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VOYAGE VOYAGE : PRINCESSE TAM TAM X WEAR LEMONADE[:]
Hello my lemons!
Today I’d like to take the time to tell you about the second season of our collaboration with Princesse Tam Tam. As they put it, Princesse doesn’t like stories with no tomorrow! The first collection was so much fun that we wanted to keep things going and really dive in! Get it, diving, pools, bathing suits and all that? I’m really in a good mood, just to let you know! To tell you the truth, the palm pattern wasn’t what we had planned on using. We had a different one (that you can check out in a few weeks on Wear Lemonade). But as it turns out, going back and forth and getting everything okayed by high-up directors, the first pattern was cancelled. At the last minute, we needed to come up with a summery alternative, something that I liked and would be proud of... and at the same time, I shared my Maria Wear Lemonade jacket made out of curtain fabric that you absolutely loved. I thought that the palm pattern really went well with our style... so I worked another option: watercolors with a pink background but I wasn’t completely happy with it. All you creative people out there know what I’m talking about, that little voice that whispers “I’m not sure, but we’re running out of time so I should just send it.” But you know what? I don’t work that way. I’ll get up in the middle of the night to work on it, I’ll keep starting over until I love it and want to see it all the time, everywhere. The palm watercolor on pink was a no, so I asked for some more time, just fiiiiiiiive more minutes pleeeeeeease and after a night full of painting, paper, leaves and scissors, I thought that we should work on this motif with paper, our signature touch over the years.
It was kind of a painful process, but by using Canson paper to give it a texture and a super chic navy blue background, we came up with the palm motif. I think that I have to start over at least 30 times before being really happy with every collection... Certain people have got to be fed up with it, believe-me (sorry Maria...)
I also wanted to let you know that I haven’t been writing much because my life has taken several unexpected turns and it’s hard to be in two different places at once. I won’t even get started on my personal life, but I can tell you about Make My Lemonade. At the very beginning, this was nothing but a little site, lost in the immensity of the Internet and today it’s become a business. My little breath of fresh air, my creative project has become a business that’s a way for people to earn their living. Five years ago, I gave it my all to free myself from my bosses and from the world of corporations to create Make My Lemonade... Today, on our busiest days, there are 10 of us in the office. Can you believe it?! And all of a sudden, I have to be everywhere and available to everyone so that the ship sets sail and it’s not easy to juggle Make My Lemonade, Wear Lemonade, and projects for other brands that we don’t necessarily tell you about. The lemonade bottle is filling up quickly and I’m trying to color and make every bubble in it unique (I can’t go any farther with the metaphors today...), and it isn’t always easy to find the time to carry out all the ideas I have in mind but I think that’s the problem with our hyperactive generation!
As soon as I have some free time, I enjoy designing for Wear Lemonade, coming up with ideas for shoots, or creating pop or permanent sales places, rather than writing for Make my Lemonade. I feel a little nostalgic saying this, since Make My Lemonade and writing were the original building blocks, but to tell you the truth, I think that we’re constantly evolving and you have to know how to reinvent yourself and that everything goes in cycles. I know that you shouldn’t ask yourself too many questions, you shouldn’t force yourself to do things that you don’t feel like doing... plus social media and Instagram have also changed things. I wonder what will come next, why not create a newsletter which would be like going back to our roots, with exclusive content available in your inboxes since in the end, you’re the most important part to us. Without you, all of this wouldn’t exist! I’m wondering about a million different things, as you can see!
Anyways, I’d like to tell you a little more about our collaborations going on right now! At the pop up store (an article will be up soon with pictures of the place) we’ve collaborated with lots of people I adore! As I was saying earlier, there’s the collection with Princesse Tam-Tam, with an adorable little lemonade stand. And we’ve asked the talented Virginie Morgand to design posters inspired by our collection “Bon Baisers de Lemon Bay” (Kisses from Lemon Bay), and also to Melody Leblond for wonderful wordings, but we’ll get back to that! We’ve also worked with Jimmy Fairly to make three pairs of colorful sunglasses to go with your summer outfits... to me, collaborations are like wonderful playgrounds, ways to explore different techniques that were until then unknown to us. When you’re a little brand like us, experimenting with people who are specialized in their field is the best way to test things out and take careful risks... I think that there’s no greater joy than enjoying learning new things and seeing your projects take shape! Long live collaborations!
And since we’re so nice and happy with this tropical collection, we’re going to spoil you with the PDF pattern and Tino shirt dress video tomorrow! Just this once, Princesse Tam-Tam and Make My Lemonade are giving you the chance to win our entire collection! Oh oui... so you can win a:
- One piece palm pattern bathing suit,
- Polka-dotted shirt dress,
- Two piece sailor striped top,
- Palm t-shirt,
- Polka-dotted shorts,
- Palm babydoll top,
- Round towel,
- And three little panties,
Friday at noon and the results will be shared at the end of this article! Hugs and kisses, thank you for your unending support!
Lisa, your devoted lemon!
Congratulations to Clémentine and her wardrobe lacking leaves!! Please send an email to
[email protected] to claim your prizes!
Tranlated by Whitney Bolin
Plus, I’m showing off my abs: enjoy!
Thank you to l’Hôtel Bienvenue for opening their doors to us before everyone else <36 COLORFUL RECIPES FOR LEMONY KIWI ADDICTS[:]
Hello darlings!
Today I’m getting back into the kitchen! A few months ago, while we were all still bundled up in down filled coats, the famous New Zealand kiwi brand Zespri reached out to me. Don’t give me that look, of course you’ve heard of them, I’m sure you’ve already seen them. Keep your eyes peeled the next time you pick up some fruits and vegetables, they’re everywhere! Anyways, after years of research, Zespri came up with a juicy yellow kiwi, without a furry peel and full of vitamin C called the Zespri SunGold...
You might be wondering: what happens when you put together a yellow kiwi with nutritious super powers and Make My Lemonade’s lemon? Well, you get “Bikini Friendly” recipes! As you already know, I’m the kind of gal that orders fries and fruit salad for lunch so I’m not the best person to give you nutrition advice. But I think I have good common sense so I’ve come up with six healthy and colorful recipes that I hope will provide some inspiration for those evenings when you just don’t feel like fixing something! I don’t know about you but I’ve decided to stop worrying about what’s on my plate.
You can download your recipes by clicking on the booklet:
- Kiwi Cod Ceviche
- Golden Lunch Bowl
- Golden Kiwi Smoothie
- Japanese Pearls
- Gold Energy Bowl
- Golden Coast Ice Cream
Translated by Whitney Bolin[:]
OPEN HOUSE AND WORKSHOP![:]
Hello darlings,
I hope you’re doing well. I’ve been rather quiet lately for a million reasons; the team is growing very quickly. I’ll admit it’s a bit stressful, but it’s great! Yes, good stress does exist, like butterflies in your stomach before public speaking when you’ve really worked on your speech, or stressing before a first date... Stage fright is a fear of the unknown, but deep down, we know that everything’s going to be okay... and it’s so time-consuming to be the boss of your own business, especially when it’s run digitally. You have to be able to do everything, plus the days fly by...
I used to count using cat years for fun and now I count in internet years for work! But it’d be a lie if I said that each moment wasn’t a joy, getting to see your own project take shape and go down different paths.
Management is almost like a new workout. There are so many new projects to come; a new pop up store will open it’s doors May 3rd (I’ll tell you more about it very soon) and the construction in the studio is almost finished (pictures are on their way)! By the way, to celebrate our new studio, we’ve got a surprise for you! It’s too good of an occasion to pass up and we’re too proud to not share it will you! So you’re invited to our upcoming open house this Friday, April 14th!
Plus, our darling Oschon from Print Van Paris will be there to do a screen printing workshop for the famous Bee My Baby Bandana.
The workshop will have two sessions, but hurry since there are only a few openings. It’s 50 euros a ticket and you can come with a friend to make your bandanas... to lock in your spot, I suggest signing up now on www.wearlemonade.com
The first session will be at 4PM and the second one at 6PM.
If you don’t get to reserve a spot, you’re still welcome to drop by! The studio will be open from 4PM to 9PM!
See you this Friday at 80 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis 75010 Paris, subway station: Château d’eau, Gare de l’Est, or Strasbourg Saint Denis.
See you then!
A big thank you to all our partners:
PAPER MINT - FARROW AND BALL - DECORASOL - LA GRANDE SERRE
MADE.COM - A.BSOLUMENT VINTAGE RADIOS - MY TROOPERS
Translated by Whitney Bolin[:]HOW TO SEW FIONA OVERALLS[:]
Hello all!
I have tons of Frida dresses and Mona jackets in my closet, yet overalls have always played an essential part in my wardrobe. I think it’s crazy that Wear Lemonade doesn’t have any “dressy” overalls yet! It’s been two years since we started making patterns and I thought that it might be too difficult to make own own sophisticated model. However, since the Paloma overall shorts are only available by pdf subscription and you’re getting good at making all different styles, I thought that we needed some that are more chic, that you can wear all year long and that would also be easy to make. Mission impossible? Of course not, with Laure! She did an amazing job finding a way to make them have lovely flared legs while keeping things simple! Laure, if you’re reading this (I’m sure she will soon), I love you. Thank you for Fiona and everything else! Soon I think I’ll make a pair of seventies overalls for every day of the week (I already have three, I’m planning on making a pair of vertical striped ones soon!)
‘Fiona’ overalls have flare legs or bell bottoms, depends on if you’re a disco diva or not... The wide leg and high waist make anyone’s legs look miles long... They aren’t too tight around the thighs (we love that), they have a high waist with a wide belt that erases love handles (oh yes!). There are large back pockets on the derièrre that lift everything up like a Wonderbra (amen). Fiona is the perfect way to slim down before hitting the beach! Okay, okay, no, but they really are easy and perfect for beginners that would like to get started sewing... The straps may be worn crossed or not, they may be made with snaps or buttons, it’s up to you! I plan on making one for me with little blue and white stripes out of denim, another in navy blue with polka dots, and a pair of pale pink ones but I haven’t found the right pink yet. I’m afraid that it might look like I’m naked from far away, if you know what I mean... It’s hard to find the perfect pale pink. Either it looks too nude or like colored toilet paper. It’s not going to be easy, but I haven’t given up!
I haven’t lied, it’s really easy to make the Fiona overalls if you cut the fabric before hand. I think that it can be done in 3 hours... I promise! I’ll be back later this week to tell you about our new pdf subscription program: the Lemonade Pattern Corner! I can’t wait to show you more, but those who have already subscribed can go ahead and check out the new space online. And good news: you don’t have to use PayPal to subscribe!
Here’s what you need to know about Fiona:
- You can find the pattern here, and the PDF version is available in your subscription center!
- You’ll need 2m80 of fabric from a bolt 1m40 wide for the largest size or 3m of fabric from a bolt 1m10 wide for the biggest size.
- I suggest using fairly thick, stiff fabric. Corduroy, denim, plaid or even upholstery canvas!
- You’ll need 2 nice buttons
- 1 small button, or a snap or a pants hook and eye for the back belt!
- 1 pants zipper, 22cm long
- 3 episodes of your favorite series!
Hugs and kisses, I’ll be back soon with decorations and good vibes! The Greta pattern will be available more quickly than we thought so we’ll be caught up with all our sewing! Thank you for your patience and kind words!
Translated by Whitney Bolin
SPRING, HERE WE GO[:]
Hello everyone,
We’re back! Things have been crazy at the Lemonade Studio: the office’s major renovation has been going on for the past two weeks. Which will mean: more space, new colors, like a breath of fresh air for all of us, and a new start! I can’t wait to take some pictures and show you but like they say: “the devil’s in the details”. I want everything to be perfect before you take a look. So I’m back today with a little tutorial that you voted for on Instagram. I just love Insta stories! Last Friday, I showed the behind-the-scenes on Instagram since Pandora asked us to come up with a DIY in honor of spring time and their amazing new daisy collection and their new campaign “Do, panDOra”, “Do” as in “do” it yourself, got it? For this special occasion, I’m spending my allowance on this little ring, I just love flowery jewelry...
This was also the perfect occasion to make a sort of collection of all things flowery made out of paper that we’ve made and experimented with over the past months/years for our shoots or for Make My Lemonade. Here’s a sort of “abc’s” of all our flowers, it can go with anything! Here at the office, we cut everything out with our darn “Cameo Silhouette” machine that we’ve renamed Michel. Don’t ask- the story behind it is too long... All the templates that we’re going to give you can be cut out by hand no problem. It’ll take more time of course, but it’s doable.
Getting back to the stupid machine, it’s definitely an investment, but if you want to get into paper art, it really helps. It’ll be your best friend and will pay for itself!
You’ll find out how to make fluffy pompoms, mini daisies, curly flowers, tiny peonies, anemones and our life-like irises!
To make all these flowers, you’ll need:
- Thin white Canson paper
- White tissue paper
- White crepe paper (to make life-like irises)
- A felt marker
- Thick white wire
- Wooden beads
- Scotch glue, from a green tube
You can download all our flower templates by clicking here! And feel free to use the patterns to make your own models! Hugs and kisses!
$
Translated by Whitney Bolin[:]
GOOD PEOPLE : OSCHON AND THE PRINT VAN PARIS[:]
While studying fashion design at the École Duperré, I had to take technical classes like screen printing, something I didn’t know a lot about. I loved that class, it opened a door to an array of exciting, new possibilities!
Screen printing is a pretty new technique. It uses polyester/nylon screens (originally made out of silk) stretched across frames on which a photosensitive emulsion is spread. Then, before exposing it to a UV light, a drawing printed in black is laid out against the photosensitive emulsion on a transparent sheet of plastic . When the emulsion is exposed to UVs, it hardens the fabric and keeps ink from passing through it, becoming a sort of stencil. I’m explaining all of this since it may not be clear to everyone. You may have already seen Andy Warhol or other artists from the 60s/70s that popularised this printing technique...
Screen printing has become a hobby of mine since I was a student. After college, I kept it up in workshops in the Paris suburbs in order to print my own patterns. I’ve always thought that it was too bad that there aren’t more workshops in big cities, at least in Paris, that would make screen printing available to individuals...
One day while scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled across a little, ice cream truck-like Renault: Print Van Paris. Here’s a simple mathematical equation that works in my head:
Screenprinting + Ice Cream Truck = I go crazy <3
Digging a little deeper, I found out that besides the little van,Print Van Paris also built a lemonade stand that serves as a printing table.
Print Van Paris is a small business that offers screen printing workshops for private or professional events. You’ve gotta check out their social media to get all their updates; don’t miss out on their workshops! You can also buy colorful posters by the Print Van Paris founders and exclusive drawings made with collaborating artists! You can even choose your design to go and print it on a t-shirt!
It was all just too perfect: I had to meet the people behind this amazing concept. I met Oschon, pronounced “Ocean”, the founder. Oschon is kind, bubbly, and a great teacher: the perfect mix! Everyone at the Lemonade Studio loves him. From the beginning, we thought we should work on a project together!
Last October, we put together several beginner’s screen printing workshops at the pop-up store. It was great, but we definitely could have used a bigger space. When we get our own real store, we’d love to have weekend workshops: screen printing Saturdays, sewing Sundays to put together your own printed clothes... we have so many ideas! I wanted to make a little screen printed bandana available only through an office workshop for Bee My Baby! This workshop will take place mid-March to celebrate springtime and the end of office construction! This’ll be a 2 person workshop, for you and your best friend, or your other half, to go with the “Bee My Baby” theme. We’ll let you know more later when the tickets are available in our newsletter in the upcoming weeks!
I’ll let you get to reading about Oschon for the next chapter in our Good People series as well as the behind-the-scenes video that shows how we printed our collection’s bandanas!
- ‘Guidance Counselor’ Question: Can you tell us about your career?
After getting my high school diploma in Switzerland, I started my bachelor’s degree in graphic design at the London College of Communication. I loved the different workshops that the school offered: letterpress, bookbinding, lino cut, engraving, and especially a screen printing workshop where I spent most of my time.
Anyways, after getting my degree, I continued to screen print and I discovered the Dalston London Club. It was amazing. Kate and Fred, the founders, let me use the studio for my own personal projects in exchange for a day of work. I was able to experiment with different printing techniques, meet people and learn more about business side of a potential job thanks to Kate and Fred, who became friends and mentors.
The rest of the time, I worked with James Hurst at Cure Studio, a small graphic design atelier. James taught me the basics of print and digital graphic design. After working with him for two years, I had the opportunity to work at Burberry on the digital team. After 10 years, in early 2014, I decided to leave London for Paris. I started to work in the digital department at Chloé before starting my own business: Print Van Paris.
- ‘Juggling’ question: As a graphic designer for brands today and especially as a self-employed person, how do you balance all your projects while expanding your business?
I like the diverse aspect of my career: working on a global project with small brands or in a huge palace for a fashion show, and then washing the screen printing frames the next day in the street next to my Van.
It isn’t always easy. It’s especially difficult to take out time to expand your own business. You have to manage your time well, work passionately, and sacrifice some of your own personal free time.
- ‘Career Change’ Question: What made you want to start Print Van Paris? And why in an ice cream truck?
When I was in London, I often when to have lunch at Captain Corellis, an amazing brasserie-type restaurant, “Godfather” style, in the south of London. It has a very Sicilian feel to it; they serve huge, delicious meals and the owner looks like a real mobster. There were always lots of ice cream trucks around the place. I loved their different colors, models, designs, etc.
The magic of seeing an ice cream truck on your street made me think of the same happy feeling of screen printing for the first time. That’s when the idea came to me to put these two magical moments together!
Five years later, I had enough money to get started. I met with the teams from L’imprimerie du Marais, who helped me, and with Simon Roché, a screen printer, we started Print Van Paris in September 2014.
- ‘Globe Trotter’: Between the United States, Switzerland, England and France, what made you decide to settle down in Paris?
To put it simply: love! My girlfriend lives in Paris.
- ‘What’s Next’ Question: Today, Print Van Paris is a screen printing shop on wheels, in a beautiful truck, with quite a few special projects with different brands. What’s your next step? Renovating a vintage printing shop?
Oh wow, I’d love to renovate an old printing shop! But seriously, we’re looking for a place to settle down into. It’s the logical next step that would help us move forward with our artistic collaborations, and also democratise screen printing. Opening up the atelier for workshops while continuing our work with brands in our workshop or in the van in the streets of Paris.
- ‘Master Yoda’ Question: What are three pieces of advice for someone wanting to change careers and start their own business, in the art field?
- Put some love and passion into it !
- Don’t neglect the business side of things. To make an art project work, you have to know how to handle money.
- Don’t mix up your hobby and career.
- ‘Gourou’ Question: Who inspired you to screen print? Is there someone that you look up to?
Aida Wile (House of Brag), my first screen printing professor in college. James Hurst and Fred Higginson introduced me to their style and helped me in the beginning.
- “In Search of Lost Time” Question: What is your first memory of color?
Cotton candy, colorful theme park rides and stuffed animals at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in Australia.
- ‘Throwback’ Question: What did you dream of doing when you were little?
A mix of a professional skater, writer, freedom fighter, and construction machine driver
Thank you Oschon for your time and your answers!
Translated by Whitney Bolin
QUICK MIMOSA EMBROIDERY DIY[:]
Happy Saturday everyone!
For this special week, here’s another DIY that I love and the studio adores since it’s really fast and easy to make. I think that I just might embroider mimosa all over this shirt’s collar! It’s official, after this theme week and our Bee My Baby collection, mimosas beat peonies and hortensias. They’re one of my favorite flowers! I can’t count the number of times I’ve bought mimosas over the past few weeks. I think I may be responsible for all 2017 sales... Anyways, aren’t they so delicate and fragile? Mimosas are round and fluffy usually for a few days, but in an overheated studio, they only last a few hours... So I need a long term solution to keep them bright and yellow.
Last year, Charlotte made us a beautiful paper cake for Make My Lemonade’s four year anniversary. She used little yellow scrapbooking pompoms for the daisies. I had also used them for the darling veil that Karuna and I taught you to make. Here’s a “slightly” sped up version of how to embroider mimosas on a sailor top!
As you can see, it’s really easy to make this. I’ll get into the details for those who’d like to start embroidering but have no idea where to start!
To start with, to embroider this DIY, you’ll need:
- An embroidery hoop
- A sailor top or any other shirt
- Green embroidery thread
- Yellow thread
- Mini childrens’ pompoms, ours come from Rougier & Plé
- A pen that erases with heat!
Once all the leaves are finished, you can attach the mimosa stem using a double chain stitch. This stitch is very, very easy. Pull out the needle, twist the threat around your thumb (always in the same direction) and thread the needle through the exact same hole it came out of. Keep the loop around your thumb and pull the thread out a few millimeters away, thread the needle through the loop around your thumb, pull your thumb out, and voilà! Next, turn the thread around your thumb (still in the same direction) and thread the needle through the same exact same hole it came out of, etc... Quick tip: hold the hoop in the direction that you want to do the double chain stitch, it’ll make things a lot easier!
Next, using yellow thread, attach the little yellow mimosa pompoms by threading through their middles. Have fun! And TA-DA!
Translated by Whitney Bolin[:]
HAPPY BEE FRIDAY
Happy Friday, darlings!
I didn’t post our “Good People “ article yesterday because I wanted to fix a couple of things! Plus, I thought that it would make more sense to finish off the week with a special guest... and we have big news to share at the end of this week! I think you’ll like it... anyways, everyone at the Lemonade Studio is super excited for our new workshop, but I can’t tell you anything else right now (I’m so excited!!).
Today is a special Happy Friday since you get to see our theme week. I put together not just one, but two looks for you with pieces from the latest collection! By the way, it got me thinking that I myself haven’t yet done my shopping on Wear Lemonade! I’m just wearing some prototypes that we used to shoot our lookbook...
It’s time I decided which pieces I want before they’re all gone! I haven’t even had the time to get a navy blue, striped Greta dress... luckily we were able to order more fabric from Spain, and get an emergency delivery of striped Greta dresses and Ada skirts from the factory in Macedonia that we showed you last year!
I’m wearing flowy Chambray Fiona overalls, size medium, a sienna-colored Maya bodysuit, size small, a Thalullah kimono, size medium, an Argument x Chacok necklace and a pair of lovely Robert Clergerie shoes.
As you already know, on January 1st I made the resolution to stop buying fast fashion. I know, I can’t really complain since I get to design my dream clothes, but still! Since I love shopping, I’ve been avoiding stores and certain neighborhoods. And I’ve been ‘air shopping” online: I fill up my cart and then leave... that’s enough for me! I almost put up an internet blocker so I won’t go to certain websites... yeah, I need help! But anyways, it’s forcing me to get back in touch with lots of clothes in my closet...
I’m not going to give another speech on the ethics of clothing production, but as I get older, it means more and more to me and influences me to choose one brand over another. Especially since in this day and age, the surplus of choices makes it hard to tell where things are from and what they’re actually made of. On one hand, and it’s a good thing, ‘Made in China’ doesn’t necessarily still mean that the quality’s bad and the working conditions are poor. I once bought a dress, convinced that it was made of silk, and it was actually just a really nice polyester fabric! On the other hand, you can also end up throwing out a silk top after wearing it just once if it starts unraveling in a snap. The trick is to look closely at the pictures when shopping online. Beware of shiny, synthetic fabric- it’ll be shockingly worse in person! And don’t judge too quickly... I think it really depends on where it’s made. I try to avoid any brands that aren’t clear on how they make their clothes.
I’m wearing the sienna-colored Ada skirt, size medium, a “Bee My Baby” t-shirt, size medium (we’re getting more reprinted too), a mustard colored Thallula kimono, size M, and a DIY bandana that I’ll tell you more about later!
What tips do you have for buying online? I’ll write an article with your advice and our’s at the Lemonade Studio. Oh and thanks for being so quick to reply to our survey newsletter! You have so many amazing ideas, thank you for participating and for your comments that were taken into consideration! Stay tuned!
You may have already noticed (I can’t hide anything from you!) I’ve got my natural hair back. After wearing extensions for 5 months, my hair has definitely grown out and I didn’t lose that much. I’m such a bed head when I wake up... so I had Fred layer it a little bit but not too much since I’m trying to get myself ready psychologically for a new style... I haven’t made any final decisions but I’m definitely going for a big change! Okay, I’m lying, I want to cut my hair short (sorry mom, sorry Thomas). But until I’m ready and it’s nice out and I can feel the breeze on the back of my neck, I’m going to leave my hair alone... when will Spring get here?
Photos @Olitax <3
Translated by Whitney Bolin
[:]MIMOSA ANGEL CAKE[:]
Snack time!
It feels great to get back to sharing some recipes on the website! It’s been almost one year since we moved into our new home and the kitchen has been on standby for just about 6 months. It was pretty basic, there wasn’t even a counter... but now we have a beautiful one (thanks to the French Vikings)! By the way, would you like to get a quick tour of my home?
Anyways, that’s kind of been my excuse for not cooking... plus, my other half is like Mr. Kitchen Macgyver. With only some rice, three vegetables, a bouillon cube, and some spices, he becomes Alain Ducasse (oh yeah), so I haven’t really even wanted to make any efforts. I’m making a lot of excuses today, aren’t I?
The new Bee My Baby collection is the perfect chance to get back into the kitchen... plus we came up with a new stylish cake inspired by our latest mimosa motif! This sponge cake is inspired by light and fluffy angel food cake, iced with butter cream to even out the lightness of the cake! You may also make a lighter frosting with cream cheese for a zero-guilt (or almost) desert... here’s the recipe!
To make the Angel Cake you’ll need:
- 100 g of four
- 50 g of Maizena
- 6 eggs
- 130 g of sugar
- 1 packet of vanilla flavored sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 lemon
- 1 pinch of salt
The lemon curd:
Frothy frosting...
- 200g high quality butter
- 400g powdered sugar
- 60ml f milk
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
See you tomorrow for a new chapter on nice people! Can’t wait to share it with you...
Translated by Whitney Bolin.
[:]DIY PAPER BEE[:]
Happy Tuesday, my darlings,
As you may already know, the new Wear Lemonade collection is out! It’s inspired by sunny days, mimosas and bees (of course)! I couldn’t miss out on this opportunity to create a paper bee to decorate your wall or desk... And the lovely Julie came up with a great idea: it can also go on a baby mobile. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, you can also give it as a gift, saying “bee my valentine”... Anyways, you get the idea, this bee is super useful! I’ve wanted to make bugs out of paper for a while now, after seeing Zim and Zou’s and Assembli’s amazing kits. This collection is just the perfect chance to make some! Don’t worry, it’s pretty easy to put together, and I promise that after this, making things out of paper will be simple for you. I’ll let you get to it, hugs and kisses!
Charlotte
I suggest printing the pattern out on thick, white paper for the black parts and to cut them out without tracing them on another piece of paper.
- The patterns, download here,
- Thick, colored paper (we used some from Clairefontaine),
- Scotch glue, in the green tube
- A small ruler
- An exacto knife
- A pair of scissors.
Print and cut all the patterns out of colored paper, being careful of the number written on each part.
Using an exacto knife and ruler, trace all the folding lines with the back of the blade (the fold lines are indicated on the patterns).
Now fold all your lines! Glue the D and E cut-outs together. The E part has a hole so that you can hang your bee to a wall by sliding the nail head through it. If you don’t plan on hanging it on a wall, you can cut the D part nine times instead.
Put glue on the first two tabs and glue them to the following section. Wait a few minutes for them to dry and glue the next tabs together to hold the two sections together!
Keep doing this and the bee’s body should start to take shape. Don’t forget to assemble the E part with the rest of the body. The hole on this part will help you hang your bee on a nail in a wall. To finish off the bee’s body, glue the A and G cutouts to the edges.
Let’s move on to the F part! Follow the same pattern as the bee’s body. I suggest putting four sections of one part together and four sections of another together, then slide them together and glue. Don’t forget to close off the shape by gluing the C part!
Let’s finish it off with the bee’s head (H). Once that’s done, most of the work is done! Glue the tabs to each other and the head will start to take shape, finish off with the B cutout to close off the volume.
Bravo! Pat yourself on the back and take a snack break!
Using the cutouts of the bee’s stripes, trace folding lines if you haven’t already. Fold and make sure that the folds line up with the bee’s shape! All you have left to do is glue them to the body! I suggest gluing the ends of the stripes next to the side that has a hole. You won’t see this side as much, so don’t worry if the stripes don’t line up exactly!
Now fold the two circles that serve as the bee’s eyes and glue them on top of it’s head.
Glue the body, abdomen and head together!
Fold the heart in half, which’ll go on the bee’s abdomen and will hold the wings in place.
Glue together the large wings on the the little ones, lining them up on the red mark indicated on the pattern.
Now attach your wings to the heart, angling them however you like.
Finish it off by gluing the heart to the abdomen and ta-da! Now you just have to find a place for your new friend!
Musique : Santoré - Another Man
Translated by Whitney Bolin[:]
BEE MY BABY WEEK
Bee My Baby...
Tomorrow is February 14th and our newest collection will be out, inspired not by love but by friendship with a capital F.
Each collection is inspired by many things: Justine, Alexandra’s flowing hair, Maria’s tenderness, my dear sister, Charlotte’s derriere, the gap between Marilou’s teeth, my Aunt’s words, Aurélie’s blond locks, Laure’s obsession with the seventies, Maeva’s passion, my mother’s love for leopard print, Maya’s perseverance, Mai’s colors, Anne’s willpower, Fanny’s joie de vivre, Lily’s chic sense of humor, my niece’s innocents and Julie’s perfect red lips.
All these women inspire my day to day life, whether they like it or not. They are my inspirations, they influence my drawings, the stories I tell.
I started to think about this collection when my best friend, Justine, moved to Italy. She is my sunshine, strong and fearless! I think of her as my sister. We didn’t grow up together, but there are so many things that she knows about me and only she knows. When I met her for the first time, 8 years ago, it was like love at first sight. She was so bubbly, lovely, and funny. After just a few minutes, we were frustrated by the same things, casting mischievous glances at each other... Boom, then it happened, the people around us ceased to exist. She inspired me to take on the world, and same as with my husband, she’s one of the people that encourages me and inspires me simply by existing. All the times that I didn’t listen to her and did what I wanted, I regretted it. Justine knows a lot about some things that I don’t.
You might say that she looks like Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Portman or Keira Knightley, but in the end, she just looks like herself, like all these other unforgettable women. I think that in the end, when designing a collection, a great goal to have is to leave nobody indifferent! Designing this collection inspired by her, with bees from her childhood and mimosa from mine, colors from dreamy Italy and lovely retro designs. And as always, the cuts are flattering for all shapes and sizes to celebrate our differences.
When I show my sketches to Laure, who adds the finishing touches, I always wait for her to say, “this is so Fanny or Maria”, or “this piece is going to be your favorite”, or even “I want this in every color!”.
That’s how we work! Then Maria gets involved and points us in the right direction; which fabric is best, which color would look great. She reminds us why our collection is good, the fact that we make less and less compromises, that we’re trying to use more bold colors and forgotten styles, to invent patterns that I hope are original. Everyone in the Studio adds their two cents, fighting for their ideas. It’s like a dance, a passionate conversation, that I think is actually a lot of fun because in the end, that’s what it’s all about. Everyone’s passion for our work and jobs.
This doesn’t just belong to me, it belongs to all these ladies. Even if I play the role of a conductor, nothing makes me prouder than to see my team get excited about getting the new collection, just as much or more than me. Everything has a new meaning!
I think that today, we’re not only making fashion available, but the possibility to make it. Make with a capital M. If we ever have the time, desire, motivation, we too can make this lovely skirt in every color you can imagine. I realized not too long ago that it’s not just about clothes, it’s a promise. The promise that one day we’ll get to it, or at least try, that we’ll start sewing or start our own thing, that we’ll leave everything to live in a different country, to pave our own way with or without someone by your side...
Feeling that one’s never really be alone, despite the distance or passing time, you’ll always be “your bee’s baby”...
Photos by Laurence Revol <3, make up by Laurence Maestrello. Thank you to the entire Lemonade Studio for making this possible and to all these lovely Lemonade Lovers for posing for us on a rainy Saturday!
Translated by Whitney Bolin.
HOW DO YOU SEW THE ADA SKIRT?[:]
Happy Friday, darlings!
Today I’d like to put the spotlight on the lovely Maya, who works with us in the e-commerce division at Wear Lemonade, to present the Ada skirt pattern. I don’t quite fit in it... now don’t go jumping to conclusions, I don’t have any “good news”, it’s just that we made this size 36 skirt out of a non-stretchy fabric... and my hips just might burst the seams if I put it on! Remember, it’s important to measure before getting started! Use your hip measurements and don’t worry about the waist because the back is elastic!
I just have to make one my size... I love how mad-man-esque it is! I’d love to make it with a flower motif or out of mustard colored velvet or even upholstery fabric and pair it with Converses! I’m getting off track... Anyways, this skirt was made with IKEA furniture fabric that I got a few years ago and I thought that it went well with the skirt for a 70s look!
I was wondering if you’d like to see different people for the sewing patterns; I’m not jumping ship but I think that it would be nice to switch up ‘my body’ with other women at the Lemonade Studio, so that you can better imagine making your sewing projects!
Here’s what you need to know about Ada:
- The pattern is here, and since yesterday, the pdf version is available in your customer space online. Would you like a newsletter to let you know as soon as a pattern is online?
- You’ll need 1m85 of fabric from a bolt 1m40 wide to make the biggest size, or 2m of fabric from a bolt 1m10 wide to make the biggest size,
- I suggest using a fairly thick fabric, that holds it’s shape, like corduroy or denim, or even upholstery fabric like we did,
- You’ll also need 7 lovely buttons or 7 snaps, 20 mm wide,
- 1 m of elastic cord 0.75 mm wide,
- Attention to detail: the pockets are a little bit tricky, but it’s worth it!
More news about the PDF subscriptions will be available soon. We’ve got an article in the works to tell you all about it: I think you’ll like it! To be continued!
Hugs and kisses!
Translated by Whitney Bolin[:]