Mamas*Little*Treasures: Audrey and Grace: A little bit country, and a lot of class

Being a seamstress myself, I can truly appreciate all of the time, energy, and love that goes into creating such a gorgeous dress. I discovered Audrey and Grace's little Etsy shop while searching for items and sellers to feature in my Thrifty Thursday series. Well, the beautiful designs of Audrey and Grace do not fit into that category, but I just had to share them with you! And they are definitely worth the prices that are on them - the time invested in making such a work of art would be impossible to calculate accurately. Garment like the dresses you will find in Audrey and Grace's shop are fashion treasures today, and heirlooms of tomorrow. Just take a few minutes and visit Audrey and Grace's shop and see all of the wonderful, whimsical dresses they have in stock. And maybe convo Lesha and send her some Etsy friendship!

One of the things that has surprised me in the past couple of years, is the discovery that handmade garments are so "trendy" or "fashionable." When I was growing up, if you wore handmade clothing, it was because you couldn't afford to buy new clothes from the store. As I was raising my older children, I made most of their clothing, as well as my own, not so much then because I couldn't afford to do anything different, but because that was just the way I grew up, I was used to it, and I loved to sew. So, when I realized that "handmade" was a good thing, I decided to see if there was a market for my handcrafted children's clothing. And there was! The only problem I encountered, was that I couldn't sew things fast enough to keep up with my orders . . . . which was a good thing in some ways, but it was wearing me out.

The other thing that I discovered, that was also a bit of a surprise to me, was that there were LOTS of younger women who wanted to learn how to sew for themselves and / or their children. As I began to get more and more emails asking for advice and help on how to make certain design elements, or just how to get started sewing, I began to write up my eBook patterns. That way I really felt like I was making a contribution to the lives of other women who had never had the opportunity, or had not been interested earlier in their life, to learn how to sew. Writing my eBooks, of course, takes more time initially than to sew a dress or an outfit. But . . . . once it is written, I can make it available to lots and lots of women! Perhaps Lesha will decide one day to share some of her secrets with other women who might like to learn how to create such amazing dresses, too. But until she does, if you are looking for a dress that is unique and will be the fashion statement at your next Big Event, be sure to stop by and visit Audrey and Grace's Etsy Shop. Tell Lesha I sent you!