Chesapeake Tides Weddings

In early 2013, came a real turning point with Chesapeake Tides; I received my first wedding order! I couldn't believe it! I think it was either in January or February that I had an anonymous guest(yes, I call everyone guests now that I've been working at Disney) message me on Etsy about creating black watch plaid bow ties for wedding that would be in March.
Well that escalated really fast and the wedding orders were coming in like crazy! I have never been so happy that someone would choose to come to me to ask for bow ties for the groomsmen in their wedding. Throughout the year, I have continued to make bow ties for numerous of other brides to be and I can't wait to continue to as 2013 ends and we start a new year of 2014(it's going to be a good one, I can tell!)

My very first wedding order!!

This was a very special order for me because I actually got to meet the bride!! We were running a little sorter on time and she lived pretty close to where I was living in Maryland so we decided that we would meet up and she would hand deliver the fabric herself. Really really loved how these turned out!

Aren't the colors just lovely? 

Really enjoyed receiving this photo of the bride and her father!

(navy blue gingham)

Photography by: Misty Anderson Photography

& of course the Maryland Flag bow ties stole my little Maryland heart. 

Photo credit: Taylor Lord Photography

Navy & White Polka Dot Bow Ties

These bow ties were for the groomsmen of one of my friends from when I went to SCAD. I've loved all the wedding orders that I have done but this one was definitely my favorite. The navy polka dots and being able to create them for a friend! 

I cannot wait to continue to create bow ties for a couples special day in the years to come!!

Throwback Thursday to Chesapeake Tides

In March of 2012 I had this crazy idea to start creating bow ties and sell them on Etsy. Before than, the last time I had ever sewed was back in my Sophomore year of high school when I took my first ever sewing class. I had asked for a sewing machine that year for christmas and started to sew a little bit more. I created tote bags made out of the most ridiculous fabric, fabric purses that were just well…interesting, and pajama shorts that I still have to this day and love them to death. Let's just say my taste in fabrics and clothing choices has changed a lot since then.(thank goodness!)
When I first started creating the ties I picked out the seersuckers and ginghams, ya know something classic that would go with everything and any type of man would possibly want. Well, I learned really fast that gingham doesn't really do that well BUT the light blue seersucker did! A few months later is when I discovered Spoonflower; it had a wide variety of very very unique fabrics and I fell in love. I didn't even know about the option that I could create my own until the Fall of 2012!

Here are some of the photos that were taken of the ties that I actually made into a small book for a photo class that I was taking at the time.

The light blue seersucker that was a total hit!

Purple Gingham

Navy Blue Gingham

Red Gingham

Nautical Signal Flags

Maryland Blue Crab

Yellow Gingham

I was pretty proud of all of them! 

I love how my business has grown so much over the almost 2 years and I can't wait to see what else lies in store for Chesapeake Tides in the years to come!

Nautical Winter

My friend/neighbor/basically little sister called me up asking if she and her friends could have a photo shoot in my front yard and also if they could use one of my bow ties for the shoot, how could I say no? They used this one for the shoot!

So while they were photographing away I decided to get my camera out and photograph as well!

Tied Up with String

So it’s about time that Chesapeake Tides get a face lift! Before I had gotten some nautically themed paper from Paper Source and used that to wrap up my ties and sealed them with some Washi tape. Now, I plan to keep things more simple but just as…Chesapeake Bay inspired.
While I spent last weekend with the family in Laguna Beach, I came across a home decor store that was filled with all things nautical.{I wanted to purchase everything for my future home} I’ve been wanting, for a long time now, try out Bakers Twine. Well, this little home decor store happened to have some of that…in Navy!{perfect! no?}

Maryland Flag Performance Headband

After about a year and a half of sticking just to creating bow ties, I thought it was time to branch out a little bit and start creating some pieces for women. I started off by creating and designing my own pattern to start makingcosmetic bags and totes bags. (the tote bags will be coming soon, I promise!)
The fabric supplier I’ve been using since Fall of 2012 has come out with a performance material for sports gear and what not. To branch off from the products I already know how to make, I decided to create headbands out of the performance material to show Maryland pride whether your out on the field playing your favorite sport or up in the stands cheering on your team!

I’m kind of excited on how they turned out & I hope y’all are too!

Bicycle Built for Two

Living in California has inspired me to create more than just nautically themed ties because well, they have kind of different styles on how they dress out West. I love that the two coasts have different styles because it helps Chesapeake Tides expand to more than just the East coast life style.

Right down the road from where I am living in California is a fabric store & not just any fabric store, it’s a fabric store sent from heaven. If you have ever walked into a JoAnn’s, it’s kind of like that but a million times better!! They seriously have any kind of design you could possibly want.

I picked up a few different fabrics for ties & a cosmetic bag for a friend of mine.

How cute are the elephants & bicycles?! 

When I first laid my eyes on the bicycle fabric, I knew right away that I wanted to create a bow tie with it!! Mixed in with the yellow/gold bicycle are some gray ones; I have fallen in love with chevron so I wanted to create a reversible bow tie with the two fabrics! I’m really happy on how it turned out and I hope everyone else will too!

Seriously, look how amazing they look!! I love the yellow and gray combination that seems to be popular right too!

The Tote Bag

The time has finally come for Chesapeake Tides to start creating some accessories for women! I’ve been selling the cosmetic bags for a few months now & I couldn’t be happier with the out come of how they are doing!
I wanted a tote bag that was durable, could hold up to the worst conditions, and be machine washable. The canvas I chose fits into all these categories and I can’t wait to share them with the rest of you!!

I'm kind of a HUGE fan of the front pocket!

Blue Gray Skip Jacks

(you can also get your man a bow tie in this design too!)

Maryland Flag

I would definitely call this my signature pattern because it’s the design that really made my business BOOM! I love Maryland and as much as I LOVE living in California, Maryland will always hold a special place in my heart.  Magothy River water will continue to run through my veins. 

Life Rings

I’m kind of in love with them & I hope everyone else will too!!

Fall 2013 Collection

THE WAIT IS OVER!!

Chesapeake Tides new custom designed fabrics are now available in bow ties!! It’s been a long awaited wait for these designs to be perfected and ready to be transformed into a bow tie, cosmetic bag, tote bag, or hair bows. (which will be coming soon)

Skipjack Sailboats

Life Rings

(of course I partnered up some black eyed susans for some Maryland inspired bow ties)

Blue Crabs

I’m so happy I am finally able to share all these designs I’ve been working day and night on for the past several months with y’all! New products are still in the works and I can’t wait to share them with you as well!

Christmas Time is here!

This summer I told myself that I was just going to stick to creating my own designs to be more original and so that you wouldn’t be able to find the fabric I use, in other Etsy shops. Yeah well, that didn’t happen. When I took a little visit to my local fabric store they of course had a HUGE selection of their Christmas fabric out and I couldn’t resist! I purchased a small quality of fabric to see if I liked working with it and to see if it would be a hit. WELL it’s a hit in my book & I wish I wore bow ties just so I could wear a Christmas inspired bow tie!(maybe I’ll create some hair bows;))

Aren't these Gingerbread the cutest?!

Festive Christmas Houndstooth

(one of my favorites. wait, who am I kidding?! I love them all!!)

Red, Green & White Striped 

(It's reversible!!)

Christmas time is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. You get to spend time with family, friends, and eat so many cookies that you might have to go up a couple pants sizes but it’s totally worth it! It’s the holiday’s after all!!