The Quilt

I have spent the New Year enjoying my family, catching up on housework, preparing for a K-State Bowl game watching party, getting ready for an anniversary trip to Colorado, and sewing.  After a year, I finally made and finished Aric a quilt. 

It went from this:

To this:

 

It started out as a dinosaur quilt, but over the past six months I wondered if maybe the dinosaurs would be quickly outgrown.  Star Wars seemed like a better, longer-lasting choice.  I previously decided my first quilt top was not going well.  It was an ambitious pattern for a first time quilt.  After research, I decided a rag quilt might be a better project for me.  It was.

I even like how the all red back turned out.

Now all we have to do is turn the play room back into Aric's bedroom.  But that is a project for another day...

The Past Three Months

For the past three months I've been sewing, sewing and more sewing.  I've also been a wife and mother, but my regular cooking and cleaning schedules have been greatly disrupted.  Thankfully, my husband has been very understanding and taken on quite a bit extra to give me time to sew.

God has truly blessed with Fab Finishes.  I've been able to almost completely turn over my stock, which gives me the opportunity to make some changes to my Etsy store.  This next year instead of stocking bags in my closet, I can offer made to order items.  I would much rather do this than stock items that may or may not sell.  Fab will continue to be open after the first of the year.  I don't know if remaining a part of the store after the new year is the answer for me.  I am still prayerfully considering the decision. Whatever the decision, though, I am thankful God led me there in the first place.

On that note I leave you with some photos of what I've been making.

Massive amounts of cross-body bags.

Crib bedding:

 Tape measure bags:

 Pleated purses:

Flour sack towels:

Which left me with just enough time to whip up these backpacks for the kids:

 Now I'm going to enjoy some time with my family and maybe work on Aric's quilt.

A Lesson in Humility and Trust

Almost a month ago I had a booth at a local craft show.  It was a two day affair and it did not go well at all.  I went in with the mind set that I would sell most if not all of my bags, and make lots of money.  God had other plans.  The first day of the show was cold, rainy and hardly anyone showed up.  It was miserable, and I didn't sell one thing.

That night I came home and cried.  I was discouraged.  The week before I received an e-mail from someone on Facebook asking if I would be interested in selling my items in her seasonal holiday store.  I sent her a nice e-mail and declined because I didn't have the time or the stock.  I knew I was going to work the upcoming craft show and I was sure I would sell most of my stock.  When discussing with Ryan why I was crying, he mentioned the woman with the store.  I told him I couldn't go crawling back to her, begging her to let me sell my things in her store.

Late that night, I checked my phone and saw this on Facebook:

Another long day getting the store ready! When I'm done, I'll post before and after's but the before's are kinda scary so I want to AMAZE you :) Listen guys, I reallly, really, REALLY want Regan's Sweat Shoppe to be a vendor in the Manhattan store! I found her on etsy and she's in Kansas so head over to her page and check out her super FAB items and while you're there....tell her to BRING IT to Manhattan :)

I couldn't sleep.  I spent the rest of the night thinking and praying and realizing a few things.  When I started my Etsy shop I asked God to allow it to be fruitful.  I really like to sew, and I would love to do it full time someday when the kids are in school.  I would like it to help provide for our family.  I went to the craft fair without God.  I never once prayed and gave it to him.  I was so sure that I could do it on my own.  He used a very hard lesson to show me that it wasn't about me.

I decided two things overnight (well, beyond the huge lesson that God was teaching me).  #1- I wasn't going back to day two of the craft fair.  The weather was supposed to be bad, I really needed to help my husband prepare for Kellyn's birthday party that night, and God didn't support my participation in that particular craft show.  #2- I was going to contact the woman from Facebook and ask her to meet with me.  I had questions and I wanted to see the place where the store would be located.

I met with her the next day.  Ryan and I had made a list of some specific requirements that we were looking for if I were to agree to be a vendor.  When I met with her, she mentioned everything on my list without me having to tell her what we would like as our terms.  I came home, prayed about it and really felt a peace about the whole endeavor.  It's not easy to trust that everything will be alright, but I truly believe that God put this plan into motion.

Last Saturday was the open house for Fab Finishes.  The store is cute, still a bit of a work in progress, but that's okay.  I was told that I sold a little over half of what I needed to, to break even this month.  I'm okay with that.  I believe God is in control of this.

My Etsy shop is currently pretty bare, but that's okay.  I plan on putting it in vacation mode soon after I finish a few custom orders.  After the holidays I plan to revamp it and offer some new items.  I'd like to do more made to order items like these:

For now I'm adding a few new items to take over to Fab Finishes, working on custom orders, Christmas gifts, and trying to keep photos updated on my Facebook page of the items that I have and can make for people.  Beyond that I'm just trusting God that he has all of this in control.

Busy Bee

I have taken advantage of the time I've been given over the past month to recover.  For the first two weeks I didn't do too much.  I was laid up in bed, in pain, and really not feeling well.  For the past week I've been feeling a bit better and used the time to sew.  Ryan's work has been accommodating and he was able to take a considerable amount of time off to care of me and the kids while I recovered.  I finally got back into gear and have been consistently sewing.  Looking at my calendar I'm booked and unable to take any more custom orders until January.  It might work out and leave me some openings here and there, but I don't want to add too much more in and chain myself to a sewing machine.

Some of my recent projects include:

A laptop bag for a friend.

I had to increase the size of the bag to accommodate a laptop.  I plan to offer the bag, in it's original size, as a made to order item in January.  I have two orders for this bag in different color combinations to make next month.

Lots of diaper covers.

I can tell this is the time of year when people are having photos taken.  I have sold an insane amount of diaper covers over the last month.  I even had to get Ryan to take me on crutches to the fabric store to get more elastic.  I finally broke down and ordered elastic in bulk.  It's much handier to have around.

A diaper cover and tie set.

Insanely cute, but I did find it humorous to sew a tie for a one year old. This is for an upcoming photo shoot.  I'll offer this set as a made to order item in January.  Right now I just don't have the time to produce a mass quantity of neckties for babies.

A purse for myself.

It's not the best photo, but I really like the design of the purse and I enjoyed making it.  I'll add this as a made to order item in January.

Another wristlet order.

I redesigned my wristlets the other day and I really like the new style.  I was having some difficulty keeping the exterior pocket straight and large enough to hold an ID card.  I also discovered that I was chasing away some potential buyers because they were afraid the ID would slip out of the pocket.  I cobbled together a few ideas and made the pocket on the inside.  The ID is fully enclosed inside the wristlet and protected by the zipper.  I've made several now and I'm truly pleased with the way they are turning out.

Cross Body Bags.

They are padded and large enough to hold everything from an iPad to a Kindle.  They can also be used as a purse.  I enjoy making them, but I haven't had the time yet to make one for myself.

What else is on my sewing plate?  A craft show this Friday and Saturday. A crib skirt, bumper and curtain set, Christmas gifts, two bags, backpacks for the kids (another possible made to order item) and whatever else I can squeeze in there.

When I'm finished with my to do list I plan on working hard to make the kid's quilts.  I have the material and I really don't want to keep pushing them off.  It's well past time that I make and finish them.

Back to Sewing

People ask me how my business is doing.  It's coming along, but I took a two and a half month break from sewing, which kind of slows things down.  The break wasn't intentional, I'll explain it more another time, but it really caused things to come to a stand still for awhile.  I'm feeling more like myself again and I have a renewed interest in sewing. 

One thing I have wanted to make is a skirt for myself.  I found a skirt I really liked, but it was too expensive and she doesn't have many.  I tracked down the fabric, ordered it and set about researching skirt patterns.  I threw together about five different patterns and this is what I came up with:

I like it.  This coming Saturday we're going to a party and it will be the perfect place to debut my new skirt.

With a new interest in making clothes I decided to make a dress for Kellyn.  I don't know if you have shopped for toddler dresses lately, but they are expensive.  I found a dress I liked on Pinterest and ordered the pattern.  It was a quick project and I think the dress turned out well:

So well that last night I whipped up another one for her to wear:

I would love to make her some more dresses, but I probably need to find another pattern to use.  We can't have her wearing the same dress in 10 different colors!

I'm really enjoying sewing again and I can't wait to create more things.

New Shoppe Blog and Facebook Giveaway

In order to get the word out I'm hosting a giveaway!

Two winners will win a quilted tape measure closure bag of their choice 

from my current selection of stock.  

 

To enter LIKE my Facebook page

then check out my new blog for more details.

 

Giveaway ends Sunday, April 29th at 10pm (CST)

 

Don't worry the next time I host a giveaway I won't require anyone to have a Facebook account!

Letting Go

When I make gifts for people or items for my shop I tend to be rather hard on myself if there are any flaws in the item.   I have really noticed this since I opened my shop and people began buying things.  Anytime I mailed something out I was nervous or had feelings of dread, hoping and praying that the recipient would like what they purchased.  It was awful and I had a terrible weight hanging on my shoulders.  The funny thing is that even when people responded positively to what they received I still had feelings of dread the next time.

Last week I read part of an interview on an Etsy blog and it freed me from being so hard on myself.

What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade means fun, creative, imperfect and created with love. There’s beauty in the imperfections. None of our cards are exactly the same. It’s so cheap, easy and fast to print digitally these days that we’re seeing a real resurgence in the artisan art community and an appreciation for the handmade process. The end product is often more tactile and personal. We think people respond to that, and there’s a connection made between the crafter and the recipient.

It made me realize that the people who were buying my things wanted something handmade.  If they didn't want a handmade item they would go to the nearest store and buy something with perfect stitches that a machine made.  That weight lifted off of my shoulders after reading that excerpt.

I am not saying that I have now freed myself to sloppily make things.  I still work hard to make things look nice.  That article allowed me to quit being so hard on myself, which is what I truly needed.  Sometimes no matter how hard I try or how many stitches I rip out and re-sew what I have made will never look perfect and that is okay.

Here is a peek at some of the things I have worked on in the past few weeks:

Valentine's themed diaper covers for a photo shoot.

This was a sample pillow case to see how it was made.

Pillow case #1 for a daycare.

Pillow case #2 for a daycare.

ID Holder without the wrist strap.

Pillow.  It is not quite finished, I ran out of stuffing.

My stock.  My sweet husband added shelves to a downstairs closet near my work area.  That way I can keep my merchandise protected while it is waiting to go to a new home.

This is usually what my work area looks like when I'm mid project.

Slaving Away in the Sweat Shoppe

I have spent the past four days (the last week, actually) slaving away.  I was working on my consignment order, which actually turned into a real order.  Originally, I thought I was making 10 wristlets to ship up to Minnesota, they would be placed in an university bookstore and I would be paid as they were sold.  Last week that all changed when I found out I would be paid up front for 24 wristlets with the possibility of ordering more depending on how they sold.  It was kind of exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. I knew it was important to have them made, shipped and in the store before the semester text book rush begins.  Thankfully, Ryan had a long weekend at just the right time and is very supportive of me.  He entertained the kids, kept up with the house, meals and even took on some extra projects around the house.  He was a trooper and my hero.  Yesterday morning I finished the last of my custom order.  They are boxed up and waiting for a trip to the post office today.

I am so thankful to be done with them and moving onto something else for the time being.  They were a lot of work, but a break is nice.  I'm glad I made a few extras to stock in my Etsy store.

I am now moving on to a bag order.  I'm pretty excited to make more bags.  I enjoy making them, especially since I purchased new fabric to use.  I have material waiting to be made into scarves, pillows and I haven't even started thinking about the wreaths yet.  I have a request to look into laptop case designs, another to make fun pillowcases for a day care and so many more ideas of my own floating around in my head.  It can get overwhelming at times.  Since my big order is done I can step back a bit and get my life balanced again; i.e.- spending more time playing with the kids and only working at nap time or in the evenings.

I truly enjoy having my own area to work in.  It  has already had a bit of revamping done to it:

Still located right next to the exercise equipment.

Ryan moved the shelves from another wall and installed them above my table.

A very important thing since I had no idea what colors I had and kept buying similar colors.

Fabric waiting to be made into something.

A cleaned off table.  It did not look like this last week.

For now I'm going to take the morning off and get back to work this afternoon at nap time.

Now Open For Business

My shop is not as fully stocked as I would have liked, but I decided it was better to at least get it going then to wait any longer.  I have so much on my plate right now that it will be some time before I can add the variety of merchandise for the store.  More to follow on staining and varnishing floating shelves for Ryan, my consignment order, a secret project I've been working on and the usual assortment of blogs about our life.

In the meantime:

Visit my Etsy site.

Like my Facebook page.

The Sweat Shoppe

When I made Kellyn's tutu I felt hopelessly lost in the craft department.  Everything that I tried to make did not turn out as well as it did in my head.  I was full of vision, but I couldn't translate that vision into reality.  Not long after the tutu mishap (which wasn't so much of a mishap because I remade it using less tulle and a ribbon instead of elastic) I went to a craft fair with some dear friends.  At the craft fair I was inspired, so inspired that on the way home we stopped at a fabric store to pick up supplies to make some things on our own.  The woman cutting my fabric asked what I was making, when I told her about my day and what I planned to make she said, "things never turn out and that's why we should just buy things at the craft shows instead of attempting to make them."  Ignoring the particularly snarky comment from the sales woman who apparently doesn't work on commission, I went home and proceeded to let my creativity flow.

I made two wreaths:

Made with gray fleece.  Bow not included and was removed after this picture was taken.

Made with burlap.

The wreaths were just the inspiration that I needed.  They made some long dormant part of me come back alive.  Those wreaths led to more wreaths, which led to scarves and pillows (yeah, I don't really question the direction my creativity took.)

Made with grey fleece and felt flowers.

Grey fleece pillow.  Crown Royal quilt made by Ryan's Grandmother- no you can't have it.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the scarves.  They were sewn using the hand-me down Bernina I was given.  It used to belong to Ryan's grandmother.

I have sewn off and on over the years, but have never sewn on a machine that I really liked.  I always had trouble with threading the machine, tension, attention span and whatever else could possibly go wrong while sewing.  Something happened while I sewed those scarves, I began to figure out the machine and get a rhythm going.  Then I realized I didn't mind sewing so much and wanted to sew more things.  While Ryan's parents were visiting over Thanksgiving his mom encouraged my sewing.  I told her that I was thinking about sewing a quilt for Aric.  For Christmas she bought me a table to sew on, since sewing at our dining table was a hassle.

My sewing/craft table

She also bought fabric and supplies for me while we were out shopping on Black Friday.

Fabric for Aric's new quilt.

I worked on Aric's quilt for awhile, but then put it on hold while I worked on making wreaths, scarves and pillows for Christmas presents.  (Sorry due to the camera being gone for repairs no photos were taken.)  I loved every moment of it.  I felt creatively alive again, a feeling I haven't felt in a long time.  It got me thinking... would anyone want to buy anything that I made?  My Christmas gifts were well received, either that or people were just being nice, but it gave me more confidence in myself.

That's when I found the pattern for these bags:

Ryan's mom was given one and asked me how to figure out how they were made.  They have a tape measure closure.  I found the pattern an enjoyed making them.  I began toying with the idea of opening an Etsy shop.  I had originally thought about craft fairs, and while I'm still not opposed to it, it would be difficult with Ryan's schedule and two little kids.  Etsy seemed easier, there is very little overhead and if it didn't work out as I had hoped all I have to do is close the shop.

With this idea in my head I began to work more in what I lovingly referred to as my sweat shop:

Located by my stationary bike and treadmill

Bags ready to be assembled.

Store inventory

A small ID wristlet prototype.

 My Etsy store isn't open for business yet, but I'm getting there.  I want to make a couple of wreaths, pillows and scarves.  I need to finish writing my shop policies, figure out shipping prices and all of the other mundane parts of running a small business.  I'll let you know when it's up and running and ready for business.

Then after that I'll return to Aric's dinosaur quilt.