fourth of July banners
setting up booths at local markets
working out some “theme/character” capes for the markets and maybe something similar for etsy soon
a few custom capes for a client
new pendants
a new embroidery design
and a work in progress for a client (4 little kiddos all in a row for one lucky grandmother)
but today I’m off to the mountains to play in the creek with my 2 little kiddos!
Happy Monday!
One of the things I love most about what I do is custom orders. Some of my favorite ideas have come from people asking me to do something specifically. From embroideries to capes. This superhero cape order for two brothers is probably one of my favorites to date.
Apparently the youngest child is nicknamed “little monkey” and so the parents asked me to do a cape with a monkey face on it. Then they asked if I could do a starburst design behind the monkey, instead of just a plain circle. Honestly, this is what made this cape just pop.
The second one was for the older brother and they asked for a large lightning bolt behind the letter. I love how this one turned out too.
These were both so much fun to design and sew!
Today was a lesson in stepping out, bravery, humility and ignoring the voices of doubt.
I’ve participated in group sales a few times previously, but this weekend was the first time I had participated in a large event. Like a bring your own tent, set it up and make it look nice and then watch people come in and look over your stuff.
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been furiously building up stock, figuring out what to sell and how much to price things. I’ve been figuring out things like sales tax and what to say to people when the ask about certain things and how to “sell” yourself. But nothing, nothing preps you for how to handle the barrage of people who might walk into your booth, glance at your stuff and then walk out.
Today was a lesson in being free and courageous. My personality loves etsy. I have time to respond to people’s requests. I will more than likely never have to see the person that I might have rolled my eyes at. And I don’t have to sell myself with my personality…I just have to do it with photos and the words I write.
So.much.safer.
So, today was successful in an emotional way (sadly not a monetary way). It forced me to see something through. To keep climbing this crazy trying to start a business learning curve that never stops. It forced me to step waaaay out of my comfort zone and to stop listening to the voices of doubt. Because my worth is not in how many people bought (or didn’t) stuff. Whether I’m “doing the right thing” with this path I’m on isn’t dictated by how many people walked into my booth.
I’m proud of what I’m doing. I’m convinced that I’m doing what our gracious God would have me do and I’m thankful. I’m thankful for opportunities to stretch myself, but also beyond thankful for the security of my home.
Looking back through the archives again is so thrilling and fun. I remember all the things I was making when I started this little adventure into sewing and business making.
This post reminded me of how much I love these bibs and it has been forever since I made any of them. I remember there was one with a lion that was probably one of my favorite things ever I have stitched. Then these nursery rhyme themed t-shirts were fun too!
Then there was the time that I was mentioned on Sew Mama Sew’s blog for this awesome outfit by Children’s Corner. Funny, I don’t even remember this!
Here was my first try at writing a tutorial for a Leapster Bag that I designed. It had some major flaws (math is not my strong suit) but served both my children well for the years since.
One of my most popular posts has been our Easter Tomb tradition. I have to admit that as my children have grown older, we aren’t so effective at really taking the time and effort to do this. We did do it this year, but our sweet tomb was lacking in the key element of the Crosses. But it was still a great tradition and reminder of traditions that we have in our family.
And then I started the huge quilt project. I’m walking through the archives of the years 2008-09 and in 2009, I started to make a quilt for my daughter’s room. It’s still held together and I hope it’s something that she’ll take off to college with her.
And this is by far one of my most favorite things I’ve sewn ever.
That’s about all the looking back time I’ve got for today. I’m doing my first vendor experience at the local farmer’s market in less than 2 weeks so I have to get busy…like seriously nose to the grindstone busy.
One major change I’ve made in my schedule the last few months is to dedicate at least an hour in the afternoon to embroidery. It has been my hour of quiet (well kind of quiet as I’ve been sucked into watching the old tv show Alias) before I go bring the kiddos home from school. The question is how will I manage this time when they are at home this summer!?
Anyhow, it’s been a huge gift to myself and in that I’ve been able to accomplish so much more embroidery than previously. Here are a few glimpses of some things I’ve been able to finish the last few weeks…
Our elementary school has themes for their classrooms for grades preschool through second and my chick shares a class with two teachers (and subsequently two themes). They are the Cliffords and Nemos. I made these banners for their end of the year teacher gifts.
It was fun to stitch something so different than the traditional banners I’ve been making.
Next up I’m making some smaller embroideries for some pendants, ornaments and more to sell at the Farmer’s Market this season. Here is a glimpse at the little ballerinas
I love stitching small, detailed things like this. It stretches me as an embroiderer and also is as close to painting a picture as I’ll ever get!
I finished another version of the THINK before you speak pattern. This is an aqua version, custom designed for a client.
I made a new version of my French themed banners. This time the client requested the words “joyeux anniversaire” in black and white. I really love how it turned out.
That’s about it for now. I’m rolling out a new Scripture themed embroidery hopefully soon with all the fruits of the Spirit, a smaller version of the Sarah Williams quote from The Astronomer poem and a couple of new custom embroideries too.
Happy Tuesday and happy stitching!
I’ve slowly been working on our master bathroom. Here’s the before post and here is a sneak peek after I exchanged a few mirrors in the house and finally got it painted.
I’m learning the hard way that it’s all about the right tools. Being married to a carpenter, woodworking handyman you think I would just know this but alas I don’t. Today I was introduced to the Clover version of a water soluble tracing pen for embroidery. It. Is. The. Bomb. Like totally amazing; I don’t know where this pen has been all my life kind of amazing. Go buy one fast. I got mine at Michaels and I think I’m going to go buy some more.
This silly wedding cake topper is stretching my brain cells. Nothing like messing with a few hours worth of embroidery and hoping that you can salvage something out of it. This is where I’m at with it as of today. Still not a finished product. Ugg.
My yoga teacher has this sticky note in her bathroom that drives me crazy. It points people to the trash can where people should throw their reusable drying washcloths. Every time I sit in there doing my business I have this great embroidery design in my head. Yesterday I finally sat down and made it. I love it.
Sometimes the color requests just don’t work out and we go back to the drawing board. This was the case for this turquoise version of the THINK embroidery. Look for it this summer at the local farmer’s market and maybe an option on etsy soon.
That’s about it for right now. I’ve been crazy busy this month with orders…more in a month than I’ve ever had before. I’m truly blessed and every day humbled by how the Lord has gifted me with the ability to follow a dream.
I feel like I’ve been working on these rainbow banners for months! It’s taken me longer than I wanted to get all the numbers sewn for the first three and today I finally had the time to sew the banners…two of them at least! I ran out of bias and had to order some more; from the Netherlands! So it’s not like I’m going to be finishing these tomorrow either! Ugg! Oh well, it helps me figure out how best to list them!
The numbers are embroidered with this really awesome variegated thread. I just love how it turned out. The pennants are made from eco-fi felt scraps (leftover from all my cape sets I do!). They are double layered so it hangs much better than just a single layer felt pennant and is more durable.
Obviously you can see which one I didn’t get done! I am Two is coming up as soon as my sweet package from Europe arrives!
The little banner is just that: a mini banner perfect for high chairs, the backs of chairs (think a new way to do place cards!) and coordinates perfectly with the larger banners.
All of these banners should be up in the shop in the next couple of weeks. Buyers will have an option of 3-4 different bias trims for the top along with the specific birthday number they are celebrating.
Coming soon!!!
This last month has been a doozy. I feel like I’ve been away from daisyeyes forever and it has been a nice reprieve to pick it back up again; albeit slowly. I’m still technically on call for this interim teaching position so I’m still kind of in limbo until after spring break. After spending nearly 3 weeks back in a classroom, we packed up and drove all the way to Florida to hang out with the Mouse and nearly a bagillion other people. We had a fantastic week and had so much fun, but I was super happy to be back home. I’m slowly becoming more of a fan of instagram and you can see some great pictures from our trip here if you become a follower.
I’ve slowly had a few things in the works for the shop and hope to keep slowly rolling them out over the next few weeks.
First up is this rainbow birthday banner:
I love how these numbers look and can’t wait to get the whole banner completed. The banners will say “I AM ONE” or TWO or THREE etc. You get the picture.
Going along with these rainbow banners is this little mini bunting I made. The letters are all hand embroidered onto mini pennant banners and it makes the perfect little reusable decoration for a high chair, regular chair or anything else you can think of.
These little banners are already in the shop and ready to be made just for you!
Last up is the first of a few different styles of birth announcements. This is the subway style version. It’s all hand embroidered in a cool variety of fonts and fully customized to the specifics of the little dude or chick!
They measure 9×12 and are also in the shop ready to be made just for you! Turn around time for these is about 2-3 weeks.
That’s about it for now. Hopefully I can be back to regular postings in the next week or so…but that proves to be seen just yet.
Off to watch some Alias (yes I’m like 10 years behind the times, but thank goodness for Netflix!)
Things are a little nutty around here. That’s the way life goes I guess.
The stomach bug reared it’s ugly head for at least a week last week and boy I’m so happy to see it gone.
We sold almost every table and chair we own this weekend in less than 24 hours. Standing in our empty kitchen we both wondered if we had done something irrational (don’t answer that!) and we are now eating on my grandmothers rickety antique table that has served as a table on and off for us for more years than it should. That said, our reward is a new matching table and chairs for our upcoming anniversary. Sixteen years is a long time to wait for a matching set!
I decided to do a little local blog advertising right about the same time I was offered an interim teaching position. Great planning. But I’m clinging to the promise that the Lord never gives us more than we can handle and I’m planning on keeping the shop up and running…just the felt cape kits are on a requested basis only.
Talking about the little bit of advertising love: head on over to frugalissa finds and read about the history of my little shop, some of my favorite items and enter in a give away for either an embroidered pendant or 5 DIY felt cape sets.
And say a prayer that our family makes it through the next few weeks with me working full time, plus etsy, plus more I’m sure that I don’t even want to think about.
But you know what? Irregardless of how crazy the next few weeks are, I’m crazy thankful for this opportunity and the reality of how well God takes care of me.
If you are visiting here from frugalissa finds…consider yourself welcomed!
