Events: Anniversary Celebration Kick-Off!

August 1, 2013July 31, 20138 Comments

I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it – but we’re celebrating Pierogi Picnic’s five year anniversary this month! Woot! Woot!

To mark the birth of my beloved business, as well as all things eco-friendly, vintage and handmade, we’re going to have a month-long virtual party! Tune in to the Pierogi Picnic website every Sunday in August for a weekly special which will include deep discounts in the Pierogi Picnic Etsy store. And if you’re not following us on Facebook – make sure you do so today – as we’ll be hosting contests, freebies and more all month long!

To kick-off the celebration, we’re giving away a $50 Pierogi Picnic gift certificate!!! Talk about awesome! Enter for a chance to win by following the directions below.

How to enter:

1. Subscribe to the Pierogi Picnic website. Scroll down and look on the left hand-side of the page. Wallah!

2. Visit the Pierogi Picnic Etsy page and select your all-time favorite item.

3. Comment back on this post saying what your favorite item is, why, and include a link to the original listing!

The gift certificate winner will be chosen at random on August 15th using http://www.random.org. We’ll announce the winner on the site on Friday, August 16th.

Thank you all in advance for helping us celebrate! Let’s get this party started!

Sale: Made in the USA

July 4, 2013June 29, 2013Leave a comment

Join us in celebrating the 4th of July with our one-day “Made in the USA” sale!

Save 40% on all ready-made and vintage apparel in the Pierogi Picnic shop by using the coupon code, “usamade” upon checkout.

Happy Independence Day!

Events: Summer Bazaar Fun!

June 20, 2013June 19, 2013Leave a comment

This past Sunday I had the privilege to showcase my Pierogi Picnic creations alongside a collection of amazingly talented local Chicago artisans!

Setting up shop in the store and sidewalk of the new Lincoln Park salon, Smith & David, we took this tiny neighborhood nook by storm with our handmade creations, homemade soaps, hand-forged jewelry and incredible vintage finds. The weather was perfect, the clientele was chipper and the entire event had an easy breezy heir.

summer 2

Thank you to everyone who swung by to shop local!

For a complete list of all the talented participants, click here.

An Indie Biz: Design Process

June 18, 2013June 12, 2013Leave a comment

Designing a new garment or revamped vintage clothing item is always an adventure!

I’ve used many methods over the years. Some involved intricate illustrations prior to creation. Others were more stream-of-consciousness, just cutting and sewing and making things up along the way. Still, in other situations I’d find myself with some general ideas of what I was looking to present and forming the vision in my mind before take scissors to fabric. No matter what the method – coming up with a new design can be the most exciting, and conversely, flabbergasting thing! Continue reading →

An Indie Biz: Making a Look Book

May 30, 2013June 10, 2013Leave a comment

This past Saturday I embarked on my first look book adventure!

Gathering together a group of talented creatives and the Pierogi Picnic modeling gang, we orchestrated a fun-filled shoot in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. With loads of brightly colored designs and props in hand – we snapped and shot hundreds of photos to show off the latest Pierogi Picnic creations – orchestrating an urban picnic in one of the most vibrant and eclectic neighborhoods in Chicago.

Now that the actual shoot date is behind us, all that’s left to do is sift through the shots and do some fine tuning! We’ll keep you posted on when the final product is ready for it’s debut to the world. But in the meantime – here’s a peek into the planning that went into making the shoot a success. Continue reading →

An Indie Biz: Experimentation Elation

May 7, 2013May 6, 2013Leave a comment

Ooh – how I love playing around with new designs and processes! It’s one of the perks of owning your own handmade business, after all!

Inspired by the impending summer, I have been playing around with new swimsuit designs, vintage denim, loose fitting tunic dresses and airy almost scandalous office-bound frocks. Whether it’s toying with new techniques, colors, textures or shapes, it’s the freedom to create-at-will that makes process such a delight. And boy have I been having fun!

So in the next few weeks prepare yourself for a cacophony of different designs. Though they may not seem to be united in exact aesthetics, I think you’ll find that the overall retro-inspired, breathy eco pieces will also make you think about doing a little more experimenting.

Designs: Color Crazy

April 4, 2013April 7, 20133 Comments

You know that the season’s-a-changing when people starting peeling back layers of black and grey to reveal bright and bold hues underneath!

Pining for pops of color after a long and dreary Chicago winter, it seems my palette is also bursting with pinks, yellow and saturated blues. From neon blouses graced with prints to colorful vintage finds that have been altered for a contemporary fit – there’s a definite theme to the Spring Pierogi Picnic collection! Take a peek at all of this season’s creations in our color-lovin’ Facebook album.

Here’s to a season of rainbow hues!