A Whovian Wedding. A lot of them. Or one with a lot of Whovians...

On November 24th, 2013, a whole bunch of Doctor Who fans will be gathering together for more than just a fan party. It's a mass wedding of 50 couples celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who as they exchange vows in a variety of Doctor Who-inspired finery.

Wow. Talk about dedication to a show!

Anywho... "Gracie and Sam" has been invited to take part in the marketplace that will be there to inspire all these new couples in Whovian decor, accessories, and planning ahead to making little baby Whovians. Alas, since I won't be able to make it to this London-based soiree myself, I'm sending along a poster to accompany the carrier and little tidbits for the gift bags.

I'm pretty thrilled with it, actually. I'm trying to come up with pithy little sayings for all my designs so I can cover the walls of my workshop with these now. But nothing terribly witty comes to me about paisley or poppies...

Ah well. Enjoy!

Details that Matter - Soaking and Prewash

Continuing the discussion of why Handmade / Handcrafted matters, have you ever thought about what happens with the fabrics in items you purchase? Ever notice how they seem to fade a few washes later? Wonder if the item is going to shrink? Want to use it right away, but worried about any manufacturing chemicals in the cloth? As I keep saying, I make a carrier based on what I like to use, and I pass that on to my customers.

After sourcing unusual or unique fabrics, I set the vibrant colors in a vinegar pre-soak - this helps to stabilize the dyes used in fabric ink and repels hard water minerals and residue from laundry detergents.

The occasional vinegar wash after you receive your carrier will help keep the colors looking fresh, as will ensuring proper washing settings.

Then I wash (on cold, delicate) and dry (cotton setting) the fabric so any chemicals and starching are removed and any shrinkage is already taken care of.

It takes time and adds a couple extra steps, but that's just part of being handmade!

Gracie and Sam on the Web...

The Whovian carrier was included in a Doctor Who roundup as part of Buzzfeed.com's article, "20 Signs You're a Whovian Parent". Go check it out, and look at Sign #10!