Sunday Snapshot

Thoughts on Tutus and Pettiskirts

There was once a time when none of my photographs ever showed my models posing with a pettiskirt or a tutu. I love a cute pettiskirt. They do have their place in fashion, but I am in the business of selling dresses so why ask me to sell pettiskirts? I get asked about this topic all the time, so here is my explanation and my thoughts.

Back in the good ol days, there were very few seamstresses on ETSY, and FB really did not even exist, but to say hi to friends. Back then, life was simple.

As soon as the market showed a sharp rise in sales, ETSY became the place to shop , and the place where anyone felt they could offer their goods…..with or without any experience. Sewing a dress, or a skirt, does not make you seamstress. Goods were being sold with only a fraction of the fabric, seams were unfinished, and I have even witnessed entire dresses falling apart after only one wash. (And yes, I saw it with my own eyes). It is not right. It is not fair. But that my friends is life.

Quality is not easy to identify. Just like everything you purchase, you sort of have to recognize a well made item from a bad one. Here are a few quick tips…… 1.) The first thing is to locate detailed photography. Close-up photography of seams, closures, and fabric. If the site is not willing or does not show you detailed shots of their items, then beware. 2.) The second important thing to note is the price. If a shop is offering the same fabric, the same design, for 50% less ……well buyer beware. Now that does not necessarily mean that the quality you are being sold is bad, but I would recommend caution. Ask the seller to send you some close up detailed shots of the dress, or ask them where the product is made, or where the fabric was bought. There is no harm in taking your time while you shop, and asking questions. It is your money.

I got a little bit off topic there, but the reason why Kinder Kouture now models their dresses on a wooden form with a tutu is because there was a time when we were being asked all the time “how full is our skirt?”. The easiest way to visually show our customers was to include a tutu under our dress. Simple. The only other way to show our customers the fullness of our dress is to photograph a flat lay, but the dress has to be a very small size as seen below.

The next question we get asked all the time is why don’t we offer tutus or pettiskirts on our website? Well, first of all I like to promote local sellers. There are other moms/small businesses who have made an entire business just selling this one item. For example, 7 Pine Design makes adorable pettiskirts. Beautiful made-to-fit pettiskirts that are comfortable and will give your dress a beautiful look. There are also a ton of ETSY shops that sell tutus/pettiskirts. Do a search, and you will be amazed. Why should I spread myself out so thin when other women have already done such a great job in that market?

Of course, if you are looking for a cheaper option then buy one on AMAZON. It is hard to compete with these prices, and since my little girl is all grown up, and I have no use for them other than to use them as a prop, I often buy from Amazon now. The quality is cheaper. The fabric is not the same quality, but the price can’t be beat.

For the first time this year, I started to offer dresses that had built in pettiskirts. The dresses took a lot longer to sew, and because they included yards and yards of eyelet or embroidered trim, they were much more expensive. I will continue to offer these kinds of dresses for holidays and special occasions, but if you want it, you may have to ask for a custom listing or style. They will be offered in limited quantities.

Speaking of holidays, I finished my embroidery designs for Thanksgiving dresses. I will be working on Christmas next. Our Fall dresses will be photographed soon…..so stay tuned. Here are some of the pumpkin designs.

Here is a little sneak peak of what I am working on and what we finished in the last few days. Obviously getting all this water trouble out of the way, really helped “de-stress” me, and get us back on schedule. We will be releasing some Fall dresses at the end of this week, and hopefully Christmas will be released on September 15th, and new dresses will follow before October 1st. I will do my very best to stick to this schedule.

In the meantime, here are my thoughts for the week. Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

1. Favorite TV Shows we are streaming

In order to finish all this embroidery at night, I usually like to rest and watch something fun on tv. My husband and I have been enjoying British crime series and PBS. Our latest adventure was Broadchurch, and new seasons of Silent Witness. While I sat at home alone last weekend, I enjoyed watching All Creatures Big and Small on PBS. It is a lovely series, and one that the whole family can watch. I have to admit that I end up watching some of these series while I sew all day. Sitting in front of the tv and not doing anything with my hands, is not something I like to do. I stay busy. I guess that is why I started knitting, and doing embroidery designs.

2. Patterns we discovered.

We are so lucky to be living in an age, where you can download and print patterns. It is so convenient. These patterns are so much better than the ones you can buy in the stores. No more tissue paper ripping, and the fit is usually perfect. I remember sitting at Joann’s for hours looking through their catalogues, and now I spend it on my laptop. So incredibly easy.

Now I will admit that throughout the last ten years, I usually always alter the patterns to my liking. It is just something I have done ever since I first started my business. I want the measurements to be the same across the board, which is nearly impossible if I switch between different pattern companies. So yes I have a few classic favorites, and yes I tend to work with these classic designs all the time.

However, I thought it would be fun to include a few of the newer released patterns, especially the ones I can’t wait to get my hands on.

Kathy’s Heirloom Shop is a new ETSY shop that I discovered. I actually found her on YouTube first. I love to subscribe to all kinds of YouTube Channels. I guess that is because I love to learn. She shows a lot of heirloom sewing techniques, which I adore. Heirloom sewing is incredibly peaceful and so clean. The inside of every garment is as clean as the outside.

I cannot wait to make the SAGE pattern from Peony Patterns. I love the look of this pattern. Those sleeves are so pouty and adorable.

3. Recipes we tried this week

For some reason this week, my husband and I ate a bunch of salads……..A fresh Peach Salad that was so incredibly delicious. The viniagrette was so tasty, and we loved the fresh taste of the peaches with the lettuce.

My son and I ate a fall apple and pear salad. Going to college is not easy, and working full time tends to make him run out of the house with nothing to eat. So he requested a salad. I knew he would favor this salad because it included bacon…..and well……do I need to say anything more? We really enjoyed this salad and it kept us full all night. I added this one to my cookbook full of recipes we love.