Saturday, December 17, 2011

the morning after...

Last night, I sat down with all of the gifts I have to deliver. You know, the custom orders. The beautiful things people ask me to make for them in exchange for currency.
I did something that surprised even me this season. I wrote out every order, put dates on it and then wrote out a calendar for each item. I made them sequentially. I stuck to the plan.  These are just some of the results. The pictures are here only because the friends have already seen them...

 My lovely friends entrusted me with their children's gifts...I met Gunn playing with the band Incline District, If you know me, you know I am mildly (ha) obsessed with Incline District! The fellas are just so nice! and dreamy! and fun to be around! I got a message from him wanting traditional stockings for his three girls. Now, I am anything but traditional. I have made a lot of stockings this year...a lot. When someone I admire and care for asks me to make them for their children, something changes the process. Putting those girls names on there, I can picture them with their dad....it puts the passion into them. It makes me love making stockings, even when the number has reached well over 100. The love I feel for my friends goes into each piece, woven into the fabric and threads...
 My friend, Sean, was one of my first custom orders. I made bird pillows for his mom last year. This year, he asked me to make these for her....You may remember my sewing machine going out on me last year. I was heartbroken that my 18 year old Singer, Nina, was biting the dust. I didn't have the money to repair her and I was using my sister's loaner (which I still have- thanks, Beir!). Sean surprised me with not one, but two machines! A beautiful White who I named Marilyn. She is so trustworthy & she works so hard. She is getting ready for maintenance..but she helped me make these first.
 My first turtle making experience ever! I loved making these little guys so much! I made a first set of prototypes, I worked out every kink in my pattern, I poured my heart into these fellas- they are embroidered and hand stitched! My mission was 12 Baby Loggerhead Turtles, newly hatched, to approximate scale. Here they are. 
 Now, I am not a felter. I am not a knitter, although it's on my list of interests I haven't attempted yet. 
 AS you can see, there are wet felted eggs in this photo. My first attempt ever at wet felting! Alpaca Wool is a funny thing and I have to admit, I am kind of smitten with it! I had fun making the eggs and I now look forward to Easter for different reasons than you may think...see, my sketchbook, my brain, my heart are full of new ideas! I didn't stop in the middle of my custom orders this year and make my hearts desires as they popped up! I stuck to the plan, I have a few orders still in the works. My plan says I'll be done with all of those on Monday and all of my children's gifts on Tuesday. 
 My long time friend, Jeff, came to my house 3 years ago on Fourth of July. He brought his beautiful son, Max. We had a ball! It was so good to see him and meet his darling child, watch him be a dad. Things, events in Jeff's life mirror my own and it has been awesome watching the miracle happen to Jeff. From afar, since he lives up north. Thank God for FB, that great wireless connector of friends. I get to keep up with Jeff. I got to make him this for his someone special! Hopefully, we'll get to meet her and spend some time with him soon!
(*hint hint, cleveland boy!)
 As you may have noticed, I have a blue mannequin. Isn't she lovely? Pear fabric! The colors in this make me feel soothed- my friend, Bree, requested this and the Damask apron. Bree hosts a fantastic radio show- Queen City Awesome on 95.7 FM. If you don't know about it, you should! She interviews local bands and plays local music. Occasionally, there are some bands on who are playing in town! She is also in one of my favorite local bands, Slack Panther! Did I mention she is a hoot and one of my favorite people to be around?! 
 Damask and Hot Pink! What little girls are made of when they grow up a bit!
 My dearest bestie, Adam, introduced me to his family last year.
 I get nervous around parents. I don't know why, I just do! But his parents felt like hanging out with my parents, so we instantly hit it off! His mom is precious- Queen of her home, her fellas pretty much dote on her and she is mom of one of my favorite people. When she asked me to make aprons for her friends, I surged with pride. What an honor! She let me pick the fabrics with vintage feeling as a guideline...
 She wanted three, so I made six! ha! I wanted her to pick. I ended up picking my three favorites for her!
 I love the reds, whites and blues! 
This one was the first one I made. It's a new design. I'm still working it out. I think it's adorable!

I have to head out this morning to go GC shopping. Not everyone on my list wants the things I like to buy, so off I go. To KTC. To places like Pottery Barn and Hallmark. Every day, my orders come in from Etsy and Think Geek. I wish all of my gifts were coming from Everybody's Records. I put out all of the gifts on the table last night and realized for the first time ever, I am not stressed out about Christmas. I won't be rushing around for the next week, trying to finish up everything. I did it! I have a little business I love! My kids are well kept :) Everybody has been fed and Holiday plans are in place. I stuck to the list, the plan and guess what? It turns out it is a pretty good one, I'd like to thank God for giving me the plan every morning. Funny how his ideas work out better than mine. Pretty much every time....

So, I'm ready for the Holidays. Our lights are up, the tree is decorated, I am wrapping gifts a week before hand instead of at 3 am on Christmas Eve. I am spending time with my friends. I am sewing for pleasure. I have the money to have both Marilyn and Matilda serviced, thanks to my awesome friends who buy the creations I make! I may even have enough to get the old girl Singer, Miss Nina, fixed! I am going to take my kids visiting, we are going to have play dates and you know how I have always wanted to just send people things just because I can? well, I am. 

I am not going to live forever, this I know for sure. The past year of my life has changed everything for me. I am remembering everyday that God has a plan for my life. What I want may or may not have some bearing on it. or in it, really. What matters today is the time I get to spend with you, the love we get to share and how close I am to God. The rest has already been taken care of. 

I share with you, my loves, some of my favorite Christmas melodies...







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