Personal post, but could lead to secrets revealed!

Hello fair readers!

Just a small, off- business post to let you know that I am looking for TWO roommates for the apartment in Astoria, NY as of August 1st. Here it is in all it's glory on CraigsList.

This is also going to be Cabiria HQ, so you'd get to witness the Magic Happen! Or at least the Figuring Out of the Logistics Happen. But seriously, if you know anyone interested, please pass it on. Thank you!

-Eden

New York, New York!

Hey folks!

Sorry I haven't been posting often here, but it's been a crazy few weeks. Some may know that I'm decamping from Georgia to New York, and I am now in MD, about 2/3rds of the way to New York. Today the adventure was talking to federal and state agencies to transfer my business over legally so I can maintain my WBE (Women's Business Enterprise) and DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) certifications. I thought it would be so much easier, but then bureaucracy is not something I tilt at every day. Silly me.

Did you know there's no business license class for "Clothing Designer", but there is one for "Bootblack" and "Blacksmith"? Weird.

My friend Christine got to see me wearing an early sample from a long ago version of one of my designs. This was when I wisely realized that I should hire professionals to produce my clothing if I wanted to sell it, but I still love the swingy dress on a hot day. With that in mind, I present to you LUCIA!

This is a halter neck sundress with a smocked back and a peaked center front waistline. The bat wing halter ties are weighted so the weight of your bust is cantilevered over your back instead of against your neck. The shape of them add two other features: the width of them drape across your back, revealing and concealing enticingly, and (here's the super cool part) they are shaped with a button and loop feature that attach in a way to let you have bat wing sleeves if you so desire. "Oh, here I am at this conservative thing. I wish my shoulders were covered." Done. "Such a nice day, I want to feel the sun kiss my shoulders!" Done again.

I'm so into this design, it's why I've been messing with it for such a long time.

Hope you enjoy!

-Eden

Moving on up to the (very) East Side and GLORIA!

Hey folks!

So as you know, I'll be moving to New York soon. Now I know where - a beautiful apartment in Astoria, Queens! It's big enough to have my workroom not eat the living quarters, and there's lots of natural light. I'm really looking forward to it.

I've shown you some of the dresses in the line so far, and I want to give you another teaser. This one is a top instead of a dress - GLORIA.

No pockets, but features controlled gathers at the center front to drape beautifully over jeans or skirts. We plus size women shouldn't have to think about our tops binding when we sit down, and this solves the issue gracefully. With accent bars at the top of the breast, wide enough to hide bra straps but open enough to show off, it's a feminine top to add to our collection. Hope you like it!

-Eden

Forward momentum

Hey folks,

So as you know from my last post, I'm moving back to New York in a few weeks. I'll regretfully not be there in time for Full Figured Fashion Week, but I encourage all of you to check it out. More exposure and positive press means more ability to make brands like mine a reality!

I'm furiously trying to make sure I don't leave anyone in the lurch information-wise while I transition, so here's another teaser from the line. This time, we have FLAMINIA.

This dress is inspired by James Galanos and Hana Mori, two designers famous for making women look chic in the 1960's - 1980's. Galanos was Nancy Reagan's favorite designer, and wore one of his designs for the 1980 inauguration. Chic!

FLAMINIA has a surplice (cross front) bodice, so many bust shapes can be accommodated, inverted tulip short sleeves, adding a pretty, feminine detail, a relatively straight/ pencil skirt, and a wide shaped waistband. Oh, and of course...pockets, so you can be chic and practical at the same time. Perfect dress for a spring or summer day at the office!

I hope to have some more big news very soon, so hold tight, loyal followers.

-Eden

Moving to New York!

Hello, folks!

So there's been important moves happening for Cabiria - we're moving to New York!

Eden has been a New Yorker most of her life, and this move will facilitate ease in working with the gifted patternmakers, samplehands, and fabric stores available in the New York area.

It also means that there's a possibility that there's going to be a lull in updates over June and July as everything shuffles. Hopefully we'll be able to be up and running quickly from there.

For now, I'll simply leave you with a little treat: VALENTINA! A swingy knit dress with a center back zipper and a split Mandarin collar, so when you look up, your neck doesn't pull against your bust and cause pain. Of course, there's pockets, too...

Enjoy, and hope to update you soon!

-Eden

Not all silent over in Cabiria-Land

Hi all!

Sorry I've been quiet this week. I came back from Orlando, and have been working hard on getting the website live. Let's just say that coding HTML is not my greatest gift... plus size clothing, no problem!

Lest you think I've forgotten you, I have a new style to show off. The ANNA is a button down shirtdress with turned up cuffs and contrast cord-edge trimming. It's got a more traditional waistline with fullness controlled by inverted pleats on the waist and darts. It also has side seam set pockets and...drumroll please... horizontal buttonholes and a hook at the waist!

You know when you wear a button front, well, anything, and the minute you sit down or reach wide or, well, move, you've popped your buttons open? Or the straining ones at bust and belly? Simple solution: With about .375" of movement built into the buttonhole slot, you're pulling at the reinforced hole END, not the floppy slotty bit in the middle. And that extra tab with a hook and bar at the waist that no one ever sees? Handles the point of closure that receives the most force trying to pull it apart. Hooray!

Plus the piping is jaunty, don't you think?

As always, comments and opinions are welcome. Tell me your favorites and which are just okay. Tell me the one you want to wear every day. Tell me if you like it more or less than the AIMEE and SOFIA (previous blog posts). Just tell me!

-Eden

the next set for your enjoyment

Greetings from sunny Orlando, Florida!

I wouldn't let you guys go without new dresses just because I'm on the road. This week's dress composite is the AIMEE (last week's was the SOFIA, if I forgot to mention it). All of my dresses are currently named after actresses or character names in Fellini movies, however I have a special perk. One of my donation incentives, albeit at the $5,000 level, is that you get to name the dress styles. It could be your own name, it could be someone you'd like to honor, it could be your superhero name! If you look at lifetime costs of having a child or a pet, it's really a bargain...

So onto the new dresses! Again, please let me know your opinions, comments, and constructive criticisms. The Aimee has an elasticized waist, a flyaway wrap skirt, pockets, and adjustable 1/2" straps on metal sliders. It's made of silk knit jersey, which can be hand washed in cold water and laid flat to dry, or dry cleaned.

Again, please be constructive in your criticisms and opinions! You can dislike something, but not telling me why doesn't help me change it for the better!

-Eden