Monthly Archives: April 2021

…………………………….Three additional pieces for Sept 10 were the Roma Ponte tunic, the Roma Ponte slim leg pant and a new quality gaberdine used for the embroidered TOPPER. Originally we were going to do the jacket in a crepe we had been using, but we found this new quality and decided to sample it in this jacket……There was a bone of contention with the embroidered…….Elaine felt it should be colorful so it would be easy to see on TV, but I was tired of all the color embroiders I had done over the past ten years and wanted to do something I really had’t done in a jacket of this kind…..tonal emb. There was a lot of emb. on the jacket and I wanted the look of a damask fabric…..so….we made two samples in black…….one with multi color emb. and one with just black on black……..The decision wasn’t a matter of which looked better, because they both looked good, but the black on black had such an elegant quite sophistication which the other didn’t…..Elaine had to admit she would wear the all black jacket in a second…..We went with the tonal in the Black and the Sapphire Blue……The tunic in the Roma Ponte, again had that Audrey Hepburn look. The wide stand collar the 3/4 sleeve, and the casual attitude, also had a quiet sophistication. The LEATHER cord drawstring added to the whole ambiance of the garment. The metal grommets were in gunmetal…..The slanted inset band pockets gave it just the right stance. I could close my eyes and see Audrey Hepburn wearing it…..maybe with a matching small head scarf tied at the back of her neck, and those super large sunglasses. The SLIM Roma Ponte pant were a sensation. Between the fabulous fabric and the fit everyone loved them, and I showed them with everything……They were an instant reorder.

……………………….QVC started something new with Linea. In Sept. they chose three styles that would be sold on the Linea .com site only. They wanted to see if selling Linea, without a formal on air presentation, could generate sales…..This was the start of the cut back…..Also, due to the late start on developing these pieces, Elaine and I discussed which fabrics we could easily get for delivery…After 10 years we had a very good relationship with the sweater factory, and new he would make just the one pieces for us. The other items, the blazer and skirt, we kept in the new Roma Ponte, because we could get the fabric, we loved the fabric, it it would be easier to produce and we knew the Ladies would love the fabric too……..The sweater in the ENR rayon/nylon [WK], had a ballet neckline and long rib starts on the sleeves and the new “WAIST WHITTLING” ribs on the torso. It came in Pewter and Black……The next two items were in the new Ponte knit that Elaine and I name “ROMA PONTE”. We decided that since there was already so much Ponte knit being sold that we had to develop a quality better than anything anyone else was using. Ponte knit is just a technique of knitting on knit machines, like a double knit or jersey. It is the quality of the yarn that makes all the difference. Acrylics and Cashmere can all be knitted on the same fully fashioned machines, but the value of each garment is astronomically different because of the yarn……..same with the ROMA KNIT…The yarn we selected was superb…..a very high quality and expensive yarn….When the women received the jacket and skirt they new just from the look and touch that this was something special……The Roma Ponte tailored like a dream, and the finished garments looked ten times more expensive than what they were. The jacket above was a classic three button with special mottled faux HORN buttons……..Just the buttons alone gave the jacket a more expensive look. It had body seams in the front and back with the addition of the center back seam for shape. It had set in band pocket….and strong shoulder pads. The entire jacket was top stitched and fully lined…..we offered the jacket and skirt in BLACK and HEATHER CHARCOAL GREY. I was able to promote the pieces on my website so the Ladies didn’t have to rely on  the terrible photos on QVC as their only guide……..The three pieces sold very very well. The biggest surprise was the positive reception the new “waist whittling” sweater received. I knew it would look good on missy sizes, but I was waiting to see how my plus gals liked it???!!!…………They loved it! They said it made them feel like they had a waist…..It’s all “smoke and mirrors”!

…………………June 10 was short and brief…..Three new pieces plus a few reorders…….The top tunic shirt/jacket was made in my very successful Linen/Rayon blend. It had a stand collar, 3/4 sleeves, bust darts and side slits. Both the collar, which had a separate emb. design, and the front were done in a satin stitch emb…….The panel in the photo at the extreme right was the emb. sample I had to approve, which I did. It had tiny jet buttons down the front…………….It came in White with Black emb, Linen with Taupe emb. and Purple with tonal emb….It was reordered the following season and new colors were added……The design was Moroccan…..The peasant blouse below, since it was over 10 years ago, may very well have been the first ‘cold shoulder” shown on QVC. The trend didn’t start for years later. As you can see it had a square neckline, with shoulder straps. It had a button front with side slits and a self tie belt. It was the sleeve that brought the newness. It had a loose elastic at the top with shirring and a tight elastic at the bottom to catch the forearm……..The belt was made up of three streamers attached at the center back with a stitch so they couldn’t come apart, but the belt was separate from the blouse. The colors were Deep Fuchsia, Azure and Black……..The next tank was made in the rayon jersey fabric. I was always thinking of new ways to make a tank look new. I loved when jackets were worn open and there was some sort of surprise underneath. I thought this pleated neckline was it……It came in Taupe, Purple and Black……perfect to wear under the new Emb shirt/jacket, and the May Leopard print blazer too….There were also four reorders for June…the WINDOWPANE shirt/jacket being one of them!

Cathy told me QVC is having a “Friends and Family Sale” and the fish pendant is part of the sale [40% off]. They already sold close to 90 of them since the sale began….maybe more by now! Cathy told me there were about 200 left. There are only two colors….Rose Gold and Green Patina….. Get them now before they swim out to sea forever…..LOL