Journal

Recently, I asked my Instagram community which antique and vintage inspired garments I should remake next and on a little bit of a whim, I posted a pair of antique bloomers since I've been wanting a pair that look like bloomers but actually aren't bloomers. I was actually surprised that so many of you responded positively to the bloomers. These are bathing outfits featuring bloomers in different silhouettes. All are wide leg, but the two on the left are more fitted at the ankle and feature trims, the two on...

My intention for Atèlette wasn't to create a sustainable clothing brand. First and foremost, I wanted to create beautiful & timeless garments that brought me joy to create that women could wear year after year, turn to again and again. I wanted to create garments that would be cherished, loved, and became integral pieces in a woman's wardrobe that reflected back to her the life she lived and the life she aspired to have. Like cloth talismans that reminded her of who she was and where she was headed.  That...

Most of the floral patterns and prints I create for Atèlette are inspired by antique textiles I have found through antique pattern & fabric sample books such as this one from Old Pacific Print Works, a textile company based in Massachusetts. I came across this collection from 1880-1881 and there are so many beautiful motifs inspiring me for Spring and Summer of next year.   Source: Printer's Sample Book (USA); Manufactured by Old Pacific Print Works; leather, paper, cotton; Gift of Frederick J. Whitehead from the collection compiled by his father...

For about 1/3 of this year, I have been dealing with health issues related to my immune system that I really did not start to get better from until I took my health a bit more seriously. Around mid-October was when I finally started to see the light at the end of the dark passage and I feel as each week passes, I am feeling more and more like my old self. Though, I am not 100% certain I will ever be exactly my old (younger) self again. A few...

A few months ago, I was misdiagnosed with a skin condition that turned out to be a bit more serious. Normally I have a lot of energy, I can go and go and go, but one of the rarer side effects of this condition is extreme fatigue that comes in waves. There are mornings I wake up, despite sleeping for 9-10 hours, that I feel so bone tired. There are also days where I experience so much brain fog, I can't even succinctly recall how I got through the end...

One of the first Christmas gifts I received when I immigrated to America was a diary, a "Secret Garden" themed diary to be exact. I am not sure why my parents decided to get me this, though to be fair, I had asked for a Brittanica Encyclopedia for Christmas...so perhaps the diary didn't seem so farfetched. I remember my Dad having one of those large video recorders (he has and still is very into whatever latest tech gadgets exist) recording me opening up the Encyclopedia and me ripping open paper...

I am currently at home nursing the tail end (I hope) of a migraine that started 24 hours ago. I don't get migraines too often, but when I do, they're whoppers. Anyhow, I spent a bit of this morning sitting out in the garden with my eyes closed, trying to meditate, but I kept seeing delicate black tendrils floating behind my eyelids and everything was turning bright fuchsia red. Still, a bit of sun is always reviving for me and there was a nice breeze. I picked some calendula and...

Taking a moment right now to give myself a pat on the back as I've just released my newest batch of designs for the upcoming summer season. I suppose I should preface by saying I don't really work in seasons, I tend to just design as the inspiration comes, but it has been interesting how rhythmic my creativity has been with the seasons, thus far anyway. I am so excited to see all my latest work all together! Some of these pieces still need a little more finetuning with fits and details,...

I am taking a leap of faith and taking a big risk on embarking on this new venture for Atèlette, a flagship brick & mortar shared with our sister shop, Adored Vintage! The opportunity fell into my lap when I wasn't really looking for it and so far everything has happened without too much effort and has felt very organic, so my heart and spirit feel really good about it all. Of course there's always a small tinge of fear, but this isn't my first brick & mortar rodeo, so I'm...

Madder root (Rubia tinctorum) is a natural plant dye material I have been wanting to work with for a while because of the various hues of deep red, pink, corals, rust hues acquired from it. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I'm a beginner when it comes to botanical dyeing, but I was really pleasantly surprised with the soft palette of petal pink.I read several different posts and watched Youtube videos and decided on doing an alum mordant on four Atèlette pieces that had the slightest imperfections. I'm talking tiny pin...

Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, has been our favorite little weekend getaway since we first visited last winter. We used to frequent the coastal historical town of Astoria (which is in Oregon) as our weekend getaway of choice, but as of late, it's been Vashon. We love the peace and quiet, the rolling hills, the farmlands, and the sweet little main streets. Vashon during the week is pretty sleepy but usually is buzzing on weekends as it is very accessible via a 20 min ferry ride from Tacoma or...