CLOZLINE by Ronie
Clozline is one of our vendors for the
Created in California Shopping Tweetup
at Hot Italian December 8, 2010.
I am a mother, a grandmother, a gardener, an elementary school teacher, and an accomplished seamstress. I create custom, handcrafted children’s clothing and gifts fashioned from modern and vintage patterns.
Shop my Etsy shop, or check out my BLOG.
Email at roniesaake@yahoo.com.
I will come to customer’s homes to measure their children and show ideas and fabric swatches.
Children’s clothing off the rack tends to look like smaller versions of adult clothes. The prints are often too large for a young child and garments feature strange slogans and advertising for the companies that mass produce them. I like to create children’s fashions that feature a clean design, are vintage in style, and as much as possible are sewn from natural fibers. Seams are finished, buttons stay put, and the fabric is pre-shrunk before the pattern is cut out.
Back in the day, little girl’s dresses featured ample hems that could be let down and handed down. Pinafores extended the life of the garment, and could also be worn alone as a sundress. Dresses buttoned up the front or down the back and often included a detachable collar. Little boys pants buttoned to their shirts and long pants were often delayed until a boy was of school age. I have tried to incorporate these elements in the garments that I’ve created. These children’s clothes are meant to be soft on the skin, comfortable to move in, and appropriate for a child.
I feel fortunate that I grew up in a family of skilled dressmakers. My grandmother and great aunt could sew up a room full of draperies as easily as make a lined winter coat. My mother knit our sweaters and sewed our back-to-school outfits. These women made most of their own and their children’s clothes because it was more cost effective, but they were also proud to have the talent to do so. I learned to sew when I was 12-years-old and soon took over the task of making all of my own clothes, buying fabric and patterns with my babysitting money.
When I married and had three children of my own, I fashioned all of their outfits, clothes for their dolls, and stuffed toys. Additionally, I supplemented our family income by creating a line of children’s clothes and marketing them through local fashion shows.
When it comes to shopping and supporting locally, off-the-rack is simply that and it has its place, but for the special child in your life and for those memorable occasions, there’s nothing quite like a handcrafted original item. – Ronie Saake
