Almost Time!

As the day of the big flea market draws near, I thought I'd post a few photos of some of the items I'll be selling. In my last post I showed some of the small, "filler" items like booties & bibs, but what I'm really looking to sell are the bigger items like clothes. In addition to the aprons above that my partner recommended we focus on, I've worked hard to expand my range of skills.

From fancy pants to simple skirts, I've managed to make a fairly comprehensive collection of clothing for kids. Above are some shorts for boys and a some for girls. I'm particularly proud of the girl's shorts because I got a chance to use my new pleating skills (this style of pleated pant leg is really popular here in Korea at the moment...not sure if it's "in" elsewhere in the world.) as well as expand my pocket repertoire from plain ol' square patch pocket to pleated pocket, and I got so excited by that, that I had to add pockets to my simple skirts below. I give you the deep pocket (right) and the shirred pouch. I love them both all the more when I think of all the rocks and little nicknacks that can be tucked away in there!
And of course I had to add some tops and dresses since that's where I began my clothes-sewing journey. Below are a few.
And my absolute favorite item at the flea market? The "Be The Reds" scarf top! "Be The Reds" is Korea's battle cry at international sporting events such as the World Cup. I had picked up a couple of scarves at a flea market a few months ago for $1 knowing that I'd eventually find a use for them. I'm so happy with this little top that I wish it could fit Irene, but alas, two scarves supply just enough material for size 18 months so, sadly, she'll have to find some other way to show her patriotism. I particularly love the fact that it says "we are twelfth" - you don't often see team shirts/paraphernalia boasting that!

The Goods

So much has happened for me on the sewing front in the past week! As I've mentioned before, I have a dream of opening my own small sewing business. Nothing fancy but I think we can all agree that it would be awesome to be able to create and get paid for it! But due to my own insecurities, I put that idea on the back burner...sort of. For the past few weeks I've been steadily making a collection of items to sell at the monthly flea market here in Gwangju. While a week ago my main goal at the flea market was to have someone buy something. Really - I'd have been thrilled. But now it's suddenly become so much more important.
It turns out that there is a program in Korea where the government will give a $4000 grant to individuals who they think have a good business plan/idea. So my husband has come up with a plan and I am now business partners with a Korean friend here who also sews! Should our proposal be accepted, we will receive the money to spend as we like (on business-related goods only of course...but seriously...$4000 to spend on fabrics and notions and even a better sewing machine!!! Heaven!) And we will also be eligible for an even bigger grant next year. As of now, I think we do have a good idea. The things I make are more western style which can be hard to find here for a decent price (a flimsy pillow case top at Baby Gap here would run you $60) Not to mention the fact that I'm willing to custom make an item (you choose the fabric, style & size!). My partner's style is naturally a little more Korean but she has a lot of the technique that I'm lacking as well as the insight into a Korean mother's point of view. One of the things that she suggested we focus on is the aprons, selling them to day cares and even expanding into adult-sized ones. We'll see what happens, but for now I really hope we sell more than one item at the market!

Baby Steps

Welcome to my Watermelon Dreams Design blog! If you had told me 10, 5, or even 2 years ago that I would make a blog dedicated to fashion and/or sewing, I would have said you were crazy. To be honest, I've never been all that into fashion. But being a sewer has changed my outlook on things. I started sewing quilts as a hobby after we arrived in Korea a few years back, and when my daughter & son arrived I began sewing clothing - partly out of necessity (children's clothing here is not only expensive but it's also really not my style) and partly because it was a fun challenge. I now look for any opportunity to start a new project.

My reason for starting this site is two-fold. On the one hand, I feel like I need a space to arrange my sewing projects - past, present, and future- without muddling up my every day blog. Secondly, for some time now friends and family have been egging me on to sell some of my creations. At first I laughed it away, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to give a whirl - just for kicks. However, for a variety of reasons, I don't feel that now is the time to start my home-business so this website is a kind of in-between step. As I manage this blog, I can better understand what needs to be worked on should I make the leap to home-business owner in the future. One very obvious thing that needs work is my presentation so I'll be trying to get creative with my photography and presentation of my projects. Please bear with me & feel free to share any tips! And, although I'm not in business, if you happen to see something you like, feel free to drop me a line! Maybe we can work something out. ;)

*Note: the photo above is of me and two of my models - my oldest son, Oscar, and my daughter, Irene. They are sporting Watermelon Dreams Design mini-aprons.