This blog is no longer being updated.
For all Deranged Designs updates, please go to our new blog:
https://derangeddesigns.com/blogs/news
Friday, January 4, 2019
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Vacation Notice
If you are thinking about making an order from my website soon, please read this:
I will be on vacation from May 1st to the 19th and I won't be able to ship any orders while I am away. Any orders for handmade items that are placed by Friday, April 21st will be sewn and shipped out before I leave.
I will be on vacation from May 1st to the 19th and I won't be able to ship any orders while I am away. Any orders for handmade items that are placed by Friday, April 21st will be sewn and shipped out before I leave.
While I am away: You can still place orders, but they will not be shipped out until I am back. I will try my best to answer emails every day. I will have an assistant at home that will be able to help you out in case you need to make a return or exchange. She will also be able to ship out orders for any items that are already in stock, like Tripp NYC branded items and Etsy sample sales.
When I am back: I will go on a sewing spree so that I can finish all pending orders as quickly as possible. Last time I took a long vacation like this, I was able to catch up on sewing in less than 2 weeks. Let's hope I can do it again this time!
If you want to know where I am going: Norway! I will be visiting Oslo, Trondheim, Bodo, Svolvaer, and Bergen. Can't wait!
In four weeks I'll be on a cruise ship 4700 miles away from my sewing machines!
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Need an order by December 24th? Here are the deadlines:
Non-handmade items: order by December 18th and choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out. (Orders made on the 19th and 20th may also be delivered in time, but I am trying to play it safe because USPS doesn't guarantee their shipping times!)
All handmade items: order by December 8th, choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out, AND please let me know if this is an item that is needed before Christmas so that I can prioritize it over non-Christmas orders.
Custom orders (including items made in a custom size): Depending on the complexity of the item it will take between 2 and 4 weeks to sew and ship the item to you. Feel free to request a custom order but do not be surprised if it is too late for me to get it to you in time.
If you miss these dates, it may still be possible to get your order in time with or without a rush fee. Send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com and include the items you want to order, your shipping address, and the date you need the order by and I will figure out if I can finish the order in time.
If you live outside the US, send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com to get an estimate on when you will receive your item. The USPS cutoff for Express Mail International is December 8th so there might still be time to get an order to you. I cannot guarantee shipping times for international customers.
That's all... have a great Christmas everybody! (Or just ignore it completely, I wouldn't blame you)
Non-handmade items: order by December 18th and choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out. (Orders made on the 19th and 20th may also be delivered in time, but I am trying to play it safe because USPS doesn't guarantee their shipping times!)
All handmade items: order by December 8th, choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out, AND please let me know if this is an item that is needed before Christmas so that I can prioritize it over non-Christmas orders.
Custom orders (including items made in a custom size): Depending on the complexity of the item it will take between 2 and 4 weeks to sew and ship the item to you. Feel free to request a custom order but do not be surprised if it is too late for me to get it to you in time.
If you miss these dates, it may still be possible to get your order in time with or without a rush fee. Send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com and include the items you want to order, your shipping address, and the date you need the order by and I will figure out if I can finish the order in time.
If you live outside the US, send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com to get an estimate on when you will receive your item. The USPS cutoff for Express Mail International is December 8th so there might still be time to get an order to you. I cannot guarantee shipping times for international customers.
That's all... have a great Christmas everybody! (Or just ignore it completely, I wouldn't blame you)
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Holiday Sale
Sale time!
I just added half a dozen items to the sale section in the Deranged Designs website:
and I am in the process of adding items and lowering prices in the Sample Sale section in my Etsy shop:
All sale prices and sale items will be up by Friday morning. Soon I will post holiday shipping deadlines for people who need their orders by Christmas.
I just added half a dozen items to the sale section in the Deranged Designs website:
and I am in the process of adding items and lowering prices in the Sample Sale section in my Etsy shop:
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Halloween Ordering Deadlines
Need a handmade item by Halloween or earlier? Here are the ordering deadlines for US customers:
Non-handmade items: order 1 week before you need the item and choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out.
All handmade items, except hoodies and Harley Quinn dresses: order at least 2 weeks before you need the item and choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out.
Hoodies and Harley Quinn dresses: order at least 3 weeks before you need the item, and choose Priority Mail when you check out. These items have an extended sewing time compared to other items.
Custom orders (including items made in a custom size): Depending on the complexity of the item it will take between 2 and 4 weeks to sew and ship the item to you. Feel free to request a custom order but do not be surprised if it is too late for me to get it to you in time.
If you live outside the US, send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com to get an estimate on when you will receive your item. I cannot guarantee shipping times for international customers.
If you miss your deadline, there is a possibility that I can bump your order ahead for a rush fee. However I may be too busy to accept rush orders this year.
Non-handmade items: order 1 week before you need the item and choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out.
All handmade items, except hoodies and Harley Quinn dresses: order at least 2 weeks before you need the item and choose PRIORITY MAIL when you check out.
Hoodies and Harley Quinn dresses: order at least 3 weeks before you need the item, and choose Priority Mail when you check out. These items have an extended sewing time compared to other items.
Custom orders (including items made in a custom size): Depending on the complexity of the item it will take between 2 and 4 weeks to sew and ship the item to you. Feel free to request a custom order but do not be surprised if it is too late for me to get it to you in time.
If you live outside the US, send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com to get an estimate on when you will receive your item. I cannot guarantee shipping times for international customers.
If you miss your deadline, there is a possibility that I can bump your order ahead for a rush fee. However I may be too busy to accept rush orders this year.
Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
10 Years of Deranged Designs
Now that I have been in business for 10 years, I think it's time to write a post about some of my favorite and some of my most embarrassing clothing designs. This post will focus on designs from my first three years because that is where you can find my most "WTF IS THAT?!" creations.
A quick explanation of my sewing history and the way that I come up with new designs: I starting sewing daily when I was 13, and then started selling my designs on eBay three years later. I was lucky enough to start out when there were very few people selling DIY clothing on the internet, so I had few competitors and was able to make a small income from the business immediately.
My design process back then wasn't really a design process at all. I went straight from having an idea to sewing it without doing any sketching or planning. This led to some very erratic results. The finished garment would be too weird or ill-fitting to wear, and then I would alter it until I liked it. Or I would just slap it up on eBay and see what happened. To my amazement, nearly everything I made back then sold for at least the minimum bid. Those were the days!
Ok, here we go. Starting off with the WTF:
That's enough embarassment for now, so here are some of my favorite designs from 2005-2008:
A quick explanation of my sewing history and the way that I come up with new designs: I starting sewing daily when I was 13, and then started selling my designs on eBay three years later. I was lucky enough to start out when there were very few people selling DIY clothing on the internet, so I had few competitors and was able to make a small income from the business immediately.
My design process back then wasn't really a design process at all. I went straight from having an idea to sewing it without doing any sketching or planning. This led to some very erratic results. The finished garment would be too weird or ill-fitting to wear, and then I would alter it until I liked it. Or I would just slap it up on eBay and see what happened. To my amazement, nearly everything I made back then sold for at least the minimum bid. Those were the days!
Ok, here we go. Starting off with the WTF:
Ruining punk rock t-shirts, one child's soccer jersey at a time.
Faux
Fur Disasters: If I had only used black faux fur instead of blue that
jacket on the left would have been bearable. On the right is one of the
first things that my friend Laura ever modeled
for me. Red leopard, checkered fabric, and something weird over the
checkered fabric, maybe lace? Laura said it reminded her of a pimp coat.
Not what I was aiming for!
If something doesn't turn out right the first time, just add ruffles/studs/patches/lacing/fabric paint till it looks GREAT!
Ugly fleece and Ramones skirts...I don't know.
Pointless
zippers and polyurethane. Who the fuck actually bought these shiny
monstrosities? At least my hair was always awesome back then.
Some of my better band shirt alterations (guess I ran out of soccer jerseys!)
Zombie
mini skirt! I love how the zombie's head is right at the edge of the
hem. I'm also starting to realize just how much lime green fabric I used
back then, which I cannot explain.
Two
different Rancid hoodies: when used in moderation, pointless zippers
and orange polyurethane can turn out alright (at least by my weird
aesthetic standards)
Here are a few redeeming photos of myself and Laura, once we got a little better at modeling. The
jacket and dress were from my first fashion show. The jacket was fully
lined and it had actual functioning zipper pockets, which was pretty
damn impressive for me back then. To be honest, I still hate sewing that
type of pocket!
I hope you enjoyed my journey back into my teenage sewing years. If you have recently started sewing, I recommend practicing your skills on cheap fabric and thrift store clothing so it doesn't matter if you make mistakes. Don't forget to photograph all of your early creations and experiments so you can laugh at yourself in the future!
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
I'm Back!
I've decided to start blogging again. And I don't mean the blog updates where I just post photos of the new stuff on my website, I mean blogging about running a business and life and everything else I happen to be interested in. Every once in a while I still get emails from people who have enjoyed the words that I wrote years ago on this blog, and writing is somewhat therapeutic and a good way to record the past, so it's time to start again! (Sorry if my writing skills suck!)
Last month was the 10th anniversary of Deranged Designs. Isn't that fucking weird? I do not feel like I've been doing this for ten years. Here's a timeline of how I got to this point, followed by a description of what I hope is next:
2005 to 2007
I started selling one of a kind handmade clothing on eBay, back in the days when people actually bid on auctions. Most of it was band t-shirts that I reconstructed into new outfits. I was still in high school so I only had about 10 hours to work every week after I finished school, homework, and drinking and getting myself into trouble on the weekends. (Just FYI I have always referred to my business as "work" even though people didn't used to recognize it as a real job.)
Flyers from 2005-2007
Did you know that Deranged Designs used to by called DIY Revolution? I changed the name in 2006. The top left flyer was copied and passed out to my friends when I was in high school. The other ones were left at local record stores.
This is what my sewing room looked like when I was a teenager living at my parent's house. My bed took up half the room so I had very little space! I still use all of this furniture because apparently I never throw anything away.
2008 to 2011
Moving out of my parent's house! Fashion school! I went to the local community college full time from 2007 to 2011 to study fashion, sewing, patternmaking, business, and photography. Highlights from my time at American River College were visiting the New York Fashion District, interning at a couture bridal gown shop, and creating a collection for the college fashion show.
I also moved into a punk house and continued to act like a complete drunken idiot every weekend. Around this time I managed to work 10 to 20 hours a week and I started transitioning into making my own patterns and making my designs available in multiple sizes instead of making only one-of-a-kind clothing.
In my first year at the punk house I had a tiny room with high ceilings. I bought a cheap loft bed because it was the only way I could fit my sewing machines, cutting table, and bed into the room. Luckily after the first year an awesome roommate let me trade rooms with him so I ended up with more than twice as much space. Photos of my new old sewing room are here. Goodbye loft bed, I will never miss you!
2012 to 2014
After finishing my AA degrees I decided to take a risk and see how far I could go with my business instead of continuing my education. (Actually I have continued my education by reading as many business and management books as possible, but nobody is giving me a degree for that!)
Sales took off in 2013 and since then I have been struggling to figure out how to run a business and have a life outside of that business. I've made some decent progress by raising prices and figuring out how to sew more efficiently, but there's still so much more to do. It's a constant balancing act of keeping customers happy and not falling behind on all the other work that needs to be done just to keep the business going. It's getting extremely complicated. It's stressful and sometimes I wonder whether it's all worth it! At this point, it is still definitely worth it.
2015/Present
At the beginning of this year I finally moved out of the cramped, smelly punk house into Warehouse Artist Lofts, a new mixed income building for artists. I now have twice as much space so it is easier to finish orders quickly and run my business smoothly. Ironically, my new apartment has turned out to be even noisier than the punk house (long story) so my situation is not ideal. I will post photos of my new workspace very soon!
Moving all of my fabric and sewing equipment was NOT FUN.
The Future
I like titling a paragraph THE FUTURE because it means I can pretend I have control over my future. HA! Anyways, I am still hoping to eventually move my business into a commercial space and hire somebody else to sew for me. In my spare time between sewing orders and keeping things running, I am trying to improve the way I run my business and educate myself as much as possible about manufacturing, marketing, and management (so exciting, right?). There is still SO MUCH that I need to learn!
Last month was the 10th anniversary of Deranged Designs. Isn't that fucking weird? I do not feel like I've been doing this for ten years. Here's a timeline of how I got to this point, followed by a description of what I hope is next:
2005 to 2007
I started selling one of a kind handmade clothing on eBay, back in the days when people actually bid on auctions. Most of it was band t-shirts that I reconstructed into new outfits. I was still in high school so I only had about 10 hours to work every week after I finished school, homework, and drinking and getting myself into trouble on the weekends. (Just FYI I have always referred to my business as "work" even though people didn't used to recognize it as a real job.)
Flyers from 2005-2007
Did you know that Deranged Designs used to by called DIY Revolution? I changed the name in 2006. The top left flyer was copied and passed out to my friends when I was in high school. The other ones were left at local record stores.
This is what my sewing room looked like when I was a teenager living at my parent's house. My bed took up half the room so I had very little space! I still use all of this furniture because apparently I never throw anything away.
2008 to 2011
Moving out of my parent's house! Fashion school! I went to the local community college full time from 2007 to 2011 to study fashion, sewing, patternmaking, business, and photography. Highlights from my time at American River College were visiting the New York Fashion District, interning at a couture bridal gown shop, and creating a collection for the college fashion show.
I also moved into a punk house and continued to act like a complete drunken idiot every weekend. Around this time I managed to work 10 to 20 hours a week and I started transitioning into making my own patterns and making my designs available in multiple sizes instead of making only one-of-a-kind clothing.
In my first year at the punk house I had a tiny room with high ceilings. I bought a cheap loft bed because it was the only way I could fit my sewing machines, cutting table, and bed into the room. Luckily after the first year an awesome roommate let me trade rooms with him so I ended up with more than twice as much space. Photos of my new old sewing room are here. Goodbye loft bed, I will never miss you!
2012 to 2014
After finishing my AA degrees I decided to take a risk and see how far I could go with my business instead of continuing my education. (Actually I have continued my education by reading as many business and management books as possible, but nobody is giving me a degree for that!)
Sales took off in 2013 and since then I have been struggling to figure out how to run a business and have a life outside of that business. I've made some decent progress by raising prices and figuring out how to sew more efficiently, but there's still so much more to do. It's a constant balancing act of keeping customers happy and not falling behind on all the other work that needs to be done just to keep the business going. It's getting extremely complicated. It's stressful and sometimes I wonder whether it's all worth it! At this point, it is still definitely worth it.
2015/Present
At the beginning of this year I finally moved out of the cramped, smelly punk house into Warehouse Artist Lofts, a new mixed income building for artists. I now have twice as much space so it is easier to finish orders quickly and run my business smoothly. Ironically, my new apartment has turned out to be even noisier than the punk house (long story) so my situation is not ideal. I will post photos of my new workspace very soon!
Moving all of my fabric and sewing equipment was NOT FUN.
The Future
I like titling a paragraph THE FUTURE because it means I can pretend I have control over my future. HA! Anyways, I am still hoping to eventually move my business into a commercial space and hire somebody else to sew for me. In my spare time between sewing orders and keeping things running, I am trying to improve the way I run my business and educate myself as much as possible about manufacturing, marketing, and management (so exciting, right?). There is still SO MUCH that I need to learn!
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Vacation time!
Deranged Designs will be on vacation from May 13th to June 2nd. If you
need a handmade item before June, please order by May 7th. If you need a
non-handmade item before June, please order by the 12th.
Customer service and order processing will still be available during vacation time but new orders will not be shipped between May 13th and June 2nd.
Customer service and order processing will still be available during vacation time but new orders will not be shipped between May 13th and June 2nd.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Coming soon: Website Overhaul
Info about upcoming website overhaul to be completed in March:
I will continue to add new items to each category whenever inspiration strikes. I'm also hoping that by the end of the year I will have time to add a Pastel collection and Neon collection. Or maybe instead I'll focus on making a post-apocalyptic collection. I HAVE TOO MANY IDEAS, HELP!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Christmas Ordering Deadlines
|
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Holiday Sales and Shipping Deadlines
|
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Halloween Ordering Deadlines
Need a handmade item by Halloween or earlier? Here are the ordering deadlines for US customers:
Non-handmade items: order 1 week before you need the item.
All handmade items, except hoodies: order at least 2 weeks before you need the item. It will take me up to 10 days to sew the order, and USPS first-class shipping will take up to 3 days to deliver the item.
Hoodies: order at least 3 weeks before you need the item. Hoodies have an extended sewing time compared to other items.
Custom orders (including items made in a custom size): Depending on the complexity of the item it will take between 2 and 4 weeks to sew and ship the item to you. If you need a custom order before Halloween there might still be time but you will need to contact me about it by September 30th.
If you live outside the US, send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com to get an estimate on when you will receive your item. I cannot guarantee shipping times for international customers.
If you miss your deadline, there is a possibility that I can bump your order ahead for a rush fee. However I may be too busy to accept rush orders this year.
Non-handmade items: order 1 week before you need the item.
All handmade items, except hoodies: order at least 2 weeks before you need the item. It will take me up to 10 days to sew the order, and USPS first-class shipping will take up to 3 days to deliver the item.
Hoodies: order at least 3 weeks before you need the item. Hoodies have an extended sewing time compared to other items.
Custom orders (including items made in a custom size): Depending on the complexity of the item it will take between 2 and 4 weeks to sew and ship the item to you. If you need a custom order before Halloween there might still be time but you will need to contact me about it by September 30th.
If you live outside the US, send an email to info@derangeddesigns.com to get an estimate on when you will receive your item. I cannot guarantee shipping times for international customers.
If you miss your deadline, there is a possibility that I can bump your order ahead for a rush fee. However I may be too busy to accept rush orders this year.
Happy Halloween!
Monday, July 14, 2014
New Hoodie Prices
All animal print hoodie prices will raise by $10 to $20 on August 1st. I hate to raise prices but I can no longer keep up with sewing orders on my own and I will need to hire an assistant to help me out this fall. The current prices don't support that so I have to raise them. So if you have been planning on buying a hoodie, you should get it before this month is over to take advantage of the cheaper prices.
I am also working on some new hoodie designs that won't cost as much so that you still have more options.
List of new prices:
Basic men's and women's hoodies: $86
Men's black hoodie with animal print sleeves: $96
Women's corset hoodies: $96
Women's hoodie with faux fur hood band: $94
Custom hoodies: price starts at $100 (this may be negotiable if you just want a basic hoodie with small changes)
To remind people of the price change, I am using sale prices to show the lower price and the new regular price.
Most of the other items in my shop are priced correctly so hopefully I won't have to do any other big price increases this year. The new hoodie prices should give me enough extra funds to continue expanding this business and offering more and more items. Thank you so much to everybody who supports independent businesses like this one!
I am also working on some new hoodie designs that won't cost as much so that you still have more options.
List of new prices:
Basic men's and women's hoodies: $86
Men's black hoodie with animal print sleeves: $96
Women's corset hoodies: $96
Women's hoodie with faux fur hood band: $94
Custom hoodies: price starts at $100 (this may be negotiable if you just want a basic hoodie with small changes)
To remind people of the price change, I am using sale prices to show the lower price and the new regular price.
Most of the other items in my shop are priced correctly so hopefully I won't have to do any other big price increases this year. The new hoodie prices should give me enough extra funds to continue expanding this business and offering more and more items. Thank you so much to everybody who supports independent businesses like this one!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Weekly Update: June 4th, 2014
Last week I added a slim-fit option for men's hoodies, lowered prices on some stretch lace shorts, put a $5 off sale on all leopard items, and restocked Tripp NYC moto jackets. Keep reading for photos, links, and price info.
Lower prices on certain styles of stretch lace shorts: lace-up shorts are now $28 and grommet shorts are $26.
All shorts are available in size XS to 3XL.
Lower prices on certain styles of stretch lace shorts: lace-up shorts are now $28 and grommet shorts are $26.
All shorts are available in size XS to 3XL.
Men's hoodies are now available in a slim-fit style that is 2 inches narrower in the waist (4 inches smaller all around the waist). They are also available in 2 different lengths and in sizes Small to 3XL, so there should be enough size options to fit almost anyone.
Men's hoodies are available in brown leopard, grey leopard, zebra print, and black with animal print sleeves.
There is a $5 off sale on all leopard print items in the shop:
And lastly, Tripp NYC moto jackets have been restocked. Both styles are available in size Small to 2XL. The cotton moto jackets are $75 and the faux leather jackets are $95.
Coming soon: even more varieties of stretch lace shorts and new metallic lace-up dresses.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
$5 Off Leopard Print Items
I'm going to do a series of 10(ish) day sales this summer, starting with leopard print items. I almost never do sales on handmade items between September and April so if there's a handmade item you have your eye on, pay attention! Soon I will create a mailing list so that you can sign up to get notices about sales.
The only leopard item not included in this sale is the leopard print guitar straps, but I will have a separate sale on those pretty soon.
The current sale will end on June 10th.
Here are all the $5 off items. Most of them are available in size Small to 2XL or 3XL. Click on the photo to go to the item page.
The only leopard item not included in this sale is the leopard print guitar straps, but I will have a separate sale on those pretty soon.
The current sale will end on June 10th.
Here are all the $5 off items. Most of them are available in size Small to 2XL or 3XL. Click on the photo to go to the item page.
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