Modique.com is LAUNCHED and OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

This has been such a long road for me, that being able to say that really is a wonderful thing.  It's gone from a dream years and years ago to a reality.  I've had a lot of help and support along the way, and to those people I say thank you!  

As most of you know, I design classy dresses that are also modest.  I hand pick the fabrics for each dress, and they are made right here in Chicago.  There's quite a process that each dress goes through, but I'll get into that more later.  Each step in the process deserves it's own post!

Right now, I just wanted to let everyone know that you can now shop my Summer 2016 line on my website, www.modique.com

And if you aren't already, follow me on Instagram, @modiquebychalise.  I post a lot of fun stuff there as well, including the whole process each of these dresses goes through.

More Lace

I helped my friend sew this dress herself using one of my patterns, thought it was so cute, I had to put it up here.

LOVE this blue lace

Another dress for Sarah

I've already named a dress after this sweet friend of mine, so I'll have to leave this one as is.  My wonderful friend Sarah's and my husbands were getting ready to graduate together, and Sarah was lamenting to me about how hard it was to find a beautiful maternity dress that she could wear to graduation.  Since I had just been through all that with Afton, I knew exactly what she meant.  For some reason the words "cute", "maternity", and "dress" just can't be used together in a sentence when pregnant and shopping.  So I offered to make her a custom dress to fit her belly just right.

Maren Dress

This female missionaries from my church started noticing my dresses every Sunday and finally asked me where I got them.  I told them I designed and made them all and they couldn't believe it.  They have asked me to make them their very own dresses based on dresses I've previously made for myself.  This is the first of the three.  I'll update this post once I get a picture of this dress on it's owner.  She looks adorable in it!

Lucy Dress

While doing a little fabric shopping in LA this last summer, I came across this beautiful pink polka dot stretch cotton.  I love anything stretch because it's so much more comfortable to wear, so I bought it.  It started to remind me of something Lucille Ball would have worn, so that's where my inspiration came from.

Christmas dress

This dress was originally supposed to be for Steve's graduation from University of Chicago Booth School of Business but with a new baby it just didn't happen. So after moving to Houston, Texas recently and getting all of my sewing stuff unpacked, I found this dress almost complete and decided to finish it for Christmas. It's a little big on me now after losing a tiny bit of baby weight but I still love it!

Blessing Dress

I got the inspiration for this dress from something similar I saw at Target.  It was a lot of work, and took a lot of help from Steve with math and excel spreadsheets, but it turned out great!

Afton Dress

Sorry for the lack of posts!  Steve finished Business school in Chicago in June so we put all our things in storage and moved to Utah for the summer to spend it with family and friends before we moved to HOUSTON for Steve's new job.  It's been a fun but hectic summer and now it's time to put roots down and start our life here!

Anyway, during the summer I was finally able to finish another dress.  After having Afton, I haven't been able to wear any of my dresses because I am now nursing.  So, after getting very tired of skirts and shirts, I decided I was going to change that.  Here it is!  It's made from stretchy comfortable ponte double knit, it's a flattering pencil skirt with a functional yet decorative gold zipper down the front, with 3/4 length sleeves.  I got a lot of compliments on it, and yes don't worry nursing mothers, I plan on this being one of the designs I get produced when I start doing more dresses.  I also plan on designing a few more dresses that will be nursing friendly!

Amanda Dress

This is another dress in my Lazy Sunday collection.  It has taken me quite a while to finish it because I was unsure of how I wanted it to look.  I think I'm finally happy with it after changing the neckline a couple times.  I'm naming it after my friend Amanda who I worked with in Salt Lake City.  She's coming this week to visit me in Chicago and I can't wait.  She's a fun spirited girl with a great attitude and kept me going somedays!  Love you Amanda!

Daddy and Baby

Sorry I haven't posted any dresses lately.  A lot has happened in the last few months.  In September Steve and I moved to Paris, France for his semester abroad.  We were just settling in and having a lot of fun when we got word that my sweet dad had died peacefully in his sleep.  This tragedy has broken my heart.  I was very close to my dad, we had a lot in common and did a lot together all growing up.  Now it's hard for me to go on without him because he was such a huge part of my life.  I sure didn't realize that until he was gone.  I took him for granted, and I hope he knows how much I love and appreciated him.  He encouraged me through so much of life.  He was such a great dad, a wonderful husband, and an overall good person.  It helped to see that in the number of people who came to his viewing and funeral.  He will be missed for a long time.  I can't wait until the day I get to see my wonderful daddy again.  

On a happier note, we have a little baby girl on the way.  She is due to arrive April 7th, and I can't wait to meet her and see her sweet little face.  Even though it breaks my heart that I won't be able to watch my dad hold her and play with her as she grows up, I know she's spending a lot of time with him right now.  I wish with my whole heart that I'd be able to ask her about him when she arrives, but I'll settle for being able to hug her, hold her, kiss her little face, and love her for the rest of my life just as my dad did with me.

So because of this little girl that will be here in 5 short weeks, I'm just going to warn everyone now that there might be a few more little girl dresses posted than adult dresses...Or maybe for every women's dress I make, I might just have to make a baby dress out of the scraps.  I'll just call her my mini me when we wear the dresses together.  I can't wait.  Actually, it's already started.  I had some extra pink fabric left over from my Sarah dress, so I whipped up this little number.

  

I'm officially a designer

Back when I was in school, I looked into a program with Shabby Apple called their "Emerging Designer Program" where you can submit some designs and if approved, they mentor you through the production and manufacturing process of your designs then they assist you by selling the dress on their website.  So, I submitted a sample of my "Criscell Dress" and they wanted to do it.  I of course paid for all the fabric, and the manufacturing costs, but now it's finally done and up on the website.  I can officially call myself a designer now!  Check out more photos here.

Erica Rose

Sorry for the delay in posts lately.  Moving from DC to Paris has been hectic, but we're loving it so far. I finished this dress while still in DC, and it's another one in my Lazy Sunday Collection.  I'm naming it after my friend whom I worked with in DC.  She and I were put on a scanning project than nearly made us go insane had it not been for each other.  I'd give her daily updates on the dress, and when I lost enthusiasm for it, she'd always say "ok, I expect the dress to be done tomorrow."  Thanks Erica.

P.S. Kevin wanted to be in the picture too.

The Tara Dress

This dress isn't part of my Lazy Sunday collection (still working on that) but I needed to test a pattern I made recently so I sewed up this dress really quick and had my cute girlfriend Tara Collette try it on since she's got the perfect shape for it!  Anyway, it actually turned out to be a pretty cute dress even though it was just supposed to be a test sample, so I put a couple cute bows on the shoulders and decided to put it up on the blog.  Thanks Tara for modeling and helping me get the fit right!  You are too cute, too bad I couldn't have gotten a picture of you in the dress!

The Sarah Dress

This is the first dress in my Lazy Sunday collection.  I'm sorry that two very wonderful ladies have to share this dress, but it's not my fault that two of the most wonderful women in my life were both named Sarah. : )  The first Sarah I met while living in California.  She was such a cute lady, was a wonderful mother to her three beautiful children, and was such a great friend to me through thick and thin.  She was a great example to me.  I'm sad I don't live close to her anymore, so  I don't talk to her often.  The second Sarah I met while visiting Chicago as a possible location for grad school for Steve. She is also a wonderful example to me because she not only lovingly raises two young darling boys, but she is always so positive about life.  She enjoys every moment, and thanks our Father in Heaven for everything little blessing in her life, even the ones that don't appear to be blessings right away.  I love you my wonderful Sarahs!

Another Lazy Sunday

My favorite thing about Sundays are getting dressed up, going to church, then enjoying the rest of the day without school or work to intrude on a perfect day.  This summer collection was inspired by the song "Life is What You Make It" by Mishelle Bradford-Jones.  It makes me think of a warm Sunday afternoon, you come home from church and sit on your front porch overlooking a beautiful flower garden, drink ice cold lemonade while cuddling with the love of your life, giggling with your children, or hearing funny family stories with mom, dad and grandparents.

The Allison Dress

I'm naming this dress after my former boss at U of C when I worked there during recruiting season.  She was the cutest girl, and always wore adorable dresses under her blazers.  Plus she was a kind, professional person who I look up to.  I found the cute polka dot fabric at Emma One Sock.  I love that website, and she sends out free swatches.

The Kelly Dress

I've had this gorgeous fabric that I got from Tissu, but I haven't really known what to do with it.  Finally yesterday I decided to just sit down and make something up and this is what I came up with.  It's named after my good friend Kelly who has been my gymnastics buddy.  We take an adult gymnastics class together every Tuesday and Thursday.  I've loved going with her and I'm sad that she'll be moving in less than a month!  Anyway, this dress is a tribute to her because she's encouraged me in my dress making woes!  Thanks Kelly!  I'll miss you!

The Honolulu Dress

Most sun dresses these days don't have sleeves.  But I needed a sun dress/cover up for our trip to Hawaii for Spring Break.  So, I decided to make one.  I got this cute fabric at www.tissufabrics.com, Teresa does a great job at keeping unique fabrics in her shop that can't be found at Joann's or Hancocks.  Anyway, here's the finished product, I wore it to church dressed up with a belt and espadrille wedges, and I wore it to the beach with sandals over my bathing suit. 

Kate Dress

A few months ago I saw this picture of Kate Middleton, and I loved her navy lace dress.  This is my knock off version.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but it's a emerald green lace on white.  Now, if only I could get her to model my version as well!