Happy new year!

Happy new year good people :)

Is it just me or did this week legitimately FLY by!!!

I've been working non stop since Tuesday and it's been C-R-A-Z-Y... I'm reminded of how important it is to follow you passion, cos I find that I just have the strength to keep going, even when I'm extremely tired. Thankfully, my nanny didn't go on holiday, so I've got help with the munchkins, but my maid hasn't come back from what was supposed to be a week long visit to her family... I hope she comes back this weekend though, cos her school resumes on monday... While I sometimes feel I shouldn't have such a young maid, I know sending her back to her folks will mean that they'll just send her off to someone else, so I made it my responsibility to ensure that she gets an education. I really hope her parents let her come back cos they might send her off somewhere else if they will get more money, so I might never see her again. *sigh* Well, she can rad and write now, which she couldn't do before I met her.. I pray she'll be ok.

Not having domestic help is one of the things I'm going to miss the most about naija.... I'm sure I'll be fine, cos I know people who are doing such a great job holding down a job, school and being good moms. God's grace is sufficient for me. I was just telling D the other day that I'm sure God knew that there would be no amount that would suffice as payment for parenting, that's why He made it voluntary... All the munchkins have to do is smile, and no matter how tired I am, I find that I can still go on. I'm so thankful to God for the privilege of being a parent. I'm far from perfect (you should hear me scream :oP), but I would gladly be cook, maid, nanny, driver and everything else my kids need me to be :)

Work has been hectic and fun! Just before Christmas, I worked with a bride with a really small budget. She reminded me so much of myself when I was getting married, I was glad to help her out. I went with her to the market to buy the fabric for the traditional marriage ceremony and I made her a 2 piece outfit. Most people wear Iro and Buba, but she wanted a skirt and blouse and I was glad to oblige.

She's quite busty, so I boned her top to give her support. She didn't need to wear a bra.

I don't have a better pictures cos I couldn't attend the wedding, as I was neck deep in work. I got these thanks to facebook.

So, her husband called me on the morning of Tuesday the 21st asking if I could make a wedding dress for their wedding on Thursday the 23rd!!! 'What happened to the dress your brother was supposed to bring from London?', I asked. He said the dress didn't fit and she didn't like it. They brought the dress over and it wasn't so bad. She just didn't know how to lace it up properly. I laced it up and it was ok, in fact it really cinched in her waist and was very flattering. The only snag was her boobs were spilling over the top!! There was the option of making a bolero, but I didn't want her to spend the whole day pulling a jacket together, besides why cover the lovely dress? Time for some Gbemisoke magic!!! Thankfully, I found a piece of leftover beaded lace from a wedding dress I made in 08 and guess what? It was the exact same colour. I made a 'blouse' (I'm not sure exactly what to call it) and she wore the dress over it. It turned out quite well.

She was full of smiles....

As a full figured woman myself, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to find clothes that flatter the curves. I love creating pieces that solve problems for real women. Making patterns and building corsets require more time and effort than making basic pieces, but I find myself drawn to the more challenging process cos I love the final results. I'm experimenting with draping and I like the results I'm getting. Here's a pic of one of my experiments.

I'll post a pic of the final result soon. It's amazing what the right construction techniques can do to the female form :)

I've got so much going on right now!

I'm working with my jewelry designer friend, Tinuke on some designs for a photo shoot on Thursday. I'm also making a few ready-to-wear pieces. I'll put some pictures up soon. I'll have some stuff for sale, so you can buy yourself (or someone you love) something special ;)

It's about three weeks before we move and so there's a lot of last minute stuff to do... God help me!!!

Thanks for coming by again and again. May your dreams come true xoxoxo