So I’ve already broken my vow not to experiment with new designs pre-holidays. I’m supposed to be focusing on PP staples for both seasonal online shoppers, but also the upcoming DIY Trunk Show.

But alas – I woke up this morning with what feels like the beginnings of a nasty flu (David has had his for six days now!) and I just didn’t have the heart to sweatshop myself out. So I leisurely cut some classic silhouettes and then graciously distracted myself by making some fun new products!

Housewares are a category I had been planning on expanding into for some time now – but with recent months being as crazy as they’ve been it got backlogged. But this morning I went scissor and screenprint crazy – making tons of napkins out of thrifted men’s tees. It’s no secret that I adore cotton, so I designed this series to make the most of this amazing material. Using the screens David made for me in August – I created sets – each from one t-shirt. My favorite is the ivy print on the bright red fabric. It really turned out stunning! Something that I have not made up my mind on is whether I want them to be single or double ply. I’ve made a set of each and will begin by selling them on Etsy and will see which does best. The single ply will be an affordable $18 while the double will run $26. I’m thinking that holiday shoppers will love these for friends who dine in style!

Another creation from the day is a new ipod sleeve. It’s funny that this idea never occurred to me previously as I have been on a personal hunt for a functional, but fun, case for months. While making some new blazers out of sweatshirts (I told you I was out of control!) I fashioned these holders from the leftover fabric. On a side note: I love it when I can use each and every scrap! It’s all about sustainability after all! Back to the ipod sleeves – I screenprinted the scraps and sewed two layers together, leaving the fleeve on the inside of the pod pocket. Then, I attached an inverted strap and button so that no device should ever slide out. What’s nice is that it also doubles for keeping headphone wires untangled! You better believe that after making the first pigeon one that I snagged it for my own use!

So that’s just a brief sampling of my day’s work. Quite impressive considering that I’m on the brink of a nasty flu bug. Can’t wait for this weekend when I’ll be photographing these and new clothes in action!