Baby Gifts...

gotta love moms....mine in particular has been so supportive of my designing efforts (my dad too!). Her latest contributions were ordering baby gifts for a couple of friends. I thought they came out so cute that I would share them here with all of you!

Embellished jean jackets for baby twin boys and a horse themed jacket for a friends new grandaughter.

I also got a gorgeous thank you gift in the mail from Jenn of eclectic kids ...I sent her some fbric scraps for decoupage jeans and she sent me a gorgeous handmade pin cushion! I'll take that trade anyday! Thanks Jenn!!

Well, dinner is just about ready so I am signing off ~ have a great day!

In Denial....

My baby has turned 5...I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I had a little one to snuggle and rock. Where has the time gone? Now I have a mohawk sporting, skateboard ridding dude who says "homey"!?!?! Help!

We celebrated his birthday at school and took skateboard treats to school for snack...Then w met the other birthday boy (Leo's dad!) for a birthday lunch at Bugaboo Creek!

His big gifts were a giant curious george that we put in his bed while he slept and a fly box for skateboarding! He also picked out curious george fabric and I made him an outfit to wear for his birthday.

Happy Birthday Leo & Peter!

Change is in the air....

sorry I have been MIA...we were away for the weekend so it has been catching up on laundry and sewing since we got home...

I meant to post this pic last week before leaving...

all 3 kids decided to get haircuts, this is a bit of a big deal here as I usually cut their hair. Of course I had no camera to capture the moment, Eily & Leo's 1st cuts by someone other than me!

Klem was actually the impetus behind all of this - he asked if he could get his cut, I readily agreed and then the other 2 wanted theirs as well! Leo of couse requested a mohawk!

What a change for everyone!

Today is the Day!

gock's frocks (that's me!) is the featured designer on the Journal Modiste website! Amy contacted me about 6 weeks ago to see if I was interested in being the featured designer ...ummm, le tme think about it...OF COURSE!

JM was the very first site I stumbled upon aout a year and a half ago when I googled "handmade childrens clothing" and her links led me into the children's boutique world on ebay so I was ThiLLeD when she contcted me....

So, since I am hoping to have a little extra traffic to my auctions this week I will be on a listing spree!

I have finally listed my mix-n-match whale pieces that Elle modeled for me!

Whale Watching with Elle can be found here

and includes the appliqued whale pants & cross-over halter

Set Sail with Elle is here and features funky decoupage jeans and a hand appliqued sailboat tee.

In addition to these nautical sets, I listed a sample set that Bella modeled for me earlier this year...this is a 3 piece set, ready to ship!

Bella Bambina can be found here

Be sure to check back for more goodies in the coming days& don't forget to check out my interview at Journal Modiste!

Playful Fairy Princess...

As promised last night I have a couple of new auctions to share with you...

Listed last night for the Elite Euro Bavarian Fairytale Launch I have the Farbenmix Marieke Dress - Fairy Princess...this features an appliqued castle on the bottom layer, with hand embroidered climbing roses and hot fix crystal accents....

To coordinate with the dress I listed Playful Princess which includes an applique tee and ruffle hem capris with fun Euro details! Eily's first question was "Do I get to keep these?" She has taken a sudden interest in actually wearing my designs for more than modeling! A refreshing change.

She modeled 2 additional sets that I will be listing later this week ~I can sew faster than photograph and graphics!

On today's agenda is a set for Leo to wear tomorrow for his birthday! He picked out curious george fabric for pants and a hoodie - well post pics as that gets started...looks like it could be a late night!

Yesterday was a big day for my parents - 39 years! They gave each other a really cool gift - they made a donation/loan to an oganization they learned about on PBS's Frontline...

"A Little Goes Along Way" reported on Kiva, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that has built an innovative Web site allowing people to make individual loans to small businesses in the developing world. Be sure to check them out at the link above...it sounds like such an amazing program!

Happy Anniversay Mom & Dad...to 2 parents who have always tried to make a difference in the lives of their kids as well as in the lives of others! Thanks for being such a great inspiration!

It is WAY too late....

to be blogging but I just came across this little quiz and couldn't pass it up - I was a diehard Jane Austen fan at the end of high school/college s this caught my eye right away!

Take the Quiz here!

Be sure to check it out if you like her novels as much as I do!

will be back at a more resonable time tomorrowto update your on the trials and tribulations of gock's frocks...(did that sound at all like something from an Austen novel??)

cheers!

Kristen

Happy Friday ~

Curious George is on right now so I have had a moment to catch up on reading Blogs, checking my auctions and answering emails...

I came across this little funny actvity..

Your German Name is:

Frauke Ammelie

What's" Your German Name?

click the link to find your german name and see what you get!

and speaking of German names...I listed a new collaboration last night with my friend Patty of ModkidBoutique...we each made part of a set for the Elte Euro Bavarian Fairytale Launch on ebay...our set is titled Gretel and can be found here, Patty designed the peasant style dress using vintage cotton calico and vintage crocheted trim and I contributed the apron with appliqued trees, bird and hand beaded 'breadcrumbs'...be sure to check it out as Patty is a graphics guru and the listing is delightful!

enjoy you Friday!

Look What Eily Did Last Night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Hh_rMDZ2s

She got her ears pierced!!!
She was so brave & SO excited...We walked around the mall after they were done and she kept stopping to take a peek at herself in the store windows, mirrors, etc....she couldn't believe it had really happened!

Sping break is flying by for us and we have been having a great time, just hanging out together - we've been on haitus from having friends over due to the pink eye but today we can come off quarrantine!

Yesterday we walked into the village to go to the library but had to send out an SOS call to OMA to pick us up for a ride home as they pooped out on me!

I also finished up a set that has been swirling round in my head and needed to be captured by the fabric LOL...here is a little sneak peek, not sure when I will get the real photos done for ebay...

Have a GREAT day!

School Break....

Easter was cold and wintry here...we went to my sister's in the afternoon and the kids bundled up for an outdoor egg hunt, we ate lots of yummy food and the adults watched the Master's on TV! It was a relaxing way to spend the holiday and a good start to the kids school vacation

Yesterday I listed my final set for the Freshcut Launch...
I think this was my favorite design by far, we'll see how it does.

Check it out here on ebay

Today I have been teaching Eily how to use the machine she got for her birthday...she has pink eye in both eyes so we are limited in playdates until she gets better - they are all going a bit stir crazy! including Mama!

I am busy with new ideas that are whirling and swirling in my mind - so much so that I had a hard time sleeping last night! I need to clone myself so that i can get 2x the work done - one of me for everyday lfie, cooking, cleaning, bill paying, bed making...and another one of me to work in my sewing room all day! LOL...

Well, I need to go plan something fun here for the troops, have a wonderful day!

Kristen

gock's frocks update...

OK- as promised last night here are a couple of sneak peeks of my remaining 2 sets for the mateialgirls FRESHCUT launch...

I listed the skirt set today and will list the denim cupcake set on Monday...not sure how they will do with this being a holiday weekend.

The other big news for me on ebay was that I made the decision to leave my design group Adagio Bleu Studios ~ this was a very hard decision as I have been with them since my start on ebay last spring but I felt that I had gotten too comfortable and needed to challenge myself in new ways...does this make sense?

It has been hard this week as I have checked in to my groups on ebay, I went to click the link to Adagi Bleu and it wasn't there...

Today I will be finishing a couple of customs that need to go out next week and working on a dress for the Elite Euro launch for next week...

I finally added a mailing list feature to my ME page on ebay - follow the link here if you would like to sign up...scroll down the page a bit until you see the mailing list box..

Click here to sign up for my mailing list

have a great day!

Now that's a BIG bowl of Bananas!

Last week whe Leo and I were at the market I bought 2 huge bunches of bananas for $1...then nobody ate them! So tonight the kids helped me peel them and I made banana bread, banana muffins, banana cake & more banana bread! Yikes!
The kids actually had a great time peeling the bananas~Leo even wanted to squish them with his bare hands!

...and yes, my kitchen aid is purple, your monitor is not playing tricks on you! I am a purple junkie!

In addition to the bananas we had an action packed day~friends drove into town an they brought their new gock's frocks to show them to me ~

and yes - that is Leo - he wanted in on the photo shoot so he volunteered to model the set I had made Eily for her birthday with Riley in her birthday set! He keeps a smile on my face...

after dinner we got our eggs decorated ~ I don't know what was covered with more dye - Leo or the eggs...it was right to the bath for him!

Tomorrow I will post some more sneak peeks of my latest designs and update you all on gock's frocks...

Thanks for checking in!

A Little Local Fame....

Leo and I made a brief and tiny appearance in the local paper today! (i am in the pink vest and Leo is next to me)

Last week we were at the public market, having lunch at our favorite empanada stand when a photographer from the paper took some pics and asked for our names etc..He was there covering a story about the empanada owners daughter serving in Iraq and how they are raising money to send their empanadas to her unit in Iraq...Leo was thrilled to see his name & face in the paper!

I also got another Freshcut auction listed ...Eily was SO cooperative with this modeling shoot as the promised reward has been that she gets to get her ears pierced over April break! Yikes!

The rest of today was spent getting a couple of customs in the mail to Germany and something off to Patty for a collaboration we are doing next week for the Elite Euro launch.

I also caught up on some other blog reading and decided to join Becky of

Ambrosia Couture on her quest to use for her designs, only what is in her stash this month ! Shouldn't be to hard as I have a bit of a fabric addiction...I will have to postpics of my sewing "studio" aka the guest room so you all have a visual of where I spend many hours a day!

Have a great night all! I am off to enjoy my Stella!

how Leo is like a knock-knock joke...

think back to your childhood...do you remember the knock-knock joke that goes:

"knock-knock"
"who's there?"
"banana"
"banana who?"
"knock knock"
"who's there"
"banana"
"banana who?"...and this goes on for another exchange until the person gets fustrated and rspond in a rather grumpy voice and the jokester switches from banana to orange and says.."orange you glad I didn't say banana.."

well...Leo can be a bit intense and relentless with his running commentary on everything around him...but he has this sense of knowing when he has pushed me a little too far too...after about the 10th "Mama...." (followed by a question or comment), he will ask one more time.."Mama...I love you", which of course instantly melts my heart...He is a one of a kind kid!

Well, let's see, I think i promised a few more sneak peeks of my upcoming designs...here is the link to my current ebay auction for this set...I was surprised to see a bid within 20 minutes of listing!! Thanks Mandy! and have already sold the sample set to a friend of Eily's!

I have another set ending later today that I had so much fun creating...it was for a Beatle's themed launch on ebay and I used an European Apron dress pattern that I made fully reversible for 4 great looks..here is the link to check it out...Medley

Leo and I are headed to the elementary school to have lunch with Eily and Klem and play on the playground...he loves to go over there and buy lunch in the lunch line!

I have to finish a couple of customs before I can start on anything new...

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday GGMa!

Today we celebated my grandmothers 85th bithday! Grandma Gocker is the person I credit with starting my love of sewing and needlework...she taught me to handsew when I was 8...we made a patchwork flannel quilt for my soon to be born sibling...Clarke!

Then in middle school she introduced me to her trusty Kenmore and we made a peasant skirt, petticoat and maching vest (am I dating myself yet?)..When I finally decided to embark on my latest sewing adventure I thought it was important to pay tribute to the woman who helped start it all - hence the birth of "gock's frocks" in honor of my grandma gocker!

A toast to you on your special day!

Eily and I spent some time photographing my newest designs for the Material Girls Freshcut launch which starts this Monday....we have all used Heather Bailey's Freshcut line of fabrics in our designs...I had so much fun with these gorgeous fabrics that I went a little crazy and made 4 outfits!

I took inspiration for one from a cute pic of

pants I saw in Garnet Hill...I loved the sailor style so I decided to put my own spin on that and came up with these...

I will post some more sneak peeks of the other pieces as the week unfolds and be sure to check them out on ebay

Here is a peek at the complete set...

well, i seem to have gotten the hang of this Blog thing - thanks for sticking with me this long if you are still reading t this point! I will try to come up with wittier reparte in the futue!

Have a good night all!

Kristen

well, we found some goodies today...a couple of vintage patterns, one of which I ma thinking of using for an upcoming launch with Elite Euro on Ebay,
some fun black and orange vintage trim which I will hide away for halloween and


a cute little chick in an egg that might make an appearace on the Easter table...

BIRTHDAY FUN...

Here is a sneak peek of a set I just sent to my friend's daughter for her birthday on Monday ~ I originlly made one for Eily's birthday in January and put a special surprise in the present ~ yes the applique present opens up so you can hide a little surprise inside!

Leo and I are off to my favorite little craft/thrift store this morning ~ you never know what goodies you might find there. We will share pics of any treasures we discover.

thursday night - Have I done it? I am attempting my leap into blogdom but am not sure if I have made it...I have semi-mastered the HTML for ebay but have found the BLOG world to be a bit different...

My sister and I are hanging out with the kids tonight as DH has left with the "guys" for a ski trip in Canada...lots of tears as daddy pulled away from the house tonight ~ we attempted to assuage their tears with lots of junk food and everyone seemed recovered by bedtime - maybe a sore tummy or two..

today Leo and I ventured out to the public market where we dined on delicious empanadas from Juan & Maria's and then off to the Salvation Army where I found some treasures...



maybe an easter hat for Eily???



it was fun until Leo had a meltdown and we made a hasty retreat!