Winter Wonderland - last minute shopping opportunity!

Remnants - which we transformed into aprons!

December 22 is the last Saturday to shop before Christmas (Gregorian version), so come on out to Winter Wonderland  and get all those last minute gifts and stocking stuffers!

Royal blue washable silk - also from remnants

Harobed Designs is taking part and we'll be offering a range of items - especially for those people on your list you can't quite figure out what to buy  - along with other Toronto-based crafters. It's also a great opportunity to buy local as well!

Padded hangers make a great gift!

Details are on the organizer's facebook page at the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/457770777603372/

But, for those who are truly time-pressed, here are the basics: December 22, 12 noon to 6 p.m. EST
Storefront Theatre
955 Bloor St. West (at Delaware)
Nearest subway: Ossington on the Bloor Line, Delaware exit.

Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer

Give gifts for the home!

Team Family aprons: including sizes for kids!

It's that time of year - here in the Northern Hemisphere - where we tend to draw in and hunker down, to get through the colder weather and also deal with the short days and long nights.

All the more reason to think about the home, especially with gift-giving season on the horizon.

At our next show, we're featuring items for the home.

Shown here are just a few of the aprons we'll be offering to customers at the Mistletoe Market, held November 19, 2012 at Royal St. George's  College School in Toronto.

Want your guy to be more active in the kitchen? Try giving him a man-size apron!

Washable silk!

Royal St. George's College School is located in the Annex part of Toronto and is reachable from the Bathurst subway stop, on the Bloor-Danforth line, or the Spadina stop, a little further east. It's located between Howland and Albany, north of Barton.

Flirty polka dots

Public hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There are also a number of public "Green P" parking lots throughout the area plus 'first-come, first-served' street parking.

Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer

A true gem of a vest

With most of the vests and other items Harobed Designs makes, we create one-of-a-kind pieces and, occasionally, limited run quantities.

I strive to make each item truly a gem. Sometimes, this happens almost by chance. I found myself with some lovely teal ribbon plus some metallic ribbon with a hint of teal in it. Voila! A vest design suggested itself and I got to work

.
The result is truly special. The photos don't do this item justice. You really need to see it in person. It will pair beautifully with white... black... gray... teal... and delicate silver lurex if you have a top in that fabric. The teal can be picked up by the stones in your jewellery.

This vest is also ideal for any woman who prefers silver jewelery - the cool fire of the moon - as opposed to the hot fire of the sun (gold).

Such a vest is also a boon when you're travelling, especially if you are on a tour or other trip with a lot of sit-down dinners. With the right colors in your suitcase, just one skirt or pair of slacks, 2 or 3 tops, and 2 or 3 vests like this one, and you're all set.

As for this little gem, we'll be offering it for sale at the Made By Hand Show. It comes in Medium size only.

And only one lucky woman can own it!

Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer

This season, not just shades of gray...

There's been a lot of attention paid to gray lately with the publication of the book, 50 Shdes of Grey, but it's not just literature where gray is strong.



Some people are even referring to gray as the new black and, in truth, it is far more multi-seasonal an option than black. In the warmer weather, black can look heavy and make you feel heavy, whereas gray is lighter in look and color.



And, when temperatures drop, gray in suede, wools, knits, silks, etc., creates an extremely elegant silhouette for women of all ages.



With that in mind, I've created a few gray pieces for the upcoming Made By Hand Show on October 27, 2012, in S, M and L sizing.


These vests are truly versatile, you can wear them over a maxi dress... with a sweater and slacks... with a tunic and leggings, ...with a two-piece skirt suit, to turn it into a 3-piece and add another very stylish layer to your outfit.
The fronts of these vests feature our signature Maypole Weave (TM) fabric while the backs are made from washable micro-suede.

The photos show just three of these designs - and, just for those who truly seek the individual and unique, NO TWO ARE ALIKE. When you purchase one of these vests, you will truly own an original!

You can also learn more about Harobed Designs on our Facebook page, including an overview of some earlier designs:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harobed-Designs/167779129904463

For show details, please go to http://www.madebyhandshow.com

Glamor! Style! Luxury! - and 100% washable!

Ebony with butterfly motifs

Many people nowadays try to avoid having too many garments that need dry-cleaning. For one thing, some dry-cleaning methods are not environmentally-friendly, for another, there's the cost associated with dry-cleaning.






At the same time, not all fabrics can be washed. The real reason they cannot be washed is that they don't have memory built into their yarns or fibers to spring back into shape after washing. In other words, the washing isn't really the issue, it's how the garment dries up that's the problem.

Teal with maple leaves

No such problems exist with the Glamor Wraps (TM) from my company Harobed Designs, I'm pleased to say. The glamorous satin crepe fabric is 100% washable as are the Dupioni silk motifs we applique onto the wraps.

A show volunteer in an amethyst Glamor Wrap

Dressing up a gray sweater and slacks with a cranberry wrap

Another plus is that these wraps fold up well for travel and spring back into shape relatively quickly. We designed them to offer women an option for dressing up in a hurry.






No need to take off a comfy sweater and slacks to go out, just pop on a color-coordinating Glamor Wrap and you're good to go!



Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer




Don't forget. We're at the Made By Hand Show on October 27, 2012. Details at the following link:
http://www.madebyhandshow.com

Bits and Pieces: Creating Wearable Art

One area of design that I'm pursuing more and more is that of creating something wearable out of remnants.

Often, once you've finished making a garment, there are pieces of fabric left over which are too small to use for a garment and too big just to toss away. The type of fabric or the pattern/design of the fabric may mean it isn't suited to making infants or children's wear while the size of the pattern/design may eliminate using it for doll's clothes!

My solution has been to take these pieces and create a wearable item out of them.

My method involves making the "fabric" while I make the garment. I actually start by pinning the shapes together - and I usually use the shapes as-is, left over from cutting the garment. This means I use my mannequin to pin and drape the left-over fabric shapes while I create the "new" overall fabric and thus the garment.

In the photos, I'm showing some silk scraps I made into a shawl-cape. (As it sits on the body more firmly than a shawl, I combined the words "shawl" and "cape" to convey this.) There are actually three types of silk used: Shantung, Dupioni and Noil.

I also combined two colors you don't usually see together - copper and hot pink.

The result is a great piece that is both subtle and stunning.

Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer

HAROBED on the runway!

HAROBED is back on the runway - and for a good cause. We're taking part in a fashion show to support the children's charity Variety.

It's being held on Sunday June 24 and Harobed Designs will be showing 10 special occasion jackets - for weddings, evenings, parties, whatever is special in your life.



Even better, we are showing both Regular and Plus sizes, which we are especially excited about! It's often hard to find opportunities to showcase designs for a range of sizes in a single show.



As we don't want to spoil the surprise, I'm only showing "teasers" of the outfits I'll have on the models walking the runway.

Come out on June 24 to support the "Make A Statement" show at The Hideaway Restaurant, 180 Yorkland Blvd, Toronto. The number of the restaurant is 647-347-2808. The Hideaway is on the basement level and the entrance is in back, close to the parking lot.



To learn more about the children and the charity which will benefit, go to:

http://variety.bc.ca







Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer

All About Austria: some fashion observations...

Colorful promises for spring

Striking & stylish choices

In March 2012,




I was on a whirlwind visit to Austria and took the opportunity to observe what people are wearing and how stylish - or otherwise -  the community is.

In this case, the "community" was really just Vienna and Salzburg, as I was only in the country for six days.

It was also a transitional time of year; as shown above, the shops were hinting at what's in store for spring and summer wear, while pedestrians still needed their winter coats.

 The ladies in red, gray and navy I spotted on the streets of Vienna. By keeping their color palette limited, both the casual looks and the dressy looks work well.

Red on red works

Navy works too!

Gray check is stylish

Seen in Salzburg

The lady in Salzburg is showing a wonderful sense of color, pairing her rust-orange coat with a blue scarf, flecked with orange. It shows you can put two colors together with black and create a great look.

Japanese girls with a style all their own!

The Japanese girls, visiting or studying in Vienna, were spotted at the Hotel Sacher. All show the wonderful style unique to Japan, with their ankle socks and other accessories.






The last photo is of a lady at the airport, very simply dressed for travel. All in gray, with a contrasting scarf; she looked very chic!

Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer

Paris: How Have The Mighty Fallen!

Street scene: lady on right is only one smartly dressed

October 2011 found me in Paris for a few days; I tacked a visit to France onto my trip to see relatives and friends in the UK. I hadn't been to France for a few years and I wanted to buy some French books at reasonable prices - not the astronomical rates I'd have to pay in my home town.

Winter doesn't have to mean dull.

I also wanted to check out what women were wearing. After all, this is - supposedly - still the fashion capital of the world, the city that invented haute couture.

A nice pairing of color and texture

Boy, was I disappointed! Seems that the French have succumbed to the same laissez faire attitude to dressing, which has turned much of the developed world into streetscapes of sad-looking attire.

It makes me wonder what is going on in that other francophone capital of style: Montreal. For years, no matter how hard visiting anglos tried, the Montreal women always managed to look more chic, more stylish. (I'll have to plan a visit there to check things out.)

The red in the plaid and the red bag lift this look

There were one or two bright spots however and it was surprising where I found them. I had chosen to stay near the Gare du Nord station as that was my jumping off point from the Chunnel train and also the place to catch the train to CDG airport.


It is also a working class neighborhood, meaning that very little English was spoken - another plus, as I wanted the chance to speak French.

"Grand Magasin" - the only splash of color!

As my pictures show, style isn't necessarily about money, or where you live and work. It's a dedication you carry in your head and rests more on creativity than cash.

"Grand Magasin" - a sea of dull!

Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer