Made fresh for you

Bouncing back in

2008-07-25T14:58:00.001-07:00

I dearly apologize for the lack of productivity within this business, but I was recently struck with a bolt of inspiration and fortunately made a dash to my stack of fabrics. What you see to the left is the result of this predicament. Good news for those who might be interested in this product I have created.

The industry is screaming aloud for the sake of resurrecting the most sophisticated styles of fashion history. Inspiration shows in the likes of Galliano, Chanel, Zac Posen and many more. This recent calling has caused me to drool among my current obsessions: Oxford pumps, trench coats, costume jewelry, and a more conservative array of fits and styles.

What I've recently created falls under another obsession which I haven't listed, and that's the clutch. This bow clutch is for sale and I recommend it to those who seek something formal and discrete to carry with them on a night out. This clutch is great to add a dash of edginess to even the simplest outfit, and I recommend it to the most confident.

If you're interested in this clutch, please message me at rn337307@ohio.edu and I'll give you further instructions. I am asking for $35 (not including shipping, unless I deliver this to you in person). Following information is listed below:

-Denim bow "handle", hand-stitched along the edges.
-pink and black striped outer layer mixed polyester and cotton.
-when completely folded out: 10x7
-zipper with handstitched extension

Making Headlines!

2008-05-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here is an article I'm in, courtesy of speakeasymag.com! One for the team!

These two bags still for sale from the fashio show:

2008-05-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

These two:

~~$55.00~~ SOLD!

$70.oo

message me if you're truly interested. First person to pay gets it: rn337307@ohio.edu

Post-Fashion Show

2008-05-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

With a dash of rock and roll, this year's fashion show was a huge success. In the massive Baker Ballroom, there was full house and the lights dim to where only the catwalk casts a celestial halo.
I arrived there fifteen minutes late of my scheduled time due to lack of communication and unpreparedness from the other parties, but we managed to be ready ten minutes shy of 2 p.m. The runway almost reached the other side of the ballroom, but my models and I destroyed that platform with our stilettos and spunk.
Of all three of us, Emilee and I had a wardrobe malfunction knocking on our doors, but we ignored it with doing all we can to look confident and make sure the outfits are stable as a deadbolt the whole way through.
Everyone loved our stuff!
I'll have to give my round of applause to the student designers that also took part in this. They - including their models- arrived with enthusiasm and nervousness (though who wasn't nervous?), but once we strutted our stuff, so much adrenaline kicked in and we experienced a high; most of us could've done this for another five times. Their clothes were amazing, and I hope people pay attention to the local hidden talents because who knows when they will explode into the public eye.
I have two bags for sale, including one wallet. Please purchase them. One is missing a picture but I will have it posted asap!
Bag #1: $75.00
Bag #2: 55.00 (not pictured but will. It has the infamous octopus monster!)

Wallet #3: $25 dollars (or price negotiable, since I just want to get rid of this

Sneak Peak @ Fashion Show Collection

2008-03-30T20:21:00.001-07:00

So over spring break, I made one bag that I immediately fell in love with once I completed it. This will be the only piece I will reveal (and wear around...carefully) before the fashion show in May - which I'm VERY excited for. There will be four models strutting my stuff; this means four outfits and four bags. I completed A bag and have three more down, and four more outfits to go. I will be going out a lot less this quarter than the last, which is unfortunate because I will be blessed with amazing weather for the next ten weeks. Oh well, it'll be worth it. (Besides, we have summer break!)
This bag was inspired by the sorbet ice cream my sister happened to be eating a day before I picked the fabrics. I am all about bold and eccentric colors, so I went out and bought the boldest, brightest "sorbet-colored" poplin fabrics to construct this bag with. Why I chose poplin material was because my sewing machine is limited to withstand certain durability of fabrics. Denim is a disaster (imagine the interior exploding and re-constructing it constantly out of frustration), and cotton as well as other material with not so much thread count is unstable. With some sturdy compressed sheets of cotton to make poplin much more sturdier, the bag beautifully molded into what I visioned. Ironically, the most excruciating step in this process was flipping the straps inside out so that the frilling seams remained inside. My fingernails were sensitive once I got all 8 to flip out...Anyways, here is the result!

Out of the cave and (hopefully) back in business

2008-03-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

This bag is for sale: $65
e-mail me at: rn337307@ohio.edu
I accept paypal

I've realized that with school, organizations, and projects I'm involved in, it's really hard to squeeze some time into making some bags here and there. I greatly apologize for the lack of updates and I hope to maintain this blog and keep it up-to-date for now on, starting right now.

I do have some news, however, pertaining to future plans for Made Fresh. (The name change is pending; I'm considering it) So I was assigned head of student designs for this year's Fashion Associate Mom's Weekend Fashion Show and I'm beyond excited about this because I, along with a few lovely and innovative student designers, will be showcasing a few pieces here and there. My goal plan is to make at least two bags: one is a special design (which I'll keep under wraps) and the other is a collaboration work. I will also try and make three dresses, each exploring every level of complexity, fabric, and style. This show will be on May 3rd, from 1-3pm. (time might be slightly different. I'll get a rain check on that)

As far as updates, I've been working on a music zine, which focuses on and exposes the DIY music scene within Southeast Ohio and Northern West Virginia as well as surrounding areas, with my boyfriend and a few friends of ours. We are hoping to get this first issue pubished a week before For Real Fest, which is almost a month from now. There are interviews, reviews, columns, pictures, rants, and so on and it's all non-profit. Along with the zine, I've been hosting a radio show which airs Tuesdays (except March 25th) from 8-10 p.m. on www.acrn.com. It's called "Jet Lag: International Heavy Show" and I play music within the genre of punk/hardcore/metal from anywhere but the United States. I might also be writing for a student-run fashion magazine in my campus, though final decision on that is still up in the air.

I will be on spring break as of tomorrow after my last exam. Lots of updates will be in store since I will jump back to my bag projects, so stay tuned!

end of the year update

2007-12-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

After months of absolutely no activity, we are back in business. A bit late since the days until many holidays are counting down to almost the single digits. Anyways, a few updates:

#1-Once again, business is back up. Sold a bag not to long ago to a fellow customer across the Atlantic Ocean.
#2-Prices have been substantially raised. For the reason that pricing has been unfair on my part because with the amount of time spent on bags as well as the materials purchased to even construct a bag, 30-45 dollars all dwindles down to an overall 10-15 dollars in profit. If you calculate the numbers of hours normally spent on an average bag (take probably 9-13 hours?), that will mean I have been making four dollars an hour, and sometimes less. Also, keep in mind that these bags are very unique and that it is most likely that another copy will not be made since I don't really like to make something twice. The start of this very small company was to base it around the idea to make something that I can't find in stores, or else whats the point of making a bag when you can simply order something that has been mass produced by some sort of assembly line, ultimately concluding the fact that 1,000 other girls are out there possibly carrying the same sac around their shoulders.
#3-I'm thinking about making wristlets. More information TBA.
#4-I go back to school on January 7th. Since I am taking 18 hours this quarter along with hosting a radio show through the campus radio station, time will probably limit me to making a bag and wallet a week.
#5-This will be my summer job unless I find another one to make even more money on the side.
#6-I made a poor attempt at reformatting the layout of this website. It will be fixed.
#7-Yes, I take orders now. I will have some stuff posted online soon, so check back!

On the note of my radio show, here is its myspace. The radio station's website is: acrn.com.

Thank you for sticking with me through 2007. Stay safe, 2008 is just around the corner!

Love, Rika xoxo

Edit:Anyone up for purchasing this bag? Only 30+4 bucks shipping and handling. I just want to get rid of it. If you're interested, Please e-mail me at: rn337307@ohio.edu. I will accept records as well:)

Update as of October

2007-10-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. I hope you have been enjoying the past few days of fall since...well, the weather has proven itself to finally adjust to the season. I started fall quarter of my freshmen year at Ohio University over a month ago, and since then I've been busy, busy, busy! I hope to slowly open back up Made Fresh sews (with everything else still in progress), but business will resume for sure after fall quarter ends (sometime around November 20th). However, due to the fact that college drains my bank account much quicker than I thought, I will be making some stuff here and there in order to be able to even feed myself. If you have any special orders, please feel free to contact me through my university e-mail address: rn337307@ohio.edu.

Mucho love,
Rika
xoxo

The first of the First collection

2007-07-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I got my first bag done and overall it took around 14 hours to complete, so I'm pretty happy it's finally done! There will be a series of bags made and launched onto this website similar to this style. I won't be doing a lot because it consumes a lot of time out of my days and takes a lot of material to make, however, this is my favorite design so far so we'll see how things go!

New fabric, New Style

2007-07-20T07:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I went to a variety of stores to stock up on new material due to the constant demands and my self-motivation to raise more money for next week. I hope I can get enough by next Thursday, so that I can depart the next day worry free and hopefully enjoy my 4 day vacation sans family (for once!). Thanks for everyone that was interested in my products as well as supporting me, it really means a lot. I got a few personal orders I have to tackle before I can start making miscellaneous goods to sell to the general public. If you're interested in a certain design and color, don't hesitate to contact me and I'll put you on the list. Depending on your priority, I'll try to get the product made in the healthiest time possible....healthiest? Oh well.

WALLET SOLD.

2007-07-17T20:26:00.001-07:00

This wallet is similar to the other one, but with thinner fabric and different design.
-The dimensions are 9x3.75in.
-4 pockets to put your cards and movie ticket stubs and whatnot, as well as an extra pocket for any source of id.
-a pocket for your cash along with a change slot sealed with a zipper
-'sealed' with a 1 inch diameter button. Closes and seals with velcro.
-Hand stitched in corners and the border of the wallet. The plastic is also hand-stitched.
-also hand stitched corners of the clasp (not shown in this picture, right now its more improved)

Price: $20.00USD.

Up tha class!

2007-07-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

I just worked on this one from morning to late night today. A design I thought up before going to bed one night and etched it down on a notebook. This one is already reserved for an interested buyer, so expect more to come in the near future! I still have one wallet for sale shown three posts below. Please help me pay for my roadtrip/fest next week!

For Sale!

2007-07-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

New wallet for sale. This wallet carries a lot more than the previous two, from change to cards to cash and even allows you to flash your ID!

- 9x3.34 inches exterior sealed with a velcro held strap decorated with a yellow, 1 inch in diameter button to conceal the 'too simple' look.
-Interior consist of 5 pockets. On the left there are 2 top semi-circled cut card pockets, one to snug the regular 2x3 1/8 cards and the other for anything smaller. There is also an extra pocket behind the two pockets. On the right is a pocket for your source of ID and whatever else you desire. The interior is decorated with a turquoise fabric and an extra pocket for your change sealed with a red zipper.
-The left pocket are hand-stitched by layers. The exterior and interior are hand-stitched together as well.
-This makes a great accessory for a more feminine approach. Great for yourself, or for someone you love!

~~Cost: $20.00 USD~~ SOLD.

please contact if you're interested! This will come packaged in the shopper's bag shown in the previous post:)

Just an Update.

2007-07-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

So right now I'm working on the first of many more complex wallets to put on the market. I'm sure you guys will love this one! Also, more bags will be made after this project is finished. I've already got some great ideas in mind and once I go shopping for material, I'll go straight to the sewing machine and start working on them.

Also, when you order small accessories such as wallets and whatnot, It'll be packaged in these cute construction paper shopping bags shown above. Support DIY!

Love, Rika.

Two wallets for sale

2007-07-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

The outside:

Inside (4 pockets):

Where you put your cash:

-everything machine stitched except for the button on the first wallet.

-the wallet closes together with velcros on each bottom corner of the interior.

-has 4 pockets to hold your cards of any sort as well as a cash slot.

-Pretty durable and can easily fit in your pocket or bag.

Prices on each of these wallets are $10 USD. As usual, e-mail me if you're interested:)

Update: Second wallet has been sold. First one is still avaliable (and cute! I'm surprised no one is buying it)

SOLD!

2007-07-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Details:

-basic body of medium purple denim fabric. A cute, everyday tote bag

-sewn on octopus design used with both purple and periwinkle denims as well as metallic gold buttons used for the suction cups. Certain areas are hand stitched. Right tentacle almost wraps to the back of the bag.

-Blue and white horizontal stripped cotton fabric sewn as the background.

Interior:

-sky blue, green, and white vertical stripped cotton fabric
-comes with a pocket ideal for cell phone, small objects. Protected with a pink zipper hand stitched to the interior.

This will also come with a draw string make-up bag!

If you're interested in ordering this, please contact me:rikachu73@hotmail.com. Since this is a one-of-a-kind, it'll go by first come (or first pay), first serve. I hope you're interested! More will come as the days go by :)

Rika