Laurelhurst Mom Holds First Clothing Design Kids Birthday Party

Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman is a Laurelhurst mom who designs her own line of children’s apparel called Totally Me Artful Wear by MiMi Bug. We profiled her business in May of this year.

She has now expanded her business to doing private birthday parties where kids can design their own clothes right at the party.

She held her first birthday party for her line of clothing last month in Laurelhurst for a group of  6-7 year old Laurelhurst Elementary School  girls. She said the party "provided fun and creativity while fostering fine motor skills for all the kids in attendance."

Ming-Ming said her clothes have interchangeable ribbons and buttons for outfits and the kids “love the endless fun ways to create unique looks." Every child was able to pick from different clothes such as skirts, shirts, and bags and then each girl made her own unique outfits by adding one-of-kind double sided buttons and looping through colorful ribbons.

In addition, the girls brought their 18 inch dolls and made outfits to match their own newly designed clothing.

And along with designing clothes for themselves and their dolls, the kids got to wear their clothes at the party.  She said  no two kids built the same outfits at the party and "it was super fun and cute to see them wearing the clothes they made and playing with their matching dolls."

And even at home after the party is over, the kids can continue to remake the outfits as the clothing has interchangeable button-and ribbon slots, so kids can continue "to express their unique self as they wish."

Ming-Ming said the party was a great success and she looks forward to being a part of more birthday parties, which she can tailor to the family's desire with a minimum of 4 items for the party. She said it is a perfect way for kids to enjoy time together while being creative.

She said her birthday parties for her clothing lines are "very interactive and creative, great for birthday. I personally will come and bring an assortment of unique buttons and ribbons along with desired clothing items, and show kids how to build' their own outfits."

Ming-Ming will be expanding her line to also include boys, pants and soon hats, mittens and gloves.

If you'd like to learn more about having her come to a birthday party or to learn more about Totally Me Artful Wear by MiMiBug go here or email info@mimibug.com.

And just for Laurelhurst Blog readers, Ming-Ming will take 15% off towards your next purchase.

And you can see her line in person at the upcoming Winter Holiday Craft Show at the Laurelhurst Community Center December 3rd and 4th.

(photo of girls at birthday party)

Laurelhurst Mom's Children's Clothing Show On Sunday

Ming Ming Tung-Edelman is a a Laurelhurst mom who designs her own line of children's apparel called Totally Me Artful Wear by MiMi Bug.

The clothes have interchangeable ribbons and buttons for outfits and thus "kids love the endless fun ways to create unique looks with the ready-to-wear ribbons, buttons, skirts and tops," she says.

This Sunday frorm 10:30-3:00 at Cafe O'Play (its final day of being open) you can check out this very unique line of children's clothing, which is currently in utility patent pending status.

And for the first time her brand new doll clothing line will also be sold at this show.

"Children will be able to match their new and original outfits with their favorite dolls! Please bring an 18-inch doll to try out the doll clothing," the invite says.

Ming-Ming, who is also a pharmacist, got into designing clothes about two years ago, she tells us, when her daughter who was 6 years-old and at the time was very much into making pot holders by using a weaving kit." She enjoyed the process of making pot holders with intricate patterns." Unfortunatley they were either given away or left sitting in the kitchen drawer.

Since her daughter was very creative and also likes to express herself through clothing, Ming Ming though about how to  combine her daughter's love of weaving and her use of fine motor skills making clothing.

"I searched online and was not able to find what I was looking for. Then I started to design them by making button holes on a bottom clothing like shirts and skirts where she can loop through with various types of ribbons. However, I was not satisfied with just ribbons weaving through button holes. I started to experiment with objects that button holes could hold. That was when I came up with a button unit (double-sized buttons).

More interestingly, individuals can place button units any where they like in the button holes then later weaving ribbons through. This allows individuals to create endless unique and creative looks through this creative process. The idea is that the same buttons and ribbon units can by used in another article (interchangeable).

Therefore, I called my line of clothing 'Totally Me Artful Wear' by MiMi Bug (after my nickname MiMi)," Ming-Ming says.

Besides the ribbon-button ready girls shirts and skirts, she also just launched the match-with-me doll clothing line and she plans to expand to boys shirts and other accessories like bags and hats.

Ming-Ming had her first showing of her clothing at the Laurelhurst Community Center Holiday Sale in December and she said it was very well received.

The show this week-end will be her second. She says she has been selling her line of clothing mainly through home shows. 

Ming-Ming is also involved in the Laurelhurst community through being on the advisory board of the Laurelhurst Community Center and an active volunteer at Laurelhurst Elementary where her kids go to school.

She also teaches kids cooking classes, as well as Chinese cooking classes at the Community Center which we've heard are very fun. Check for these classes in the Laurelhurst Community Center catalogs. You may have also seen her on the cover of one of these catalogs about a year ago with her family.

"I have had such joy watching children along with their parents creating their unique looks by using my clothing line. It's a perfect balance between my artistic side and a precision side of me as a pharmacist."

Be sure to check out this very unique clothing line on Sunday.

The photo is a a group of kids wearing MiMi Bug outfits that they created with their matching dolls.