WESTie Wednesday - featuring Heidi and Seek Boutique

Welcome to WESTie Wednesday, where each week we better get to know a proud WEST member and their Etsy shop! Let's catch up with Heidi, the creator behind everything Heidi-and-Seek Boutique!

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"I'm in the business of creating new things from previously used materials, turning them into fun pieces of clothing and accessories!! In my shop right now you will see my vintage inspired peplum tops as well as a few of my signature Heidi Hoods! Each item is unique and usually one-of-a-kind since I only use previously used material. All materials are purchased second-hand to create less waste, washed clean and dried to prevent shrinkage. I create in my home where we have turned our second bedroom into my sewing studio!"

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"I sell handmade clothing and accessories. The Heidi-and-Seek Boutique girl is young at heart, loves color and fashion and looks for something unique to add to her wardrobe!"

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"My goal is make a living doing what I love, and Etsy is a really great outlet for being able to share my brand with the world!"

Visit Heidi and keep up with her latest creations, by visiting her Facebook page here. She also keeps you up to speed on a real cute blog, here!

Makers Market - First Friday Every Month!

Every first Friday of the month Frame Arts Warehouse hosts a Makers Market at 318 Ross in the Exchange District of Winnipeg. This is held in conjunction with First Fridays in the Exchange.

There are always at least 1 or 2 WESTies vending there: last month saw Heidi of heidiandseekboutique

Lisa of BitchnKitschnKitchen

Angela of ByBlackBirdDesigns

And Ruth of PeriwinkleDzyns

among many other WESTies and awesomeness. Visit every month for a constantly revolving group of crafters, vintage purveyors, food vendors and live entertainment! See you August 2!

Project Restyle: Shift Dress

I've got another Project Restyle to share, this week I re-styled a black shift dress.

The first thing I did was decide how long I wanted it to be, just like in the Bow Dress Re-style.

I'm 5'8", I like to wear dresses at a total length of 35" from shoulder seam to bottom hem.  So I usually cut it off about an inch longer, to include the hem.

The dress was too long, so here's what you do to shorten it:

1. Measure 2 inches up from the bottom, and pin all the way along

2. Cut the bottom off, following the pins

3. Roll the hem about 1/2" up

4. Roll the hem another 1/2" up so that the raw edge is hidden

5. Pin the hem down

6. Sew the hem in place.

The dress was too wide, so here's what you do to take it in:

7. Turn dress inside out

8. Place another dress, in a similar style over top of the dress as a guide

9. Place pins as a guide to where you should sew

10. Sew just beside the pins on the side further from the edge.

I also cut the sleeve about 6 inches shorter, and added a cuff that I made.

Now that I've got the ball rolling on my re-styling projects, I'm really enjoying bringing them from start to finish, the final product is well worth the work :)

Reposted by Heidi-and-Seek Boutique

An Exciting Opportunity

Hey everyone, Heidi here from Heidi-and-Seek Boutique.  I have some really exciting news to share today!

I was contacted by Shop Bevel to enter one of my fabric flower statement necklaces in their "Style a Celebrity" challenge!  If I win, they will produce and sell my design on shopbevel.com and I receive 15% of the royalties from each piece that they sell!  ALSO, if chosen, my necklace design could be worn by Troian Bellesario of "Pretty Little Liars" (!!!!)

In order to win, I need votes and that's where you come in!  My design is up for voting now and I would be so grateful if you would take the time to vote for my piece!  Voting is open for the next 13 days, and they do require that you register via email or Facebook in order to vote.  To vote for my design, click here

Who will be at the WEST Sale III? pt.2

Who will be at the WEST Sale III? Look forward to meeting the following WESTies with their fantastic handmade & vintage items, come May 4th!

From top left, you may find..
Heidi and Seek Boutique - Hi-Low Tank Top
Hoshii Designs - Foldover Clutch
Punky and the Bug - Birthday Card
Heartfelt Yarn Wreaths - Wreath
On the Go Designs - Baby Blanket
Toxie Designs - Earrings
aeliosdesign - Armlet
Real Swanky - Magnets
SmashKnits - Fingerless Mittens
We are Bound Together - Leather Journal
BlueStarStudio - Key Fobs
DarlingRing - Candle Skirt
emms Pocket Shop - Change Pouch
ByBlackBirdDesigns - Cuff Links
PrairieThreads - Basket

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our vendor features in upcoming posts!

RSVP to the WEST Handmade & Vintage Sale III here!

What's New Wednesday

Click the photo to see the item! 

What's your favourite piece? Let us know in the comments!

Birdie and Dot | Bitchin' Kitsch 'n' Kitchen | DragonNerd | Heidi-and-Seek Boutique | Krista's Jewellery | ladylikeness | Periwinkle Dzyns | Sage & Olivia Jewellery | Selkie Design | Real Swanky | Windseed Studio | WWNaturals

Who's New Tuesday: Heidi-and-Seek Boutique

Hello everyone, Heidi here from Heidi-and-Seek Boutique. We're starting a new segment on the blog where we get to be introduced to someone new! To start this segment off, I will introduce myself and continuing on, we will post intros of new members on Tuesdays as we have them :)

Where are you from?
I'm from Winkler, MB.

What is your Etsy Shop Called?
Heidi-and-Seek Boutique

When did you start your Etsy Shop?
My business, Heidi-and-Seek Boutique was started in May of 2009 when I received my first ever sewing machine for Christmas! I started up-cycling things like pillowcases into skirts and purses, using place mats to make clutch purses, things like that.

Why did you decide to open an Etsy shop
I decided to open an Etsy shop because I was making things people liked and it seemed like a really neat community! At the time I was (and still am) reading A Beautiful Mess, and I believe that is where I first learned about Etsy from her creative paintings and kits. Heidi-and-Seek Boutique sells unique, up-cycled clothing and accessories for women.

What is your favorite item to make?
My favorite item to make right now is probably my Heidi Hoods. I love the idea I came up with and am really enjoying thinking up new things to do with them!

What are your long-term Etsy goals?
I'm hoping to start taking some Apparel Design courses in the near future, and ultimately would like to be able to 'quit my day job' and do this full-time!

So there's me in a nutshell!  If you'd like to follow my handmade journey, you can get updates on my Facebook Page and feel free to check out my blog for all things Heidi-and-Seek Boutique :)
Thanks for reading!

PS. If you're new since last July, be expecting a message from me at some point ;)

Where WESTies Create: Episode 5, Heidi-and-Seek Boutique

Hi! I'm Heidi from Heidi-and-Seek Boutique I started out my little business when I was in college, and started my Etsy Shop on May 4th of 2009! I've come so far since then, it's amazing to see what happens when you really start working on your dream!

Anyway, here are a few photos of my studio. Almost 1 year ago my husband and I bought this house (he was still my fiance at the time), and I insisted that I needed to have a proper sewing room, so the second bedroom upstairs was deemed 'sewing studio.'  Here's my computer and shipping desk.

It so happens that my dad is a carpenter and had all these leftover cabinets and shelving units that were PERFECT for what I needed.

He also made me this fabulous cutting table with storage cubbies!! Best part-there's cubbies on both sides and it's on wheels!

Across the way is my sewing machine and serger, I LOVE having this much space for the machines.

Another beauty, a hanging rod for my items and a little extra shelf space above :)

I hope you've enjoyed a little peek into my creative space, to be honest, this was right after I cleaned it up for the new year...it usually looks a lot more cluttered ;)

If you want to find out more about what goes on in my creative space, feel free to follow me on my blog, Heidi-and-Seek. Thanks for reading!