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Yet again we're amazed by the incredible creations made by our customers. Check out these dresses made by Hill House Creations.
"Based in Greenville, S.C., Hill House is a local and sustainable Women's and Children's clothing line. Our goal is to provide simple and feminine designs that are crafted using locally sourced and organic materials."
One of the things I really like about Hill House (besides their designs, I mean) is the fact that they show their sourcing information right on their website. More companies should do that -- and more customers should request it!
Fabrics used in the above picture: Cranberry French Terry and Heathered Mulberry Knit Herringbone; the clothes below were made with our Natural and Colorgrown Brown Honeycomb Stripes.
One of my favorite parts of working at NearSea Naturals is seeing the amazing things our customers create with our fabrics and notions. Trish's incredible Native American Ribbon wedding dress is a perfect example; reading her story and looking at the pictures was so very inspiring. And don't she and her husband look incredibly happy? Trish writes:
I had an unusual request for a wedding dress - I wanted a wedding dress that would compliment my husband's Native American ribbon shirt, which was made by his late mother. It was nontraditional as far as a Western wedding, but it was perfect for our traditional Chumash Indian ceremony. Our plan was an eco-wedding in the mountains in mid-July. Hot, hot, hot. I could not see wearing a dress that was made of anything other than organic cotton.
The first few designers I approached said absolutely not, it was too far from their idea of a "wedding dress" for them to accommodate my requests. I was willing to provide the fabrics, if I could find someone who was willing to be creative enough to try something a little less than ordinary. I then found Aria Couture. She took my drawings, my choices in fabric, and the inspiration from my husband's ribbon shirt and made a gown that surpassed all my expectations.
Aria Couture's final design was a double layered gown with the skirt's top layer slightly shorter than the bottom layer, to reveal the red satin detailing along the edge. The train is slightly squared off, just barely sweeping the floor. The bodice was the vintage fabric matching my husband's shirt, with organic cotton lining, and satin ribboning across the chest, as is tradition. The entire gown is fastened with hook and eyes and five buttons down the skirt, with Buffalo Nickel button covers down the length of the skirt, a nod to my family's Hispanic roots and the tradition of brideprice, "arras", a gift of gold coins. (The tradition is 13 coins, but I used 5 to represent our family.)
It was comfortable to wear, the fabric was so soft and light and dreamy... and did I mention SOFT? Every gown I tried on in bridal shops were itchy, hot, and miserable. I could wear this dress to BED! My wedding day ended up being a perfect 73 degrees, I was as comfortable as could be, the portrait of serenity. I could not have achieve this without finding such a wonderful fabric and a willing designer to break tradition. Thank you for making such a wonderful fabric accessible and affordable for the DIY bride.
Trish, thank you so much for sharing your story and pictures with us!
It's the last week of our summer spectacular giveaway! On September 4,
we will draw three Grand Prize winners from all the orders and entries
received from June 25 - September 3. Each winner will be able to choose
one of three amazing fabric bundles, valued at more than $200 each, or a
$75 gift certificate to NearSea Naturals and American Grown•Spun•Milled.
The fabric bundles are as follows:
Bundle One:
The earthy colors in this bundle are so very appealing, and the gorgeous
eco-friendly fabrics are even more so. The winner will love working with
pieces of our Forest Green Merino Interlock (no longer available, and it
was such a splendid material!), Medium Natural Interlock (an incredible
workhorse of a fabric), Mocha Jersey, Roswell Light French Terry,
Espresso/Charcoal Stripe 1x1 Rib (perfect for so many items of
clothing), Ginko Green Fine Jersey, Martini Ribbed Thermal (an excellent
way to start thinking about making warmer clothes for fall and winter),
Natural Herringbone, and Natural Loopy French Terry.
Bundle Two:
The woven fabrics in this collection are wonderfully sophisticated and
so very useful. The winner will enjoy pieces of our Dusky Plum
Hemp/Organic Cotton Corduroy (a beautiful color), Chocolate and Black
Wide-Width Sateens (the wide width of the fabric makes them so much fun
to work with), Natural Rainstorm, Natural Heavy Flannel, Natural
Herringbone (one of Tara's favorite fabrics), Autumn Hemp Silk Charmeuse (a gorgeous deep hue, in a material that is perfect for eye pillows,
fancy homemade bias tape, and so much more), Black Wool Suiting, and
Licorice/Earl Gray Butterfly Jubilee.
Bundle Three:
This bundle is full of colorful fabrics that'll spice up your sewing,
and a few basic neutrals as well. The winner will have so much fun
working with pieces of our Magenta Light Interlock, Cranberry Heavy
Fleece (highly-coveted around here -- this is a gorgeous and incredibly
cozy material), Solid Pink Interlock, Waverine Interlock (the pattern
makes for wonderfully eye-catching accents and details), Light
Pink/Maroon Jersey Jacquard, and Tickled Pink (a marvelously whimsical
print that's excellent for home dec, crafts, kid items, and more). The
neutrals are our White 1x1 Rib, Ebony Interlock, Natural Heavy Flannel,
and Natural Herringbone.
Do make sure to enter for your chance to win. Do so either by placing an
order or by sending us an email -- and remember, if you've already
ordered or emailed an entry during this promotion, you're already entered!
Note: Grand Prize Winners will be drawn in order. The first winner will
be able to choose from any of the packages or a gift certificate. The
second winner will be able to choose from the remaining packages, or a
gift certificate. The third will be able to choose from any remaining
packages, or a gift certificate. If we do not hear back from any of the
winners within 24 hours of attempting contact, we'll choose the prize
for them. (The prizes are so splendid, though, that having us choose for
you would not be a dreadful thing!)
Fine print/official rules: Open to US residents only. No purchase necessary to enter; send an email to summerspectacular@nearseanaturals.com with your name, email address, street address, and phone number to enter in lieu of placing an order. Weekly drawings will be based on the orders and entries received between Monday and Sunday of the week prior to the drawing; the "grand prize" drawing will include all orders and entries received between June 25 and September 2. It is possible for the same person to win more than once. We will use random.org or a similar random-number generator to choose each winner. Employees of NearSea Naturals and their family members are not eligible to participate. All participants must be at least 18 years of age.
Adrina Fanore, whose mission is to bring "simplicity to the eco world with minimalism and chic designs," made the bridal gown and bridesmaid outfits for this stunning wedding. The bridal gown was made from our Double-Layer Amity Silk and Natural Hemp "Raw" Silk; the bridesmaid gowns were made from our Espresso Hemp Silk Charmeuse (with added Double-Layer Amity Silk detailing for the maid of honor).
Adrina writes that,
"As an eco fashion designer, I must say that these fabric made a beautiful gown. The raw silk and espresso hemp silk were excellent fabrics to sew and work with. The weight is just right for a formal gown, and it draped perfectly. The double-amity silk was more difficult to work with. The fabric is very delicate and will shift, if it's not anchored in a secure position. However, the color is gorgeous, and with the right tools, will make a great overlay or veil. I will recommend all fabrics for your next formal occasion."
Looking at these pictures makes me want to get married again, just to have an excuse to wear such gorgeous clothing!
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