Friday Feature With Chic and Geeks

Hello friends!

The end of the year is upon us and I have one more feature for you:
Wendy from Chic and Geeks!

I was first introduced to Wendy from seeing her projects featured on a Star Wars craft Instagram called Craft_The_Force. Initially I was impressed by her awesome seat belt covers:

Star Wars inspired seat belt covers

but soon after discovered that she also makes awesome cosplay pieces for humans and pets, bows from geeky fabrics, cosplay props, and much more!

A little while ago I won a giveaway from her for a seat belt cover and I was so excited that I knew I needed to share her talents with the rest of you!

How amazing will this Chewbacca seat belt cover go in my Minivan Falcon?! (Yes, that is the actual name I have given to my vehicle, don't be a nerfherder.) It'll go perfect with my sunshade that's the gang in the Millenium Falcon through the window!

Punch it, Chewy!

Now, let's get to know the creator!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

Hello! I’m Wendy, a Rollins graduate, a Disney Passholder, and a Peter Pan fangirl. I live in Florida with my trusty furpanion, Sadie. She's a Ridgeback who loves trying to make friends with all the squirrels. Sadie is a big girl, and the stores don’t sell collar flower bows or bowties that look proportionate to her body. So, I started sewing dog bows for Sadie specifically. This then branched out to selling the bows to her Doggy Daycare location. The pattern and shapes have evolved over the years, and with positive feedback, Chic and Geeks Etsy shop opened. From there, I didn’t want to limit myself to just dog items, so I started adding more geek items and Star Wars costumes.

Rey Resistance Inspired Costume handmade to order | Resistance Inspired Rucksack Bag with Adjustable Strap

What/who inspires you?
Putting on a pot of coffee and searching Google images or Pinterest, sparks the creative juices.
Movies are filled with so many things I want to replicate too.

What was the process like of finding your niche? Do you have any advice for those still searching for theirs?
Every year Disney has a special event,  Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. You can trick or treat and wear costumes in the park! Instead of spending money on a cheap bagged costume, I made them. My friends needed help with their outfits, so I would make theirs too. Each year, the costumes kept getting more elaborate. The best year was when we all cosplayed to a Tim Burton theme.
Halloween is my favorite holiday, and with that love, I started sewing costumes. Each year, my skills improved. With Practice, Patience, and Passion, my hobby turned into income.

For those that are in searching for their niche - find what you love and keep at it.
This is a quote from my friend:
"Doubts stops the dreamer.  If you are discussing your dream, you aren’t doing your dream. The world gets robbed when you don't chase your dreams ...its actually selfish to not chase your dream. Your dream makes the world a better place. Follow Your Dream and Find your Purpose! Put that in your head every day and you will be That much Closer to your dream! "
- John-Erik Moseler

What are some of your favorite finished projects?
Their are a few projects that was really all about who you knew. I used to work at a restaurant as cook. During the summers, the restaurant made lunch for the Orlando Magic Summer Camp program. I was asked to make Patrick Ewings Hall of Fame cake. I just started baking cakes on the side as a hobby. It was the time Ace of Cakes was on TV. I would watch how they created things, and said, I can do that too. The request was daunting, but I knew I had to say yes to this project.  I’m finding a lot of my highlights in life came from taking risks and doing things out of my comfort zone. Another example is my cousin had a friend who needed a costume for the Eukanuba mascot to be featured at the AKC dog show. The stores don’t make mascot patterns, so I learned quickly and as Tim Gunn says, “make it work”. 

The one thing that I make and use the most is my dog poo bag holder. When Sadie was a puppy, I would carry multiple bags on our walks. I needed something to put them all in so I could actually enjoy going for a walk. I created a bag that dispenses the poo bags. It attaches to the leash with a carabiner to hold the weight. Sadie does her business, and I put the waste bag in the tote and I’m back to the walk. It’s super easy to use and machine washable.

Who are some of your favorite creators?
Everything by Colleen Atwood is jaw dropping. From Tim Burton era to Memoirs of a Geisha to Snow White. The Evil Queen costumes are extensive in details from the bone work to the beetle shells individually sewn onto the gown.  I’m also a big fan of military looks, and really enjoyed Michael Wilkinson version of Terminator Salvation. He also designed Tron: Legacy - another brilliant film and costumes.


*Bonus DIY!*

A few days before this post went up, Wendy shared this incredible Piranha Plant she made with a fake pumpkin! Of course I had to ask how she made it!

"I took my Halloween Fun-kin Pumpkin and paper mache over the holes. Spray painted it red, and added the white spotty details. The fangs are glued foam board. It attaches to a PVC pipe, wrapped in green duct tape, and added faux leaves. The leaves are patterned like the beanstalk. The pipe is supported in that canned foam Home Depot sells. Super easy and extremely affordable."
Now I really want to make one!!


A huge thank you to Wendy for participating in the interview and for holding the giveaway that brought us together! I love my seat belt cover SO MUCH and I highly recommend that if any of you are interested you should check out her Etsy: Chic and Geeks!

You can also find Wendy on Instagram @chicandgeeks/@goonies and follow her Facebook page


Let me know: Which seat belt cover would you choose?

And that's it for 2017! I have many more features to share next year that I hadn't gotten around to yet. There are so many amazing geeky creators out there!

❤❤❤Kelsey❤❤❤