Mercury Online Charity Auction

Bid now, bid often. It is for a great cause, the Portland Women's Crises Line. One of my No Muffin Top skirts and a bunch of other neat stuff is in the Hey Pretty Lady Auction. Right now it's the "Hot Auction". Check it out!

Mercury Online Charity Auction

P.S. Holiday dresses have hit stores, get one now!

RIP Pops

When I was in high school I worked at a drive-in movie theater in the snack bar. It was/is amazing. Pops (Robert Francis) ran the ticket booth. Cranky as hell, and a full of piss and vinegar. He was the quintessential cranky old man. He would chase kids with flashlights, and never took any crap from anyone. I believe that I was hired there solely because he liked my car, a 1961 Bel Air. I have many fond memories of visiting with him when I would warm up his coffee during the feature. On slow nights he would show me part of his car collection. My favorite was a 1965 Cherry Red Impala that he had purchased brand new.

Working at the drive-in theater made me a lot of who I am today. Growing up in a small town there aren't a ton of people who are into vintage aesthetic. The drive-in was built in 1954 and is all original. Also, it was there that I learned about work ethic, and taking pride in the work that I do. It is a family run business, and every job is important.

On Saturday I learned that Pops had passed on. It is a very sad end to an era. Today I attended his services. RIP Pops, you are sorely missed.

Robert Edward Francis
FRANCIS, Robert Edward 1929-2008 Robert Edward Francis was born the son of Ted and Grace (Heater) Francis in Newberg on Tuesday, July 2, 1929. He attended Central Grade School, graduated from Newberg High School and from Linfield College with an associate degree. Robert had a natural athletic aptitude for sports and played football in high school and college where he was full back and received an All-American award for his football fame. He served in the U.S. National Guard and became a sergeant; then worked for Western Electric. In the summer of 1954 Robert met Betty Jean Aust at the Miss Oregon pageant at Seaside. It was love at first sight and they were married in Portland on May 29, 1955. They made their home in Newberg where they raised their three children. She preceded him in death in 1994. He worked with his father as a boy and teenager and later became the president of Francis Enterprises. In 1967 he bought his first dog, an Irish Wolfhound, which began his successful dog showing career. This led to him becoming a true fancier of Irish Wolfhounds. He was an old car buff, owning several. He had a big heart for abandoned animals and financially supported organizations that worked with animals. On Sunday, Nov. 17, 2008, Robert E. Francis died at a Portland hospital when he was 79 years, four months and 15 days of age. Surviving and left to honor his life are two sons, Michael and Brian, both of Newberg; one daughter, Doria Bouneff of Tolovana Park, Ore.; four grandsons, Malcolm, Riley, Christopher and Alex; and those who have come to know and appreciate him as he has lived and worked in our community. He was preceded in death by his brother, Stu Francis; and one grandson, Adam Bouneff. His celebration of life gathering will be Monday, Nov. 24, 2008, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Attrell's Newberg Funeral Chapel, a Golden Rule Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Hospital for Children or Dove Lewis, c/o Attrell's Newberg Funeral Chapel, 207 Villa Road, Newberg, OR 97132.

alysonclair.com updates

My website is ever so very pretty. Check it out!

alysonclair.com

I love pretty fliers!

This one is for the one I'm in! Yeah! Come see me.

Upcoming Trunk Shows in PDX!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but for good reason. I have been sewing up a storm finishing off the production of my Winter/Holiday line. I have a trunk show next week at Pin Me Apparel, so I'm excited to be almost done! Here are some upcoming events that you should check out too.

May Tee Trunk Show 11/21


Lucia Trunk Show 11/22

Clair Holiday Line

Thank you to my most lovely model Boni Dutch (hair/make-up), and Ron Hope for photography.

Delivery for all items is Thanksgiving week!

Interfacing

As you may or may not know, I am not a huge fan of working with wovens. Last season I had my first ever woven in a collection, a skirt. For Winter I have a few more wovens, which for me = INTERFACING. When I was in school, I would just iron on the interfacing to my already cut out pattern pieces and peel it off the ironing board (much to some of the other students horror). I found this the quickest and most efficient way to get it on there. Then I would just cut away the excess. This came in really handy when doing tiny pieces.

I am still using this method for my production now. It goes way quicker then laying another marker of just interfacings. In factory production, we often interface the fabric on a drum press and then cut. Since I neither have drum press, or 60" wide interfacing, I am opting for this:


I find the quickest way, even though it is likely not the "correct" way to do things. I'll keep doing it too, until those waistbands learn to do it on their own.

Right now I am about knee deep in Winter production. Just trying to get everything cut, so I can deliver in about a month. My back injury is unfortunately slowing me down a bit, which can be frustrating at times. I also have some other exciting ventures I am beginning work on (top secret for now), and I am also going to start working with PDX Fashion Synergy. Very exciting!

I just need 36 hours in EVERY day.

Hey! Curvey girls! Where are you?

I do try to fit every shape and size. This fall I have noticed that my Large and X-large sizes are not moving as fast as they usually do. My Large is usually 12-14 and my X-Large is a 16-18. I will ALWAYS make these sizes, because I feel it extremely important to fit this demographic. I can also go larger if needed, please message me about a larger size if you would like it. If I have fabric I would LOVE to make one just for you.

Also, I have begun making XS as well. If you go into a shop and they do not have your size, please let me know. I can usually get one for you if it is in stock.

Other fall news:

- The Ahoy! Dress in Rust print is now SOLD OUT.
- The 9 to 5 Blouse in Polka Dot is selling fast. So if you want to get your hands on one do so soon. (It looks great with a sweater vest).

I shot my Winter/Holiday items this last weekend with Ron Hope. The shoot went fantastic, and I hope to have photos up soon, and items in stores before Thanksgiving. Holiday dresses anyone?

I <3 Portland

I am one of the few native Oregonians that lives in Portland. I love this city, and all that it has to offer for me, the nutty people who live here, and the anything goes attitude. A few months ago one of my clients at work gave me the City of Portland flag. Prior to this I didn't know one existed.

Anyway this is what it looks like:

Here is the history of it, as found on the City of Portland Website.

Description: The flag of the City of Portland is an offset cross of light blue, edged by white-yellow-white stripes, with a white four-pointed star in the left center, all on a background of Kelly green. The official size, proportions, and color elements in the City Flag are specified in the Portland City Code 1.06.010 (http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?&c=28155).

History: In 1969, at the suggestion of Mayor Terry Schrunk, the Portland Art Commission established a special committee to select a designer for an official city flag. It chose Douglas Lynch, former president of the Art Commission and a prominent local graphic design professional and teacher. After extensive research and consultation with art commission members and city commissioners, he proposed a design in a process he called “as much diplomatic as it was artistic”. The Portland City Council adopted the flag in January 1970. In 2002, with the encouragement of the Portland Flag Association, Mr. Lynch simplified and improved the design, and the revised version was adopted by Ordinance 176874 on September 4, 2002.

Symbolism: Green symbolizes Oregon’s forests, which surround Portland. The intersecting vertical and horizontal blue stripes represent the Columbia and WillametteRivers, with the central white star (technically, a “hypocycloid”) signifying Portland at their confluence. The yellow stripes symbolize the harvest of golden yellow grain (Portland is a major exporter of wheat) and the gold of commerce. The white stripes are merely decorative. The offset cross is not intended to resemble a Scandinavian cross. The design inspired the logo of the Port of Portland.

Locations: The City Flag flies in front of the PortlandBuilding (5th Avenue) and City Hall (4th Avenue), in Pioneer Courthouse Square, and on many other commercial buildings around the city. It also hangs in the City Council Chamber and the PortlandBuilding’s 2^nd-Floor Auditorium.

Previous flags: Portland has used three previous flags, with the first proposed in a flag contest sponsored by Mayor H. R. Albee in 1917 but never officially adopted.


Just thought I would share that info. I think it's pretty cool, and I am rocking the flag up in my work area at my day job. Yeah PDX!