With autumn’s arrival there’s nothing better than a soft cotton cardigan to warm up your summer frocks. I designed this piece with exactly this in mind! Sculpted from an over-sized men’s t-shirt, this new design has tons of layering potential while remaining comfortable against the skin. The soft cotton belt is included for cinching, but it’s really the pleats in the back that give it a unique edge.
Tag: eco-friendly
Indie Biz: Revamping Vintage
One of my favorite design challenges is finding frumpy vintage clothing and re-imagining them into modern user-friendly pieces. What’s so satisfying about the process is that it’s completely spontaneous. I don’t pre-plan and go out to find fabric. The fabric finds me.
As I’m hunting down t-shirts, sweaters, lace, and other materials for my classic Pierogi Picnic designs I sometimes happen upon a 60s dress or 70s skirt that has an interesting shape or print. I immediately size it up, looking at the quality of the garment, and envision it in a new form.
Friends who have come along for my fabric hunting adventures always smirk in disbelief when I grab a pleated, floor length, shoulder pad-filled frock and pop it in my cart. Weeks later when they see the outcome they are amazed!
“How did you know?” – they ask
“It’s just me following my intuition” – I reply
Any indie handmade business owner knows that there’s only so many reproductions we can pump out before we become fatigued by our craft. That’s why having an outlet to let spontaneous creativity shine is so important! All of us need to take a step back, experiment, and enjoy the stream-of-consciousness process of just letting go and having fun with a creation.
So next time you’re in a creative rut and looking for a way out – grab some raw materials and start to enjoy your craft once more. Who knows – maybe you’ll find your own token eighties frock.
Meet the Models: Mumu
I just couldn’t resist sharing this adorable photo!
Fellow crafter and artist extroadinaire Angel D’Amico of Ad Love purchased one of my sweater bow ties at the Renegade Craft Fair. After bringing the piece home she made a wonderful discovery – her cat Mumu could rock the bow too!
This handsome gent looked so dapper in his new accessory that it inspired me to design some duds for our furry friends. So keep your eyes peeled for some Pierogi Picnic Pet items soon!
An Indie Biz: Holidays on my Mind
I remember when I used to quip how ridiculous retailers were about their premature holiday roll outs. Now that I’m nearing my fourth winter season with Pierogi Picnic I hang my head in shame for my previous judgements. Retail is all about pre-planning – especially in the digital realm.
I should have started my holiday prepping over the summer – but how could I possibly tear myself away from the allure of the outdoors to sit inside for business planning?! But it’s not too late to get my approach for this season set and you can too with these four steps: Continue reading
Events: Renegade Craft Fair Fun!
Thank you to everyone who came out this past weekend to our third stint at the Chicago Renegade Craft fair!
Not only was the weather perfect – we really lucked out with our spot! Our booth was across from Milk & Honey which made for easy snack and coffee access. We also enjoyed gourmet snow cones a plenty throughout the event care of Joe Snow. 
To the left of our space we had the very talented dynamic duo that is Cursive Design. While our back wall listened in on many a conversation with fellow Chicago crafter Angel D’Amico of Ad Love.
Sharing the booth with Caitlin Peters of Wanderlustings was a godsend. Having a creative partner in crime really eased some of the day’s pressure off my shoulders. Not only was the prep via craft party a romping good time – setting up, tearing down, and mid-day perk ups all felt easy breezy with her (and our significant others) help.
And on top of the great spot and wonderful company – I got to enjoy the best part about RCF – meeting all of you face to face! So thank you all again for venturing out through the heat and crowds to shop and visit – Renegade would never be complete without the shiny happy faces of all the Pierogi Picnic fans like you!
Events: Pre-Renegade Giveaway
There’s nothing like celebrating before a big event – and this year the festivities just don’t end! To mark Pierogi Picnic’s third year at Renegade I am hosting the following giveaway.
The prize: A $20 digital Pierogi Picnic gift certificate that can be used toward a purchase at my booth at the Renegade Craft Fair OR in my Etsy shop.
To enter: Pop by the Pierogi Picnic Etsy store, find your favorite item and post a link to it in the comments below. Be sure to include your e-mail too so I can contact you if you win!
The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on the eve of Renegade – Friday, September 9th at 10pm.
Receive brownie points if you Tweet about the giveaway or make a mention on your Facebook page. If you do – be sure to tag @pierogipicnic so your post can be tracked.
Good luck!
An Indie Biz: Sign Language
In preparation for Renegade I decided to take up the cause of making a new set of signs for the booth. One of the reasons I wanted to recreate things was to accommodate my booth mate so my original banner was not hogging all the space. So this year we’re both using the same materials to create horizontal and vertical signs to hang on the interior and exterior of our boothtique (you like the new term?!).
Shiny Happy*People 