Leatherette tags are a great way to add extra detail to your handmade items. You can even customize them in Canva (let me know if you want info on that), and have them printed with Paper Sushi. Here's a link to get 10% of your first order: referral link at Paper Sushi.
]]>There has been more than a couple of times that I've wondered if the economy and it's impact on our sales were going to force us to close our doors. The lower sales not only effected the support to our family, but it takes a toll on my mental health. I question if it's me, if it's my design choices that people don't want to buy, and my creativity starts to dwindle. It's hard to keep motivated to make new things, when we struggle to makes sales. And I get it! In this economy every one is struggling.
But it's times like this that really strengthen our business mission, and I'm reminded how much grow with me clothing has helped our family. Clothing that expands through a wider range of sizes, has actually saved us money since we don't have to buy every size as my child grows at alarming rates.
Grow with me sizing literally changed our lives.
It saved us money, minimized our closet storage, and helped us to hold on to those favorite keepsake items that we were always sad to let go of when he outgrew them. We could invest in less and have it last longer because of the grow with me sizing and the quality fabric and construction. These heirloom pieces not only lasted through my own child wearing them, but far past handing them down to others to enjoy.
What is grow with me expanding sizes?
It's specially designed clothing to fit an extended range of ages/sizes in each garment that "grows with" your child. The cuffs and waistbands are intended to be rolled at the smaller size range and to be extended at the larger size range, fitting your child for several years instead of months.
Pictured is our pixie hoode peplum dress. The fit of the dress is intended to fit more like a dress in the smaller size range and as a peplum top at the larger size range.
I am personally blown away with this collection! I really didn't expect it. I wanted to take December off (what that really means for a small shop like me, is that you aren't creating in December so you can do all the business end of year accounting), but when something comes together, you just go with it!
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What?? Another local sewist, another small business mama?? I see you! Let's be friends!
So when I connected with Kalyn Menzies from Meraki by Kalyn and Gwendolyn Sedgwick from Gwendols I knew we had a perfect match for a collaboration! Not only are Gwendols Italian leather soft-soled shoes the perfect match to our rolled cuff grow with jeans, but Meraki by Kalyn then is pairing an amazing diaper clutch to go with it! Diaper changes won't get any easier or stylish with this combo!
Handmade. Local.
We are all momprenuers from Rathdrum, Post Falls, and Lewiston in North Idaho. And although we are local, we all connected online. While that's not a bad thing, it resonates with how I've felt in this missing connection in real life. Even before a lot of businesses moved to online store fronts or closed altogether during the pandemic in 2020, I found it hard to find anything in our area that represented the local artists like myself. Correct me if I'm wrong, if they are out there, please share and let me know! But what I don't see is an place in our community for locally made items. I would love to see an artist's co-op in the heart of our tourist town, reflecting the beauty of our home with the beautiful art of our locals.
So we collaborate!
We have come together in our efforts to release a collection on September 29th online. You can find out more by joining the Facebook VIP group of each business:
written by:
Angela Johnson, owner and designer at Sew Beyoutful specializing in nature inspired organic clothing for the family based in Post Falls, Idaho.
]]>But I am always blown away with the support that we get from our customers! Seriously, you sharing and engaging in social media helps to get us seen - your purchases make it possible to keep going, and your return purchases validate all the hardwork.
Thank you!
So I wanted to give you an update on things happening in the next several months. There will continue to be opportunities to purchase in our Facebook VIP group, so watch for Monday and Friday sales there, but we have couple of BIG events coming up, and will culminate to an end of the year website sale on Sunday November 20th at 6pm PST - this will be the last event to order as we plan to take the month of December off!!
Fall/Winter Calendar:
September -
grow with me jeans release along with an amazing collaboration!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CKNIG1UpwfV
October -
*galaxy drop!! hand dyed fabrics, new prints, and surprise applique designs. this will also include the rainbow octopus.
*unboxing of new prints!! these will be available as sample or custom requests as I'm able to fill and then will be available for made to order in early 2023!!
November -
*local Custer's Holiday Art's and Craft Show in Spokane, WA 11/18-20/22
*online Website drop 11/20/22 at 6pm PST
December -
we are taking a break! oh and all those end of the year tasks that every other small business knows what I'm talking about. But don't worry - if all goes well we hope to make our biggest fabric order yet in the new year!
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(In addition to the items below we will have RTS including one of a kind items that match the Love From Alaska appliques).
I designed this release with a mini capsule that you could purchase seperates. Some items will match well with future releases, such as the herringbone, and some will be very limited, such as the blue color option. I'll try and note that as we look through the collection, along with instructions on how to claim in tomorrow's market.
To prepare, join the facebook market group here:
You can search within the group for all our sneak peeks and official sales post by searching #SBjuly8ICS or join our email noticiations below and get them sent right to your inbox tomorrow morning along with the schedule!
Our items will be scheduled starting at 3pm PST
Within this collection you can mix and match, or layer for season transitions.
Fabric contents:
Alphabet 95% cotton 5% spandex jersey.
Neons, black and neon appliques 95% organic cotton 5% spandex jersey.
Black herringbon 95% organic cotton 5% spandex french terry.
Stripes 95% cotton 5% spandex.
Pocket Raglan with "Free to Be Me" design tag and piping detail. Sized.
Price: $48 up to size 6t or $54 up to size 12y (-$4 without design tag)
Pocket Shorts with elastic waist. Sized
Price $43 up to size 6t or $53 up to size 12y
Color Blocked Basic Tee with choice of letter applique. Sized.
Price: $43 up to size 6t or $50 up to size 12y
These are offered in the grey background or the black background with either the neon green, blue, pink, or orange. There are 4 in each the grey and black, but only 1 in the blue, pink, and orange with 2 in the green. There will be a listing for the Pocket Raglan and one for the Color Blocked Basic Tee.
You can claim with your email, choice of background color (grey or black) and neon pop color (blue, pink, orange, or green) and the size you want, and size. On each listing you can add the shorts as an add on. These shorts will only offered as an add on at this time. I might be able to fill seperate orders after the release. Please make note in the listing if you would like to be considered for this.
The hooded tank will be a perfect for the transition of season and those fall days that start out chilly and end up with clothes on the floor. Includes our logo design tag. This will be limited to one (1) in neon color and your choice of either grey or black alphabet background.
Hooded Tank. Grow with Me.
Price: $60 sizes 1-3t and 3-6t or $70 sizes 6-9y and 9-12y (-$4 without design tag).
You can transition that tank wth this Big Rig Pocket Raglan and Joggers!
There will be five (5) available of the raglans and five (5) of the joggers - but I will take next in line comments for the joggers as I *think* I'll have enough (with the stripes), but can do a reorder of the black herringbone in the fall to match with other releases.
Pocket Raglan includes big rig applique and "Adventure Seeker" design tag. Joggers also include pockets and top stitching at the inseam for added strength!
Big Rig Pocket Raglan. Sized.
Price: $48 up to size 6t or $54 up to size 12y (-$4 withouth applique/design tag)
Black Herringbone and Stripes Joggers (no elastic)
Price: $42 up to size 3t or $48 up to size 6t or $54 up to size 9y or $60 up to size 12y
Love From Alaska applique Pocket Raglans
These will be very limited, but hope to make a remix after this release. I'm limited on the neon fabrics, but I have several of the appliques themselves. You can choose from the orange caribou, green black bears, pink polar bears, blue belugas, and blue caribou. There will be one (1) of each.
LFA Pocket Raglan. Sized.
Price: $48 up to size 3t or $52 up to size 6t or $56 up to size 9y or $60 up to size 12y
I'm going to hold off on Bigfoot - you'll have to catch him at a future release!
I hope you liked how we put this release together! It's been fun and a bit overwhelming with all the possibilities!! I also hope that this Lookbook was helpful! All the items mentioned will be available tomorrow over on Facebook. Make sure to join our email notifications - sign up for just this one or for all of our July scheduled events.
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We have lots planned, and some new ways for you to get notified when things go live! Each release will have emails and information on how to order BEFORE the listings go live so you know exactly how to order and when.
We will no longer be doing tags on our facebook posts - so you're going to want to make sure you sign up for only the releases you are interested (or all of them), make sure you add us as a contact in your email so that we don't go to your spam folder! emails will come from Hello@SewBeyoutful.com AND SET YOUR ALARMS!
You can even get notifications of the event itself on facebook - Sew Beyoutful Events
Because you're not going to want to miss this!
We even have an early release pass in our VIP group that you might want to make sure you're part of!
Click here to make sure you're in both our VIP Group: Sew BeYouTful and Cute Knits United and ICS: Imagination Creation Showcase
Sign up for any of the July releases below!
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My first small business was started back in 2003/2004 selling dyed hemp and organic cotton fabric by the yard, and handmade clothing made from those fabrics. I did solid dyed and what I termed "marinaded". Those days seem so long ago, but I recently tried my hand at it again again, and found my love for doing it hadn't died!
While I don't plan to start selling hand dyed fabrics again, I do plan to use a bit in our current collection at Sew BeYouTful. Soon you'll be able to purchase adult and child cocoon cardigans as well as layered/gathered circle skirts.
We will start by offering a one color- marinade (in avocado, rust, and eggplant) and a multi colored galaxy dyed. With these I used several different techniques ice-dye, low water immersion, and bleach dyeing. These are just our first runs after a long break, so am already figuring ways to make it better!
This is how we started:
This is halfway with the galaxy dyeing:
And these are the end results:
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Slow Fashion or Small Shops might have a few abbreviations or terms you're unfamiliar with - until you know, and then it explains a lot!
When I was first asked, "what's your TAT?" I started to describe what my tattoos, happy to share - but wondering what that had to do with sewing. I soon found out that TAT stands for Turn Around Time (the time it takes to for items to ship after they are ordered). This is important in Slow Fashion when items might not be made until you order. Sometimes this is because as a small shop, it's hard to invest the resources in a lot of inventory that may not be the right size or color for shoppers. Here at Sew BeYouTful we choose a couple of different ways to offer our Slow Fashion...
"Drops" - I still don't know what this term really means, but is a time when items can be purchased or ordered either on our website or in our VIP group: Sew BeYouTful Friends and Family. These might include pre-orders, made to order or ready to ship.
Pre-orders - We don't do these very often as they have the highest turn around time. It's usually when we ourselves are pre-ordering fabric (ordering fabric before it's actually been printed/shipped). When we pre-order fabric, it can sometimes take 2 months before the fabric is delivered to us. It's a slow process for sure and the hard part is that these fabrics often can't be re-ordered. As a small shop it's hard to keep our own turn around time down, while also gauging how popular a fabric will be. This adds the reason why some items may be so limited or have the TAT they do.
Made to order (MTO) - We offer this more often then anything, either in our VIP group or online markets. A sample is sewn for photo and listings. Items sold are usually size variations on that sample, and are made after they are ordered from fabrics we have on hand. We will always offer a turn around time as to when expect your items after they are ordered.
Ready to ship (RTS) - these may be offered on our website, online at markets, or in the local stores we partner with. These items are finished items and are ready to ship once they are ordered.
There is one more secret way of ordering, but you would need to be part of our VIP group and look for Wishful Wednesday posts. Sew BeYouTful Friends and Family
Other terms you may have heard:
OOAK (One of a Kind) - We do both one of a kind items and small (micro) batches, where a small amount are made that may differ in size and print placement.
GWM (Grow with me) - Grow with me clothing is designed to have the cuffs and waistband fold and unfold to extend the sizing of an item and "grow" with the child. We offer both grow with me sizing and sized items.
We want to heard what other terms have you heard that you didn't know at first! Or what other things about Slow Fashion or Small Shops you want to know more about. What would you add to this list?
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As a small handmade business, we talk about Slow Fashion and the intentionality behind it. Quality, sustainability, fair wage/trade, and less waste are all things that go into Slow Fashion.
So, trying to apply some of those same practices to my life and business, I’ve been thinking of ways that I can slow down the hustle and bustle of daily life to be intentional with the moments I find myself in.
Recently I’ve been creating a photo space for taking product photos. I’m not usually the type to decorate my house, but what I found came together was more than just a spot for photos. This intentionally created space has become a place of calm, peace, and quiet. I still need to be intentional about using the space for personal time, but the space itself draws me in. For all the same reasons it was chosen for photos, it is the perfect place to take time to quiet myself and slow down.
The area is bright with natural light, and the walls reflect the light coming in. The mementos are inspired by nature and there are several house plants. It’s probably the only clean space in my house if I’m honest.
As I sit here this morning, I take this all in. I read a devotional, quiet my mind for a moment, and plan out my week. If I don’t take this time to slow down, I get caught up in the hustle and all the things “I should do”.
It’s only a moment in the big picture, but as I slow down, I begin to shift the focus to things like “quality” – quality times like these or with my family, and in time it becomes more “sustainable” – the more you do it, the more it’s part of your routine, and less time is “wasted” - because I’m more able to meet the demands in a refreshed way.
In our VIP group www.facebook.com/groups/sewbeyoutful we have a Slow Down Sunday post each week with ideas on how to slow down or to highlight Slow Fashion. Your time to slow down might not be Sunday, but we encourage you to find ways to slow down, even for a moment.
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This hack is so simple and I can’t promise exact measurements or pattern pieces, but I’ve had many people ask for a tutorial, so here you go!
I first took the front bodice piece and traced the pattern as a whole bodice front instead of being cut on the fold. I then took the front curve at the bottom left corner and curved it up to the right underarm. I liked it near the top for a more dramatic cross over, but the seams can get a little bulky when putting on the sleeve if you aren’t working with a serger. Cut 2, to be mirrored.
I cut out all remaining pattern pieces, hacked front bodice x 2, back bodice, sleeves, hood (and lining hood), and cuffs. I cut the band at 4.5 inches down the grain by the width of my ribbing.
From there I attached the two front bodice pieces to the back at the bottom 1.5 inches of the long side on each side. You’ll need to later cross over the bodice pieces to finish the sides, but for now you just want enough to be able to put the band at the bottom. I folded my band, pinned it and was ready to serge it on to the bodice.
When I attached the band I didn’t measure, but pulled the ribbing a bit was I went around the entire bottom (two front pieces attached to the back). I cut off the extra. The example here is a size 6-9 year and the ribbing is 110 Centimeters for reference. I didn't give measurements because it really depends on what fabric you're using for the band. I'm using ribbing here which I would stretch more than cotton lycra (it has a different recovery and stretch).
Once the band was on I found it best to turn the top inside out and cross over the two front pieces to finish sewing the sides and the shoulders. Learn from me, if there is a print placement you were going for, double check which side crosses over the front (I always get this wrong! – but happy mistakes right?!?).
I then finished the sides. I found going from the top to the bottom is most helpful and with a little practice am able to go to the bottom, but be careful with this. You can also top stitch this seam if desired.
From there you finish as per the directions on the pattern! As I said before – this pattern (and all of the Apple Tree PatternCo patterns are great, solid, patterns that make doing a hack like this easy!
You can buy the pattern here (affiliate link): Hooded Grow With Me Dress
It’s perfect for layering, especially with a tank top dress (below) – which is the SAME pattern!
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Bear wore that hoodie from the week he was born until he was he was almost 9 months old – longer than either of my boys have ever been able to wear one article of clothing while infants!
After putting my son, Bear, in that bear hoodie, I knew I had to have more clothing from this shop! I searched Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest until I found them! When I finally found the shop, I was so amazed to see the variety, high quality and unique designs of the handmade clothing offered by Angela. I loved them all and wanted them all!
Sew Beyoutful immediately became my favorite clothing to put on the boys. The Grow with Me clothing was something I had never seen before. The sizing allowed me to purchase an item and allowing my child to wear it longer than if it were just one size. I’ve found that it’s cost effective and something that allows us to get “more” for our money! Being a mom to two quickly growing boys, I was all over that idea! I love having something unique and expressive that shows their personalities.
Customer service is so important to a business and Angela is over the top amazing at what she does! I admire the personable and memorable experience we have when buying from Angela. We love Sew Beyoutful! Outfits made by Angela have given us not only high-quality clothing, but memories to go along with them. I will forever be grateful for the hard work and dedication that goes into making each piece.
Sew Beyoutful will forever be a “must have” in our home and we are so lucky to have gotten to know Angela and her family. We are so appreciative of them!
Thank you!
Jordan