Saturday, September 26, 2009

Bottle Cap Jewelry

Who knew recycling could be so much fun!!! And beautiful, too! I was researching vintage bottle caps last week, to use on the denim jacket featured earlier, and stumbled upon the best use of old pop caps I've ever seen! Okay, maybe it was the only way I seen these puppies recycled, but what an amazing idea!
So I googled the "how to" sites and decided to give it a whirl! These pieces are a great way to show your personality, be it with retro images or with your own image... they are completely customizable (there's that word again!) and can be made into pendants (coming soon!), charms (as shown), barrettes, earrings, pins, magnets.... I could go on and on, but I got a baseball game to go to! But, you get the picture! The two bracelets shown include Swarovski Austrian crystals and pearls, adding a hint of girly-girl to each piece!... Interested? Email me your pics and images and what you'd like or leave it to me! Enjoy!

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Say Cheese!!!!

What a fun day out and about in Old Towne Orange... especially when you're sporting new duds! This was just a mini photo shoot, to catch some great shots of the new clothes, thanks to my sister and her amazing photography skills! (Shameless plug: Check out the Fresh Squeezed Photography blog to book your session today!!) Anyways, hope you have as much fun looking at them as we had taking them!

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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Polka Dots and Leopard and Floral, Oh My!!

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Autumn is here!!! (Well, in a couple days!) I decided to experiment with some richer colors and fabrics, in hopes to mix things up a bit.... and I've seen some really great ideas, utilizing lots of prints and color combinations, and thought I'd try some out myself! These fabrics will work well for infants, toddlers and school aged girls... there are so many options! (I'm working on boys!!!) I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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the apron skirt.....

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the "Oh My!" dress...

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frayed hemlines on the sleeves and bottom edges...

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a matching headband, of course!

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the "Oh My!" ensemble!

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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Bows, Bows and then... well, some more Bows!

Nothing says "girly girl" like ribbons and bows. So, why not add a few more... and maybe some pom pom trim, for kicks!

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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Have You Heard?

Like so many famous BFF's in history... Lucy and Ethel, Oprah and Gayle, Paris and Nicole, Siegfried and Roy... Betsy's Drawers, too, has a BFF! Her name is Fresh Squeezed Photography and she is, like... totally awesome!!

Honestly... she is more like a sister. In fact, she is a sister. Okay, so, Fresh Squeezed Photography is my sister and my other hobby-turned-project-turned-part-time gig. So, please... stop by, check out our blog and book your session today! Did I mention we design custom photo cards, announcements and invitations? I'm just sayin...

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Need a Teacher Gift?

I made quite a few of these for teacher gifts a few years back.... but they are so versatile and customizable (is that even a word?!) that they make perfect gifts for just about anyone! Want to dress it up? Incorporate some satin and lace and you got yourself a nice cocktail party apron you'll wear all night!
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Fancy Schmancy

Want a fun way to dress up a pair of old overalls? Add a panel to the top, a few patchwork pockets, some pom pom trim and a good old ruffled butt and you got yourself a brand spankin new outfit! These are great... they can be made full length for fall and winter or capris length for warm seasons!

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Monday, September 14, 2009

Retro Inspired Boutique Items

There's just something so cute about a retro baby. And luckily, there's no shortage of retro inspired fabrics out there! Here are a few super cute baby items that feature some of my favorite prints!

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....and while we're on the topic of "baby", these minky blankets are a perfect gift for that baby in your life. They come full sized and travel sized... perfect for strollers, car rides and little hands to drag around the house!
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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Betsy's Comeback...

Welcome to Betsy's Drawers- the Blog! My name is Erika and I am a mom of a 5 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. I began sewing clothes for my daughter when she was about 6 months old and haven't stopped since! I created "Betsy's Drawers" in 2005, offering handmade clothing and baby accessories made with quality, retro and vintage inspired fabrics. I took a 2 year leave, between 2007 and 2009, after the loss of my sweet identical twin boys, George and Henry, who were stillborn in April 2007, due to Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. We were blessed with another pregnancy in 2008, only to lose another beautiful baby boy, Scot, stillborn with no known cause, in February of 2009. After much soul searching, support and continuous healing, I have found myself itching for Betsy's comeback. Thank you to all my friends and family, for bringing me back to a place that I love.
I've created this blog to give myself a place to share my projects and hopefully gain inspiration. If you see something you like, let me know! I make and sell items upon request! And please... share this site with your friends!
Thank you for visiting and I hope to see you back again, soon!

Once Upon a Time...

So, a long time ago, in the land of 2006ish, Betsy's Drawers was in full swing. My daughter was 2, my son was 3 and I was making gobs and gobs of clothes and accessories. I was lucky enough to land a cool little weekend gig, at an opening of an adorable little children's store in Old Towne Orange. They asked me if I'd like to display and sell some of my "goods" in small section of their store during their grand opening. Heck yeah! So, I sewed and sewed for a month, preparing for my first ever "trunk show" and brought upwards of a 100 items. It was a great weekend... pretty successful... and a ton of fun! Here are a few shots from the sale... enjoy!

my "stash"...
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the store...
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Sweet Sets

I think these might be the easiest outfits to make... a simple embellished tank top and a quick little skirt to match... perfect! I like these a lot because they are easy to size... you gotta love elastic!

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The same can be done with a matching set of pants...


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