Going to Production

As soon as the swing tags arrived, Clint bundled up the samples and prepared them to be sent to production. I didn't realise it was so involved! Everything - from care label, swing tag, spec sheet and pattern (a.k.a "block" in industry terms) is put into a bag, with a production sketch stapled to the outside. If there are any errors on the block or production sketch, the actual garments manufactured will also have errors, so Clint has been meticulously going over each and every piece to make sure it is spot on.

We are having 20 pieces made in each style in Small and Medium. This is based on the dancer's physique, but Large sizing is available on request as it's a simple matter of angling the block. We also decided to go with S M over 8-12 to keep costs down. Most of the garments in the range are elasticised, so simply pull on over the head, hence fitting a range of sizes.

A few garments we are having made are:

• Sequined Hoodie - my first & favourite design!
• Black Bodysuit - thick black boyleg body with exposed zip at back
• Pole Pants - knee-length tracksuit pants in grey marle
• Dance Pants - long tracksuit pants
• Dance Tube top & skirt in high quality spandex
• Make up mini & maxi dresses - a personal favourite - simple spandex tube-style dress with elastic and frill around bust for those competitors who are having their make up and fake tan done in front of 300+ other dancers. Will be in washable black so make up stains are no problem

I'm also having a scarf made up in my custom fabric. Looks stunning, and elaundry has already had interest from a local business to manufacture as an accessory to their uniform!

Another new addition is the sequined hobo bag pictured above. It's a gorgeous slouch bag that you can wear across your body with silver sequined outer and custom Camelia lining on the inside. The inside of the strap is lined so there's no snagging to delicate fabrics, and a magnet clasp allows easy access. We've put an iPhone pocket on the inside and pleated the seam on the inside of the bag so the contents don't roll around. It wraps beautifully around your hips when you wear it!

You may notice that the black robe spoken of earlier has been culled from the range. Although I had faith in this piece, it was just too complicated to go to production, and would have been a much more expensive item than we had originally opted for. And when you took off all the trimmings and embellishments, it was just too basic and that's totally not my style!

So in a month from now, I will have my range ripe and ready to sell to Dancesport! I hope you all have your fingers crossed for me!

Until next time,
CC xo