Rascals and Ragamuffins

What will this New Year bring?

2012-01-08T01:05:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the beginning of 2012. Happy New Year everyone!

With the beginning of a new year comes the inevitable making and breaking of resolutions. Except, I don't make resolutions. Instead, I have goals.

My goals for this year include:
* completing a 5km run in 30 minutes
* reaching my goal weight
* getting married
* starting our house renovation

Not necessarily in that order.

The house renovation is possibly the one thing I am most excited about because it means the inclusion of a much yearned for . . . sewing room!

Here's a couple of pics of dream sewing rooms from which I have gained storage inspiration.

So pretty and neat.

Loving that table and those shelves.

A practical way to store fabrics

I love this. I truly do. Not very practical for a sewing room though.

Ahhh . . . (loud sigh). Back to reality with a thud as I listen to my two children fighting in the shower. Duty calls!

Until next time,
Julie

The History of Christmas

2011-11-25T00:52:00.000-08:00

The basis for the Christian-era Santa Claus is Bishop Nicholas. Nicholas lived in the 4th century A.D. He was very rich, generous, and loving toward children. Often he gave joy to poor children by throwing gifts in through their windows. St. Nicholas made his way to the

United States

with Dutch immigrants, and began to be referred to as Santa Claus.

In his white beard, red jacket and pompom-topped cap, he would sally forth on the night before Christmas in his sleigh, pulled by eight reindeer, and climb down chimneys to leave his Christmas gifts in stockings children set out on the fireplace's mantelpiece.

Children naturally wanted to know where Santa Claus actually came from. Where did he live when he wasn't delivering presents? Those questions gave rise to the legend that Santa Claus lived at the North Pole, where his Christmas-gift workshop was also located.

In light of the fact that the fat man arrives in less than 30 days, I would like to start spreading the Christmas cheer by showing you some of our colourful and cute Christmas items.

If you would like to see our full range, please visit www.facebook.com/rascalsandragamuffins

Sale Now On

2011-08-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

With the much anticipated, impending arrival of Spring almost upon us, I felt it was time for a sale.

Why not?

All Winter garments have been reduced - some by up to $10.

If it's still a little cool where you are, now would be a great time to pick up a bargain.

Have a great week!
Julie

New for Spring!

2011-08-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wait until the official beginning of Spring, but being impatient is a flaw. We've been working on lots this past month and I'd like to share some of those items with you.

Turtles Nappy Cover

Happier Garden Handbag

Nicey Jane Handbag

Sew Baby Nappy Cover

Owl Family Nappy Cover

Beige Crocheted Beanie

Bird In A Tree Tshirt

Monkey Nappy Cover

Monkeys and Turtles nappy covers come in sizes 000, 00, 0 and are $12 each.

Then there's a Happier Garden girls handbag in Medium for $15 and two Nicey Jane handbags in Small for $12. One of the handbags has one handle and the one pictured has two (just to be different!). Both of these compliment the current range of girls peasant dresses.

Also pictured are the Sew Baby and Owl Family Ruffle Butt Nappy Cover for little girls. Sizes available are 000, 00, and 0 and these are $15 each.

I love the Bird In A Tree short sleeved tees for girls. At present I only have size 3 and 4 available, but will work on getting some smaller (and larger) sizes on the website during September.

Coming soon are the Steggie and Little Frog tshirts for boys in sizes 1 - 4 and the Galaxy Visa 2pce set in sizes 1 - 4 (consisting of singlet and shorts). I'm looking forward to sharing pics of these shortly.

In other news, Crocheted beanies made an appearance in our Winter range and have been reduced to $20. Look for these on our website under "On Sale".

All of the new items will be available on the website from the beginning of September. If you would like to reserve any of these items, please let me know.

Until next time,
Happy Spring!
Julie

Bags, Bags, Bags!

2011-06-06T03:41:00.000-07:00

They're very useful things!

Here's just a few of the bags the Rascals and Ragamuffins team managed to whip up over the weekend. We did 11 in all - a huge effort!

Black dot Handbag - Medium - $12

Flower Pot handbag - Large - $15

Pink Multi Dot handbag - large - $15

Psychedelic Handbag - Large - $15

Pink Roses Handbag - Medium - $12

These are available to purchase now, but will also be listed on our website, due to be launched at the beginning of July.

Till next time,

Julie

Sharing and Caring

2011-05-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Peeps,

Forgive me, for it has been . . . a while . . . since my last blog.

But I haven't forgotten you all.

In fact, I've been working for you. On some new garments. I've been getting in touch with my girly side by creating wonderful things with some georgeous fabrics.

Delilah

Hunky Dory

Flutterby's

I immersed myself in pink - and loved it! I'm so glad I have a child of each gender to create for and experiment on.

These bloomers come in sizes 000, 00 and 0 and are $15.00 each.

Adding to the "girly" theme, I also jumped into a bucket of organza ribbon. Sometimes the greatest things are borne from mistakes, such as these little beauties below.

Candy Pink Organza Ribbon brooch - $8

Dusty Pink Organza ribbon hair clip - $8

Okay, that's enough of my sharing/caring side for now. I'm off to unleash the creative side.

Keep an eye out for news of my website.

Until next time,

Julie

Hey, You!

2011-04-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

This blog post is going to be all about you!

Yes, that's right - you!

Because I care about what you think and what you want.

What do you like/dislike about Rascals and Ragamuffins clothing?

What colours would you like to see more/less of?

What styles do you like the best/least?

What items are your favourite/least favourite?

Just click on "comment" below and type away to your hearts content. Go on, it's easy. And it won't cost you a thing!

I'm listening . . .

Oh, What A Day!

2011-04-20T03:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I attempted to take some photographs of my nieces, step daughter and my own children modelling some of the R and R funkiness.

I say "attempted".

The day before I worked solely with my little boy and he was a marvel. The whole process took about half an hour and was great fun. He had a ball climbing trees and I loved watching him.

The girls, however, were a different story.

Three hours and not a great deal of success. My nieces, who are usually very photogenic, just wouldn't give it up for me. My stepdaughter was like pinocchio. And my darling little T, stomped around like a tomboy playing in the leaves and mud in her lovely clothes. Lucky she was wearing black.

Available now are the Red Rose Farm 2pce set (pictured left) $30. Available in sizes 1-6.

And the Night and Day 2pce set (pictured right) $30. Available in sizes 1-6.

Both are sold seperately also - Tshirts - $12. Pants - $20.

Enjoy!

Julie

Calling all boys!

2011-04-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Today I started the photo shoot. Frustrated that I haven't been given a date by the photographer I booked, I decided to do some shots and edit the pics myself. The result is posted here for you to comment freely on.

Fly To The Moon Tee - $12

Fly To The Moon Pants - $20

Cheeky Pirate Pants - $20

I added this pic, just because I liked it!

Our new toolbelts! - $15

A customer requested a toolbelt as a Easter present for her little man, and I loved how these turned out, so I thought it was time to step up and add it to the accessories heading for boys. Our boys tend to miss out, as most of the loveliness is reserved for girls, but not anymore!

Tomorrow, I'll be lining up the girls for some photo fun and I'm looking forward to it. I guess I had better go and finish the shirts we'll be using tomorrow so I can get some props together.

Stay tuned!

Julie

Happy Sunday!

2011-04-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone and Happy Sunday to you all!

Oh where to begin?

A couple of weeks ago I was approached by a lovely business owner who "loved" R and R's garments and was interested in stocking them in her shop. I had to think about this proposal for a little bit because my last experience of wholesaling wasn't successful but after careful consideration, I am happy to announce that from this week you will find Rascals and Ragamuffins garments in Urban Cotters at the Urban Quarter in the Townsville CBD. Yay!

The Mumpreneurs Expo was a huge success! Many thanks to organiser Lee-anne who put her heart and soul into the event. It was such a happy day, I don't think I've smiled so much in my life. The entertainment was great and the sticky beak in me enjoyed talking to other Mums - about their products, and their lives. I've made some great new friends and have discovered some awesome local businesses. Where possible I will always buy local and support my community. I believe that's important.

Waiting for a super huge shipment of new fabric from the USA is proving to be a super huge challenge for me. I'm am so in awe of the lovliness I have recently discovered. For a very long time, I have been a fan of Shabby Chic and I'm delighted to have found a company that will feed that tiny addiction for me. They have the most divine fabrics - yum yum!

I don't have much to show you this week. I sold all my new pieces at the Mumpreneur Expo, except this lonely little handbag and some yo yo hairclips :-) I'm so happy at how well our handbags are selling. Secretly, I hope it continues.

I will definately make up for the lack of new products to show you in a couple of weeks time, with images from our very first photo shoot. Super excited about this.

Until next time . . . Thank you for supporting Rascals and Ragamuffins. It sure does mean a lot :-)

Julie

Latest Happenings

2011-03-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

We're almost at the end of our first quarter for 2011 and hasn't it been busy! There have been lots of goings on at R and R headquarters and I forsee 2011 being a great year for us.

At present I'm in the process of having a website created for Rascals and Ragamuffins. The very talented Mandy Elliot from Web Guru's is assisting with this. She's very talented and has a background in Public Relations which will give me a huge kickstart when it comes to copywriting. Once up and running, all orders will be placed through the website. Facebook and this Blog will be used to give updates, get feedback and for general chit chat.

Our stall at Cotters Market has been really successful and I'm hoping to get a permanent stall there on a monthly basis. I love getting out and meeting people. I like hearing what they like and don't like about my garments. My audience on FB is a little shy when it comes to discussions, but there's no need to be! More participation required please!

What's New?

Some months before Christmas my very talented Aunty showed me some handbags she had made which she thought would be perfect for my little business. I fell in love with these at first sight. I was so excited to have something new and different in my catalogue. I'm in the development stages of making one for myself and think they are a great gift idea for little girls. They are bright and colourful and no two are the same. They come in small, medium and large and prices start at $10 for small.

Oh my cushions! The constant rainy weather has prompted lots of telly watching in our house which got me to thinking . . . and this is the result.

Perfect for lounging on. Take them to kindy or in the car. Use as a decorative piece on the bed. Whichever way suits. They are made from a 100% cotton cover and are filled with bioguard treated filling which inhibits bacteria, dustmites, mould and mildew and as with most of our products, they are machine washable! Yay!

Upcoming Events

Look out for us at the Mumpreneur Expo being held at Carlyle Gardens, Townsville on April 9. I've been looking forward to this event since the beginning of the year and will be working on some more new items to "launch" there. I tell you, this little brain of mine is just bursting with ideas! I just wish the hands could keep up.

Stay tuned as I am currently working on my Autumn/Winter range. I have one full set almost completed. Only seven more to go :-)

Until next time!
Julie

New for 2011

2011-03-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

So, this year, it's all about ruffles!

I do love a good ruffle and this year, they'll be on everything! Well, maybe not everything. I don't think our little boys would appreciate having ruffles on the bottoms of their pants. Here's an example of our new ruffle skirts:

A little reminiscent of the 80's Ra-Ra skirt, but in softer colours. (Size 1 - 6 available. $30 per set).

I try to create outfits that can be worn all year round and I think this one does it. Perfect as is for Summer, but teamed with a pair of tights and long sleeved shirt, the potential is there for a Autumn/Winter outfit as well.

For the boys, I just love our new "Monsters" 2pce set. I do struggle to find fabrics for boys that don't have a blue base. Don't get me wrong, I do love blue on boys, but there are so many other colours to choose from and blue is so very stereotypical. Mind you, I love white on boys as well, but let's face it, how many of us are brave enough to put our boys in white?

Available in size 2, 3 and 4 only at present. $25 per set.

Autumn and Winter is slowly approaching and with it some new creations. Lounging pants for boys - light and perfect for rainy days, toasties and tv. Long skirts and dresses for girls, that will involve, somewhere - ruffles!

Until next time . . .

And the Winner is . . .

2010-12-18T01:41:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Ellen Gush!!!!

Your's was the name pulled out of our Santa hat today (by the very able Master Three) and you have won a $50 Rascals and Ragamuffins voucher. I will be in contact with more details of your prize.

Thank you everyone who entered. It was really lovely reading all of your Christmas traditions. It's great that the true meaning of Christmas hasn't been lost.

Happy, Happy Christmas!!

Christmas Offerings!

2010-12-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

While my little rascally ragamuffins are engaged in Christmas craft, I'm going to attempt to share some of the Christmas garments I have been busily making.

I was never one to engage in dressing up for Christmas, but these days I can't help but feel that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost somewhere along the way. In an effort to bring back some festivity and joy and hope, I am going to get Christmassy! The children WILL wear Christmas outfits this year and they WILL wear corny headpieces or Santa hats to go with it!

Here are some of Rascals and Ragamuffins Christmas offerings.

Enjoy!
Julie

500 liker FB Comp

2010-12-03T23:40:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Rascals and Ragamuffins reaching 500 likers this week on Facebook, we are going to run a little competition.

It's Christmas and I'm feeling generous so, one lucky fan will win a voucher valued at $50!

All you need to do to enter is post a comment telling me what your family's Christmas traditions are. What is the one thing you do every year without fail? All posts will go into a big hat, or something similar and the winner will be drawn two weeks from today on December 18. A notification will be posted here and on Facebook.

For me, Christmas is all about baking. An absolute shed load! I go majorly overboard on the Christmas treats, so much so, that for a week all we eat is Rocky Road, caramel filled Shortbread, Cherries dipped in chocolate (milk and white), jatz, kabana and cheese (yes, we're simpletons!), fruit and nut clusters and so much more!

I also love the traditional putting up of the Christmas tree (which starts out all very organised and turns into utter chaos and after about 15 minutes, the kids lose interest and leave it with me) and putting up the Christmas lights (much to my one and only's utter disapproval). He is the one with the hammer after all, while I am the one with all the "design" ideas.

Until next time,
Julie
www.facebook.com/rascalsandragamuffins

To Blog or Not To Blog?

2010-11-26T23:43:00.000-08:00

In the beginning . . .

For a long time I have ummed and ahhed about whether or not I should start a blog. What exactly is a blog? What do I write about? Will I have time to write one? Will anyone other than my Mum read it? All very valid questions.

About me . . .

So, I'm a WAHM with two children. Master H is 3 years old and Miss T is 18 months. In June, I decided to start a business called Rascals and Ragamuffins - and I produce exactly what my tag line suggests - "Easy care, easy wear, handmade clothing for kids". This came about for a couple of reasons:

1. Lack of variety in children's clothing in the city I live in
2. A need to work and contribute financially to our household

An idea was born . . .

A great idea Julie, if you could actually sew. See, I failed sewing at high school. Dismally. My very clever and talented Ma actually completed my sewing assignments for me. It didn't help me pass though. The work was so well done, they knew it wasn't mine. There were more attempts to follow, years later, and some years after that. I couldn't even sew a button on. So when I went to my Mum with the fantastic idea of making kids clothes (for a living) she gave me a nod and just smiled at me.

That was six months ago. Under Ma's careful supervision and with her talented guidance, I now produce a small line of children's wear that I hope will be appealling to a broad spectrum of mums. I love colour and I love having fun, so most of the pieces I make are colourful and not at all subtle. I like them and I hope you will too.

Until next time,
Julie

PS. Thanks also to my aunty (also a fantastic sewer) for giving me her old Elna sewing machine. It's a cracker!

http://www.facebook.com/rascalsandragamuffins