Announcing Balance Lady Designs!

Balancing Act Productions, Inc. has been Debbie Lessin’s creative business outlet for well over 10 years. From her Life is a Balancing Act Workshops to Life is a Balance Act…a fun book to the Life is a Balancing Act Blog, Debbie’s creative passion has been rekindled in many ways over the years.  Debbie’s writings are on vacation (for now)…too much time at a computer in her day job as a CPA!

On a whim, Debbie began a crafting project with men’s woven necktie silk remnants.  The fabric remnants and findings for earrings, bobby pins and flower pins (with a dual purpose – a hair barrette or fashion pin) have taken over Debbie’s life, house & office!  She’s been having childhood flashbacks of making beaded necklaces and selling them on Brady Street in Milwaukee. Debbie’s mom had to drive her there because she didn’t have her driver’s license! Not to mention the hats & scarves that she used to knit on those oversize knitting needles and sell at the beauty parlor her mom frequented! The last crafting project that Debbie remembers is the red & black needlepoint - “CPA – Accurate, Neat, Legible”. That was done in 1976 – the year that Debbie passed the CPA exam!   It proudly hangs on a wall in her CPA office even today. But alas, crafting projects took a back seat to other interests and life adventures over the years…until now that is!

And doing what Debbie does best, she took her creative endeavor and turned it into a new business.  That’s just who Debbie is!  From researching the designs, sources for findings, display, packaging and marketing, Debbie’s entrepreneurial spirit is on overdrive. She has so many ideas that she’s thinking about creating a student internship to keep up the momentum.  Because sooner rather than later tax season will be back and the Balance Lady will have to morph back into the Tax Lady!  Balance Lady Designs is the perfect post October 15th venture for Debbie – that perfect time when there’s not much work to do at the CPA office.

Balance Lady Designs came about as a result of Debbie admiring the amazingly wonderful silk designed by her friend and work neighbor Lee Allison. Lee is kind of a big deal in the local Chicago fashion scene. He mostly designs ties under his own label but he also does a lot of custom work for the likes of the Lyric Opera and various corporations like Northwestern Mutual and Miller Beer. He even designed a tie for President Obama's National Finance Committee during the 2008 election.
Lee sells his ties to better retail stores throughout the country. In the Chicago area, his ties are at Macy's on State Street and Apartment Number 9 in Bucktown, as well as several other stores. They're also available online at leeallison.com.

Lee really wasn't sure he wanted Debbie to do this, but she talked him into it because she thinks the fabric is so beautiful and so fun. By the way, this is silk that is woven at a 300-year-old family-owned silk mill in England (10th generation no less!) This is the same mill that was asked by the Royal Family to weave the silk used for Lady Diana's wedding dress. It's really just amazingly fabulous.
This beautiful fabric also makes great pins, hair clips and earrings. And at great prices too! The pins are whimsical; many of them are one of a kind!

Balance Lady Designs will be available at several holiday fairs and at a number of local Chicago boutiques this season. Special thanks go out to Chicago Fashion Designers Michelle Tan who is carrying Balance Lady Designs in her store and bringing them to events throughout Chicago and Lauren Lein who incorporated the Balance Lady Design pins in her “Fit to be Tied” Scarf collection this season! 

To read more about all three of these Chicago Fashion Designers story read “Best Aunt Debbie Day Ever!”.  Seems like Aunt Debbie was motivated by that special day for her niece Ava more than she might have anticipated!
Balance Lady Designs – it’s only just begun.  And the best is yet to come!