where did the time go?!

hello leggings lovers,

Its been a crazy few month, hence why it has taken me so long to write another entry. I am now the proud owner of 2 collections that is currently in my studio aka my lounge room, and now the marketing pr and all that is business begins!

The joy of running my own business far outweighs the stress of the amount of work i have to do, and thats what keeps me going. I love every part of 'sticks'. i love when people want to buy my product, i love when i see someone wearing it, i love dreaming about the pieces i'm going to be adding in very soon!

so fingers crossed they will soon be everywhere!

And, Wait for it.... I finally have a WESBITE !! sticks leggings

Check out the winter and spring ranges available for sale and wholesale.

xxx

countdown....

Its been a long time since i've written, its been a crazy roller coaster of a few weeks! long story short, i now have a lounge full of leggings, and more to come tomorrow, i've had labels made.. i've spent a fortune on fabric.... researched bags and hangers... gotten into paddington markets.... bought public liability insurance for 10 million... i have 4 days before d day, 2 days before i know my spot at the markets, i still have to sew on the labels.. get my swing tags happening and price everything!!! this little business is turning out to be a big business. I've realised that there is no such thing as running a business in a small way. you're either all in or nothing.. and i guess I'm all in! On Sunday i shot my leggings on the very leggy and beautiful Olivia coyne, courtesy of Bella models, and i love every shot! cant wait to show everyone the rest of it!

and something else, everyone keeps telling me i have to wear the leggings every day to advertise them, I've worn it everyday and i love it to bits, especially now as i find its warmer than anything else i own, but the problem is i don't have anything to wear it with! I've had to go out shopping in search of cute little tunics and tops that show them off... the things i do for my business!

xxx

Markets here i come!

Its been a crazy few days...

I've decided on the date finally, 29th of may, hopefully at paddington markets, all depending on how my interview goes on Wednesday...fingers crossed! Thank you to the Lovely Janet at paddington markets who squeezed me in even though all interview spots were taken for the next 2 months... I guess the universe is working with me on this one!

So far I've made a few samples in my home sweat shop above and trialed it on a few people.. though really it was just a great excuse to drink wine, and giggle with the girls... all looking great so far.

Today i bought some gorgeous fabrics to sample with, and that's what I'll be doing all weekend. Hello late nights and goodbye social life.... for a month anyway..

xxx

Juggling

The last 2 days I've been pattern making , testing, sewing, redoing it all over and over again until I'm satisfied, and I'm so exhausted. I know that its smart to keep the full time job while i start a business but to those people who've done it this way, how??!! How do you keep the motivation up, how do you not get sick of it and not just want to go back to relaxing with a glass of wine after work?

I suppose i know why, work is good but its not mine so therefor not fulfilling. I need to have something that's mine, something that i have dreamed up and can create. Some people are happy to go into work everyday and go home and do it day after day forever, but not me. I'm made different, and whether this works or not, no matter how tired i am, I'm still having an absolute ball!! Its not about the destination but the journey and all... right?

So that's what this will be for me, no pressure to become an entrepreneurial genius, to just have fun everyday and create in anyway i can dream up.

and now, back to it! Tonight i have to cut the patterns up in all the fabrics i have, and tomorrow make them all up. The final samples, woohoo!

xxx

What a weekend.

Sunday i spent a glorious morning in and out of fabric shops, buying samples of different fabrics, elastics, trimmings.... A fabric store is a toy shop for me. It takes me a while to actually remember what i go in for, i spend ages just walking around in a dream state feeling each and every roll, imagining glamorous dresses or jackets or scarves in each fabric...then eventually when I've had my fix and inevitably bought fabric for some dress which probably wont get made for a long time... but it doesn't matter because buying fabric gives me the same high as buying new clothes. No matter that i cant wear it straight away but having a piece of beauty in my home makes me feel special...
As i was saying, eventually i do start looking for what i came in for, but unfortunately as i found yesterday, beautiful stretchy fabrics are not as readily available as i thought. I Will have to keep hunting, but i did get what i needed to do some tests.

I stayed up till 1am refining ,my pattern block, and made a gorgeous pair of black tights with a leather look strip down the outside leg. I Love it!

This project could actually work me thinks.....

My first trial

Last Sunday i got the chance to use one of 2 leggings I'd made as a trial on a shoot, and was beside myself when they looked so amazing. of course the gorgeous model - Olivia Coyne from Bella Models had something to do with it!! And my favourite photographer Claudio Raschella. Those legs are to die for... and i thought i was tall, next to this amazon...well... i don't even want to talk about it!

They look great from the outside but I'm sure my wise teacher from last night had to bite her tongue when she saw them inside out! SHOCKING! But in my defence, one cannot let technicalities get in the way of a creative being inspired. Hence the lesson.

I can sew anything in any fabric in the world except stretch and leather but after last night make that just leather.

Thanks to the wonderful Celyna Ziolkowski, i learned all the tricks of the trade and cant wait to start experimenting. Still a bit of a way to go, have to make and test a few patterns, must get it exactly right! I'll probably end up with a hundred leggings just for me but i might be able to live with that. I will become my product.

So next, off to go and buy lots of delicious fabrics! I Just hope that after all this i can actually part with them.... xxx

Leggings VS Tights

Last night i send out a market research survey so i could find out what Women want in Leggings. I never realized that women are confused about the difference between leggings and tights. Tights are basically hosiery - no seams in the legs, see through, and even in opaque tights you can see some skin. Tights are great for holding you in if you need it. Leggings on the other hands are like pants. LIKE pants i say, NOT pants. therefor still to be worn under long tees, dresses or skirts but are always footless, in different lengths, and have a seam and a proper waistband.

My little tip of the day!

I'd like to also say thank you to anyone who did my survey:) It has been a huge help.

From the survey it seems everyone wants black, in fact 97% would buy black. So my new range will have a lot of black but it will be in beautiful textures... luscious fabrics and i cant wait!!

First i have to learn how to sew stretch, so tomorrow is my lesson with a good friend and very talent designer and maker Celyna Ziolkowski, couturier to the elite! Am very very excited!

Will keep you posted!xx

Its all about the name

I am an obsessive person, I get obsesssed with an idea as fast as i get over it... have started so many great ideas only to loose interest... but here i am giving it another go anyway.

This month's obsession is leggings. Last week, as i was going through magazines a work, i came across the most gorgeous socks from miu miu... stunning pieces with stunning beading... god i love bling! Thats all i needed to make my day, another part of my outfit that i can adorn with jewels!

So i have decided to start my own leggings label. I am doing this as a test to see one, if i can finish something that i've started, and two, to practice for when the time comes to do my clothing label.

So 1 month to design, learn to sew stretch fabric, pattern make and sew, and then 1 month at the markets during winter. lets see what happens, and whatever happens, i'm having loads of fun!

Right now i am deciding between names... sticks or stilts and ladders... what to do... what to do....