you for sure want to see?

3rd - this goes along with the patterns and is so fun that i just cannot stand it. my husband was one of the ones behind me in supporting the sales of my patterns. he also really, really wants me to offer a sort of sewing class/lessons for people. now, the pure idea of this sounds fantastic and fun, but also overwhelms the snot out of me. you see, when i sew...i sew how it works for me. these methods are not always what you would learn in sewing 101. they aren't wrong methods by any means...but they are amy-isms and don't always make sense, just ask my friend Phoebe who puts up with me in the sewing room sometimes. so, until i learn to convey what to do in the sewing room in a 'proper' way and figure out where to put people and electric plugs and such i will leave this to other seamstresses who thrive in this setting. like sara of molly blossom.

this is where the fun begins. she is offering a sew-along for the newly released Milly pattern. how fun, right? now, how do you get in on this fun? this is what she has to say:

Have you been wanting to make your little girl beautiful, boutique style clothing but aren't the type that can sit down and breeze through a pattern? Do you have a sewing machine that needs dusting off and a yearning to make beautiful things? BG Originals and Molly Blossom have the perfect solution. Join me, Sara, at my house on June 18 (formerly mis-stated as the 13th) at 3:30 pm with fabric and your machine and leave with a beautiful Milly Dress using Amy Norris' beautiful dress pattern.

Don't miss this opportunity to get the pattern at a discount and have a personal guide to ensure your success. There are only six slots available for the special rate of $27 per person. I will take you from beginning to end of this lovely, layered beauty and you'll have a dress and the pattern to take home with you to use again and again with endless combinations.

Message me with questions or to register. on facebook, find Molly Blossom.

so, isn't all this just so fun? i know...right!

okay, now that all this exciting news is out and hopefully finally going to publish...what are you waiting for? get on over to amanda's blog and enter the giveaway and then, if you are feeling up to it....get you a spot in sara's sew-along!

have a fabulous memorial day weekend and stay awesome BG fans!

time for cool change...

2011-05-10T13:05:00.005-05:00

are you singing along with little river band yet? and now that my life is so pre-arranged, i know that it's time for a cool change....

okay, although i am 'technically' still on maternity leave...we all know i have a hard time staying out of my sewing room. hence, you have seen some things going on with sales and BG originals and such.

you may have even seen a small sneaker of the new line that will be....Daydream Believer.

but, what you haven't seen is an explanation of how in the world i am going to manage it all.

want to know why....yeah, i am still not sure how to swing it all. but i have made a decision. and it is one that i am hoping to be a good one.

BG is going solely etsy.

what does this mean to you? well, it means that i will not be taking orders by email. i will not be doing a lottery system and i will not being opening and closing orders as i have in the past. i have learned recently that my time in the sewing room has been cut very short due to a new baby, and honestly...it is okay with me. i have said this from the get-go, family is first in my house. i love BG and i love to create, but my babies come first. but with my time cut short, i have realized how stressful it is for me to have orders pending. it is much easier on me, the seamstress to go into my room when i have time and create at my leisure. my creative juices flow a bit better this way. also, i was having moments of freak-out when thinking i may be facing up to 700 orders again this fall. i just can't swing it with 2 that way anymore. not right now, at least.

however, all this said...BG isn't going away. i will still be bringing some fabulousness your way in the way of outfits for your kiddos to wear, but it will be on a smaller scale.

as of now - my plans are to get some fun summer items made up and inventory boosted and list them in my shop. then, i am going to start work on Daydream Believer. i am not sure yet if this is going to work well, i never know until i try - but i do know that i needed a way to free up some of the email/website/business aspect of it so that i could spend as much time in the sewing room as possible.

you will be seeing some changes on the website in the coming weeks/month and instead of the BG fall line, you will start to see Daydream Believer make its debut. i am so stinking excited about that, especially the limited edition lola bells that i really feel i need to swing a pair for me. :)

so, what does this mean for you as a BG customer? bookmark my esty store.
also, stick with me on facebook as i have linked in my etsy there and it will probably notify when new listings come into the store.

so, basically....in a nutshell, BG is now on etsy only. hope you like the change. i hope it keeps me sane, and frees up a lot of time for sewing and my sweet kiddos. i mean, we don't need to see this pitiful face now do we?

and in the meantime while i get my sew on (occasionally), thanks for rocking my house and being the best customers a seamstress can ask for. thanks for being there through it all. BG will turn 3 this fall, and i don't think it would be where it is without all of you!

and just to get you thinking and ready for it, check it. Daydream Believer. you know me, i am all weird and find sewing inspiration in songs. crazy, yep. certified, maybe. :) oh, and go ahead and sing along...it will make you smile!

behind brownie-goose

2011-04-26T15:39:00.005-05:00

so, for those of you that are new to BG, or haven't read my "about me" you may not know that my hobby is named after my sweet, sweet 4-legged babes. my labradors. my first hearts. love them forever.

so - they don't get a lot of lime-light. you know, they should. but i just never think my frocks would look as cute on them. and, i doubt many of my fans would be as crazy about dog fur on clothes as i am.

but, today i had the help of mallard brown, aka brown doggie, buddy, brownie. i got him when he was 6 weeks old. he is my heart (just ask my husband). i loves him. and he loves me. in my eyes, he can do no wrong. he even walked me down the aisle in my wedding. isn't he the sweetest?

just thought i'd share. :)

ps - will be unloading some BG originals soon. the first 'release.' haha.

feminine and girly...they will want to twirly

2011-04-20T13:06:00.005-05:00

wow - that was about as corny as they come. oh well...my creative mind is in overdrive here at BG, and sometimes when that happens everything else seems to go to the poopers if you know what i mean.

i have had the MOST fun the last few days designing and completing 2 dresses that honestly take my breath away. mae and milly. i seriously cannot take my eyes off of them. they are similar in style, with a few differences....mostly those details we talked about before. :)

meet mae. my louisa LOVES her tulle. and her barbie band-aid. oops.

i love her back buttons. :)

and now, meet milly. methinks she is my newest fave. i got inspiration from the brilliant matilda jane with the layla lace for this one's skirt. and the fact that my mom just happened to have some in the attic just fueled the fire.

i really love this keyhole look. oooohhhhwie.

wanty?

yeah, me too. what my plans are for the moment is to finish drafting the patterns (i have one 12-18 mo, 2-3 and 4-5 and there might be a 6-7...not sure on that yet) and then get to work on some inventory so i can get them up to sell. i just cannot deprive your little girls of these dresses!

when i start to get more funds in my paypal, i will be fabric shopping again...this time for the boys in hopes to get some ideas on fabric for those patient little men.

now, all this said...it all depends on my sweetness and when he allows me in the sewing room. i have a really, really hard time putting him down. :)

swoon...

2011-04-08T17:20:00.003-05:00

have you missed me? it has been quite a while i will admit. little sweetness, aka baby boy BG doesn't allow much hands-free time for momma, which means not much time in the sewing room.

but, i have had this design in my head and it has haunted me for the last 2 weeks. when i lay in bed i think about it and all that needs to go to it. i think about the perfect fabric combos and how i need to put it all together. well, i finally had some time yesterday to sit down and put it on paper, and then thankfully on some fabric.

and it worked. and i smiled. there is no better feeling than dreaming up something in your head and seeing it work. makes me proud.

thalia mara once said, "the difference between an amateur and a professional is the attention to detail." while i am no where near professional here at BG (not even close), i do love some attention to detail. it is what sets my work apart. it is what makes it BG. so, i spend a lot of time pouring over the small details that may or may not even be seen. that right there is what will keep me away from mass production, that small little quirk of mine that will never allow me to give up the reins. but i think it works. :)

trudy is my newest design. she is flirty like louise, and she is vintage like nelle. she is the new face of BG. i have slowly been stepping away from the bright designs and loud fabrics for the softer more subtle tones. have yall noticed?

she makes me swoon. from the bodice and the rosette and the red buttons all the way down to the tulle...she makes me swoon. she is very similar to louise, but more of a cousin rather than a sister.

i have plans to have more of her. i have no clue how this will work on a time-line. as i said before, my studio time is very limited these days. however, i have more flowy tulle and more delicious fabric just waiting to be turned into a trudy. there will be different fabric combos just to keep it interesting. :) keep up on facebook - that is where i will post when i have more made.

until then...does she make you swoon?

a new winner!

2011-03-02T12:16:00.002-06:00

okay, the winner of the sadie clutch came forward, now it is time to announce the NEW ear bud winner. and let me just say how lucky you are, i got some and wore them yesterday and they are fabulous!

the new winner, thanks to random.org is #41....Andrea who wrote, "All of her items are awesome but I LOVE that Molly bag! The one pictured above is perfection (and the shoes!) Yay for giveaways!!"

andrea - visit Molly Blossom's etsy store (link here) and send her a convo by tonight about the ear buds!

congratulations to you and thanks to everyone that played!

winners....where are you?

2011-03-01T11:56:00.003-06:00

okay, the previous post i announced the 2 winners for the molly blossom give-away. however, these 2 winners have not contacted molly blossom yet for their goodies. once again, the winners are:

winner of the custom ear buds is comment #9 tbl182004, who wrote, "The Molly Bag and Blossom Padded Stripey Tote are my favorites!!!! Everything is gorgeous!!!"

winner of the custom sadie is comment #54 jamie, who wrote, "Love the Molly bag. There isn't a bag out there that cute that would work for a Mom of three. LOVE!!

you have until 7 pm TONIGHT to contact Molly Blossom via her etsy store (link here), or there will be a re-draw. if you have any questions, email me @ browniegoose at hotmail dot com.

thanks again...you REALLY don't want to miss this, trust me!

and the lucky ladies are...

2011-02-27T14:38:00.002-06:00

first of all, wow. you girls came out and played this give-away like it was you business! wahoo and yay for molly blossom!!

however, there can only be 2 actual winners. but remember...we are all winners. hehe.

okay - here we go, drum-roll please.

winner of the custom ear buds is comment #9 tbl182004, who wrote, "The Molly Bag and Blossom Padded Stripey Tote are my favorites!!!! Everything is gorgeous!!!"

winner of the custom sadie is comment #54 jamie, who wrote, "Love the Molly bag. There isn't a bag out there that cute that would work for a Mom of three. LOVE!!"

thank you random.org for once again picking the winners.

if this is you, consider yourself lucky and go to Molly Blossom's etsy store (link here) and contact her about your loot. :)

thanks again for all your support for Molly Blossom, i love that you help support other stay at home mommies that have talents! that makes me smile! keeping it real. :) i think her etsy store has been hopping, as it should! i got my hands on a pair of the ear buds and feel head over heels!

and just a side note...i have been getting lots of emails lately asking about status of when i may be making more orders and such. i am still on maternity leave and my sweet little one will be 2 weeks on wednesday! my sewing room has NEVER had this long of a break, and i have never been able to turn off the creative mind for this long either! i am enjoying every minute of my sweet little boy and fire-ball louisa and will get back to orders and creating when the time is right. :) have no worries...my amazing BG fans will be the first to know!

hooooooray for a give-away!

2011-02-25T10:55:00.003-06:00

Okay….got some really exciting news.

BG is hosting its very FIRST give-away!!!

I don’t know about you, but I certainly love a give-away. And more than anything, I love supporting a fellow stay at home Mom with super-skills at the machines. This give-away is for the fabulous-ness of Molly Blossom. If you love yummy fabrics, feminine styles and a little bit of vintage charm…you will EAT this stuff up!

Molly Blossom on Etsy
Molly Blossom on Facebook

So, meet the artist behind the fabulous Molly Blossom. We became friends as our husbands both work at the hospital here in town. We are both Georgia girls – so that got her an extra boost in the coolness. Hehe. She never ceases to amaze me with her talent at the machines. We became sewing buddies swapping ideas and I told her she is the master of re-purposing. Seriously, there isn’t much this girl cannot do. She has had NO formal sewing lessons, which blows the pants off of me – she knows her stuff. She started off sewing clothes for her little girls, then played around with some patterns of her own (this is where she is the master of re-purposing…seriously jeal of this talent) and then one day started a bag. Then, she found her love. Hand-sewn bags out of the yummiest fabrics you can find. She has them all, clutches, larger bags, cosmetic bags, you NAME it! Her etsy store is jam-full of them.

She recently started selling her bags in January and just opened Etsy shop. I have a feeling she is about to get uber-busy! :) Her style is so fine and she finds inspirations from Anthropologie (anyone else drooling?), Fossil bags and the brilliance of Amy Butler and her fabrics and patterns. She has an eye for bringing color and design together to create a bag that if carried, will certainly have some swooners.

Now for what you are all here for….the GIVE-AWAY!!!

What’s up for grabs? Oh, you just wait.

1. First on the blocks are a pair of her Ear Buds, which in my opinion are a MUST have. I saw them on her last night and it was all I could do not to take them off her ears. They are fabulous. She will CUSTOM-MAKE these for the winner out of her fabric stash. This is a big deal, as she doesn’t usually do custom work. You don’t want to miss out on these Ear Buds!

2. Second up is a Sadie Clutch. This clutch makes me smile. It is adorable and you will NEED it. She will also custom-make this to the winner’s choice of her fabric stash, which again…is not something she usually does.

How to win???

For real, I don’t know about you – but you don’t want to miss out! I drool over those Ear Buds and the Sadie!

Comment below with your favorite item in her Etsy Store. Which item speaks to you and makes you swoon? It may be hard to pick just one!! I will be hosting the give-away for 48 hours…so, make sure you comment before Sunday the 26th at noon (central time). Then, I will grab my old friend random.org and pick 2 winners. Oh this is the most fun!!

Don’t delay!!! Tell me you fave and keep your fingers crossed while talking to lady luck!

Just to make it the more fun, Molly Blossom is also hosting a give-away on her Facebook page. When she reaches 60 friends…one of the fantastic pairs of Ear Buds will be given away there as well. Eeeeek!

maternity leave

2011-02-15T07:37:00.002-06:00

okay, it is official. BG is on maternity leave for a while. :)

now, just need this baby to come on out!

thanks for all the awesome support and i will be back soon with more designs once i figure out life with 2 kiddos!

smitten

2011-02-01T09:54:00.004-06:00

absolutely, head over heels in love smitten.

with louise.

meet her, love her....

oh dear me. there are some times in my sewing room when i get into one of my phases and start working and cuss through pattern design and fits and getting things to work just right. i go through tons of broadcloth until i get it just right, my floor is littered with tracing paper of measurements and patterns that just didn't work. and then it happens. it all comes together. and i swoon.

this dress has hands-down been my biggest love in a while. the lily rufflers came close, but this dress makes my heart melt. i love her. i envisioned her one day when i bought the small blue buttons that close it in the back, and i waited until the right fabrics fell in my lap. and heather bailey...you win. i knew i would find a use for the vintage-inspired nicey jane soon.

she will be for sale at some point on etsy - i just don't know if i can get rid of her or not. this original may stay for my louisa, but i do need to make more. that flutter sleeve calls me in. it asks me to make more sizes to perfect the pattern. maybe even pull out some old vintage prints (if i can find them in my second sewing closet) of dreamy florals.

do you like her?

BG originals...re-visited

2011-01-30T15:56:00.005-06:00

okay - i spoke about BG originals briefly this fall, but then stayed so crazy busy with BG Get Your Fall On that i didn't have much time or energy to put towards it. so....now that i have no spring/summer line and my creative manic-mind has been working in over-drive i have decided to re-visit them again.

what, might you ask IS a BG original? well, here we go.

BG original: o·rig·i·nal, (uh-rij-uh-nl) - noun, proper - a BG original is an article of clothing that is created start to finish by the hands of amy norris and her team of sewing machines. a BG original stems from an idea that has come to mind, and may or may not be the only one in existence. BG originals take time and effort in construction as they are very detail-oriented and therefore cost more than the usual article of BG clothing and also will not be found on most lines due to the amount of time consumption.

how 'bout that fancy pants? :)

with that said - as i create BG originals, i will price them accordingly and place them for sale in my etsy store. here is that link. http://www.etsy.com/shop/browniegoose. these articles are in limited quantity and are made in sizes that just pop out to me at the moment. i try hard not to make them louisa's size so that i can actually give them away...but that is not always the case.

how about one i just finished up this afternoon? well, sure...let's indulge. :)

introducing....the

Lily Ruffler in Chambray Denim & the Adeline top with lace

i personally didn't think the Adeline could get any more feminine, but methinks it did. also, this ruffler pant has been haunting my brain for about a year now, and i am SO happy to finally see it on fabric and i think i lovey! it is just a fun spin off the old-famous BG denim ruffler. likey?

want this? watch my etsy store. it is a 2T and was NOT supposed to fit my child the way it did. i must list today, or else i won't get rid of. hehe.

lucky me, lucky me - look at what i am dripping with....

2011-01-15T11:46:00.004-06:00

LITTLE GIRLS!

okay, had such an amazing response to the clementines when i put them up for auction that it knocked my socks off! awesomeness girls.

so - i figured while i had a little more time before the arrival of baby boy BG, i would try and crank a few more out. now - way easier said than done. i have said before these things are time-consuming, and goodness...when you have an assembly line of 8 of them you turn all "carol burnett" and find yourself surrounded by little cheeks, little socks, little shoes, etc. everything is little. :)

with that said - i think what the future of clementine will hold is that when i am feeling up to it, i may whip a few out. she will be a spur of the moment thing to keep my sweet little BG girls with BFFs.

so - on to what to do for the 8 that are done. 4 of these little girls will be put on etsy (browniegoose.etsy.com) for out-right purchase. now, i am brand-spanking-new to the whole seller side of etsy. never done it before...so everyone bare with me. i wish i could say i was not a proficient etsy buyer - but my paypal account shows other-wise. that place is just so awesome. but, i know that i do have some customers that are not on facebook and so this would allow them to have access to them as well. so, the etsy clementines will be listed TONIGHT, meaning saturday night january the 15th. maybe around 7'ish???

for the other 4, i will be putting them on facebook at a set price and will leave comments open until tomorrow night at 7 pm. so - comment on the doll that you would want, i will then at 7 pm go to my old-buddy random.org and pick 4 different numbers. so, if your comment coincides with the number that is picked - you get a clementine. wahoo!

now for pricing. i have been 1-800-scrugglin' on how to price these things. i mean, it has been difficult. so much of my time is put into each and every one that i cannot just let them go. i have a very hard time finding other cloth dolls that are comparable to get an idea of where to set price since they vary from $16 all the way to over $100 on etsy. so, at first i decided to pull out my elementary school math and add up all the bids from the auctions and find the means and medians and see where that landed me. well - it landed me at a price range between $48 and $56 and debated on this for quite some time. then, i sat down and figured out how long it took me to finish a doll from start to finish and added in my regular 'seamstress hourly' of $20 per hour to see where that got me without materials. but, then the old realtor in me came back (she was not all that great to start with, hence why i no longer sell real estate) and really wanted to be able to have comparisons. so - with that said...for now i have come to price her at $38. for the dolls out there on the market - this is where i found the most similar to my dear clementines.

enough talk - now for getting those things up on the web for all to see, comment and hopefully win the lottery!!!!

pretty maids all in a row

2011-01-05T12:49:00.016-06:00

and i am back my dearies. as i said...idle time is not my friend. but, with that said...this is not the beginning of a huge new production line. i decided from now on that brownie-goose will be supply when i can, not supply from demand. i think i might can balance things out a bit more that way.

when i came up with BG Get Your Fall On, i touched bases with the vintage side and have been in love ever since. retro and nostalgia have really peaked for me in my styling, sewing and thinking and when i was at a birthday party and a friend brought a little hand-sewn dolly to give to the birthday girl, i almost wet my pants. i had, and i mean HAD to have one. but then, i decided that i needed to make one. i wanted one with my own spin on it. and with that, clementine was born. meet her.

doesn't she give you warm fuzzies? she does to me. i love her.

clementines will not be mass produced.

i repeat, clementines will not be mass produced. in fact, each and every clementine is hand-sewn completely by me. i use the machine to attach her hair and her dress hem, but other than that...she is created by my own two hands. she is very detail-oriented and even has her own number of authenticity sewn onto her back. i have a record of who has what number, and i intend on keeping it this way. this makes her more special to me and to BG.

i am still not sure where to price her be completely honest. i have not been able to find comparables to set pricing. she is time-consuming, and much of that is due to each detail, from her hand-embroidered freckles down to her hand-sewn felt shoes.

i currently have 3 that i am finishing up that will be on the market soon (like in next day or 2). as soon as i am finished, i will put up their photos so you can see each one. i have thought about doing them auction-style on either facebook or ebay. i really, really, really want your feedback here. what do you, as a clementine-wanter, prefer that i do? i currently have more photos of clementines that have been sent off to homes to little girls on facebook if you want an idea of what the differences may be from one to the other...

what a ride

2010-12-05T20:29:00.002-06:00

for those new to BG - i tend to be a number girl. at the end of every season i like to tally it all up to see what all i have done in the last few months that would explain why my house is a disaster and covered in thread and serger tails, i cannot hold normal adult conversations without slipping in an inseam measurement or two, why i am overly tired, why my electrical bill is a smidgen higher and why my poor mail-lady and UPS man curse me.

first and foremost....HOLY SHIZZLES!! what a season. BG Get Your Fall On was by far one of the most successful lines thus far. granted, i limited the amount of orders that i did...but the feedback i got and the requests and comments have seriously rocked my house out. i was glad that i limited the amount of orders, but what i failed to take into consideration was that most of the new patterns i debuted this season took a lot more time with the construction and attention to details than previous. so, while my numbers aren't as large as previous seasons...i think i might have spent more time in the sewing room. but, with that being said - i am overly proud to admit that while i tried something new this season and tried my hand at the design side as well by designing over half of my own patterns, me-thinks i did okay. designing patterns for "mass" (what i consider mass while i sit in my sewing room all by self sewing away) production is much harder than i anticipated - but i really, really enjoyed the design aspect and the way that everyone reacted to the new designs.

i am proud to say that while i would be out and about i saw tons of little kiddos rocking out the vintage look with their lola bells. the number of BG adelines that i saw (and sewed) might just be off the chart. i think ole melanie herself would be proud when she saw all the kiddo cuteness going on that was inspired by her song, "brand new key." i am actually listening to it now as i write this and it almost brings chills to my arms. is that weird? i think i hit the nail on the head for what i was going for with this line and seeing all of the positive response to it just makes me giddy. rock on BG, rock on.

so....now for the numbers. the grand total number of items sewn comes in at

323

and for those of you doing math in your head and thinking, wait...she only opened the lottery to 50 people and limited their orders to 4 items - you are right. but, i did a small, select focus group in the beginning to see what patterns and fabrics would be the biggest hit so i could know how to order, and then family and close friends and gifts and such. so, as i said...that really holds no candle to my previous numbers that would creep around 400-700, but there was somewhat of a balance this season so that i could actually see my family sometimes. :)

and, for the breakdown - once again, the adeline rocked the house. my best-seller for the second season in a row. to the girls over at whole grain baby that designed this pattern, you girls are ballin. (katie...i thought you might like that). but here is the breakdown:

adeline - 45
appliqued shirt - 40
ruffle pant - 31
the maggie - 27
denim ruffler - 26
the jill frock - 25
lola bells - 23
boys pant - 19
BG blossom - 19
jane dress - 17
sam skirt - 13
amelia pant - 12
windy day scarf - 6
the chapman - 6
the johnny - 5
the charlie - 5
twirly skirt - 4

phew...right - wait until you see this. the amount of fabric i went through. OFF the charts. all together i sewed my way through 360 yards of fabric. a whopping 47 of those were the lodge podge alone which made it by far the biggest request. bolts, and bolts, and bolts later - goodness!

now for what most people are probably reading for....next season.

for those of you that don't know...baby #2 will be joining BG in february. i have NO clue what it is like to have 2 children in my care and i will honestly say i am a bit nervous. so, in order to welcome baby boy to the BG family - there will be no BG spring line. some of you may have already figured this one out, or some of you may have heard me say it. i made the decision back a few months ago but have kept it sort-of on the down-low. i know that my awesome customers totally understand and will support me in this and i am sorry to disappoint those that were eagerly anticipating more BG. i am going to take the time to be a mom and focus on my family and my new little bundle for a while.

with that said...we all know that i will not shut the sewing room doors completely. i would love to be able to incorporate a way for BG originals to kinda debut. it would be nice to have some extra spending money and an outlet for the small amount of time that i may have to dedicate to my creative side that doesn't like to stay dormant. BUT i am no way guaranteeing anything. as i said...2 kiddos is going to be a huge adjustment for me especially considering how the 3 year old i already have still doesn't sleep. eeks! i doubt i will see the outside of my house until at least may, haha. so - don't give up on BG just yet...i have a lot of fun, new things up my sleeve that i am dying to try out. keep up with me on facebook for updates, info and things of that sort.

so - as i am getting ready to spend some serious family time over the holidays and then some one-on-one time with my sweet little girl that only has 10 weeks left of being an only child i cannot even begin to express my gratitude to all of you for supporting me in this venture. BG has proven to be more than i ever imagined and it amazes me to no end. on that note....off to maternity leave. :)

thank you, thank you, thank you!

2010-11-08T21:08:00.001-06:00

orders are officially CLOSED for the BG Get Your Fall On '10. thanks for shopping!

happy, happy day!

2010-11-06T11:34:00.002-05:00

happy birthday to brownie-goose!!!

i am so organized that i have forgotten the actual date in november when BG started...but i know that 2 years ago in november a small idea blossomed in my head - and looky where we are today. holy macaroons!

what a whirl-wind of the last 2 years. never in my wildest dreams did i think i would be where i am today. so, thank you, thank you, thank you to the most awesome fans ever! couldn't do it without you! ps - a special thank you to one of my original BG customers in florida that sent me a starbucks gift card...girl, you know me all too well! yumm-o!

to celebrate...i am going to sew my tail off. :)

on another note...there are a few lottery winners that have not placed an order yet. i must have these orders by 9 pm on monday (the 8th). i will NOT be accepting any orders after that time in order for me to enjoy the holidays with family this year. thanks so much!

getting your sew on

2010-10-31T23:01:00.003-05:00

okay girls - it is honestly nutso here at BG. the sewing room is a disaster area (i lose my Sambo, my trusty blackberry at least once a day), my house is certainly S.T. Rugglin', and the nights are getting later and later.

this is what i did this weekend.

doesn't look like much does it...but in this pile is:
2 ruffle pants
2 denim rufflers
2 lola bells
1 amelia pant
1 boys pant
1 appliqued shirt
2 jill frocks
1 adeline top
2 maggies
1 hand-embroidered charlie
1 chapman
1 windy day scarf
1 bg blossom

that was my productivity of friday and saturday. today, i finished 2 gifts for friends, and then i slacked. whoops.

but i am getting it. slowly i am working my way through all the orders and bolts and bolts of fabric are being used quicker than i know what to do.

i have a goal to be finished by - i will not share this just yet since it is kinda far-fetched, but i really, really want to have everything done by a certain date. so, from here on out...it is go-time here at BG. i will only be answering emails as i sit down to computer. as i said, i will always check our threads before i start your order - but keep your eyes out for the paypal invoices and emails with totals and requesting checks to be put in the mail.

in the meantime - i have been getting some super-duper support from customers in emails and girls, keep it up! this is what keeps my going when it gets crazy like this!

to get the week started...

2010-10-24T11:57:00.004-05:00

i know that i talk all the time about how awesome my customers are and how supportive and rocking the house all of you are - and i mean it every time.

for, it comes in times like right now in which i am so swamped and am spending every possible moment in my sewing room, dreaming about my sewing machine feet, calculating inseams in my head, dealing with the nightmares of out of print fabrics, etc. that an email like this just reminds me of why i do it all.

"Seriously....I do not know how you do it!! My absolute favorite order yet. Everything fits perfectly and I am in love with every piece. I have to say you really out did yourself with the Lola pants and Jill Frock Knot (I could have easily filled her closet with every fabric in this design!) Thank you so much and I can't wait to see what you have in store for spring! Happy sewing but take time to enjoy that adorable daughter of yours!"

i got this one on the way home from church and it made me smile. knowing that someone loves the clothes that i made her daughter makes it all worth it BUT to add in that she knows that my family is important to me as well just gives me chills. so - to the writer of this email, you know who you are, thank you a million - i needed this boost going into another crazy week.

on another note....i love matilda jane clothing. i am in awe of the amazingness of the designer and her ability to throw fabrics together, have them work and look NOTHING like anything else out of the market. i think she rocks. well, when my friend summer sent me this picture, i was honestly just speechless.

recognize this fabric? yep - there is some paint by numbers! these pants made an appearance on matilda jane's platinum line and were quickly grabbed up. to think that i picked a fabric that the designer of MJ did as well to think it looked great just makes my head spin. wowsers. once my head stopped spinning, i immediately thought, "oh my gosh - i wonder if she has more and would want to sell me yardage." haha. gotta love an out-of-print and my ability to put it on a line. ha.

so - i am leaving the computer now to get to work in my sewing room. it will be another sew-a-thon day today, tomorrow, the next day, the following, etc. thanks to all who make this happen and who support me and appreciate BG. lovey you all!

crazy town

2010-10-20T14:23:00.002-05:00

okay folks...it is that time of year again when it is absolute CHAOS at brownie-goose. i am spending as much time as i can manage in front of my machines to get orders out in a timely fashion. therefore, i will now only be checking emails every other day or so. don't worry - i always will check all emails from the person whose order i am about to begin - and will track you down if need be. :)

my house is an absolute wreck and do not be surprised if you spot me in my pj's in the afternoon. when the sewing starts - that is what i have to stay focused on. i even thought about buying some extra pet food today at Target to feed the quickly growing furr-balls that are blowing around the house. because you know, it only takes a few seconds to put food in a bowl rather than the 20 minutes to run the vacuum. :)

so - thanks for your patience and remember - my house is not on fire - that is just the smoke coming off the machines. :)

ORDERS OPEN TO LOTTERY WINNERS

2010-10-08T21:59:00.004-05:00

okay, okay....enough of the html coding for me for the week. my eyes are crossing and my head is spinning! finally got most of the fall stuff up (minus a few photos, so bear with my super-amateur photos that are up next to katie's!) and ready for ordering for those that won the lottery. all of the new stuff is located under the "BG get your fall on" tab at the top of this page. please note that the fabric paint by numbers is a first-come-first-serve basis.

please see all the info about ordering before you place an order. remember...only 4 items per "winner." this mean 4 separate articles of clothing. the accessories like the windy day scarf and the bg blossom will not count against your 4 articles.

i will be working on these orders as quickly as i can get them out. a few people have already contacted me about dates that they have set up for photography and such, so if you have a date - please include that in your email and i will TRY MY HARDEST to get your order to you in that time. however, my family comes first...and so i cannot make any guarantees. with emails, i am honest - i get slack. there is only so much of sitting down to my inbox that i can do at one time, the toddler is not very cooperative in this process. so, bear with me on that one and when my inbox gets crazy...sometimes it takes me a bit to get back to you. however, if it has been more than a few days since you FIRST contact me and you haven't heard back, please make sure i got your email. i ALWAYS check the email feeds from customers before i start on the orders, so if there is something that i feel is missing, i will contact you about that before starting. :)

thanks again for everyone's support - and check out the new tab for BG originals...something new and exciting in the works!

as always - you are the most awesome customers i could have and i appreciate everyone's understanding, patience and support! keep on rocking the house girls!

2010-10-08T21:53:00.002-05:00

introducing...BG originals

this is something that is in the works, but i am super-duper excited about. if there is one thing that i love, it is to create with fabric. i love to come up with designs and see them work out on fabric. some of my designs are way more time-consuming and costly to "mass-produce" and put onto my seasonal lines. so, in the past i have always kept these for louisa only.

however, starting soon i will be offering these items as the come out of my sewing room auction-style. don't know all the details just yet - but this will be way exciting.

i got to try my hand at this just recently when i made this creation for a silent auction. this is the most fun for me. and, i can only hope that y'all enjoy it just as much as i do!

when will BG originals begin? i have no clue. my creative mind is a mind of its own and works on its very own schedule. i will put up information on the home page and also on facebook when i have something in the works so that everyone has fair chance at it.

thanks again to everyone for all of your amazing support for brownie-goose!

and the winners are...

2010-09-13T22:16:00.003-05:00

okay - wow is all i can say at first. i had a TON of people enter into the BG lottery and i think that is awesome, but it also makes me sad that i cannot sew for each and every one of you. i had to pick only 50 names - since with a max of 4 items a piece this makes 200 articles of clothing and i think that is going to be a good number for me. i do not want to be tied to my sewing machines all fall, and so i think this is a good number for BG.

so, i printed out a list of all of the emails (all 9 pages) and sat and assigned numbers to each email, i numbered just like i was counting one all the way up to, well...you know the drill. then, i set off to random.org for some serious number picking. so, this was all rando - and if your name is on this list - thank random.org for picking your number. :)

thanks again for EVERYONE that entered, all of your support is what keeps me going. as for all of the comments and positive feedback on the few sneak peeks (aren't the pictures just amazing???) of BG Get Your Fall On on Facebook - you girls rock my house. THIS is why I do this. THIS is what makes BG brownie-goose. Thanks again...and here we go, in no particular order.

1. Morgan Wigley
2. Michelle Peyton
3. Leslie Ezelle
4. Amy Harrison
5. Rachel S. Fortner
6. Suzie Stephens Burns
7. Leslie Petro
8. Kristen Blair
9. Annie Painter
10. Breckynn Dunn
11. Angie Drennan
12. Jenna Kroger
13. Dawn Coletta
14. Alicia Hall
15. Courtney Goolsby
16. Dawn Errington
17. Brook Allen
18. Kelley Ross
19. Jessica Fortner
20. Kim Kosek
21. Callie Parker
22. Nicole Hindman
23. Jennifer Townsend
24. Brenna Trout
25. Amanda Jones
26. Debbie Smith
27. Mary Elizabeth Weber
28. Nancy Ellis
29. Heather Kaney
30. Angela Fratesi
31. Karen Akins
32. Gayle Hill
33. Lyndsey McDonald
34. Courtney Brien
35. Shannon Steedley
36. Robin Ellis
37. Nikki Grafton
38. Amber Simmons
39. Shana Foster
40. Jennifer Moeller
41. Kate Hitt
42. Brittney Strong
43. Meg Harris
44. Mandy Smith
45. Janet Montgomery
46. Angel Jeff
47. Dana Smith
48. Katie Puckett
49. Sarah Beth Gary
50. Laura S. Null

okay, so congrats to all the names above and for those that didn't get picked - i am sorry, but thank you so much for participating. brownie-goose actually has some other exciting things up my sleeve for this fall that just might make you smile. :)

for those that can order - please wait until i put up all the fall items, info, sizing and pricing. that will be put on the blog when i have all information and photos together. if you decide that you do not want to order, please just let me know in an email and i may grab another person off the lottery list. thanks again to all my wonderful customers - you rock it out!

remember me posting that i had a girl that was going to be custom-making hair bows to match the BG fall line? well, she is rocking it out as well and will make you whatever size, colors, etc. you need! check her out, she has an album on Facebook called "BG bows." her name is Sarah Purser and her email is srp4309 (at) windstream (dot) net. she has some seeerous fabulousness going on in her house!

thank you for Getting Your Fall On and grooving it up with a funkier line than ever!

how to win the lottery

2010-09-08T12:36:00.002-05:00

okay, i know the post title is a bit deceiving since i cannot guarantee it...shoot, i still am trying to win the "real" lottery. :)

okay, brownie-goose's Get Your Fall On is fast-approaching (finally, i know) and will be photographed on sunday by the amazing Mary Moment Photography. so, it wont be long until you all get to see what i have been up to lately!

Get Your Fall On has a vintage, retro and almost boho inspiration. i was sewing on the spring line and pandora'ing one day when this song came on and it hit me. i knew what i wanted the line to look like. i had an idea, and i knew that no one else would be going in that direction (or at least, i hoped not). as i listened to melanie sing:

"i rode my bicycle past your window last night, i roller skated to your door at daylight..."

i knew....the wheels started to turn, and then she wailed,

"well, i got a brand new pair of roller skates and you got a brand new key"

and the rest was history. my poor husband and child had to listen to the song play over and again, and me trying my best to impersonate it as i worked on designs that took me back to the beat, sound and feel of the song. okay, i am not the hippie that i am starting to sound like - but music speaks to me in a way that moves me. and that song did just that.

so, get you eyes ready to be full of some serious retro prints, colors and feel. the ruffle pants have transformed and are fuller and have a ruffle that just might bring you back (well, depending on generations here...not me, but i remember looking at pictures hehe) to the 60's and 70's. when you see the little girls walking around sporting their PRECIOUS and brownie-goose ORIGINAL lola bells, you will be looking for a flower headband and maybe slowing yourself down a bit. the colors in the fabrics are all so rich and the tones just prove to be eye-candy. the appliques have their own vintage spin as well - as i am going back in time and grabbing ideas from the way-back-whens and pulling it off with straight-edged appliques. i don't think you will be disappointed...and your child will definitely NOT be blending in to the crowd, the whole reason i started BG in the first place. i am very proud of this line as i have worked hard coming up with just the right feel and designing many of the patterns myself. if you want to get in the mood....try this out for yourself. turn it up...it can't help but make you smile, and watch out - you just might get your dance on too.

now, for the more important task at hand. the lottery system. this is an idea that i came up with with help from some of my fantastic customers. the whole opening and closing of orders worked well for ME last season, but not so much for others. so - i wanted to make it as fair as i could. i need everyone to have as fair of a chance at ordering as the next person. as i say over and again...if i could sew for all of you - i WOULD. but, i am a mommy, wife and home-maker first and refuse to lose myself in my sewing room and neglect what is important in life.

so - starting now and ending midnight of this coming sunday, shoot me an email with the word "lottery" as the subject. DO NOT PUT ANY MATERIAL IN THE EMAIL other than your name. i will not be reading these emails, but simply applying a number to your name and email and then will use a website to pick a certain numbers that will in turn be the "lottery winners." another thing new this year - i will be putting a cap on orders. only 4 items allowed to lottery winners. sounds easy enough...right? we shall see, i sure hope so. as i said...please do not put any material in the emails such as sizing questions, ordering info, etc. also, you can only enter ONCE. please don't get sneaky and give me a few email addys, that wouldn't be fair.

as for the "winners" i will announce it maybe next monday or tuesday...depending on how the week goes - and i am guessing i will just post every one's names - or would that offend people if their name is on the internet?? just trying to get a feel.

so, shoot me an email at browniegoose (at) hotmail (dot) com with lottery as the subject and your name as the email. you have until midnight of this sunday. happy emailing!

thanks again for the continuous support, understanding, encouraging words and everything that you do. i am so fortunate to have some of the most amazing customers out there!

a real tease this time :)

2010-08-29T14:43:00.005-05:00

okay, so as i have gotten quite the rep for being a tease lately (hehe) i will reward yall with an actual good-looking spoiler. the fabrics, wahoo!!

hope yall are liking them, i went on a limb with some and just wanted to make sure that your little tot wouldn't look like every other kiddo on the playground. they are fun and the colors are bold and fall-y and easy on the eyes. i've got some uber fun new patterns that i am not ready to debut just yet, but i am hoping it will be well worth the wait!

for those not on facebook, i finally revealed why i have been so shady and late on getting out this year's "brownie-goose get your fall on" line. i am preggo with a little boy and have been sick as stink for the last 2 months. the whole fatigue and varmiting (yes, not vomiting...it is known to me as varmiting) kinda puts a curve-ball into the time you plan in the sewing room. however, i am getting back into the swing of things and should get info out on this years lottery for orders soon.

just thought i would reward those patient peeps with some eye candy. :)

UPDATE: i am not taking orders now, but thanks for the enthusiasm to the senders of the emails i just got. :)

BG for sale!

2010-08-07T09:10:00.001-05:00

thought that title would get your attention......

alright, who wants some brownie-goose???? you can't order it yet, might can find it used...but this is brand new and can be yours! up on the auction blocks at the central mississippi down syndrome society's benefit, check it out for more details! http://www.cmdss.org/index.php

giving back, with a small spoiler

2010-07-28T16:36:00.003-05:00

okay, just to update...i am moving a little slower than expected with my fall line. i haven't been feeling so hot lately, which has really, really decreased my time in the sewing room. but, my super fantabulous photographer katie stafford is being uber-flexible with me in shooting for the fall line. so, i will be taking orders in september, but i just don't know if it will be the first week or not. also, i am still gung-ho for the lottery system, but still trying to figure out how to work that. all that being said...it sounds like i am uber organized, huh. geeze.

but, on another note...for those that remember my "40 days to help the strays" and what became of it i had forgotten how GOOD it felt to so something good for others. in this case, my most favorite cause...animals. well, the day that i dropped off the check at CARA, i knew that i wanted to do more. and since my husband wasn't real keen on the idea of me taking in half of the sweet doggies that gave me the pitiful stare, i knew it had to be monetary again. so, what better way that with BG? initially when i started BG i wanted to somehow incorporate money to give to an animal shelter, but it started in such a whirl-wind that it kinda crept away without me. well, no more. for those that may or may not know, i am kinda crazy when it comes to my animals. they are my children. i love them more than anything, in fact brownie-goose is named after my two labradors. so, what more fitting? right.

well, i stewed and i stewed and i stewed over what i could do to generate some extra funds to donate to CARA. i finally came up with the idea of having a certain appliqued shirt that would be specified to this orginization. well, then i stewed and i stewed over the perfect applique. i wanted something that showed my devotion as well as everyone else's that helps out with CARA. i didn't want to just put a dog on a shirt or a paw-print, so one night it hit me. i had the PERFECT idea. then, it took quite some researching and sketching to get it just right. well, it still isn't perfect...but i am no artist, and it captures the EXACT moment that i wanted. in fact, just looking at this applique makes my heart smile.

how about yours? is there a warmer-fuzzier feeling that a kid with his/her best friend sitting on a dock looking out at forever? i hope i am not getting too mushy here, but this shirt sums up to me what CARA is. loving animals and giving everything you've got to help them. the ladies that i met that day at CARA had sacrificed so much to help these animals that mostly are homeless and out on the streets with no thanks to other human being's ignorance. okay, i will stop there before i get all on my soap box.

of course i had to design something that wasn't easy on the machine and involved layers, but what the hey? how else would we swing it here at BG? i haven't worked out all the logistics and prices and such like that, but a certain amount from each purchase of this shirt which will be known as "man's best friend" will go straight to CARA. so, i hope all of my BG fans out there support this one and will purchase this applique to help all of the sweet, innocent animals out there who unfortunately cannot take up residence in my house due to the hubby.

just a small spoiler, but i couldn't hold this one in. i am so proud of it and so excited to see what comes of it! more later as i try to get my bootay in gear.

successful de-stash

2010-07-25T17:22:00.010-05:00

so, it is no secret that i have a slight obsession with fabrics. i have an entire sewing room full and then another hall closet full. yikes. i have gotten better lately and not buying unless i need. however, i also have a warped definition of "need" in my vocab. oops.

well, as i was trying to get things done in the sewing room the other day i realized that it was getting to be a hazard to my health as i didn't have enough room to the left of louise (my serger) due to all of my fall fabrics. the bolts are overflowing, as i have ordered as much as i could afford for the time-being. but...as the fabric i was serging kept bulging up and threatening to come back and get chopped in all the wrong places by my serger knife, i thought - hey, something needs to give here. i knew immediately that i needed to get my fall stuff off my actual sewing table and onto the racks, but how was i supposed to do that when they were JAM-PACKED full? ugh, i needed to get rid of some fabric. no bueno. no bueno grande, if you can't tell...i do not speak spanish, but i try.

so, as i stared at all the bolts and yardage in front of me, i almost panicked thinking of getting rid of some of it. i mean, what if i needed it down the road? what if it was about to be out of print and i have some of the last of it? spoken like a true hoarder, right? well, i put on my big-girl panties and i narrowed it all down. and then i had a slight anxiety attack and put some back up on the shelves and justified the keeping of certain fabrics. but, in the end...i came up with a very large stash that i felt i could part with. so, i unbolted and unrolled and unfolded on my 8-ft long cutting table that only about a foot is not covered in crap. and i measured and i priced. then, i listed on facebook. and i felt good about it all, until people started wanting my fabric. then i panicked again. then, reminded myself that i needed to do this so that i could get my sew on properly when the levees of fall orders break. so, i started taking orders and cutting and inventory-ing and such and realized that if i ever got into a fabric-selling business (who am i kidding?) that i would definitely have to clean all the crap off my cutting tables before i tried to cut and measure yardage. geeze.

well, all in all...it went great. BG has some extra money in her accounts (perfect since lou's school is starting up soon and tuition must be paid and my sweet lucy-goosie is still limping and will see the vet this week and i am HOPING that the whole s-word (not my kind of s-word...surgery i mean) isn't mentioned) and the most important part....look at the empty spots on my shelves.

wonder what that mess of smudge is in the corner on the left, well...that is where my fall fabrics are living at the moment (notice how dangerously close to louise) and i got all fancy in photoshop and smudged them so i wouldn't be giving away the cow. oh, and pay no mind to the hula hoop, that basically says "louisa kate was here." next importantly, look at all this fabric that is going to homes that are excited about them. no more sitting on a shelf or a bookcase ignored.

oh, and one of the saddest parts, empty bolts. am i the only one that sees an empty bolt as a sad thing?

but, all together, THANK YOU everyone who bought fabric from my stash. you are helping me with my problem, and it makes me smile to think that soon little kiddos will be wearing cute little frocks made with love and some of these fabrics. i even had a moment where i thought i would do this bi-annual. well, let me not get all crazy yet. but seriously, thanks. and if you had no clue this was going on...check out my BG facebook page and you will find the de-stash album there. i do have some fabrics/yardage left. :)

do you see what i see?

2010-07-22T09:48:00.003-05:00

well, do you? is that a selvage sheet in the background?

oh wait....hard to see? shame on that bokeh. hmmmm, this any better?

okay, who am i kidding - how about these apples?

that's all i got for now. likey?

Sneak A Peek-a-Roo

2010-07-20T13:13:00.004-05:00

Well, not really. Sorry for the tease. But, this is a sneak peek....and a very exciting thing for me to have finished. Finally.

This notebook holds all of BG's fall patterns. I designed many of the patterns for the fall line which I am super-duper proud and excited about. It was NO easy task. In fact, it was WAY easier in my head at night as I lay in bed thinking of new ideas. It was very hard to put things down on paper and then actually have them work out on the fabrics. I am by NO means a pattern designer. But hey, you never know until you try...right?

Anyways, this notebook is gold to me. I now have all sizes, lengths, inseams, chest measurements, etc. in here for all patterns. This book has taken me about a month or so. I would work on it, get burnt-out and then work on it again. Well, now there is nothing else to do then to take a small breather and then put it all in fabrics for the photo shoot.

As for orders for the fall line, I am thinking of doing a lottery system. There is no way possible that I will be able to take everyone's order. I am so sorry that I can't, but there is just no way. I sew all.the.time and just barely am able to get the orders done that I do take. It breaks my heart every time that I get an email of someone that wasn't able to get an order in. But, in order to keep BG the small funky little "company" that I want it to be, this is the way it will work. More details to come on the lottery system.

I know that many other clothing companies have their fall lines out already, but I appreciate everyone's patience with me this year. I won't have as long of a break as I had liked, but I do want to enjoy the small time off that I do have. So, I am turning off the light in the sewing room for the day and enjoying some "me" time.

Oh, and PS - I am now going to be moderating comments on both my personal and BG blog. PLEASE leave comments, I love them more than anything...but I have been getting killed with SPAM comments lately which blows my mind since you have to have word verification. Geeze. So, to keep all the nastys from commenting, I will be filtering it all. Boo for bad apples.

just a note

2010-07-02T07:33:00.002-05:00

okay, i think there has been some confusion lately. although my website no longer says "orders closed" i am NOT currently taking orders. i am taking a little siesta as i have FINALLY finished spring/summer '10 and am slowly getting things ready for fall while also taking a little time for myself and family.

i will be doing something a little different for the fall line. it will debut about a week or so BEFORE i am taking orders. this is so that everyone will have a chance to get a look and figure out what they like before the craziness of opening orders happens. i have a fairly good idea now (i *think*) of how i am planning on doing order taking and such, and it is from ideas that i have collected from all of my awesome BG customers that gave me some input. hope that it works! i doubt that i will be able to take everyone's orders, since i just cannot imagine being able to sew that much all by myself in a limited amount of time, but we shall see.

just wanted to give everyone a head's up as i have gotten some emails with orders lately and also some emails wondering if i was since it didn't say "orders closed." in all honesty, i took it down when i re-designed the blog because it wasn't very pretty. ha! but, i will be having some work done on my site between now and the fall line and you may see something similar re-appear. thanks girls for being the most awesome customers i could imagine.

now....go enjoy your fourth of july!

"dat is toooooo woud, pwease stops!"

2010-06-26T12:40:00.002-05:00

and this is what happens when the "helper" in your sewing room gets tired of the john john marathon, especially the end when i hammer all the snaps.

good help is hard to come by.

ever since i could remember i've been poppin' my collar

2010-06-17T15:43:00.005-05:00

so, usually my ruffle pants knock the socks off of any other order that i have...but not this time. oh no, move over ruffle pants and let the new queen wear her crown.

the adeline dress

thank you, thank you, thank you to all of my customers out there that followed me on this tangent. i found this pattern about this time last year, and debated over and again about putting it on BG. i knew i loved it, but then again....conservatism in kid's fashion isn't my strength. i was very nervous about my customers liking it, but looks like you all loved as well. i cannot even tell you how many of these dresses have been worn in professional photo shoots, and do you even know how awesome that makes me feel?? that people want to have their child captured in a moment in something i have sewn. wowsers.

and just so you know, the fall line has some whammies out there too. hope you are still along for the ride into the non-conservative side. :)

now, let us just pay homage to the adeline as seen here shot by my fave photographer, mary moment photography. here is the original BG model.

i'm a numbers girl

2010-06-14T16:52:00.005-05:00

okay, so you know how i like to count back at the end of the season and see how many orders overall i completed, right. right. well, i just sat down to count spring/summer '10 to see where my tally was. and so far, from the numbers on my order sheets (not counting last minute orders, or changes or things that were snuck in) the magic number is:

440

rock it out BG. super proud. this number is not near the 691 of the fall (that also included SEC and christmas) but my goal was to keep it down so that i could also maintain my sanity and some time for my family. so, all in all...i am pretty impressed. go ahead thelma & louise!

so, i am wrapping up the spring/summer orders slowly but surely. i think i have less than 30 now, which makes me breathe a little easier.

onto fall in the next step. i just got the majority of the fabric in the mail today. still waiting on some of the yardage to trickle in, but it is fun and so fitting with the idea that i have for the fall line. lessons learned the hard way, no spoiler pics just yet but maybe just a little teaser....it is retro, it is boho and it makes me smile.

i've been getting some great feedback for how to handle fall orders. many people like the idea of the trunk show/preview party....but some are concerned since they are out of town. don't you worry out-of-towners, especially my repeat-offenders, you will still get to order if i did that. i cannot be forgetting you girls! as i said before, i would absolutely fall over myself to get to meet my customers instead of just knowing their emails, method of payments and kids measurements...but i also almost pee my pants just thinking of the overwhelming amount of orders that may come in and if i would lose my cool in front of everyone and give everyone a show of the sailor tongue or not. hmmmmm. i am still waiting for the right answer to come to me. i do think this time that i will debut the line BEFORE i start taking orders so everyone can have a chance to look it over and make choices without feeling rushed.

okay, the treadmill is calling my name at the moment and when i time it JUST right...the toddler gets to watch a fave show and i get peace on the motorized asphalt. :)

peace out peeps.

lots of stuff

2010-06-12T13:22:00.003-05:00

okay, lots going on. let's start here:

how 'bout the new look? likey? i know all the tabs are now gone and the ORDERS: CLOSED sign is gone (this DOESN'T mean i am taking orders, it just wasn't pretty on the eyes) but things are still working the same. i will soon have a fancy new website that will have all the styles, sizes and prices along with all the info about me you'd ever care about, etc. isn't my new logo brilliant? thanks again to erin holmes for that bit of graphic designing wonderfulness! this will soon be working just as a blog, like it should. just to give updates, post some pics, etc. thanks for baring with me in the process.

seriously guys, in my last post, i reached out for some help in how to handle the fall orders. i really want some feedback here, and haven't gotten any yet....so all ears are open here at BG!

but most importantly, remember my lenten promise? if you don't, it was called "40 days to help the strays" and you can read all about it here. well, let me just first say how embarrassed and ashamed i am at myself for just now getting to it. yes, things have been a bit crazy-wild here at BG and at the norris house-hold...but still, no excuse. these sweet, innocent animals who are waiting adoption and forever homes at CARA shouldn't have to wait because my life is wild. so, animal babies...i am so sorry, but it had gotten put on the back burner until my friend summer adopted a sweet canine from CARA last week and it refreshed my memory.

well, in the 40 days of lent....i was a busy bee. i knocked out 107 articles of clothing. whoop, whoop. i thought long and hard as to how to do the donation side of it. i would have loved to do a percentage of all articles made, but let's face it here....BG doesn't operate with a huge profit margin, and we did need some money to live off of. so, what i decided to do was to put $1 to CARA for each article i completed. so, today i went to CARA and gave them the $107 that they deserve more than anyone. i was immediately embarrassed that i couldn't give more. and the ladies there were so sweet and so thankful, but i never expected less. i don't know who said it first, but i STRONGLY believe in the saying that "animal people are good people." in fact, i use that as a judge of character a lot of the time. animal people are good souls. they just are. well, these ladies at CARA were angels in my eyes. and it inspired me to want to do more for them and all of the precious dogs and cats that i saw behind their walls. initially, i would have liked to adopt a pet per item completed, but i think byron would definitely leave me on that note. but seriously, in driving away today i cried. and my eyes were watery for a good while afterwards. my heart was broken that i couldn't give every one of those sweet animals a home. so, please...if you are looking for an animal to love in your house or know someone who is, please please please (this is me on my knees) go to CARA first. please. if you don't want an animal right now, call them up to see if they need help. see if they need dog food or cat litter or something. this is a no-kill shelter and they operate off of the good's of peoples hearts. before i continue on my soapbox, i think i need to quit. :)

but, in wanting to do more...i am *thinking* of having a certain applique on the fall line for the boys that if purchased, the proceeds would go straight to CARA. what do yall think?

okay, enough for now. must get to machines and get started before i put the tot down for a nap. but please, all input and ideas for how to handle fall orders is GREATLY appreciated!!

Just an Update

2010-06-10T09:34:00.003-05:00

Okay, still sewing away at the end of the Spring/Summer '10 line. As soon as I get this all finished up I will begin work on the new Fall line which is going to be spectactular! I have some really fun things designed in my head and am hoping that i can get them all out on paper to create some fabulous patterns that are original to brownie-goose. I am going with a vintage/retro look this fall and hope you all love it just as much as I do!

With this being said, I am also having my most favorite photographer shooting the fall line for me to put on my new website. Whoop, whoop! Katie Stafford from Mary Moment Photography will be shooting all the frocks and I am so excited as she has come up with some awesome ideas to showcase my work. All this excitement, plus the design wheels that don't start turning until around midnight have created some sleepless nights recently, but it is going to be well worth it! So, if you see my blog start looking funny or cannot go to a previous page or something, have no fear...it is just me messing around and trying to get the new site up and running.

I am still pondering how to do the ordering system in the fall as I would love for everyone to be able to order, but must also make time for my family that comes in first. I have also put some thought into having a pre-order party at my house so that I could actually meet some of my customers, but nothing is in writing yet. So, no promises. I have also put some thought into going in with some of my uber-talented friends to do a joint show/party to showcase everyone's works, but this is still in the thought process too. What does everyone think? Some ideas that have been given to me as for ordering are to limit the amount that an individual can order, limit the time-frame that I take orders, do a sort of lottery system, etc. All ideas are welcome, as I am clueless and want to do what is best for family first and then one that makes my customers happy. As my guilty-pleasure icon sings it....the best of both worlds.

So, I ask all my faithful BG customers to put your thinking caps on. What do you think is a good system? Would you like a show/pre-order gathering? Just comment on here what you are thinking.

Thanks girlies!

PS - i also just had to remove all the names and site of the girls i was advertising a few posts back since it was bringing TONS of SPAM to my site. Holler if you need these names.

Some Serious Fabulousness!

2010-05-09T11:52:00.005-05:00

Okay, are we even ready for all this fabulousness? Ooooohhh-weee is all I can say. About a week or two ago, I reached out and asked for some of the tailors who are out there that wanted their names/businesses to be advertised to contact me. Can I even begin to tell you how my emails blew up? It was like I had just opened orders! For the record…I am not open on orders at the moment. :)

Turns out, there are so many girls out there with some mad skills at the sewing machine and brownie-goose is about to share some of their info with you. Yes, it is a bit scary to advertise my competition, but I think these girls need some recognition! Some of the work just blew me away. The fabrics, the designs, the vision…etc, it just made me so proud of all of these girls and their hard work. I can honestly say about 95% of these people are moms just like me who sew when their sweet kiddos sleep. I know first hand that this is not an easy task to take on, so props to all of these ladies!

As just a reminder, brownie-goose is just me. Just a girl and her machines with a freakish love/addiction of bright fabrics and funky patterns. I love to do this. I love when I go somewhere and see a little kiddo in my clothes. It makes me smile. I love all the support I get from my amazing customers. I get at least one email a day telling me how much someone loves my clothes, or how they just thank me for making something for their kids when they have no clue how I find the time to do so. Or, even better...going to my porch the other day to find a sweet card with a Starbucks gift card from a sweet customer, just because. It is in the moments of reading these emails and notes that I am reminded of why I do brownie-goose. It is a rush, I love it and love to know that something that makes me happy (yet stressed sometimes as I will be honest) makes someone else just as happy. All of my customers are great and thankfully super supportive and patient with me. With that being said, it tears me up when I close orders and cannot take everyone’s orders and sew for everyone’s kids. If I could figure out a way to do it while still being a super Mom to the most precocious toddler I know, I would do it. But, I have yet to figure all that out. So, in the meantime…if you see the red light (which my husband jokes with me daily about my business and it’s red light, ha) come on back to this post and look at some of the names and businesses that I am about to put out there for you. Some of these girls own businesses much like brownie-goose, while some just sew in their spare time to make some extra cash. So, here they are…my competition. Scary as this is about to be, here they are. Love them, take a look at them and continue to support us moms out there! In saying all of this, I am asking that my BFF Murphy’s Law stay far away from making myself put my own self out of business with this one. Yikes, who knows!!

UPDATE - I had to remove all of these since the email addys and website addys were pulling SPAM to my site something awful. So, if you need to know....holler at me!

advertising

2010-05-03T23:02:00.002-05:00

okay girls...i am still falling off my rocker in advertising for some competitors. i have gotten some great feedback and some awesome work!!!

i *think* i will be posting all the info this weekend. just depends on how this week at the machines goes. so, if you are out there and haven't gotten me your info....come on down girls!

off to some beauty sleep. peace out.

confessions of an untidy seamstress

2010-04-29T23:46:00.009-05:00

So, i have always said that my motto is "a clean sewing room is an inefficient sewing room." well, i am not disappointing myself one bit this week. in fact, if my motto holds true...i should be pumping out these 200 orders with no problem. starting with...

yikes. look at what louise, my serger just threw up upon opening.

no wonder she was giving me a fit. for those that may not know, sergers are known for their temperaments. you have to speak to them sweetly, hold your mouth just right while using and prepare for the worst...and oh yeah, watch that blade with an unblinking eye before it chomps even the most precious of pieces of fabric. it likes to do that. however, my louise is sweet. she is a work-horse and shame on my for letting her get this dirty.

i will have you know, i got out my handy pressurized air-blower thingy to help the situation out...and i will be finding pieces of dust, fabric and thread in my house for ages.

oh, and as for thelma...you know it is bad when your tension starts acting all screwy and you have to go in with the hemostats. yes, thankfully i had a prior career in health care. these tools are quite possibly the most handy-dandy things to add to your sewing bins. i am glad i left the hospital on numerous occasions and found them in my scrubs later.

yikes...was this really in my sewing machine? yes it was, for a second there i thought it might be a long-lost family pet. phew. bad part is...this was just part of it. goodness.

oh, and although i JUST cleaned up my collection of coffee cups (this tailor enjoys her java) i knew it was bad when i couldn't find the spool of thread i knew i just bought because it was hiding behind a mug. oh, and just ignore those girl scout cookies over there, okay? and if you see jillian michaels...don't tell her you saw those. she has already kicked my booty once bad today, and i will be okay if i don't give her more reason to be brutal.

oh...and why is there no counter-top space on my 8 foot long sewing table?? wait, where IS my 8 foot long sewing table? oh, there it is...under piles of hoop-la.

why do i always seem to have a box of blanks sitting on my floor waiting to be sorted and put away? i mean, i feel as though i do this weekly. maybe my supplier has it out for me, hmmm.... Also, don't be thinking I am crazy with the dog food bags, as I have said before...I am green, I recycle and those become my trash bags. :)

okay, if i was sitting at my machines and turned to look behind me, this is the disaster i see. naked baby doll, some of louisa's sandals, a bean bag, a vacuum that needs to get to work, some girl scout cookies...darn, forget you saw those too, an alligator xylophone, i mean REALLY??

and for the most important part, work-room safety. let us not forget safety, right? well, from day one the fear of God was put into my about gingher shears.

my mother told me they would cut my finger off. i was not allowed to use them or even look at them the wrong way. they would grow legs, come over and cut off my finger. well, i was so afraid of the scissors, i almost created an aversion to them. they scared the mess out of me. but, i was lucky to inherit my grandmother's pair...and i finally used them for the first time the other day (well, it was a few weeks ago, but who is counting) and you know what, they REALLY did almost cut my finger off! i mean, blood all over the cork floor...i had to go in for the steri-strips. goodness. so, they are back in their place on my peg boards where i will continue to only give them the most pleasant of looks to avoid the sprouting of the legs.

speaking of fears of sewing equipment, i cringe each and every time i use my rotary cutter. absolutely cringe. thanks again mom. the fear of God i tell you, one would think i was into her sewing room all the time when i was young. hmmm. i cannot even use a pizza cutter without the thought that it is going to instantaneously cut through my finger. i am about to pass out right now just writing about it. well, today, my rotary almost took off my toe. before you try and figure out what in the heck i mean and how that was possible, let me just show you.

yes, see how deep that blade is in the cork? this was millimeters from my pinkie toe. ouch. the blasted cutter just rolled straight off my table (that i am still trying to locate) and tried to amputate little pinkie. not cool. way uncool.

and for the last of it. after i almost had my pinkie toe removed, i slipped and busted my booty. on what did i slip? oh, just one of the bazillion pieces of scrap stabilizer, thread or numerous serger tails that are lying around on the floor. seriously mr. vacuum that is in the corner of the room, get to work!!

that is all for now. thought i would share some humor. my creative bug just bit me again (yes, it is midnight...why it cannot bit in the daytime is beyond me) and i need to get out my drafting paper and hopefully get all the fun new patterns that have been haunting my brain as of late out of my head and onto paper so hopefully some of my cutie-pie customers can own them this fall. get excited!!

oh, and pps - let me just tell you...i have gotten some emails from tailors, and you girls are in for a treat. these mamas are talented and have some cute as mud stuff. hopefully i wont go putting myself out of business. you know, murphy's law. :)

The Face of The Earth...

2010-04-28T09:49:00.002-05:00

Okay, have you been wondering where in the world I am? Sometimes I do. The last few months have been a whirlwind over here at brownie-goose and I am still trying to figure out if I am coming on going. Yes, I just admitted my overwhelmedness. How bout them apples?

Anyways, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth. I came close, ha...but decided against it. This Spring/Summer line has been my busiest so far as far as sheer volume. Which...it is kinda ironic since I "scaled back." I still have yet to figure out how to handle the volume of orders, timing, etc. Not to mention, the past few months have had a lot in store for my family as far as life goes. Do you ever have those times in which you realize the world just keeps on spinning while you are spinning tires just trying to maintain daily life? Well, I have had that happen a bit over the last few weeks and decided to take a week off and thankfully have such awesome and understanding customers that allowed me to do this. Brownie-goose remains a hobby for me, meaning that it isn't my job. However, someone needs to tell this to me. Ha. I have said many times before that it absolutely blows my mind that people love my stuff. Never in a million years would I have guessed that my business/hobby would have taken off like it did. That being said...I am still trying to keep a balance in which my family comes first. Hence why I limit my orders. I get at least one email a day asking when I will open back up and it hurts me to tell people that I don't know or that I cannot sew something for them. It makes me sad. But, I just can't. I spend every moment that I can at my sewing machine. But, with a 3 year old at home, that time is dwindling as she is so much fun to be around. I spend many of nights sitting at my sewing machine into the wee hours of the morning finding friendship in a fellow monogrammer who keeps my night-owl hours too.

So, where am I going with all this? Well, I just want everyone to understand why I cannot take orders all the time. I am a super control freak, so still am not ready to undertake hiring a seamstress to help with the sewing...not to mention, I cannot afford to with my prices where they are. So, brownie-goose is run by me, all alone. That means all sewing, cutting, ordering, processing, emailing, etc is taken care of by me, while I also try to maintain a house-hold. I honestly wish I could take every order and sew for everyone that emails me and tells me how much they like my stuff. I just have no clue how in the world to do that. So, I am open for suggestions. Seriously. I am anxious about what to do in the fall. Will I have another repeat in which I get over 200 orders in about 3 hours? I just don't know. What I do know is that I want to sew for as many people possible without losing the importance of my family coming first.

So, in the meantime I am going to fall off my rocker. How do you wonder? Well, I am good at falling off my rocker, and this time I am going to do so by advertising my competitors. WHAT? Yes, that is what I said. There are many seamstresses out there that sew gorgeous clothing for children. There are many in the Jackson area. And while I cannot sew for everyone, I want my customers to also know that there are others out there that rock it out too. I am waiting for my front door to bust open with someone hauling me off to the looney bin with this idea (ooohhh, do you think I could get a comfy padded room with food that I don't have to cook or clean for?). But, this is what I want to do. So, if you are a tailor and you sew for the public, email me. If you know of someone that does...let them know and have them email me. I always put on my website what patterns I use, if I use one...so there really are no secrets in my game. I am loving that the dress that I call the Adeline is busting out everywhere. Props to Whole Grain Baby on that brilliant pattern. So, email me at browniegoose@hotmail.com with your info with the subject line being "Advertising" and I will get to putting your info and name out there. This is free. For my customers, I think this will be great. This is not limited to tailors in the Jackson area. Now that I am on the hardwoods after falling out the front of that rocker, I will stop blowing everyone's mind and having people worry about my sanity and get back to sewing for the day while the toddler is content with a coloring book.

So, until the next time...thanks again to all of my wonderful, amazing and awesome customers. You rock, I love you all - and thanks a thousand times over for all of your support!

Just an Update and Some Pics

2010-03-28T18:43:00.004-05:00

Okay, not much to say today...other than am trying to get these orders out as quick as I can. But, just to give an idea, I have 10 pages of orders from this second go-round and I am only on the 2nd page. So, while I am getting there...I have also had some other things going on that have kept me from the machines, but am getting back in the grove. This week I know for sure there is one day I wont be at the machines...Tuesday because my sweet little girl turns 3 and we have a fun-filled day planned, and then another day I will be helping Byron to lay the tile in the bathroom. We also have family coming in town this weekend for birthday festivities...so just a bit going on in the land of BG.

Here are just a few pics of recent...

Out-numbered...

2010-03-21T10:05:00.002-05:00

okay....i am SWAMPED here at brownie-goose. SWAMPED. i have gotten more orders in the second round than i got in the first...also throw in there my daughter's 3rd birthday, a full-fledged bathroom renovation, a week that i will be in savannah with family, and my own family here in my house.

so, please be patient with me and your order. i work as fast as i can, but i also produce a quality product that cannot just be thrown together. my family comes first, and i sew while my toddler sleeps, is at mother's morning out and when the rest of the world is in bed. also, i try to spend more time with my machines than in front of the computer with my email - so there may be more delay in me answering.

thanks again for everyone's support. i had no idea when i came up with the hunch to start sewing for the public that this would be the reaction. it is amazing and overwhelming at the same time. you guys are awesome and if it wasn't for you...bg wouldn't be what it is today. however, i am also trying to keep it small for the time being since i am not quite ready to hire out my sewing. thanks again to the best fans a business could have!

Oh Snap!

2010-03-15T23:04:00.003-05:00

Let's just talk about how awesome you guys are! 169 orders in 3 and a half hours. Oh my gosh. That is crazy-nuts. Last time I had over 200 in 3 days...you girls are ON THE BALL!

Bare with me the next few days as I sort through all the emails and get everything straight!

Did I mention you were awesome???

more faces

2010-03-10T15:34:00.006-06:00

Just some more new applique faces to show and make you smile! I try my hardest to keep my applique page updated, but sometimes it just gets hard when things get crazy....so your best bet is to look at all my albums on Facebook!

If you are a dinosaur expert...please don't study this guy too hard. I googled a bunch of different dinosaurs and took characteristics from a bunch of different ones to make it applique-friendly. :)

Oh, and Kristen.....those were the only 2 pictures in the last one. :) PS - Wondering who Kristen is? Check out her fun website chock-full of personalized gifts and fun things! She is at www.savannahjacks.com and she is having a huge spring sale, wahoo!

Oh my, I almost forgot to debut this little cutie!!

Want more details? Check here out, click here!

Just Some New Faces

2010-03-02T09:21:00.004-06:00

If these little fellows don't make you smile.....I don't know what will. I LOVE them!

Ohh....Pick me, Pick me!

2010-02-28T21:06:00.004-06:00

Who doesn’t like to win things? Not I. I love to enter blog giveaways. I am not neurotic about it (imagine that, ONE thing that I am not neurotic about) but when I come upon one I do like to enter. Especially the ones that give away fabric. I have never won, which is sad, but it is still fun to think of wining.

Speaking of wining, I know of a blog that has a fantastic give-away coming up. It is sort of a contest for those of you out there that are a bit more competitive. It is the Dear Mama Contest being hosted by Moms Are Human. This mommy blogger is a great girl (we went to high school together.) She is a real girl and has real stories and real pictures and things that are important in everyday life as a mom. She has entries that will speak to you as a mom, and most of these topics are not ones that you will find on other blogs. She talks about the down and dirty side of being a mom. She even bared her post-partum mid-section for all to see. Have you read her blog yet? If not, you should. Especially read about the Dear Mama contest that she has going. Brownie-goose has some mighty-fine appliquéd kitchen towels in the give-away that are just about to wet their pants to be in your kitchen. Oh, and a $150 Target gift card. If you are anything like me….I could live in Target. I love that place. She also has a signed copy of a Paula Deen cookbook, don’t know about you but I am a huge Paula fan. So, got you interested yet? Get on over there, read about the contest and open up your word document and get started!

Just a peek of the hand towels that need to be on the handle of your oven...

So, get on over to Moms Are Human and read up on this contest. Hey, by the time you are done you just might have a new blog to stalk. Gotta love that! At least, I do. :)

Moving Right Along

2010-02-26T15:57:00.005-06:00

Okay, for the record, I am not sure yet when exactly I am opening up for more orders. I know that I will, but am still working on the first batch of spring/summer orders. thanks to everyone for their patience.

i am planning a sew-a-thon this weekend in the hopes of getting a ton done. however, for all of you fellow moms of toddlers out there....i am sure that you can understand that sometimes things don't always go as planned. :)

here are more recent pics, i know i chose the lazy way again with the slideshow, but i think this may be the way to go from now on. it is easy and quick and you still get to see the pics. excuse any duplicates....the steam coming off my iron is slowly killing off the brain cells. well, at least that is my excuse this week.

also, i am beyond myself with my brownie-goose facebook page. i have 411 fans right now and that just about makes me fall out of my chair. i love it, and love yall and are so glad that people out there like what i do! i tend to be a bit out-there sometimes and to know that other people find that great just humbles me something else! if you aren't a fan yet....come on and join since that is where i update the most pics and info and such!

40 days to help the strays

2010-02-17T11:55:00.002-06:00

okay, this will be a post that may be a bit out there, but it is about something very important to me, and to brownie-goose.

there are a few things in life which i am very passionate about. some of these things are quite controversial, and while opinionated, i tend to keep quiet as to avoid the drama that soon follows. goodness knows i have enough drama in my life with my toddler. i think the thing that i am most passionate about, and thankfully i don't think is very controversial, is animals. i am a huge animal lover. they have my heart. i cannot even stand to think of one in pain or sad or anything to that extent. i originally wanted to be a veterinarian, until i realized that i would have my heart broken every day. my dad is a big animal lover as well, so i think i got it honestly. nothing melts my heart quite like a wagging tail or a wet kiss or a big dog snuggled up with me on the couch. although i realize i treat my animals like children and some people don't agree with that, it is fine. if we all agreed, the world would be a very dull place. i love them. and it breaks my heart into a million pieces when i think of all the animals out there that do not have homes, or the ones that are in abusive homes. cannot think about it without crying. i wish that i could open my home to them all, but i know that husband would probably leave me if that happened. i have, however, converted him from a person that has outside pets to one that enjoys them indoors which makes my life WAY easier. :)

where am i going with this? for those that read my personal blog you know that i tend to be all over the place. today marks the beginning of lent. while i will refrain from going into the details to avoid offending those that may not be christian (like i said, we all make the world go 'round) i will just say that i remember learning in a religion class in high school (yes, mrs. urbine....i did pay attention every now and then) that lent was not only about giving something up for 40 days, but resisting temptation and working to be a better person. She also taught us to take the "rules" loosely and to apply them to our lives in a way that we saw fit. Basically, lent is what you make it. i remember girls from school that would give things up like candy or cokes, etc. but there were also girls that stood out to me when they didn't necessarily "give" things up, but in a way gave themselves in a way to help others. i always thought this was huge, and i secretly wanted to be just like them. the other night as i lay on the couch sick as a dog, i realized this was my chance to be like those girls. so, this year for lent, brownie-goose will be "giving" itself to something i am very passionate about. for the next 40 days, i will be giving a percentage of each article of clothing that i make to help the animals out there that do not have homes. at the end of the 40 days, brownie-goose will be making a contribution to CARA, one of the no-kill shelters here in Jackson. I am really excited, as i have been wanting to figure out a way to give to them since i started BG. this just seemed right to me. and, since brownie-goose is named after my 2 sweet labs, i can think of no better way. :)

while i am not opening orders right now, i have plenty to keep me busy for the next 40 days. if i run out, never fear....i will open back up.

just wanted to share with everyone what we've got going on over here. now, back to the machines....i know some sweet 4-legged babies that need some help.

wiped out!

2010-02-13T08:57:00.001-06:00

okay, i have been hit hard by some sort of sickness that is beyond me. i have not had the strength nor sanity to sit in front of the machines or computer since wednesday night. so, i am a little behind on orders and emails and such. i still feel wretched this morning, but do not have the fever that has plagued me over the last few days - so there is a chance that i will get to open the door to my neglected sewing room and get to work.

thanks again to all of my wonderful customers for your understanding and patience!

email issues

2010-02-10T20:52:00.003-06:00

okay, so i know of 4 customers off-hand that for some reason our emails do not play nice-nice with each other, so my emails do not go through to them. if you have emailed me and i haven't gotten back to you....there may be an issue with your email as well. if you are on facebook - message me or post to brownie-goose page so that i am not missing anyone! if not, comment on here. this means that you have never gotten an email back from me. i haven't sat down to emails in a few days, so if you have written me and i have responded before - but just not in a few days, i promise yours is sitting in my inbox just waiting for me. :)

thanks!

Business As Usual

2010-02-02T10:38:00.008-06:00

So, wondering where I have been lately? Seen the smoke coming off of my roof over my sewing room? Heard my sweet mail lady griping about all the packages? If so, we know it is just business as usual. Things have been hopping here at brownie-goose trying to get all the spring/summer orders done and out. Not near finished yet.....but working on it. Here are just a few shots to show that my motto is true. A clean sewing room is an inefficient sewing room.

For all of you that aren't on Facebook (you should cave, I did and I love it...and if you are on there and not a fan yet of brownie-goose's page - you should be) i just wanted to give you some pictures of some of the recent completed orders. I have been a sewing machine and am so in love with all of these new fabrics and patterns. I have been getting a ton of emails asking when i may open orders again, and honestly....i am not sure. i know that i will, but don't know when. i definitely have to get caught up on what i have going on in the meantime in order to avoid the craziness that sometimes occurs in my household. :) Oh yeah, excuse the laziness of me putting these in a slideshow, it was just the easiest thing for the time being!

Back to the machines......

Back In Business

2010-01-25T15:08:00.003-06:00

okay, THIS IS NOT THE GREEN LIGHT, just wanted to say that you know you are back in it when you come home to find this at your door. the mail. all fabric, every.last.package. i LOVE it. getting fabric in the mail puts the biggest smile on my face. thankfully i have the sweetest mail lady ever since we don't have a mail box, just a slot on the front door and sweet mrs. susan has to contend with lucy (my black lab alarm system) on a daily basis.

does this make you smile too?

holy haberdashery batman....over 100 orders already!

2010-01-19T23:01:00.003-06:00

The title was the status for my BG page on Facebook earlier today, and the madness has continued, so once again the green light has turned red for the moment.

But, don't get discouraged if you didn't get your order in. I will use the orders open/closed as kind of a revolving door. I have closed them for now since I have already taken over 150 orders in 3 days. That is nuts and will have my hands full for the next month or so. In the meantime, I will be posting some pics of the new outfits and once I start to get a handle on it, I will let the green light shine again!

If you have already talked to me about your order, or if you have emailed and just not decided yet...I have you on the list. So, chances are...take you time in deciding, and I will hunt you down when I am ready to start on your order if I haven't heard from you.

Wow....yall are awesome!

The Shazaam

2010-01-19T10:15:00.000-06:00

Okay, for all of you that have emailed me and haven't heard back - I apologize. My husband and I were hit by what my sister-in-law so properly named "The Shazaam" yesterday and honestly I am not quite sure what happened in the last 24 hours. If you are wondering what the Shazaam is, it is the rotten stomach bug that comes out of no where, rips your stomach in shreds, leaves you motionless on the bathroom floor and the next day the only reminder you have is the sore stomach muscles from throwing up your toenails and the hangover that remains from the Phenergan.

So, as I lay on the bathroom floor yesterday (thankful that I had cleaned it just hours earlier) I listened to Sambo (my blackberry) BLOWING up with BG emails. So, I will be sitting down to emails at some point today when the fogginess has cleared up.

Thanks again for all of your support!

2010-01-11T15:17:00.001-06:00

Okay, I sent this out in my mass mailer today...but somehow it came through as code for some of you. I am pretty impressed with myself as a IT person for this one, I wasn't even trying. Hehe.

But, for those of you that may not have been able to read my code, or if you are not on the mailer - I figured I would let yall play too. Here is what I sent:

Hello all and Happy New Year! It is definitely a new year here at brownie-goose, and I have just a few changes that I wanted to fill everyone in on.

• The website. It is brand-new and *hopefully* improved. I got rid of my actual website and got creative with my blog. I have configured it to where it works as a website and then my home page (http://browniegoose.com) will be kind of a bulletin board with updates, news, etc. I did this to hopefully make it easier for me to update, fix, etc. and easier for all of my readers to follow.

• Order taking. I don’t know if everyone read my post about last years numbers or not (here it is if you are interested, http://browniegoose.blogspot.com/2009/12/numbers-are-in.html) but last year got a little crazy with the amount of orders that I took. This greatly took away from time with my precious family, and I do not want that to happen again this year. Therefore, I am limiting the amount of orders that I take. I am sorry if this inconveniences anyone, but I learned the hard way that family comes first, always. On my home page, I will have written at the top either “orders closed” or “orders open.” Please look for this before you email an order. I will be opening and closing periodically, just making sure that I am not a slave to my sewing machines…and instead to my sweet, understanding husband and spit-fire toddler.

• Sizing. I am no longer making any outfits over a size 4T. Once again, I apologize for any inconveniences, but I had to cut back in some areas, and this is one that I felt was needed since I didn’t have patterns in most of my outfits over 4T anyways…

• Prices. Sorry guys, I am not going to hide it – but I had to increase my prices. I am now solely using designer fabrics, which cost me more to purchase, and also my patterns and appliqués and such are getting more time-consuming, and in the end – last year it boiled down to me making about a penny an hour, if even that – and that just wont work. We all need to make a living, right? I debated about even writing this…but I think honesty is truly the best policy.

• Outfits. I have now made all ordering set up as separates. For example, you must order everything individually. Pants are a separate order from a shirt, or a top, etc.

• Turn-around. Please allow at least 6-8 weeks for delivery. I doubt that it will ever take that long….but each outfit is custom-made by me, myself and I.

Now for the fun part, I have some AMAZING new dress and top patterns in time for Spring/Summer ’10. They are awesome and adorable, and of course fun & funky. The fabrics I have for this season are just about as fun as they come. So, all this aside…..brownie-goose is BRINGING IT this year. Are you ready?

Keep checking my website for the green “orders open.”

Also, have you joined me on Facebook yet? If not, you should! Search brownie goose on Facebook and become a fan.

Thanks again for all the support, understanding, patience, etc. that comes from each and every one of you. You are the reason that I continue to do all this, my fans are the best!

Amy

debuting.......

2010-01-08T10:05:00.008-06:00

Just some of the new styles debuting this Spring/Summer '10.

Love them???

Check out more details under the Styles tab.

Featured..........

2010-01-07T21:58:00.002-06:00

Okay, I have something new that I am trying out with good-ole BG. Oops....first things first, I just realized I meant to blog about this earlier but forgot. Okay, you will now see at the top of my home page in red writing the words "Orders : Closed." This means I am not currently taking orders. When I am taking orders, it will read "Orders : Open" (genius, I know) in green. I will be doing orders a bit different this year, so it is very important to have it out in the open as to whether or not it is okay to put an order in. More details later, still trying to figure it all out.

Okay, back to something new. I have SO many wonderful customers that high-light me on their blogs and I think that is just awesome. I love the shout-outs, but most of all...love adding people to my blog-stalk list. Hehe. I mean, how much fun is it to read about others and laugh at their kiddos and such. Anyways, I couldn't come up with a way to put it on my BG blog (since I just fancied it all up to make it look more like a website) so instead, I created a brownie-goose blog roll on my personal blog. You can find my personal blog at http://amysnorris.blogspot.com. It can be fun sometimes since I have the most dramatic toddler ever. I also tend to procrastinate other things by blogging and get away with words, so if you love stream of consciousness, this will be right up your ally. But please don't look for correct spelling, grammar, etc. That just isn't me. :) I will also post a new update when someone has featured me. So, if you write about me on your blog, PLEASE email the link to me so that I can give you some recognition! So, for starters, here are two that I know of:

http://toddnsarahnmadysonnaubrie.blogspot.com/2009/12/wednesdays-words-letter-b.html

http://mandyandmikepoirier.blogspot.com/2009/12/merry-christmas-yall.html

Love, love, love it. This is honestly the best feeling. Knowing how much people love what you do for them. This is why I continue. Thanks to all of you who are so awesome!

Ahhhh....the Look of New Fabrics

2010-01-04T09:57:00.003-06:00

Okay, I decided to go ahead and show them off. I am not (repeat, am NOT) taking orders yet, but thought I would show off the fabrics so you can get an idea of them and which ones you just cannot live without. I love them, and want to stare at them....do you?

I have a white block around the ones that "match" and would look good paired together on the same outfit. However, you don't have to use them together, and if on their own....they will be just as funky!

Stay posted, I am super close to debuting the new line, just waiting for some warmer weather so I can do some photo shoots to get pictures of the ADORABLE new patterns.

PS - Please click on the fabric tab above for more info regarding the new line.

SPOILER ALERT........

2009-12-20T16:25:00.002-06:00

just couldn't resist as i was bolting up some of the spring/summer fabrics and thought i would share just a peek. hope you like. :)

The Numbers Are In

2009-12-16T14:39:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I wanted to fill everyone in on what all has been going on. First of all, I am taking a breather from the sewing machine for the months of December and January, mostly so that I can rest up and get ready for all that Spring/Summer '10 has to offer. Another reason is because i have been going strong since July, and the numbers below will show just that. So, if you tend to get bored easily...stop reading now. But, when i sat down and did the counting and numbers last night i was amazed, proud, humbled and exhausted all at the same time!

for the SEC line, i had a total of 45 orders which ended up being 82 articles of clothing that i completed for SEC.

for the Fall '09 line, i had a total of 213 orders which ended up being 402 articles of clothing that i completed for fall.

for Christmas '09 line, i had a total of 106 orders which ended up being 207 articles of clothing that was completed in.....drum roll please, 1 (yes, i said one) month. wowsers. holy moly.

so, what does this all mean? basically, in a nutshell since July the 1st, i have gotten 364 orders, with this producing a total of (holy moly....hold your seats) 691 articles of clothing that i have made in the last 6 months. oh. my. gosh. just to pull a little math on you, let's just say each month had 30 days, and i worked all 30...that would mean 4 outfits a day EVERY day for the last 6 months. needless to say, I'm a bit tired. so are Thelma and Louise.

these numbers, in addition to the crazy-nutcase that i have been in the last couple of months alone added to the countless hours i have spent in front of the sewing machines hardly owns up to the laughable profits i have been making. i don't know why i say laughable, since i don't really think they are funny, but pitiful may be a better word for it. These thoughts got me to a cross-roads with brownie-goose, and if you aren't a follower of my personal blog, you can read about the debate here. but i finally followed my heart and have made the decision to scale-back some for brownie-goose. i can no longer go at the pace that i have been going for the last 6 months. however, i love BG and love sewing for others and such....so i still haven't quite decided how i am going to go about scaling back, but i will let you all in once i know. no one panic, BG still is and will be just as great as ever...but i have to figure out a way to balance it along with my family, which comes first.

so, there are no pictures of fun outfits with this post or cute little kiddos smiling at you wearing their BG best, just words and numbers. I will try to NEVER be this dull again. Also, you may have noticed the blog has changed. In scaling back, I have changed up the website a bit and now am just using some blogs that I am going to work like websites. This will be the home page, and the most recent info/posts, etc will always be at the top under the header just as with other blogs. In case you get a little nostalgic, you can always visit my old blog, what I like to call BG old-school here.

Until later.........