everything you need to know about the new pant 1

The time has come. It’s time to share more details about the new pant 1, which launches TOMORROW 11/21 at 9:00am MST.

Eri wears the new pant 1 in size 1. She is is 5’7”. Her bust measurement is 33 1/2”, her waist is 29 1/2” and her hips are 37”.

Some might call me a "tortured artist" when it comes to pant 1. This is the third iteration of this design that I've done. You won't be able to tell a big difference in how they look, but I adjusted the amount of space in the seat across all sizes (I only did this only to the larger sizes in revision two of pant 1) which resulted in a comfier fit in the hips. I'm really happy with how they turned out and I think pant 1 devotees will still like this iteration. 

So really you’ll still find all of your favorite design elements that you love about pant 1: a super high rise across all sizes, inseam pockets for all of your necessities and a perfectly tapered leg.

Let’s talk about sizing. I have eliminated every other size of this pant. I did this because I am now doing small batch production instead of a made-to-order model and having 16 to 19 sizes in stock in three rises/inseams would be too much for me to stock (and it could have put me out of business.) There are now 8 sizes labeled size 1-8.  I now offer one inseam length which 26”. For those of you familiar with our previous inseam lengths, length “b” was 25” and length “c” was 27.”

You can use the chart below to figure out how our old sizing converts to new sizing. You can also see the size range (body measurements) per size.

What else is new? GARMENT MEASUREMENTS! Many of you have asked over the years for garment measurements to be posted. That is now a reality. You can take these measurements and compare them with pants in your own wardrobe to help decide what size might work. 

We’ve been using the same 2” wide elastic for years and it’s sticking around. This particular elastic has really strong recovery and I don’t find that it stretches out a lot over time.

Cinder canvas is the only fabric I can currently offer, but I have plans to bring tea canvas in if this batch sells well. The retail price is $225.

If you have additional questions about the new pant 1 or just want to drop me a line, click here. See you tomorrow!

october update

Hello everyone! It feels like I lifetime since I’ve given you a longer update, so here we go…

I write this from my couch while wearing sweats with a sleeping dog by my side. These past two months have been challenging because I’ve been forced to slow down and take care of my body. I was having neck troubles at the end of the summer and after getting an MRI, I learned that I have a herniated disk. Just a few weeks after that, my family and I all tested positive for Covid. My toddler recovered within a few days. I, however, was sick for over 3 weeks. I’m still slowly gaining my energy back and, while I feel much better, I’m allowing myself a bit of a slower pace. The herniated disk has been healing slowly but surely and has probably benefited from me taking such a long break from the physical aspect of my job (sewing, packaging, looking down, looking down, looking down). This whole experience has honestly had me re-evaluating the way I work in general. I’m thinking now I need to incorporate more proactive rest into my schedule rather than waiting for my body to have a break down. Capitalism, man. If you let it, it can really get you down. A little piece of advice since we all look down at our phones and computers so much: don’t forget to give that neck a break and look up. It does wonders on so many levels.

Despite these obstacles (and speaking of capitalism), I do have a small collection of cold weather items coming your way. Smock 1 and dress 3 in tea hemp organic cotton wool will be launching in the coming weeks. Remember when I launched those same styles in the same fabric, but in cinder? Pant 1 is also returning in cinder canvas with an improved fit. It’s gonna be gooooood!

A few things that I’ve been thinking about:

1. I’ve recently gotten quite a few more tattoos and I have more planned. I love browsing tattoo ideas and placement on Pinterest.

2. My body has shifted and changed so much in the last three years since becoming a mama to a now two-year-old. I’ve purchased a lot of new pants which has made me feel so happy to be honoring my body as it is. I’ve also been collecting images that have helped me explore my new personal style. A little collage of outfits I like below (+ sources).

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 (starting from top left and moving clockwise)

3. I lost my favorite red hat that I get many questions about on Instagram, so I just finished knitting a new winter hat in this incredible color. I can’t wait to see how it pairs with my neutral wardrobe.

4. I’m love with these affirmations because I need them badly. My body is innocent. I deserve rest. Oof.

5. Speaking of pants, I ordered patchwork pants from this lovely custom clothing brand. So excited to receive them in the mail!

Wishing you all the rest this season, my friends. Stay tuned as I announce a launch date for the fall collection.

-Lily

puff top information (our newest design) and more updates

jubilee and iules in the puff top in tea linen. denim provided by atomic salvage.

Oh hello old friends. And new friends. Hello all. I’m popping in today to tell you more about the new puff top that I’ve been teasing on Instagram and to let you know what’s been happening with the business lately. Let’s dive in!

I can’t believe it’s June and that the last time I wrote a blog post, I was entering into my wintering season. Starting this past January, I began working with contract seamstresses around Denver to bring you some new clothes. We brought you some small batch runs of dress 3 in gingham, pullover 4 in tea, and dress 2 in tea grid. Pullover 4 and dress 2 sold out fairly quickly, which was such an amazing thing to see. I really have enjoyed being able to control the number of garments we make at a time. With the made-to-order model, there were times when I felt like we were barely able to keep up with our deadlines. Now, we make what we want to make in the amount of time we want to make it in and it launches when it’s ready. Sorry capitalism, we’re taking our time these days.

I’ve also been able to bring you the newest Eli & Barry design, the puff top, which I took photos of this week. I’ve been working on this top for many months now and I truly believe I landed on the most wearable puff top that I’ve personally come across. This top is priced at $185 and comes in both tea and gingham linen. The launch date is Tuesday June 7th, 2022 at 9:00am MT.

jules in the puff top in gingham linen. denim provided by atomic salvage.

Another item that’s been top of mind for me for a while has been consolidating our sizing a bit. For a time, I was able to offer more sizes than many of my contemporaries. This felt really amazing to to able to offer a more custom fit across a broader size range. The issue with this is that as such a small company, sometimes I get a customer exchange and then it can take a long time to re-sell that item. For example, customer A orders pant 1 in os 17 in length B. They need to exchange for length C, and then I have os 17 length B sitting in inventory for quite some time. So over the coming months, I’ll be consolidating sizes so that the size range our clothing fits remains the same, but there will be less individual sizes across that range. So for this top, the bust range is still 33”-63”, but we are offering two sizes: os 1 which covers os 0 through os 2 and os 3 which accommodates os 3 and 4. This feels good to me for so many reasons: we are less likely to have inventory just sitting on shelves which is better for the planet, you have less guess work about which size is right of for you (because less individual options), and my business has a shot at being profitable (because I’m more likely to sell what I have). Overall everything is simplified. Friends, I need simplicity these days.

On a more personal note, or, rather, a personal life note, my life is still feeling a bit volatile and definitely unpredictable as a mom of a toddler. Sometimes I’m awoken at 4:00am by my little lady. On those days, less “work” work gets done, but I look for ways to care for myself more when that happens. I’m scheduling time to move my body (dance and yoga have re-entered my life) and I’ve learned the power of a good nap. I’m learning to honor the season I’m in more and more and that’s been a really important practice for me. I hope you all are taking steps to care for yourself, as well.

Anyways, if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. Let me know what questions you have or just pop in a note in the comments to say “hi.”

a wintering (a break, a turning in, a pause)

Have you heard of the phrase “wintering?” It’s a concept by author Katherine May. My husband and I discussed wintering a lot when we brought our then newborn home last fall. The difficulty of the newborn phase and all the changes that came with our new life brought us into a state of turning in during a time of, quite honestly, deep difficulty. Thus the phrase “wintering.” Wintering is an intentional break taken during times of darkness. I feel as though a wintering is upon me.

As you might know, I’ve been operating Eli & Barry as a made-to-order clothing brand for quite some time. This has worked fairly well for me as a young business. I’ve been able to keep costs lower by having a customer purchase an item before producing it. It’s also been wonderful market research for me to see what items customers are interested in.

One of the pitfalls of this model for me is that when I lose an employee, who is often my sole employee or one of two employees, the wheels fall off the bus, so to speak. My business comes to a screeching halt. When I need to find someone new to fill a position, it is an intense experience to find and train that person. We offer so many styles that it’s a huge undertaking to get a new hire comfortable with all of our offerings. And recently both of my beloved employees, Audrey and Bri, have notified me that they need to phase out of Eli & Barry. So here I am. Wheels off the bus. Screeching halt.

It has me thinking about how I run my business and, frankly, how so many things in my life feel like they have to happen at light speed. What I mean by this is that when I lose an employee, I have to find them ASAP, train them ASAP, and try not to interrupt our production schedule too much. All of that is hard enough, but we also happen to be in a global pandemic which has also caused a significant labor shortage. The task of finding suitable replacements for my all star team seems a bit insurmountable…at least in terms of a fast solution. Did I mention that I also have a 1 year old at home?

So, here’s my next move: we’re taking a break from the made-to-order shop starting Tuesday 10/19/21. My plan is to finish out the pending list of orders and then to take a pause. Then I’ll take the rest of fall and part of winter to just be in my studio space alone to work, create and figure out my next move.

My plan also is to offer you, my beloved customer, some unconventional-for-us options during this wintering season. I have a beautiful cold-weather fabric coming in (in very limited quantity) so I will be able to take a few orders in that fabric that I will likely sew myself. I’m hoping during this period that I’ll have more time to work on some new styles, to finish some projects that seem to linger on my to-do list, to write and to overall just to be very intentional with the next phase of my brand. All of this honors my well-being and mental health. All of this sounds really, really good.

So, like I said above, please get your orders in before Tuesday 10/19/21 if there’s something you absolutely need before the New Year! If you have a pending exchange happening, I will fulfill your replacement order for you outside of this deadline! As always, feel free to email me with questions.

Happy wintering!

pant 1 on 3 different bodies

One project we tackled in 2020 was to improve the fit and construction of our most popular style: pant 1. Fit improvements happened from os 11 to os 15, which also allowed us to add more sizes to our range. Pant 1 now fits a 35” to 61” hip and comes in 3 different inseam/rise options aimed at folx 5’-5’11”. Below you can see how pant 1 looks on an os 3, os 11 and os 19. We’ve also provided the model’s measurements and heights for each of those sizes.

Eri is 5’7” and her bust measurement is 33 1/2”, her waist is 29 3/4” and her hips are 37 1/2”. She is wearing pant 1 in foam cotton in os 3 / b.

Kaylee is 5’9” with a bust measurement of 40”, a waist measurement of 35 1/2” and a hip measurement of 46 3/4”. She’s wearing pant 1 in tea hemp cotton in os 11 / b.

Kat is 5’2” with a 50” bust, a 42” waist”, and a 61” hip. She wears pant 1 in denim in os 19 / a. We used a clip to cinch the elastic to fit her waist for this shoot.

what to wear this fall

Is anybody else whole-heartedly ready for fall? It always feels a bit wasteful to wish a season away, but I’ve never really felt like I was built for hot weather. This summer felt particularly scorching in our hometown of Denver. It probably was compounded by the fact that I’m now over 9 months pregnant! As I take my walks around our neighborhood (waiting patiently for this baby to arrive) I’m seeing some yellow and red leaves under foot. Mornings are chillier than they used to be and I even broke into my bag of handmade knits the other day when we had a surprise snowstorm roll through town.

There are a couple of fabrics in our line that are just perfect for this coming season: toffee twill, mustard canvas, cinder stripe canvas, and chalk twill. These fabrics feel like they cover a range of needs: canvas is strong and durable, twill is soft and comforting. These are clothes thatl will carry you through. Just add a cozy night on the couch, a handcraft in your lap and a mug of tea close by.

pant 1 and t-shirt 4 in organic cotton twill in toffee

pant 1 in hemp organic cotton canvas in mustard

t-shirt 4 in hemp organic cotton canvas in mustard

pullover 4 in hemp organic cotton canvas in cinder stripe

dress 3 in organic cotton twill in chalk

pant 1 is relaunching soon

You might have heard me talking about a "pant 1 sizing revamp" for quite some time now on Instagram. You might be asking yourself, "Well, what the heck is that?" I'm here today to give you the full rundown on what to expect from the new pant 1.

Let me first talk about what prompted this project and what working on this project has looked like. Mostly what I wanted to tackle for pant 1 was improving the fit for os 9 and above. This required me to rework the seat area to get a better and more accurate for the upper size range. Once I was able to rework the seat area of one of our larger sizes, I embarked on fit testing the pants on our longtime Eli and Barry model (and my friend), Kaylee. We did quite a few fittings in her backyard so we could stay a safe distance away from each other because, you know, we’re still in a pandemic. Once I was happy with the new fit on Kaylee, I sent the pattern off to our pattern grader in Chicago to create all the sizes we’re now going to be able to offer.

That’s right, we’ll have a more sizes, as well as more rise and inseam options for you to choose from. Making the fit improvement to Kaylee’s size allowed us to add 4 more sizes to our existing range. That means we're offering an up to an os 19 which accommodates a 50.5” waist and 61.5" hip.  Along with being able to offer more sizes, we’ll now have better options for folx 5’3” and shorter and 5’9” and taller. The shortest inseam we currently offer (23”) will now accompany a shorter rise. We’ll be offering a tall inseam, as well, which will have the same super high rise that pant 1 currently has.

But wait, there’s more! Beyond reworking the seat area of our upper sizes, I had had a few other construction improvements on my mind. All pant 1s will now have faux flat fell seams in the inner legs and seat seam. Not only is this a beautiful detail that adds a workwear vibe to the style, but it also improves the durability of these seams.

The new pant 1 will be available in all of our current fabrics and will also be launching in denim and tea hemp cotton (a fabric we’re bringing back) with this re-launch. We'll also be announcing a sale on all in-stock pant 1s soon! Look for the new pant 1 in early August.

things are looking up

Hello from the other side of Colorado's "stay-at-home" orders! We're hearing from our public officials that the economy will slowly (and I mean slowwwwwly) start to re-open. It's exciting and, quite honestly, confusing and scary. We're still being urged to stay home if possible (instead of "stay-at-home" they're calling it "safer at home"). I've been feeling quite overwhelmed these past couple of weeks navigating this lengthy pause with the business and there are a lot of decisions to make on how to proceed.

Not to mention the fact that I'm still growing human life inside of me.

This really is a major part of my confusion surrounding this cautious re-opening of the economy in Colorado: I'm still an immune-compromised person because I'm pregnant. As much as I'd like to get back into the world (with a mask, with social distancing, with extreme care), I just don't think that it's my time yet. I will be circling back with my doctors to see what their opinion is here, but I'm pretty sure I already know that I'm safest at home for the time being.   

Here's what know else I know. I recorded over 40 training videos while in isolation. These videos allowed me to train my new seamstress, Bri, without ever having to be physically next to her. I also know that my studio space is a safer environment than other office buildings since a single person can go to work there and not to physically close to anyone. So, while I might be home-bound, it's looking like Bri is pretty excited to get into the studio and it seems we are going to be able to have her do so safely.

Anyone else just feel an intense sense of emotional whiplash through all of this? There are times when I sit on the couch and I'm so daunted by what's ahead that I literally. can't. do. anything, It kind of feels like standing at the bottom of a mountain and not feeling at all sure that you have the right gear, but you're being asked to climb. 

So, I guess you can see here that we're trying to figure out. I'm thinking about all of this day and night. Proud of all of us who are cobbling together some semblance of a life in this madness. Proud of all of us who are taking extra time to rest during these wild times. 

Oh, and it's worth mentioning that we've been able to work with some new fabric we had ordered before we were shut down. I'm so thrilled for you to see our newest pant 1 fabrics: chalk and toffee organic cotton twill (you can see a sneak peak of toffee pant 1 above). These fabrics will also soon be coming to pant 3 and I have a beautiful new print coming to smock 1 and t-shirt 4 after that.

Sending so much love! 

an eli & barry update

what are you wearing right now that makes you feel safe and happy?

How are all of you out there? These are crazy times and I personally am finding my anxiety ebbing and flowing as we all navigate this ever changing situation. I wanted to let you all know how I’ve been transitioning the business and give you and update on some things that were already occurring before the pandemic was our everyday reality.

January and February were very good months for sales. This was truly amazing and also a challenge since we are such a small team and we were finding ourselves in over our heads. And then, before the state of emergency was announced, my beloved Rebecca who was in charge of sewing orders gave her two week notice that she was leaving Eli & Barry. Her own clothing business, Psychic Outlaw, is absolutely taking off. I couldn’t be more thrilled for her as heartbroken as I am to lose a wonderful employee and friend (I suspect the friendship will continue). So last week was Rebecca’s final week. When she gave her notice, I took the shop down so that I could figure out a way to manage the pending orders with Rebecca leaving.

I was able to move fairly quickly (again, this is pre-pandemic) and I had two new seamstresses eager to start training with me. Then the state of emergency was announced and everything started to feel very chaotic. I was watching the small businesses I love in Denver and nationwide shut down. I think we all had initial hope that it would just be for two weeks, but I suspect it will be months before most businesses can operate.

And here’s the next zinger that was well in motion before pandemic times…I am pregnant! Not exactly the way that I wanted to tell you all this, but it’s an important piece in my decision making process. No one really knows how this virus works and I’m currently being categorized at someone who is “high risk” because of my compromised immune system. Friends, I felt my throat closing in with these intersecting unknowns:. How do I keep my new employees safe AND train them? How do I keep myself and my baby safe while training new folx (can I really train someone who is, at best, 6’ away and, at worst, working from home?) Is it really the time to bring in new people with a recession that is already in motion?

So I set it down. I made a really hard decision to postpone training anyone new. Rebecca finished out her final week from home and I moved the bare minimum essentials I need to run my business as a single person to my home. I will be updating the website with the inventory that I have in stock. I will be personally sewing pending orders. And when those are done, I will be taking new orders. As I settle into this new routine, I’m brainstorming how I can train my new people remotely. I am eager to give them hours and I want just to be ready to get back into the swing of things when we can. I will certainly keep you all updated as I figure that piece out.

It isn’t ideal. I don’t think anyone feels like they’re in an ideal situation right now. But what I refuse to do is put anyone at risk (my employees, my self, my baby) for the sake of capitalism. I believe it is really important to remember that this will not last. We will get through this. I will be keeping you all updated on Instagram as I shift back to being a one lady show for the coming weeks or months. Please be safe, my friends, and stay home as much as possible. The more each of us does individually, the safer we all will be. I want you to know that you are not alone and that I am here and eager to connect.

I’m very much looking forward to warmer days when I can live in dress 2

changes are on the horizon (and we're excited about them)

We had a bit of a shock recently when I discovered that our beloved tea, cinder and mushroom canvas had all been discontinued by the fabric manufacturer. Instead of viewing it as a hit to the company, I felt that it was a great push to bring in something new.. We have all loved and enjoyed those fabrics for many years now and I hope they continue to be loved in your wardrobes, but it’s time to bring in some fresh textiles. We will have a suitable replacement for cinder canvas, but mushroom and tea as they are today are being retired for the time being. Mustard is going to take the place of mushroom as a slightly warmer khaki option. I’ve just selected some new fabrics to test and I’m beyond excited for you all to see.

We’ve had some other fun things happening around the studio since the start of the New Year. We recently had the joy of working with photographer Audrey Boyd who took some lovely behind the scenes photos of us in the studio. They are scattered throughout this post.

I’m working on Pullover 4 which will allow us to play with stripe orientation and add more sizes to this style.

A big ol’ pant revamp is on the horizon. I have two new fit models in the os 13-16 range which will allow us to improve the fit and add more sizes. We will be releasing a shorter inseam option for pant 1 and 2 and a 27” inseam option. Yay for more inclusion!

I’m working on getting all new photography on the site as I’ve been the one taking the photos thus far. We’re also dreaming of a few fun lifestyle shoots to bring into the mix. Keep an eye out for that.

Also on my mind: jacket 1, short 1, and skirt 1. Is it spring yet?

our unconventional sample sale is here

*Please note: the 2019 unconventional sample sale is now over and the link has been removed. We’re excited to try this again in 2020!

I’m excited to introduce you all to a project that we’ve been working on for weeks now: it’s our effort to create a sample sale system that encourages careful consumption and that allows people more equitable access to the items they are interested in.

We have listed each item available in a google doc including what style it is, the size, the price and the condition. Items range from 20%-50% off of their traditional retail price. All items in the sale have small flaws that are described, but we still find them worthy of wear. Sample sale participants enter their email address in the column labeled email. If there is more than one person interested in a sample sale item, they can enter their email address in the subsequent email columns. If you do not want to leave your email address, please leave your Instagram handle (i.e. @eliandbarry) in the email column and send an email to lily@eliandbarry.com with your IG handle and the number of the item you’re interested in in the subject line. At the end of the drawing period, a random email column will be selected and that person can buy the item. *Please note* entering your email address into the email column for an item is your commitment to buy. If you change your mind and do not want an item, simply delete your email address before the drawing period is over. Shipping is included in the price for all domestic orders. International orders will incur an additional $10 shipping fee. All sales are final.

A photo of each item is available in Eli & Barry’s instagram Story Highlights. Look for a saved Highlight called “sample sale.” Each item is assigned a number in the google doc which corresponds to the written number in each image. If you would like to see additional images of an item you are interested in, please send an email to lily@eliandbarry.com with the number of the item you’re interested in and the words “requesting additional images” in the subject line. Please do so by Wednesday December 4th. We will collect all of these inquiries and upload additional images to our Story Highlights. 

There is an additional sample sale section below the clothing items called “Fabric Scraps.” These are the excess fabric that is produced from creating E&B garments. They have been separated into large and small scraps, as well as dark and light fabric for the larger scraps. The larger scraps would be suitable for smaller projects and the small scraps would be suitable for tiny projects. We will not be sharing additional photos of the scrap bags because we have priced them affordably and they have already been pretty well packaged. 

The final section of the sample sale doc is bundles of discontinued fabric. This is fabric we are no longer going to be carrying. We have included the yardage and whether or not it’s been pre-washed or not. In stock garments in these fabrics are marked 15% on eliandbarry.com.

Drawings will be made on Friday December 6th at 2:00pm MST. Paypal invoices to the winners will be sent immediately following the drawing. Please pay your invoice by Saturday 12/7. We will ship garments Monday 12/9 and Tuesday 12/10. 

We hope you all enjoy this method of selling our samples! Thank you for your interest in Eli & Barry and for helping re-home these beautiful garments. 

how to tie pant 3

Oh what a glorious day it is, my friends. Yes, it is launch day. But this isn’t any old launch; this launch has been years in the making. I originally designed and pattern drafted pant 3 about 2 years ago, but it was only this fall when I started to feel truly skilled enough to bring the full vision to life. I also fine tuned sizing for pant 3 to a degree that we haven’t done before. We completed fittings on many different bodies ranging from 5’1” - 5’11.” We tried them on boy bodies and girl bodies. We tried them on curvy bodies and we tried them on straight bodies. I am just so totally in love and so totally proud to reveal these pants to the world. Pant 3 is here in all of it’s shapeshifting glory. Below are two videos that show you two ways you can tie pant 3. I’ve also included step by step instructions below.

How to tie pant 3 envelope style

The key to tying this pant is to get the general shape you’re going for, tie the waist tie, and then make adjustments.

1. Hold the pants so that they’re resting at your high waist, generally right above your belly button and at the bottom of the ribs.

2. Use your elbow or any other appendage to hold the pants in the center while gathering one side seam flat. Fold this side seam in towards the center of the pants.

3. Repeat for the other side.

4. Tie the waist tie and make adjustments to your folds. Check the back and smooth out gathers there.

5. Enjoy.

How to tie pant 3 paper bag waist style

The key to tying this pant is to get the general shape you’re going for, tie the waist tie, and then make adjustments.

1. Hold the pants so that they’re resting at your high waist, generally right above your belly button and at the bottom of the ribs.

2. Use your elbow or any other appendage to hold the pants in the center while you cinch the back of the pants at both side seams. You’re pushing the fabric towards the back of the pants.

3. Loosely gather the front of the pant and tie the waist tie.

4. Make your adjustments to the gathers so everything looks even across the front and back.

5. Enjoy.

how to embroider flowers on your winter hanky

I started a little tradition during my last cold that inspired todays DIY tutorial. When my sniffles first started to surface, I made myself a quick hanky out of our bleige silk noil (soon to be retired, by the way) scrap fabric and embroidered some simple roses on it. I thought it would be cute to embroider more flowers on it every time I get a cold. Sort of funny looking back (perhaps the fog of the impending cold was setting in), but I think I’ll stick to it! So today I wanted to show you how to embroider your own flowers on our recently launched zero waste hankies! You can do this on any fabric…think a vintage backpack, sweatshirt or denim shirt! 

tools needed
1. fabric to embroider on (might I suggest one of our hankies made from scraps?)

2. embroidery floss (available online and in craft stores, but I recommend picking some up at Fancy Tiger Crafts if you’re in Denver)

3. scissors

4. hand sewing needles 

5. water soluble fabric marker (optional, but recommend for embroidery newbies)

6. an embroidery hoop (optional, but recommend for embroidery newbies)

7. an iron

how to embroider flowers

1 - Iron your hanky so that you have a nice wrinkle-free slate to work with. 

2 - Cut a length of embroidery thread about 13” long. You don’t want to use too long of a thread because it can get tangled easily. There are six strands of embroidery thread in a single length of floss and we’re going to separate out three of them to use for the flowers. You can play with how many threads to use depending on how chunky or delicate you want your flowers to be. When you’re separating the threads out, sometimes things get tangled. Go slow and be patient and you’ll get it! Use your finger or a pair of scissors to separate out the threads. 

here I am separating out 3 threads of the 6 thread embroidery floss

use your finger or your scissors to separate out the threads. go slow as it’s easy to tangle.

3 - Thread your needle and tie a knot at the end. You’ll have one end of your embroidery floss hanging a few inches below the needle eye and the other end is knotted. Set aside. 

4 - This is a great step for beginners. I like to draw my design with a water soluble fabric pen. When you’re done with your embroidery, you can use a little bit of water to remove it the ink. We’re going to be drawing a wheel shape, so a circle with five “spokes.” You want an odd number of spokes and I like to group a few wheels together in different sizes for visual interest. 

5 - Affix your embroidery hoop to the fabric by placing the smaller circle underneath your drawn design and then place the larger circle on top and tighten it. The keeps the fabric nice and taut while you work.

6 - Take your needle and thread and come up through the center of one of your wheels from the back. Take the needle across one of your wheel spokes and down through the fabric. Continue until all the spokes are embroidered over. 

7 - Now you’re going to do some weaving. Come up with your needle through the fabric near the center of the wheel in-between two spokes. You will go over the first spoke and under the next. 

8 - Continue all the way around while alternating between going over and under each spoke. Don’t pull too tight. You’ll now start to see your flower grow.

9 - If you run out of embroidery floss and you want your flower to be fuller, simply bring the thread to the back of the fabric and tie a knot. Begin the same steps above with a fresh length of thread. If you’re satisfied with your flower, bring the thread to the back and tie a secure knot. Trim the excess thread. 

10 - Repeat the above steps with different colored floss with your other wheels. I went rogue and bunched my flowers closer together than my original drawing. When you’re done, dampen a cloth and dab the ink so that it disappears. Remove your embroidery hoop and press your hanky once more and voila! Your next cold with be slightly cheerier. Imagine how many flowers you could get on there after many, many years of colds! Your ancestors will surely treasure your beautiful snot rag.

diy not your thing? you can also purchase this already embroidered hanky here.

layering dress 2 for fall

I wanted to share an outfit with you all that’s been in my head for months now. When I pattern drafted dress 2, I had summer in mind. But if you’re anything like me, you don't tend to swap out your entire wardrobe when the seasons change. I wear mostly the same things year round give or take a layer or two. And although dress 2 is oversized, I definitely imagined being able to layer it. Think pullover 3, a handmade sweater (cropped or oversized) or smock 1 as pictured below. Also imagine tights and boots and a warm wool jacket with a scarf when things really start to crisp up. September and October can’t come soon enough.

dress 2 in navy stripe hemp organic cotton (os 1), smock 1 in deepest blue hemp organic denim (os 1), shoes like pottery sneakers purchased second hand from Poshmark

dress 2 in tea stripe hemp organic cotton (os 1), smock 1 in foam organic cotton (os 1 ) and martiniano glove shoes

clothing has a soul

Something that gives me a total sense of wellbeing: seeing people in their Eli & Barry clothing. I call that sensation soul warming. There’s also something so wholesome about a well-loved item of clothing. It feels even more special when you know that the garment was made with care and by someone in a safe work environment, whether that be by you or by someone else. Clothes tell a story and they gain plot twists in the form of worn-in fabric and rips. Patches are like scars: they’re badges of honor of a life well lived. So I want to tell you a story today about the original pant one and how I now have a new pair to add into the mix.

I remember the feeling I had when I finally perfected the first pair of pant 1. It was in the mushroom hemp organic cotton canvas and I remember feeling that same sense of soul warmth that I described above. I had just sized down one size to make everything slightly more snug and I then ended up lopping 2” off at the bottom hems in favor of a shorter inseam. I want to demonstrate why that is and also why I have a new pair of pant 1s in mushroom in a longer inseam.

Why and when I wear a 23” inseam pant 1 (I’m 5’ 6” for reference): WINTER. A bit of a contradiction, I know, but hear me out. You might have noticed that I’m a bit Blundstone obsessed (Exhibit A, B and C). I realized while making the original pant 1 that I wanted an inseam length that allowed me to have a tiny gap of skin or handmade sock to show between the pant hem and the start of my Blundstones. I’m demonstrating this styling choice below.

Admittedly, the 23” inseam feels a little short as soon as I want to wear flats or sandals. Enter my newest pant 1 in mushroom, which I call my summer pant 1. It’s actually still the 23” inseam, but I took them down a 1/2”. I still love a slightly cropped look and the length feels perfect for me with flats.

Both pants feel beloved to me. The canvas of my winter pant 1 is now soft and worn-in. That pair has a patch on the inner leg from a “mistake” a made while sewing them. They’be been worn and washed and worn again. My summer pant 1 is new and crisp and doesn’t have the that sense of story quite yet, but I’m sure that will change in the coming months. It feels a little extravagant in the sense that I already have a pair, but a pant that’s worn this much might just require duplicate pairs with different seasons in mind.

My new summer pant 1 in mushroom (back) vs. the original pant 1 that I wear in winter (front).

january 2019 clothing launch

Hello friends and Happy New Year! I can’t tell you how much December refreshed me. I opted out of all pop-ups and events (thanks to you, dear customer, for making 2018 such a successful year) and we intentionally slowed down the online shop orders. I’ve never actively taken that much time off in my five years of business and I will do it again, for sure. I haven’t circled back with my team (because, you know, that whole “vacation from work” thing), but I’m hoping they are refreshed and ready to start cooking again.

And what a joy working on this next clothing launch has been. After my last launch, I knew I needed to change things up. Even though I had already switched to a more intentional process of releasing pieces when they’re ready (as opposed to pushing to create a whole collection as such a small team), there were still some kinks to work out. It mostly had to do with not allowing myself enough time once the garment was ready to get things organized for the launch of the piece. So there was still an unnecessary amount of stress stemming from my lack of planning and self inflicted deadlines. This time, I’ve allowed myself much more time which has paid off in terms of my wellbeing and the wellbeing of my team.

So, with that being said, what’s the deal behind this launch?

One night a few months ago; I had burst of creativity (it happens from time to time). I sketched out what I’m now calling a “t-shirt re-vamp.” This sprang out of a wish to simplify and clarify my t-shirt offerings. I felt like I wanted to have the styles be different enough from each other so that it would be clear why you’d pick one instead of the other (i.e. “I like drapey fabrics so I’ll go with t-shirt 2” or “I like sculptural tops, so t-shirt 4 is for me.”) I also have learned that I prefer canvas tops to be a bit longer, while shorter tops are great in fabrics with a lot of drape. Overall, I knew I wanted to increase the length on most of the shirts because if you want any of these pieces shorter, that’s an easy fix with your tailor (more on that here).

So what’s on tap for the next launch? Like I said above, I have a t-shirt re-vamp (outlined below) along with a few new styles. Here’s what to expect (with some sneak peeks thrown in the mix).

What will be new?

1. Pulllover 3 in hemp organic denim in “deepest blue”

2. Pullover 3 in hemp organic cotton canvas in “cinder”

3. T-shirt 4 in hemp organic cotton canvas in “stripe”

4. T-shirt 4 in hemp organic cotton canvas in “tea”

5. T-shirt 4 in hemp organic cotton canvas in “cinder”

6. T-shirt 4 in organic linen cotton in “tea”

7. T-shirt 2 v. 2 in silk noil in “bleige”

8. T-shirt 2 v. 2 in hemp organic denim in “deepest blue” (more on what t-shirt 2 v. 2 means below)

Some thoughts behind the design process:

Pullover 3 - I felt very strongly that we needed to be able to offer a longer pullover length. What I also felt strongly about was this pullover needed to ooze simplicity (ew?) I knew I wanted no shoulder seems (the pattern is just two pieces: one for the front and one for the back). The simplicity of the top is finished with faux flat fell seams which create a workwear vibe and added durability. I’m over the moon with how this style turned out and I know this top in any of the fabrics/color ways will carry us through the colder months quite nicely (you can already purchase this top in hemp organic canvas cotton canvas stripe and tea hemp organic cotton canvas.) And, I mean, can we talk about the denim pullover? Come on. So much more denim to come.

pullover 3 in hemp organic denim in “deepest blue”

t-shirt 4 in hemp organic cotton canvas in “stripe”

T-shirt 4 - it’s like t-shirt 1 and t-shirt 3 had a baby. We have the longer hem length of t-shirt 1 and the longer sleeves of t-shirt 3 with a nice 1” hem to ground the whole thing in. I adore this style in the more structured fabrics like canvas. It creates a sculptural look while also feeling totally wearable (this top is 20.5” long so it should work on those who have a longer torso, too). The canvas t-shirt lives on!

t-shirt 2 v. 2 in hemp organic cotton in “tea stripe”

Here’s what’s getting re-vamped:

1. T-shirt 2 v. 2 in hemp organic cotton in “tea stripe”

Some thoughts behind the re-vamping:

There really isn’t much to change with this top because I truly feel like it’s the perfect length for more of a cropped look (this top is 19.5” in length). I did want to add an extra element of a slightly longer back (just 1/2”) and I think it just adds to the swingy-ness of the whole thing. The fabrics with the most drape will be assigned to t-shirt 2 going forward (silk, hemp organic cotton and denim).

So what’s retiring and why? Let me get into the why, first, since the reason is same for both styles: the cropped length was limiting for some and, for those who love it, the length of t-shirt 2 or t-shirt 4 can easily be cropped by your local tailor.

1. Pullover 2 in all fabrics/colors

2. T-shirt 3 in all fabrics/colors

I’m so sorry if this is a bummer to you! But you do still have a chance to orders these tops starting now until January 11th. These sales will be final sale since the style will be discontinued and I won’t be able to re-sell the tops if they were to come back to us.

So when is this all going down? 1/15/19. Get ready, because I have a fun surprise for you all on top of everything else. Sheesh!

2018 year in review

So…what were some of the standouts for Eli & Barry in 2018?

We made lots of clothes. This year blew 2017 out of the water as far as financial growth goes. It seems as though things clicked into place (they say the magic starts in year 5). We did 4 times the sales this year compared to 2017. It has me contemplating the future of the business and where I’d like things to go. It’s fun and scary to think about the years to come! I’m balancing between creating the business that lets me lead the life I want to lead (one where I’m not always working) and being willing to push myself out of my comfort zone. I’m really looking forward to what’s to come, but mostly feeling grateful at the moment for what’s transpired. Past Lily could have never imagined future Lily’s life. It’s a full life, for sure.

You might also be wondering who “we” are, since for a long time, it was just me running this show. These days I have so much help and I don’t know what I would do without the folks who keep things rolling smoothly around here. I now work with three seamstresses. Amanda had been with me the longest, but we also have Anna and Amber on board. They are all contract seamstresses for me and work on their own schedule. I also have Emma helping a couple of hours a week by packaging orders, cutting fabric and assembling bundles for the seamstresses to pick up. We’ve all grown together as a group and I’ve been pretty amazed that I was able to bring in such great help. Yep, still feeling that lucky, grateful thing.

We moved spaces. Twice. I made the leap this summer of renting my first official studio space. There were a few reasons for the move. For one, I didn’t want the girls who help out tp have to come to my home studio. It required a lot of last minute cleaning on my part and the scheduling would get tough. Now the girls can go to the studio whenever they need to for pickups or to package. The second was because construction on a new basement bathroom has started at our house and I knew I would want a place to escape the mess (so muuuchhhh dust and NOISE). The third was simply because we grew and needed more space to work in. I found a local space in Denver that houses 80 different artist studios with lots of options for price points and sizes. Initially, I played it safe and chose a space that was very affordable, but ended up being too small from the start. I then came across another space while I was walking around and knew it was the one. It’s quite a bit more expensive than the old space, but if things continue the way they have been, we’re going to need it. It’s open and beautiful and I simply love it.

the new bigger and better studio

the original tiny studio space

seating area in the new space

I did it all while being injured. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, then you already know that i’ve been working with an overuse injury in my dominant arm since the beginning of the year. Practicing yoga five days a week, knitting sweaters, sewing garments for myself and pattern drafting for my business were the main culprits. It’s like this brave little arm finally gave out. It’s much better these days, but I’m coming to accept that there might just be some level of pain associated with my line of work. I’ve found the treatment options that help and I’ve forced myself to slow a down a bit and not do as much. These things initially felt like obstacles that made me weep with anger, but I’m understanding all the lessons a little more clearly now. There’s a lot more to life than making things and I had to rediscover old and new worlds to remember that. I also don’t think I would have welcomed as much help as I did if I hadn’t been injured. Having so much help available meant I could focus more on the creative and managerial aspects of my business and I think it all really helped the growth.

I learned the value of actively resting. Being injured will do that, but I find that taking time for myself isn’t about being lazy or unproductive (the language my mind can use from time to time), but an absolutely essential part of being a healthy, balanced person. I’m no good to this business if I don’t take time when I can, so it needed to be a new way for me: sleeping in on days when I can, curling up on the couch in a blanket with a good show and a knitting project, baths (so many baths) and sewing garments just for myself. The times that I give myself space often lead to big design discoveries, so it’s pretty much working when you think about it that way.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this immense year. I felt so much love and I grew a lot. I couldn’t have done it without you all! Thank you.

how we're finishing out 2018

Our newest model, Julia, petting my dog, Winston, during our recent shoot. This is also a little sneak peak of t-shirt 3 in hemp organic cotton denim in “deepest blue” which launches mid-January.

I wanted to pop-in and give you all an update on the Eli & Barry shop plans for December. We have room for just a few more made-to-order garments this month and then the made-to-order shop is going to go on a brief hiatus. We’re doing that now so that Emily (who packages your orders and cuts your fabric), Anna (seamstress), Amanda (seamstress), Amber (seamstress) and I can truly take a couple of weeks off at the end of the year. I can’t tell you much I’m looking forward to a bit of a break. It’s always something I have a hard time allowing myself to do, but as soon as I do it I come back to work totally refreshed and excited to get back into the swing of things. The girls have rolled with our growth this year so beautifully and so deserve some time off! So what does this mean for ordering this month? Well, let me tell you…

Like I said, we have space for a couple of more made-to-order orders that are scheduled to ship out on 12/21. Once we reach that limit (which could be any day now), I will be updating the website with the inventory that we have in stock. In-stock garments will also ship out by December 21st. And, of course, gift cards will stay put so you still have a gifting opportunity there. We will then be officially out of the office from December 22nd and we will be returning on January 7th, 2019. I expect to be able to re-open the shop to all orders on December 26th and orders will then be shipping in our typical four week lead time.

The last bit of news that I’ll share with you all is that I’m planning a larger clothing launch in mid-January. I’ll be publishing a whole blog post before the end of the year about what’s launching and which garments are going into retirement.

Thank you for such a fantastic year!

karen templer's summer of basics challenge

As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with an overuse injury in my dominant wrist. What started as pain and a lump at the base of right pointer figure ended up being a 6 month journey towards healing. Fast forward to today, my wrist is far improved. I was able to add back in knitting and sewing to my routine about two months ago while adding 1%-10% time each day as long as my arm felt okay. I’ve finally reached a good balance that seems to be helping the wrist heal. It includes: tracking and limiting the activity my hand gets, yoga 4 days a week instead of 5 or 6 days a week with modifications to care for the wrist, work with my chiropractor, acupuncture, Epsolm salt baths, self-massaging techniques and a whole mental component that I’ve talked about on Instagram. With all of this being said, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to participate in Karen Templer of Fringe Supply Company’s Summer of Basics challenge. But I did it! I made three basics for my wardrobe! I mean…technically the deadline was August 31st (I think), but I finished the following three garments before the Fall Equinox, so I’m counting it! The only rules of the challenge were to make a small capsule wardrobe of 3 items that you think will get a lot of use. So here’s what I made…

When it came time to deciding what to make, I already had a section of my wardrobe on my mind that was seriously lacking. That would be my loungewear wardrobe. As someone who loves lounging as much as I do, my wardrobe options for my favorite activity were very shameful. Think sweats purchased on vacation (complete with tiny holes forming in the seat), old t-shirts from thrift stores or events, and maybe 1 or 2 handmade items. What I really wanted was a loungewear capsule that reflected my personal aesthetic and that was verrrry comfortable. Like, comfortable enough to nap it. It also would be a bonus to be able to walk the dog, answer the door, run to the store in any of the items without feeling like a crazy lady. I mean, I’m definitely a crazy lady, I just don’t want that to be revealed in the way I dress. :)

I purchased some gauze on a recent trip to Taos which I doubled up and made this oversized top and pants. The pants are pant 1 with a looser waistband. The top features a raw edge pocket and neckline. I also made a highly altered Orton Bag from Merchant & Mills (not loungewear) using some linen that I had avocado dyed. I made a custom pocket on the inside of the bag that fits all of my everyday essentials. I’ve already done quite a bit of lounging in the pants and top. I can’t promise that the top won’t make it out into the world…I can see it pairing very well with my Jesse Kamm sailor pants.

The fact that I had to mind my wrist and go slow with these items felt limiting at times, but, essentially, I really enjoyed stretching out these makes over the course of a few weeks. Going slow and enjoying the process is one of the biggest lessons from this injury. It’s sort of brought my joy back of making.

That’s all for now, folks!

shop happenings fall 2018

Hello all! It’s been a bit since I checked in with you on the blog and I wanted to take this space to write a little more extensively on the season I’m in. Quite literally, this transition in seasons from summer to fall is always one that shocks my system. I think everyone around me is feeling it, too: the difficulty in accepting the shorter days, longer nights, cold temperatures and the end of summer. So take care, friends. Go a little slower. Let yourself sit in the muck of mourning the sun and know that summer will be here again. Even more than the change in weather, there’s been a lot on my mind and I wanted to start the discussion about those things here.

The first is that you might have noticed a slight price increase this week. Boy, the reality of this strange political climate we’re in brings up so many questions, emotions, and goals for me. The price increase stems from new tariffs that Trump has placed on fabric manufactured in China. I’m told by my distributors that we could see as much as another 25% increase in tariffs on 1/1/2019. This new challenge has brought into stark relief the reality of globalization. For my purposes, I’m hit with the fact that most fabric is made in China. And, as much as I would love to be able to source my fabric from my own fibershed, fabric production in the US isn’t quite there yet. I’m hearing rumblings from my peers that Colorado is on the brink of producing hemp fabric, but we’re not there yet. And as much as I hate increasing prices, I’m glad it’s only adding $2-$3 to your bill. There’s not much more to say other than, “onward and upwards, friends!" Also, as a side note, many of your other favorite brands are likely dealing with this very same reality. Many of us have very small profit margins and a change like this can be devastating. If you feel inclined, send some extra love towards your favorite small brands. Whether that be a note, a comment, a like, a purchase…it will mean the world. Promise.

There’s been another pressing matter on my mind in recent months. I’ve been going back and forth on this for a while since, in my heart of hearts, I want to be able to make magic clothes that fit every person’s mind and body. The truth of the matter is, I’ve been trying really hard and it can’t be done. I’m talking about customizations to my clothing. For a while, if someone asked for one of my styles in a different fabric, or for a garment to be shortened, or for an elastic band to be lengthened, I could do it. I could do it and be glad that I had made a sale. But a problem started to arise. The clothes weren't mine anymore. I’ve put a lot of thought into the proportions of a garment. I put a lot of thought into which fabric will be chosen for which style. And, on top of that, I try to be inclusive to a variety of bodies. I’ve been hit with the reality that I simply can’t. do. it. all. But, wait, there’s a solution! Hear me out: you can order my clothing exactly as you see it on my website. It will be made by loving hands with your life in mind. And, if you receive it and love it, but want to tweak it a little bit, I encourage you to take it to a local tailor. They will make your wildest dreams come true! Shortened elastics! Lengthened elastics! Shorter hem lengths! Wider, skinnier, pockets made out of extra fabric! Look at you, you clothing designer, you…go on with your bad self.

Until next time.

- Lily