style – Poole Party of 5

Custom Gifts

Published on March 14, 2013April 4, 2013 by poolepartyof53 Comments

One of the most fun things I get to do with this mini-business / hobby is hear when people have something exciting going on in their lives. My girlfriend called the other day because a new baby had been born in her family! She wanted to celebrate the birth by giving a gift to her nieces when she goes to visit next week. She asked if I could help and we came up with a plan. The new sisters share a letter, both of their first names start with “H”. We decided to make them a coordinating t-shirt and onesie combination with a big “H” for big sister and little “h” for baby.

I love how they turned out and I hope that the girls enjoy sporting their special letter around town. Sisters get to share so much – how fun that they also share a letter! This gift will look fantastic in pictures with the new baby. I love that it celebrates both the family’s new addition and also big sister’s new role!

Remember that Poole Party Designs is happy to work with you on special projects and gifts. If we can help you come up with the perfect gift for a special someone in your life, that makes our day! Hopefully it makes your life easier too…

On another note, the blog has a new look! Spring is around the corner and the blog needed some freshening up! I am still working out some kinks, so please excuse me while we transition! I love hearing your comments, so feel free to let me know your thoughts on the new format!

Book Bag Fever

Published on October 23, 2012April 4, 2013 by poolepartyof57 Comments

Apples on the trees, school in session – seems like the perfect time to start making some book bags!

I will admit that this project began out of necessity. The boys’ new preschool does not like the kids to bring backpacks. Curious. Apparently, the cubbies are just too small. They were being overwhelmed by backpacks. I love the image of backpacks pouring in from all corners, filling the room! Be that as it may, the kids are bringing stuff home every night – artwork and papers everywhere! Hence, the need for a slimmer, more streamlined bag to keep the mama from losing her head. Ideally, it would be appropriately sized for a preschooler to carry. Where does one find such a thing? “Hmmm…” I say, (with a closet full of awesome fabric…) “I’ve seen a book bag before, I bet I can figure this out.” And so the bag-making frenzy begins at the Poole house…

Why do school supplies evoke such lovely memories? Even though I don’t need to buy myself #2 pencils or lined paper anymore, these book bags make me feel like a kid all over again! This little project was not based on a pattern, so if and when I refine my process, I will post a tutorial. Also, I am feeling a bit obsessed with monograms, if you haven’t noticed. You will be seeing more of them in items soon to be listed to the shop. In the case of the book bag, there was a dual purpose for the monogram; easy preschool identification and style. Here is Duncan modeling his new tote (I find his cross-body-carry especially hip). My personal favorite, to date, is the elephants!

Inspiration

Published on June 3, 2012April 4, 2013 by poolepartyof57 Comments

Inspiration comes in all forms… in this post you will see what actually inspired moving the sewing machine out of its box. Today we celebrated one of my dearest friends and the upcoming arrival of her first baby. K has applauded all of her friends’ babies in the last few years and today we got to return the favor by honoring her. K is a planner and appreciates both parties and details, so it was clear we needed to raise the bar. Teaching myself to sew in a month seemed like a good idea at the time… Debatable, but fun! Keep in mind I am 5 months postpartum and possibly a little cuckoo.

I was in charge of decorations and focused my energy on creating custom onesies and burp cloths for the new babe. We displayed these with hand-decorated clothespins and lots and lots of polka dots… my favorite! As the party neared, I thought about sewing place mats and a runner for the table and quickly became overwhelmed, so came up with a pretty creative solution (if I do say so myself) and used wrapping paper to create our table top decorations. It worked beautifully in a pinch – lots of pop, plus I can use the paper again. It was a lovely day and I believe K felt celebrated and special – total success!

So the moral of the story is that K and baby have been my inspiration (muses?) and I thank them for all the fun that I have been having over the last weeks! And now, anyone for some place mats?