New Year ... New Opportunities!

3rd January 2016

At the end of 2015 I have much to be thankful for and can look back on the last year at all I have achieved and the new opportunities that are unfolding for me.

One of the main things I have been working on is a small collection of dresses which I hope to have on my website and available to order very soon! I am hoping to have a professional photo shoot to show all angles of the dresses. However  I would like to take the chance to say a huge thank you to Charlotte and Jenny for creating the images I have so far! Below is one of my favourites from the new collection.

Among the projects I have been working on was a lovely black crepe dress (shown below) I made for a customer attending a special party last November, another happy customer! Which leads me to the news of the finding a fabulous new fabric supplier through networking with other business women in Kent!

I have been able to buy quality fabrics which I may not have been able to source otherwise. Sourcing fabrics and other items I need for the day to day running of a clothing business can prove very tricky when relying on local shops or the internet for what you need, so having a local fabric supplier is so helpful!

​Networking around Kent has helped me make invaluable contacts and also led me to my latest venture which is on the business side of things. I was made aware of the Women's Enterprise Kent course which I am currently taking part in and is aimed at women who earn their living from home and using the internet, so I am very pleased to have been chosen to take part in the course! We are having seminars from some very highly achieved business women which has been a great source of inspiration to me.  

Local Council

I have also had a lot help from my local council which has proven invaluable to my business. I have business mentors who help with practical problems in the day to day running of my business drawing on their years of business experience. Not only that, I also get to attend various business seminars hosted by long established companies who are giving advice on various topics including accounting. I can also say that my new website address is now www.carolinebruce.co.uk which  they have helped me with and I am very happy about! (the co.uk! )

Amid the busy times and trying to squeeze so much into my days, I have had a chance to visit a couple of exhibitions, fashion related of course! Firstly a small Vivienne Westwood exhibition set in the beautiful Danson House in Bexley and I also enjoyed the Liberty print exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London! 

One of my projects  later last year was another set of marching band uniform which usually starts in the smallest toddler size right up to the biggest man size, which can be a challenge!

Variety of Projects

I have taken on a variety of projects in the last few months including mother of the bride outfits, men's designer shirts and this costume I made for a young lad who wanted to dress up as Carlos from the latest Disney film The Descendants. Although this is not the kind of project I would normally take on I really enjoyed creating this costume and had to share it with everyone!