Thursday To-Do July 28, 2011

It has been one wild ride of a week.  After my blog post last Tuesday, I was contacted by Four Green Fields Gallery in Summerville, SC through Etsy.  From looking at their website, I would just love to go in here, and probably will make Hubs stop there next time we're on our way to Charleston.  They try their best to use South Carolina artists.   

After email conversations back and forth with them, and a phone conversation on Saturday morning, I'm going to be doing a wholesale order of 12 wallets for them!  I'm super excited about doing the order, but as always, I've been spinning my wheels because of my work schedule.  I first had to wait on my snaps to come in, now I'm waiting on some zippers, but even if I had these things, I'd still be just sitting on them.  I've got the rest of today (til 10:30 PM), tomorrow and then two 12 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday, then I'm free for Monday and Tuesday!  That's when I'll get the wallets made and hopefully mailed out by Wednesday.  If not, they'll get out by Friday. 

The lovely ladies at Four Green Fields also asked if I could make roll up market bags and jewlery cases.  They said they've seen these products around and would like to carry them, so I'll be working up an example of each too in the near future.  I had to buy some clasps and D-rings for these. 

Buying all these supplies finally got to me though.  I decided that I had reached the point where I would pay for all of my supplies with money that I've made from my shop.  Tuesday, I spent half of what was in my Paypal account on supplies.  Luckily when this wholesale order comes through, it will be more than replenished, but I keep thinking of things that I think I need.  Until then, I'm just gonna have to wait. 

I did start using Wave Accounting online to help manage my expenses, and I think this will be a good thing.  It makes graphs and charts for me (things I know Excel can do, but I don't want to make it do it).  I like graphs and charts.  I hope that the fun doesn't wear off too quickly. 

So my To-Do List looks like this:
~Finish Zinnia Head Band for Adrina--Due Tomorrow

~Finish Brown and Pink Grayson Leigh Hat for Kim--Due Tomorrow

~Do wholesale order of wallets--Due Tuesday

~Make examples of Roll Up Market Bag and Jewelry Case--Due Friday (this is tentative, just so I'll get it done)

~Take up the Girls' skirts--Due ASAP

~Get my hair highlighted by one of my best friends--Friday @ 5:30 PM :)

~Maybe take Hubs out on a date Friday after highlights

~Finish the duffel bag that has become a major hurdle in my life.  I just don't want to finish it for some reason.--Due September 15

~Make my jacket for the mountain trip in October--Due October 27--As an aside, I bought this pattern to make a canvas jacket with a flannel lining.  I'm using black canvas to make a jacket like the yellow one on the bottom.  I've never sewed with a pattern before.  This could be interesting.

~Make a matching hat for the jacket--Due October 27

~Make the plaid peasant dress using a fabric very similar to this that I've been dreaming of--Due October 27

And there is, of course, finishing the organization of my studio.  It's coming along rather well.  I'm still not entirely proud of the outcome, but Hubs seems to like it.  I guess it looks good for my usual state of craft-fairy-threw-up-in-here-ness.  I'll get pics and post some helpful tips on organizing stuff on a budget in small spaces that may need to move.

I guess the good news is that my To-Do list is cycling pretty well.  There are only a couple of things lingering there that I need to finish.  But it's just tough when you don't have a "real" deadline.  The duffel bag, for example, doesn't have to get done.  It's for my own personal use.  I'm gonna finish that thing or die.  Whichever comes firt.

Beach Gifts for my Nieces

As I've stated before in other To-Do List posts, beach gifts for my nieces are top priority right now.  I kind of started this tradition last year when I was so excited to just be able to go to the beach and spend time with my family that I put together little gift bags for them.  They had beach balls and other little beachy trinkets in them and crochet top tank tops that I made especially for them, OOAK (one of a kind).  Both of them are crafty too and really appreciated the tank tops.  Emma even begged for us to match when I told her I had a black tank top and khaki shorts too.  She was also pleased when I handed my flip flops down to her when I couldn't wear them anymore.

So this year, since I've started sewing, I decided they were going to get good beach gifts.  And not that I have entirely ulterior motives, but making gifts for nieces is always a good way to practice new techniques. 

So I have some hot pink canvas that I'm making the gift bags from with this to applique their initials with:

I think I'm gonna do the zig zagging around the letters in bright blue too. 

Then I'm going to make the Towel Roll using some black and blue kind of Hawaiian fabric that I found at Hancock.  I was actually at a loss as to what to do with this fabric.  When I bought it, I had never sewn anything before and thought that it would be OK if I ruined it.  I bought it on the clearance table for about $1 a yard.  But then I found that sewing was easier that I thought it might be and just kind of shoved this stuff to the bottom of my stash because I didn't think it was the most beautiful fabric in the world.  It's too much dark color, but too much floral happiness to make something entirely out of it.  But then the Towel Roll came along and I paired with a white towel, it's going to look great!  Sorry, I don't have a picture of this fabric.

Then lastly (that is if I don't come up with any other ideas), are the skirts.  Thanks to April Baylor at Sewing Novice, I found out how to make a full skirt for a kid.  I was going to make it reversible like mine, but had some issues.  Sewing at 2 AM when already tired is not recommended.  But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that the lining was too thin to be seen on the outside anyway.  So I ended up with a full gathered skirt with a built in slip.  This one here is for Lila. 

And I put my label in it, down near the bottom of the slip so it won't itch.  I was going to make a tutorial about it, I even started taking pictures, but I got tired and frustrated and didn't feel like doing it anymore.  So maybe I'll make a tutorial when I make Emma's.  It's really super easy, as long as you cut the fabric the right length, which I didn't the first time.  Now to make another trip to Hancock to get more elastic and more lining fabric.  When I bought the fabric, I had no idea that for a skirt this full you had to double the waist measurements.  So I ran short on lining.  Oh, well.  You know how much I hate making trips to Hancock!  

A Few Dreams Come True!

So this weekend while I was stuck at work unable to make anything from yarn or fabric, I grabbed my scrappy little composition book and started drawing.  I haven't really drawn anything in a long time, so it was refreshing to get back into it.  I started drawing a few of my dreams.  I drew the reversible skirt, the tote bag to match said skirt, and the lunch bag/tote bag that I have made before, but kept forgetting steps (therefore ripping seams) on.  I also wrote out what exactly to do.  This made life SO much easier when I sat down to sew.  I guess this will become the norm for me.  I also drew out the wallet I would like to make, but realize that it was going to take a lot of work, so saved writing the steps down for later. 

I didn't have time to make the tote bag to match the skirt, but I did make the skirt!  I did have a hiccup in the "pattern" where I ended up sewing the thing together in a tube that was half pink half white, but I figured out what I did and fixed it.

Pink on one side...

White with pink trim on the other!

Excuse the darkness of the pictures.  I was just trying to get Dave to snap a few quick ones.  I really love the feel of this skirt.  It's kind of heavy, so you don't feel like you're running around naked, but it's also kind of light so it still feels summery.  I should probably make several more.  I also like the fact that since I made it, there is no altering to be done to it!  Being only 5 feet tall, I'm used to having to tailor clothes, but this really was made especially for me!

I also made the lunch bag/tote bag for Dave's grandmother.  There are some major problems with this pattern that I'm not sure how to fix.  I ended up hand sewing some of the seams together because it just wouldn't fit under my sewing machine.  I think I'm going to keep the basic shape of the bag, I've just got to make some design adjustments.  I also learned that fusible fleece will not fuse to a fabric with stain resistant coatings.  I've just decided not to look at it too closely and hope that she won't see what's wrong either.  

  I even put a keychain stretchy thing on the inside

And now for the "Why My Husband is the Greatest in the World Moment!"

Last night as I was giving myself an afro from running my fingers through my hair in frustration over the bag, Dave was sitting beside me, trying to make me feel better.  He kept telling me basically that the reason why I was frustrated with myself, is because I dream so big.  He said he would never attempt something like I had done and that he was proud of me.  He told me that he didn't tell me enough that he was proud of me.  Then he sat back and laughed for a minute.  I gave him a bit of the "stink eye" and asked what he was laughing about.  He said, "I was just thinking about *Miss Thang.  All she ever talked about was wanting to be a designer.  And here you are doing it."

I still don't think he knows how much that really made my day.

So I've added "Designer" to the list of things that I am.

And I'm gonna keep dreaming!

*Name has been changed to protect my privacy.  Miss Thang was someone who thought she was the stuff.  She looked down on me a lot through middle and high school.  She's one of those who when she found out that I was marrying Dave and that we had built a reasonable nice sized house together that she pooped a brick and almost swallowed her tongue.  Now, not only am I living my dream, I'm living hers too...and she's not.  That's just a little bit spiteful of me, yes, but hey, I can't help the blessings that God gives me!