Finishing the Old

I was beginning to create the lists of projects that I wanted to be working on next, when I took a good look around me and realized that really, I had way too many projects that were started in some way.  Some of these are almost done, some are only patterns that need fabric pulled out for it, but in either case, I began to feel strongly about finishing the old before I start anything new, even if that means delaying business sewing.
Now that doesn't mean customer projects that are money in hand.... but it does mean all of the idea I think Might sell if I ever got them done.
And so I am going back to my oldest project that I can work on right now, and I'll be spending this week hand quilting.  It takes me such a long time, but it is going to be so worth it when I am finished.
I started this quilt years ago, a combination of applique and pieced.  I have layered it a couple different times. I actually started quilting it before, and realized that I had used the wrong type of batting for hand quilting.  I had several blocks finished, so I didn't want to take it out and start over.  Poor quilt got put in the corner and there it stayed.
This summer I decided this was a situation that had to be remedied.  I took the quilt apart, fixed the problems with the backing, re-layered the quilt with new batting and..... put the quilt back in the corner.
Oh but this is such a cold winter.  A great time to sit with a quilt on my lap and work in front of the tv.  I finally got started late this afternoon and got about half of one square done.  I hope that my stitching gets faster and better as I get some new experience behind me.
I do, after all, have  many projects that are older than this one, and I am convinced that I will get all of them done, out of my pile, off my list and into the homes that they belong in.

People's Choice

Oh my gosh, watching the awards tonight has given me so many ideas on clothing that I want to sew.... a wonderful bodice with a detail, a hair style that i need to copy and wow, that skirt!  I know that tomorrow I will be searching for stills of the  styles that I'd like to copy, to create a style of my own.

Move forward.  Get inspired.  Push through.

CREATE

January Goals

The last of the Christmas boxes out in the mail, the last of the sweaters for last year are done.  I have a good start on some projects for the coming year, including the first four birthday sweaters.  I am anxious to stay closer to deadlines this year.

We are moving the sewing room downstairs in order to make room for Selena to have her own space when she gets here.  I think that will give me the motivation to begin the sorting of the masses of fabric that I have.  Way too many bins and who knows how many projects, started or only dreamed of...

In 25 Weekers, our January goals include using our scraps before buying new fabric.  There will be no buying for me on my budget, but I have much to use up and this will be a perfect opportunity to turn all of those bins of fabric into bins of stock, items ready to sell at the next round of fairs.  I really can't wait to get started

Fairy Pants and skirts, bodices of beautiful brocades and satins.  Vintage walking skirts, waistcoats, blouses with fine detail.  It's going to be so much fun to see it all come to life under my fingers, under my needle.

Home and Back to Work

I had come home from vacation with an order waiting for me.  One of my favorite customers in Madison sends me work to do, mostly based on helping her ready her house to do in home over night care for infants.  It has been so much fun making sheets, blankets, diaper stackers and pocketed organizers.

She realized that some people would be picking up their children early in the morning and she needed something nice to wear to bed and therefore answer the door in... so she picked out some nursery themed searsucker and I made gowns and robes to match,

 but then she wanted a really nice robe for the winter.  She had some vintage fabric and picked a Vogue vintage coat pattern, Vogue 1083.... a basic swing coat with just one button at the top.

This pattern was quite the challenge.  I had the pockets in three times because I couldn't get the fold right on the front edge.  The bound button hole was not as bad as I had thought it would be, i think because of the perfect weight of the fabric.  I didn't do as much hand stitching as the pattern called for, I did put the lining in by machine instead of sewing the whole thing by hand.

I think that if i make this pattern again, I'd like to make the complete coat our of muslin so that i can see how everything fits this time.  Sometimes I think the darker fabric makes it harder to see.

Dart in the facings too!

The shaping darts in the neck area were actually new to me

Seam tape all the neck edges to prevent stretching

The robe before i added the facings.  Looking good!

Pocket looks great on the ironing board....

The upper back on my dummy.  The collar is laying so nice

The four piece back looks great.  Sleeves are hanging nice.  I'm really liking this pattern

Craft Fairs

My first craft fair season is behind me, and although I didn't make booth fee at any of them, I did get a lot of contacts out and had many requests for mending and alterations.  I am really excited to see what the new years brings to me.

The first fair was at the Seneca Nation day care center.  The room was full of vendors, and really nice things.  I wanted to do a lot of shopping, but I had to behave myself and not spend what I wasn't making.  About lunch time, my sister came to give us a break and we noticed it was snowing.  A wet, heavy, half freezing rain type snow.  I am pretty sure that is what chased away the rest of our customers, because by shortly after lunch, all of the vendors began walking around shopping each other's booths or packing up early.  It was a very slow day.

The next fair was a two day, Saturday and Sunday of Black Friday week end.  Enough said.  I learned my lesson on that one.  Do not sit a fair  when people are shopping their favorite Wal_mart for marked down treasures.  They do not shop a craft fair.  It's too bad, because the fair was great, we represented, full, fun.  Just no customers.  We had the chance to do a Lot of networking and made some great connections.

The last fair was here in town and I was already recognizing people that I had met the week before.  I made many new contacts and cemented the "old" ones nicely.  Many of the people gave me hints about what fairs to not miss and we had a slow but good day.  I was able to display my sign this time, which really drew in the alteration requests.

An exciting season, short though it was, I am back to my Christmas sewing, with one large and a couple of small orders to finish.  I feel really good about all the notes in my book about upcoming fairs and contacts to make in the next couple of months.

Lets Get Back To Work

I have been having so much trouble with my computer that it seems I stopped writing all together.  I have not stopped working though, and I have so many new ideas.  I can't wait to finish the work that I have going right now, so that I can start on some new ideas.

While I was in Madison, I was able to go see the Steampunk version of Dracula Ballet.  The costuming was amazing and the ideas are just bubbling up in my mind.

First, of course, I have to finish the orders I have, a couple of quilts and several clothing items, so that by the first of the year I am ready for a new venture in sewing.

I am anxious to put my own mark on some designs, my own tailoring, attention to detail and create complete ensembles that can be bought as each piece, or as a complete set.

I have so much fabric, it will be fun to start working through the piles, turning each piece of yardage into an item ready to sell.

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.
Erich Fromm 

And work slows down

Things have been going along quite well as long as I don't push too much right hand work, but all the sudden my right hand, elbow and arm are in so much pain that I can't even type with my right hand.

The "injury" started about two months ago, with what I thought was stress from tensing my shoulder while I knit.  I worked really hard with that and it got better, and worse, and better... and oh so much worse.

Now the pain is from shoulder down into thumb and there are many tender spots.  I'll be calling the doctor on Tuesday to see if we can figure anything out.  My sewing on Friday had to stop and I've been able to do nothing at all, even eat, with my right hand most of the week end.

I hope there is a simple fix, and "resting it" is not a simple fix when I have orders on the board and fairs coming up, but that is why I've been so quiet.  I have so very much to tell, but it will all have to wait for a bit of a better day

Inspire yourself.  Get busy and make something!!