Newsletter

Hopefully you have received my email with the newsletter attachment ... if not feel free to email me about upcoming markets.

I also wanted to let you know about my gorgeous new venture, Treehouse Textiles, we will be running contemporary textile workshops, click on the link and sign up for the newsletter to find out about our workshops!

Last minute photos ...

So French, so chic!!
Little snippets of French icons printed on cotton and then patched together to make the panel on this skirt, love navy & white stripes!!

Lime green tie swing tops with neutral 3/4 pants,
great with everything and beautifully made, if do say so myself!!!

Close up of daughter number one in my natural summer
dress with feature panel, looks just lovely!

Just loved the light in this picture ...

A couple of last minute pictures taken of the girls this evening before i madly packed for Red Hill market. I have a great range of clothing available, from size 2 to 12, lots of denim skirts, swing tops in all colours and floaty summer dresses.
Perfect for the great weather we are going to have tomorrow!!

This is what has been happening ...

Never seem to get around to posting on my blog very much, have all the best intentions and then life gets in the way.
So you may have been wondering what has been happening here, well we have welcomed two new members to the Di Stefano household, 'Ginny' and 'Luna' (Harry Potter inspired) gorgeous pets for the girls that have the best rabbit hutch & pen i have seen in a long time, built by husband who was inspired (and strongly guided by youngest daughter!!). Will post photo soon!!
I have managed to bulge a disc in my back which means I have been unable to sew or do anything interesting for two weeks now, lots of trips to the physio, walking and exercises! I do feel better but I also feel that it may be a while before I am back to normal!! Sadly I have had to cancel a couple of markets because i don't feel that i will be able to make enough stock, but I will still be around at a few local events.
I have managed to patchwork a cushion this weekend, which is going to be a project to make in my new business venture that I will tell you about soon.
Take care Em x

Spring is in the air

The gorgeous weather we had today made me realise that Summer is just around the corner, time to share with you some of my summer pieces. These necklaces just look like Summer, bright & colourful or soft & pink, they look great hanging on the clothes line near the lemon tree.

I am very happy with my spring/summer collection, I have so much that I want to make, skirts, dress and tops, with a variety of colourful accessories.

Making one off handmade pieces using a variety of materials and some hand stitching is time consuming but I want yknot designs to be different from what you see at the shops.

Here I am ...

I am getting going on the Spring/Summer market stock ... material bought (love it all and always want to buy more!!) designs almost figured out, some samples sewn. Just need to wind myself up a bit and get moving. Have started slightly earlier this season, but still have a mountain of work to complete, November looks like the busiest month, Markets on every weekend.
I have also been working on some patterns to go in the shop, and this is a lovely picture of me showing my reversible bag in gorgeous linen from here.
Don't you love the prominent view of my iron!
Great design, happy with shape and size, I am looking forward to teaching some classes on how to make it.

what have i been doing???

So, it's been a while since my last market ... can't even remember which one it was (terrible I know), what have I been doing? Well ... have looked around my new studio/office (more about that later) and realised that I have an extraordinary amount of material, in all shapes and sizes, and I really need to start doing something with it. This has coincided with me getting a job at the local sewing & material store, can I honestly justify buying more material? Well no, but it seems to somehow happen.
Anyway I started to have a look at the many patchwork project that come into the shop, whilst many of them are not my style or taste they are still amazing and a great way of using up 'scraps' of fabric (of which I have many). So here above is the beginning of my first patchwork quilt, pieced together with scraps old and new ... now how to turn it into something that can work with yknot? designs ...because starting out was quite difficult - why do they still use inches? what is a quarter inch foot and do I really need one ...? what is the name of the squares I am making? and why are some quilts so daggy when there are some beautiful fabrics available? I have decided to make a beginner quilt pattern - something that will help beginners, it's basic, straight sewing, not a lot of matching corners, its a free size but would work in a cot (maybe a bit on the small size) - on your lap in front of the telly or for a baby on the floor - but really it was only intended to be a beginners project that would inspire people to sew - kids could manage it!!

So, that is what i have been doing ... a quilt pattern and maybe some material to get you started will be available at the next Piccadilly Market in Geelong. Stay tuned for the photo of my new studio/office - just need to tidy it up so I can take a decent photo of it. Em x

Open house

I never seem to get around to blog posts, unless something is going on ... so here it is now, I am having an open house on Thursday 30th June from 9am-3pm, I would love anyone to drop in and say hello, the coffee machine will be on and I will bake my yummy chocolate cake ... bargains a plenty and 25% off everything!!

Buy some clothes for your kids before the holidays, pick up a present, perhaps even a summer bargain or two ...

Looking forward to see you then. Emma x

P.S Have been busy with heaps of various things, will update soon (I promise)

Piccadilly Market

Sorry for the lack of blog posts, but I am still here and writing, sewing & creating ... just letting my lovely customers & friends know that I will be at Piccadilly market this weekend for their 'small people' show ... don't forget my clothes are available from size 4 to 10.

Magnolia Square now on ...

Here are two hurried photos of the kids in the latest 'yknot?' clothing,
I have been working towards Mag Sq event for a long time and yet still seem to finish everything at the last minute ... the charcoal denim dress with a cord tie around the middle was finished this afternoon and the gorgeous blue denim smock (a new favourite) a couple of days ago!

I am pleased to say they are in the car, beautifully ironed (by Mum) and ready to go to Magnolia Square which is opening tomorrow 10am-9pm, Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-4pm.

Would love to see you there!

yknot? come and see me at Magnolia Square ...

Long time between posts ... I can't wait until the next Magnolia Square event at the Malvern Town Hall, it will be the first time I have been there in such a long time, I have a great new range of clothing and accessories and a couple of new items that will be ready, just for this event!

Look out for the new yknot? designs 'classic' range!!

New Look Autumn/Winter 2011 ...

The entire yknot? designs collection will be at Finders Keepers this Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm, Shed 4, Docklands please find detailed instructions on how to get there here.
It can be tricky to find!

I am so excited to (finally!!) launch my Autumn/Winter 2011 range of clothing and a co-ordinated range of accessories which are all priced under $50!!! Where else can you get well made, age appropriate cool clothes for your kids that no one else has.

Slim line washed charcoal denim pants with a zip pocket and adjustable waist, paper bag skirt with bow, longer style long sleeve top and 3/4 sleeve top in great prints.
All styles are available in size 4, 6, 8 & 10.

I am slowly getting my website up to date ... by Friday it should all be completed (somehow!!), you can also find me on 'face book' by clicking on the link to your right.

Hope to see you soon.

real models

I did my photo shoots today ... boys, daughters, lots of outfit changes, very hands on, nothing professional going on here, but I have got some great results, here are two of the photo's that I have edited just for fun.
My clothes look so much better on real models than the coat hanger, in fact I am delighted with the look of the whole range, I am looking forward to showing it this weekend at Finders Keepers.

cuffs ...

I spent ages taking photos of my new look stand at Piccadilly Market on the Weekend and this is the one that I like the most, don't my new season cuffs look cute!

I am loving this ...

Thanks to the clever people at Finders Keepers I now know a new website to edit photos, this is my first go ... very happy with results!
Out there in blog land or website world I am sure you already knew this existed - but why has it taken me so long??

more images

I have tried to take more images of my new products, I really need the live models to be involved and had planned to do it today, however I sold a lot of my new range of necklaces and clothes at Red Hill on Saturday (yippee!). I need to quickly make some more so I can take pictures of the kids as soon as possible!
Above is a picture of the newest necklace I have made and the one I sold out of on Saturday and also the tops I am making, both the printed one (a loose over-shirt with pocket) and the long sleeve longer length t-shirt top.
Below are my gorgeous velvet ribbon bow clips, don't you just love the colours?

... here it comes ...

I am now almost ready to show my Winter 2011 range, the last few necklaces were completed today, belts tomorrow and a few more long sleeve tops. The above photo shows a glimpse of my Winter skirt and also a long sleeve top (stripe), funky strong colours and a cool design.


This photo is of the almost completed necklace, still a denim bird but slightly different, what do you think?

I am really pleased with how it is all coming together, however it does feel like i have been working on it for ages, I promise (Mum) next year that I will be better organised and not so last minute panic!

yknot? for boys!

This Winter I will introducing a small but fantastic range of tops & belts for boys. I have made a long sleeve top in navy & grey stripe with a funky denim dog on the front, the other top is all grey with a charcoal denim shark! Available in size 2, 4 & 6.

Here is a sneak preview of one of the tops ...

winter 2011

I am having difficulty uploading more that one picture and then putting it where I want ... I have done it before but can't remember what to do ... I'll try again!!


Anyway I have been working on my colours and styles for this coming season
... what do you think?

Fabric has been ordered, just need to sew up some samples and get going ...

I am also working on a range for boys!!!

So many customers ask if i make things for boys, and finally the answer will be 'yes', I will have long sleeved t-shirts and a range of belts, I will be making size 2,4 & 6 and maybe 8 - I might wait and see if that size is requested.

The boys range will have a strong navy & red theme with also a grey, neutral & orange.





So that is where i am at ... kids are back at school, house is organised and clean ... I am ready to go, I look forward to seeing you at future markets!!

Emma

... what I have been up to ...

I know you are wondering what I have been up to lately, hopefully some of these pictures will explain what has been happening in the house of 'yknot?'

First of all I have been at a few markets, Inverloch with the lovely girls from Mookah and the Mornington Market, selling all my summer range at discounted prices, this weekend (5th Feb) I will be at Red Hill where all my kids clothing will be at $20 each or less, I still have a variety of sizes available, 'yknot' buy something to put away for next year or get some fantastic birthday presents!!

I also decided it was time for a re-arrange and major tidy up in my office, shelves have been moved, material folded, things thrown out ... it really was out of control! I now feel that I have made more space and feel more organised. I am just waiting now for husband to make me a desk that goes along one wall so I can spread out my sewing machines rather than being cramped on the one small table (it's really tiny). I also have plans for a feature wall and some mounted shelves to complete the space, will post photo when it is done.

SALE! SALE!

I will be at Mornington Market this Sunday, selling my summer clothes at reduced prices, I have a range of styles and sizes still available. If you can't make it to the market and are interested in something then please email me and I will see what I have and post it to you!

I am busy working on Autumn/Winter 2011 (well as much as you can during the school holidays!!), it will be ready to be launched in March.

... the next generation ...

Welcome to my first post for 2011, it has taken me a while to get back into the swing of things after Christmas and the mad Market rush ...

I got the kids a great Christmas present (well I thought so!!), a sewing machine and here is Bella my eldest giving it a go ... there is potential, the next generation "YKNOT?" she is patient and very precise which is a fantastic!

Here is to lots of sewing projects ...