Who is ready to win one of these darling dresses from Lillipops “Dear Jane collection and a fabulous matching hair accessory from Maya’s Curls???!!!  Read on to get more details on how to enter the contest and hear about the new direction of Lillipop’s Designs, a special Feature on Miss Lillipops herself and browse through these beautifully crafted vintage designs available now for purchase at lillipopsdesigns.com !  

(Hair Clips available at Maya’s Curls, and legwarmers, cuffs and pill cap fromLisa’s Mini Mad Hattery)

When Jayme from Lillipops Designs reached out to me to photographer her new collection “Dear Jane” I was beyond excited..and as she went on to describe the design direction of not only this new line but her her company I was so thrilled and honored to be on board and to execute her vision! Here is what She had to say when we had our chat abut the new direction of Lillipops Designs: 

“The Lillipops Dear Jane Collection is an homage to my favorite author of all time, Jane Austen. It’s a nod to the strength of her heroines, the gentleness of the era, and the beauty of her stories. This collection also ushers in a new era for Lillipops Designs. I’ve always loved a vintage aesthetic, and I’m highly influenced by European tradition. From this collection forward, each season will be themed around a bit of vintage ephemera. This season, vintage correspondence is key. Future seasons will feature inspirations from antique naturalist field guides, travel scrapbooks and so much more. I’m so proud to introduce this collection, and thank Jen so much for making this dream shoot such a spectacular reality!”

Tell us a bit about yourself….   I’m Jayme… mother, maker, design afficienado. I like to say that I’m a “former hater of all things pink”, but I’ve since been converted. My children and I live on a small rural island in the Pacific Northwest, where beauty and inspiration abound. I consume books like food, and they are the only things I own that I refuse to part with. I’m a complete night-owl (I relish the hours of quiet after my three little monkeys go to bed), and you’ll often find me at 3am, sewing away happily with some BBC literary miniseries playing in the background.

How did you come up with the name Lillipops Designs? Well… my last name is Lillie. I knew I wanted to somehow incorporate part of my name into my branding, but still keep it young and fun. The name itself came to me in the shower, which everyone knows, is where all great ideas come from (I keep whiteboard markers in there for such occasions).

What was the inspiration and the story behind Lillipops Designs and when was the company founded? Lillipops was born in the fall of 2008. I was home with a 4 year old, a 3 year old and a 1 year old, and my mind was turning to oatmeal. I’d been sewing since I was 4 years old, and all of a sudden, I was just too busy to indulge myself in my favorite past time. I made a very conscious decision to start designing again, but the business aspect didn’t really hit me until my friends started raving about the kid’s clothes I was making. The first Lillipops were all made from recycled men’s dress shirts- as a challenge to see how far I could take a design without buying new materials. I opened an Etsy shop with 5 one of a kind pieces and the rest is history.

What is your process in creating your beautiful garments? I have a few processes. If I know I’m designing for a collection, I go back to my vast collections of inspiration books. Not necessarily fashion inspiration, but just looking for a theme to emerge. For the Dear Jane… collection, I wanted to give a thank you to my favorite author of all time, Jane Austen, who wrote characters that are as familiar as old friends. Then I start to put together color swatches, ephemera, photos, words… anything I can to get me to focus on the look and feel I want for the collection. I have a passion for vintage patterns, so I went on the hunt for really unique patterns that I could break down and rebuild into a Lillipop. Then it’s onto to fabric sourcing, sample making and finding just the right photographer to capture the essence of what the collection is about. Now, if I’m designing pieces outside of a collection, I just do what pleases me. I often have flashes of inspiration, and I just HAVE to make it happen. It can’t wait or won’t fit within the confines of a collection.

Where do you look for and where have you found your inspiration when designing your line? Oh… just about everywhere. I’m surrounded by inspiration. I watch my children play, and an idea will hit me. I’ll ride the ferry, and the light will hit the water just so, and an idea forms. I’m also a total Pinterest addict, and I could happily while away an afternoon just looking at gorgeous travel photography. Most of my collections have a very European feel to them. I was lucky enough to travel extensively throughout Europe many years ago, and so many of those places and images have stayed with me. 

What makes the Lillipops Desings experience different from other brands or boutiques? I hope that there are a few things that set Lillipops apart. I hope that people discover Lillipops and find that my work is something that can’t be purchased anywhere else. It runs along this very fine line between vintage and modern… while still being very wearable. I strive to make every piece that comes out of my studio an heirloom. Nothing would make me happier than seeing the next generation wearing something today’s child passed down to them! 

If you had to describe the Lillipops Designs brand in one word, what would it be? VintageFeminineWithAnEdge. (so there!)

here comes the contest!!………..

ENTER TO WIN THE “EMMA DRESS” BELOW AND MATCHING MAYA’S CURLS HAIR CLIP….!!

Here is how to enter:

“Like” – Jen Carver Photography Facebook Fan Page

“Share” – from the Jen Carver Fan Page Share the contest Link on your Business Page or Personal Page

“Like” Lillipops Designs Facebook Fan Page

“Like” Maya’s Curls Hairbows and Accessories Fan Page

“Comment” – Come back here and Comment that you did all 5 steps! 

Eeezy Peezy! Winner will be Chosen Friday 3/30 via Random.Org

Good Luck!!!

Wardrobe- Lillipops Designs

Hair Clips- Maya’s Curls Hair bows and Accessories

Hat, legwarmers and Cuff Accessories – Lisa’s Mini Mad Hattery

Styling- Natalie Spacciapolli

Hair- Azemi Salons