What I’m Working On This Week: 06/01/14

Christmas is officially over. The tree is out on the curb, the furniture is back in it’s usual place and I’m back to a full week of work.

At the end of last week, I switched the shop and social media pages from the Christmas theme I had been using since Black Friday, to the new winter theme, featuring dresses in icy pastels for winter and the start of spring at the top of the shop instead of sparkly holiday decor and accessories. This week, I’ll be taking down all of the Christmas listings and introducing new items for the more wistful, romanticized half of winter, like Pinup Collection II Hair Bows and The Aurora Dress.

Conversation Heart Dress | Sophster-Toaster Vintage Inspired Beige Dress Blue and Purple Floral Dress Continue reading

What I’m Working On This Week: 23/12/13

I’ll be trying to take a few days off this week to enjoy Christmas with the hubs before I start working on a big bridesmaid dress order, but it’s always so hard not to look forward to future projects at this time of year – especially with The Bacon Dress finally finished!

I’m not sure I’ve ever felt such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as I did the day I put the finishing touches on The Bacon Dress, a dress I’ve been working on for the past three months. I’m exceedingly happy with how it turned out. Now I just need one sunny afternoon over the holidays for my husband and I to put together a cheeky, bacony photoshoot and it will be available for order.

With Christmas nearly here, it’s time for me to start working on my bows for Valentine’s Day (one of my favourite holidays, as it usually falls on the same weekend as my birthday) before moving on to plans for the spring dresses. I’m thinking the new hair bow collection will revive the popular leopard print, solid black and black polka dot bows from last year while introducing two new bows in strawberry-milkshake-pink and glittering gold sequin.

The pink bow will be made with scrap fabric from The Milkshake Dress in Strawberry, which is how I’m able to offer my bows at such a great price.

Pink Dress from Sophster-Toaster

The Milkshake Dress in Strawberry

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What I’m Working On This Week: 16/12/13

My bacon fabric finally came! So did some out-of-town family members visiting for the holidays… and a snow storm. Needless to say, the sample did not get completed and that photoshoot I had planned did not take place. BUT I’ve got my fingers crossed that the dress will get done this week and the sun will come out this weekend so I can photograph the sample and get The Bacon Dress listed before the end of the year!

With Christmas coming, loads of orders to fill and two custom orders in the works, I don’t have much time to work on anything else!

How to Buy the Correct Size for Someone Else

Want to buy your best gal a new dress for Christmas but don’t know what size to get? Here are the top 10 tips to covertly acquire her measurements.

The Super Sneaky

  1. Skulk around her favourite shopping websites and look for her profile, she may have added her measurements.
  2. Check the tags of the dresses she already owns and go with the most repeated size. Compare this size to a sizing chart and cross-reference with another tip on this list.
    Clothing Tags

    Some will have letters, some will have numbers, some will be UK sizing and some won’t even be right.

    Clothing Tag

    Find one of these babies and you’re set for conversions.

  3. Blindfold her. Play a sexy game of tie up. Mark the circumference of her bust, waist and hip on the string/rope/what-have-you. Have a bout of evil laughter several days later while measuring it against a ruler. Continue reading