NaMoPaiMo & Back to the Sewing Room!

It's February 1, and most hobbyists know what that means - NaMoPaiMo begins today!

I seriously considered entering NaMoPaiMo this year, especially when I unboxed my paints and brushes when I cleaned out the closet. 

I have several blank models and all the tools that I would need, but I was too busy with cleaning and sorting my collection and the horse closet to prep anything. Maybe next year. 

In the meantime, best wishes to all who will begin painting their models today! Have fun and enjoy the process. To echo my former student Can Do Gracie, you can do this!

While I may not be participating in NaMoPaiMo, I have plenty to do here at home.

My sales models have been packed away for the March Great Lakes Congress show - finally. That clears some space in the horse room, space that is rapidly beginning to fill with things for my other hobby, living history.

Kalamazoo isn't until mid March, but the Conner Longrifles is in two and a half weeks.

I'd forgotten about it - I'm not going, even though it is less than an hour's drive from my home. But Leslie and Rick are. They are setting up their 18th century business, Chien Noir, and Leslie called and asked if I'd like to send some things down to sell with them.

A quick check of my records show that my men's shirts sold very well last year. That's good. But the downside is that sales like that would take a big bite out of what I've already made for Kalamazoo, which is just a month later. It would be a challenge to sew enough shirts to restock for that.

So... I'm heading back into the sewing room this morning. I've got a really neat elephant block print fabric that I've been saving. (Elephants are period correct for the 18th century and are a very popular motif among living history folks.) I'm going to try to get a couple more shirts done, either for Conner Longrifles or for Kalamazoo. 

After those are done, hopefully I can cut some haversacks out of the new fabrics that I just got and stitch them up!

Finally, thanks for all the well wishes that so many of you sent after I wrote about my fall. Compared to Craig's, my fall was very minor. He was badly injured and is still healing several weeks later. (A big lump over one eye and a tender knot on the bridge of his nose remain.) 

I'm bruised and scraped, with my own big, tender knot on my shin, but it wasn't a serious and concerning injury like his. (No head injury protocol for me!)

An announcement is coming tomorrow! I think you will be happy with it.