Gifting

Had a unique experience over the holidays...several requests from folks to purchase bags like ones I'd previously customized for friends and family as Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, I was mostly unable to fulfill those requests (the actual bags were purchased...I didn't make them...just designed and worked the applique on them). I had a couple of extras but the majority were already "spoken for." Anyhow, thought it might be nice to share some of the applique projects...I had lots of fun with them and they are what got me started thinking of doing more sewing. Here's to 2016...here's to learning a lot...here's to mastering some new skills...here's to taking better photographs! Happy New Year everyone!



Vintage Christmas Lights: These were my first foray into applique. I'm actually grateful that this photo is a bit blurry...and thank goodness this photo doesn't show the messy, thread-y insides of these bags!

Modern Mistletoe: My favorite design and my favorite project so far. A good friend donated a small collection of white buttons and don't they make cute mistletoe berries? This project ignited my interest in designing applique.

First "Monogram": This and the next bag were very challenging and I think it's why Santa decided I needed some monograming software!

Second "Monogram": These were really a learning process. Lesson #1 - felt stretches. Accidentally. Eek.

Frayed Monogram: This is my latest project...got tired of stretchy felt.

Pink and Silver Ornament: This one was just for fun...a little unconventional holiday.



Percolating

Over the past weeks and months, as I've shared with friends my interest in starting a crafts biz, the responses have fallen into two disparate camps: either they seem truly excited or their eyes sort of glaze over. There is no in between.


Now, you would think it is those who do a lot of crafting who get excited...but it's the other way around and I think I've cracked the code.


Going farther back though, I've had a desire to go into business for myself for about as long as I can remember. I'm pretty sure my sparkling Broadway career as a playwright...producing only my own work of course...was envisioned in our living room with some sock puppets in front of a captive parent audience. After that dream shockingly faded, others followed:


I planned to open my own bookstore, produce a magazine, run an architectural firm, and I think I even briefly flirted with the concept of owning my very own detective agency.


But then Charlie's Angels finally got cancelled and I similarly moved on.


Fast forwarding many (MANY) years and here I am, about to give it a go...as a crafter. To my earlier point, the folks who actually DO craft and who may even excel at selling their work, are the ones who seem somewhat dubious of this as a side avocation. If I am perceiving them correctly, I think it may be because they know from experience that it will be a lot of hard work!


But I'm ready. I've wanted to do this ever since the sock puppets. (Oh my gosh, I should totally add sock puppets to my line...)


I'm going to give it one year. It's hobby-work, so it's still a nights-and-weekends thing, but I'm going to treat it very seriously and I'm going to blog the ups and downs, hopefully learning from other crafters along the way. And, if after a year it's a bust, then it's a bust. But just maybe...