Cyber Monday - 20% off

We posted on Twitter.
We posted on Instagram.

We slipped and neglected the blog.

We are running a Cyber-Monday special. 20% off anything in the shop. You will need a code.

code: shopsmall20

 Active now and all day Monday. Have fun! And thank you for supporting small shops!

Christmas is Coming!

With no intention what-so-ever of rushing or overlooking Thanksgiving, we are prepping for Christmas. What is in the shop now:

Holiday Tunic "Partridge" One of a Kind Size 6 WTHOK16

One of a kind Tunics sewn from a mix of Michael Miller Holiday Prints.

Visit the shop:

One of a Kind Holiday Tunic size 2

One of a Kind Holiday Tunic size 4

One of a Kind Holiday Tunic size 6

Sugar Plum Holiday Play Top 18-24 months

More is on the way!

Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!

A few fall items are posted in the shop

It has been so warm this fall it almost doesn't feel like fall at all! And with this storm making its way towards the East Coast we will have to see if there are any leaves left to turn color afterwards. But it is fall - and we love fall at Whigs & Tories. The mountains in Virginia offer gorgeous opportunities to view foliage changes, pick apples, drink some local cider, and go pumpkin picking. And we've got just the thing to wear!

Laney in a one of a kind Fall Foliage Hodge-Podge play dress

Gorgeous Fall Foliage top is ready for all your fall activities

fabric detail:

Fall Foliage Tunic Top WTOKF18 detail

You can find the Fall Foliage Tunic Top here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/482946649/fall-foliage-tunic-top-size-18-24-months?ref=shop_home_active_1

Fall Foliage Hodge-Podge Play Dress size 2 WTOKFHP

you can find the Fall Foliage Hodge-Podge play dress here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/468613440/fall-foliage-hodge-podge-play-dress-size?ref=listing-shop-header-1

It is a one of a kind item. Our brand rep Laney is modeling a similar play dress.

and if you are looking for a little something for Halloween we offer this fabulous set:

We'd like to introduce you to our first Brand Rep

Please meet Laney. This darling little girl and her enterprising Mama are Brand Repping for Whigs & Tories for Fall & Winter 2016. You can find Laney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carsonandlaney/

Here she is in the Hodge-Podge Peasant Dress, size 18 months.

Find it in the Etsy Shop: currently size 2 and 3 are available. Check back next week for fall botanical pieces in this style.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/470790225/floral-hodge-podge-play-dress-wtfp16?ref=shop_home_active_8

https://www.etsy.com/listing/458482896/floral-hodge-podge-play-dress-wtfp16?ref=shop_home_active_6

Floral Patterns & Play Dresses

We love floral prints and we are having a great time mixing and matching these florals. Our color schemes are coral and yellow with lots of color accents. Easy to wear in summer, easy to transition to fall. 

This style play dress is based off of a peasant style dress. If you like to sew you can check several blogs for patterns: 

Scattered thoughts of a crafty Mom

Sew Country Chick

Once Upon a Sewing Machine

both good places to find sewing tutorials for this style dress

but if you don't like to sew

or don't have time to sew

then come visit our etsy listings:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/470790225/floral-hodge-podge-play-dress-wtfp16

newly added size 3 !

https://www.etsy.com/listing/458482896/floral-hodge-podge-play-dress-wtfp16?ref=shop_home_active_1

Cold Shoulder Pattern - modified

In the spring Whigs & Tories tried out a cold shoulder pattern designed by Striped Swallow Designs. that post: http://whigsandtories.blogspot.com/2016/04/trying-out-cold-shoulder-pattern.html
Over the summer the owner decided to try to modify the pattern to allow for a "school legal" variation. {School code in Williamsburg does not allow for strappy tops, however there is a two finger rule. If the strap is the width of two fingers then the top passes code. Here at Whigs & Tories we aren't quite sure what the shoulder rule is, but we are willing to guess that is something to address school by school.}
This pink dress is the result of that modification, made for the owner's daughter "M." M has worn the dress throughout the summer and declared it comfy, and cute, and easy to wear. It is one of her new favorites.  It works particularly well over ballet leotards and has been noticed by one or two of the dancers. Keep an eye out for this variation in the shop in about two weeks.

cold shoulder dress in ballet pink

Insta Love

Thank you to American Retail http://americanretailusa.com/ for the mention on Instagram.

Maybe we will expand enough one day to partner with them. But for now we appreciate the shout out. Thank you!

Find Whigs & Tories on Instagram at @whigs_tories 
Find American Retail on Instagram at @americanretail

Shop Whigs & Tories on Etsy at WhigsandTories

It's a Party!

Whigs & Tories is turning One! We are pleased to have been in business for a year. We've learned a lot. Sewn some beautiful items. Met some lovely people and are looking forward to another year! 

We have some special's planned and will be announcing them on our Facebook page through out the month of May. You can find it here:

https://www.facebook.com/WhigsandTories

To see our lovely collection of pieces please visit the shop here: 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhigsandTories 

The "Little Patriot" Collection

We've had some cold days here in Virginia with some late snow flurries but it is finally starting to feel warm and we are looking for our late spring into summer collections. We love the "Little Patriot" collection. Light and airy seersucker in red gingham check and red, white and blue stripes transitions beautifully from spring to summer. Perfect for kicking around the beach, crabbing in the bay, visiting the Grandparents at the golf resort or a picnic in the park these easy pieces go any where you want to go. Sets include a ruffled diaper cover. Custom inquiries are welcome.

The "Little Patriot" collection features sweet Red, White and Blues for Patriotic Celebrations. Applique and RicRac add to the design and no two pieces are exactly alike.

Item number WTRWBLP references the entire collection

Red Gingham Seersucker Pinafore with Star Applique
here: https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/WhigsandTories/tools/listings/stats:true/290551365

Little Patriot in Red, White & Blue Striped Seersucker
with Star Applique & RicRac
here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/290536243/the-little-patriot-red-white-and-blue?ref=shop_home_listings

Little Patriot in Red, White & Blue Striped Seersucker
and RicRac here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/277027054/the-little-patriot-red-white-and-blue

Cold Shoulder Top for Girls, size 2-14

Because We love this, our models love this, and we want to share the love

Check Facebook for details

https://www.facebook.com/WhigsandTories/?fref=ts 

going to try something new: a pre-sale

I'm posting this on Whigs & Tories Facebook page tonight. Please find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhigsandTories we would love to have you join us.

While we plan to try out this pattern with some of our seersucker for a pretty summer top... we happened to see this tie-dye online tonight and admit to being a little excited about it. We are looking at the indigo and the purple prints. As it happens, we have plenty of fabric waiting to be sewn up so it wouldn't be good business to rush out and purchase more... unless we knew we'd already sold it. Hence the pre-order. We will check fabric availability Monday and hopefully place the order then. Haven't ordered from this supplier before so I'm going to give them 2 weeks for delivery and then depending on how many orders 1 to 2 weeks to get it made it up. So it is a possible 4 week wait to receive your piece. Please keep that in mind.

So find this post on our Facebook page. Comment the color you'd like and the size. If you are not sure about sizing; let us know what size the child generally wears and if you can measure their chest at the widest. We will send you a paypal invoice. Keep in mind that if you are not local you will also be charged for shipping. Once the invoice is paid your item is purchased. Once we have 5 orders we will order fabric.

Gypsy Tunic in Yellow, Aqua & Purple

Currently listed in the Etsy Shop:

This pattern lends itself to mixing and matching prints

We are taking custom orders, see something you like but need a different size? Let us know. We will be happy to make a custom piece just for you while supplies last.

Shown above, Long Sleeve Tunic with elastic at the wrist, in Aqua Floral, Yellow Dot & Yellow Leaf. Perfect colors to brighten up the raining days of "Spring Showers."

Riley Blake Fabrics: Yellow Dot, Yellow Leaf & Aqua Floral
make a sweet spring tunic
etsy listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/273131628/sweet-and-sunny-spring-gypsy-tunic-in

and sometimes simple is best. Here the tunic is shown in Yellow Leaf:

Tunic in Yellow Leaf
etsy listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/285557213/sunny-spring-tunic-size-3-in-yellow-leaf

and a short sleeved variation in lavender:

Trying out a Cold-Shoulder Pattern

I am a fan of Striped Swallow Designs Patterns as I have mentioned in previous posts. This week I have been trying out a cold-shoulder pattern that I purchased from Striped Swallow Designs. It is on trend, cute, and doesn't compromise my ideas about what my little girl, tween girl and teen girl should be wearing in public.

Sizing is always tricky, the size 12 fits both my 11 year old and my 17 year old. (The 17 yr old wears women's xs and s. She's long and lean.)

I've sewn in up in a knit:

the 3rd grader adores hers. She's worn it three days in a row...

today I'm trying it out in a woven fabric, dress length for my oldest. And then I think I'm ready to try some pieces for the shop.

More Fun with Tunics

sweet spring tunic by Whigs & Tories

this fabric combo is available for custom order while supplies last. Spring fabrics by Waverly:

spring in Paris, with lavender & white at the bodice and a pretty lavender, purple and yellow print on the sleeve. Sweet, spring, light & breezy. Perfect over shorts or leggings.

Spring Tunic in Lavender listed on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/273816022/spring-tunic-with-short-sleeves-in

Striped Swallow Designs - shorts & tunics

Striped Swallow Designs sells patterns online. 

Last summer the shop tried the coachella shorts pattern. It was a good pattern and made up well.

Coachella Shorts by Whigs & Tories, Pattern by Striped Swallow Designs

Recently Whigs & Tories purchased the pattern called the "Wanderer Tunic" and tried it out in purple to create a lovely piece. But this particular model didn't like the feeling of the fabric strips at mid arm. Which is too bad, it makes the piece, but she doesn't find it comfortable. We would like to then try adding elastic to the sleeve bottom and seeing if the resulting puff made it more comfy. We will try that soon. Meanwhile. We are cutting tunic patterns and hope to have them in the shop next week. The pattern lends it self to a "hodgepodge" style fabric usage.

 

Purple Gypsy Tunic by Whigs & Tories, Pattern by Striped Swallow Designs

Because Pink & Hearts

pink and green, hearts, trim, inspiration

pink cord overalls size 18 months

Loving playing in the studio on the cold evenings. No matter that it was warm yesterday. It was brisk today and these sweet little corduroy overalls would have been perfect! We love pink at Whigs & Tories and we love hearts. So sure, Valentine's Day is coming but hearts look sweet on little girls (and big girls too!) any day of the year.

The shop is back open. Whigs & Tories Etsy
Stop by and see what we've been up to!

Get the work done first

Post by Cailin:

I'm reading an interview with Maya Anjelou from the 1980's and she is answering a question "How do you fit writing into your life?"
she answers "It is important to get the work done. The work is all there is. And when it's done then you can laugh, have a pot of beans, stroke some child's head, or skip down the street."

which I've paraphrased as "get the work done first"

so I'm "adulting" as they say in current popular culture. I'm getting paperwork ready for the accountant and paying attention to where we ended up last year and where we are going this year. Funny how adulting always makes me feel so proud of myself. I really despise it.

I did indulge myself a bit and play though:

my " lil' rock monster" adorning a long-all ready for the shop to open back up