My great-grandfather was an inventor... one of his many was a stitching machine... have you ever heard of the Johnson Hemstitcher? One of his other major accomplishments was my grandmother Violet.
Talk about style and creativity! Violet painted, she made clothes and she even wrote an advice column for the Oregonian targeting mature singles (before it was the norm) as "Dear Vajj". Always at her best, until her dying day at 101 her hair was still red and she was always dressed to perfection. One of her greatest designs, however, was my mother Jackie.
Mom has always been a designing dynamo. She had a pottery business, antiques and design business, got a second degree when I was graduating college - in Design - and now helps others with their design needs full-time. She used to make our clothes when we were little and was there with me in Girl Scouts when I first learned to sew. I would sell items at her store to help make extra money and she was often forced to spend hours cleaning up after me and my crafting messes that always had to be made in the middle of the living room floor!
My Yaya - Perso - was quite a style diva for her time. She knitted the most fabulous items including a 2-piece dress with opal sequins I still love to wear. Her true talent, however, was shopping - she had a great sense of style and loved THE BEST designers and proceeded to fill all the closets in the house (and even the car trunk where she hid new purchases from Papu.) She would have put Carrie Bradshaw to shame with her shoe collection - too bad for me they were all a size 6!
Her son Peter, my dad, obviously inherited her creative vision as he became an amazing architect and redesigned our family home I love. He also inspired me constantly taking me on driving tours when I was young to look at the buildings he had worked on.
Sew what
After several years in NYC working in publishing and fashion - my wardrobe was full but my beautiful purses empty... so I started to create gifts when they were needed and revamped my clothes (from my side of the closet and my boyfriend's) so I could always have that something-new feeling! The lingerie bags when she got married last June, and with the help of my sis who orders one almost every other week, their popularity has spread and shoe bags naturally followed. Now I can often be seen late at night through my bay windows sewing away while watching 'Sex and The City" re-runs or late-night TV.
A royal good time
The Birthday Queen line started after a trip to London for my birthday when Holly made us all go out on the town in tiaras... after that I was certain every girl should be a queen on her special day (and yes, there are men who like to be king as well). Each one reflects it's owner and while they take some time to create, are great fun to make. The sashes were an accessory that naturally followed the crowns. Who knows, scepters could be next.
What's in a name
Until entering the work force when I became 'Kristine' I was always called 'Krissy' (and at one time or another it was changed to 'Krysi' or 'Krissie'). Realizing that I love it when my sister refers to me as 'Krissy G' - I figured it's fun, and it's me - so it just seemed to fit and thus was born krissyg.
Have some fun
Personally, I think giving something hand-made is really special when gifting to special people. So, if you're like me, but YOU can't sew or craft, I hope you'll share in the fun and appreciate the detail and quality of my goods by giving someone you love (and don't forget yourself) something from the krissyg line!
