Kalamazoo is five weeks away, and I have begun feeling the pressure. But, after reading your comments to yesterday's blog post, I am feeling better. Thank you.
Today is Wednesday, and that means Nashie and Mama will be with us all day. I love those days. It might be hard to move because the pack insists on going everywhere we do, but I don't mind. We both love having them here.
Sadly, a fairly recent development is that Molly can no longer manage our stairs. So, when she is here, one of us always stays downstairs with her. Craig and I trade places every couple of hours and I can get my sewing done that way.
When it is my turn to stay downstairs with her, I cut out patterns on the dining room table. I make beeswax ornaments in the kitchen. I get out my pliers and sleeve button making tools and make more pairs of sleeve buttons.
Molly snoozes away nearby as I work, safe and content. The work time is not lost and the bonus is that happy time is spent with a sweet and beloved doggy, time that we cherish.
I am an organized person, and when I finish sewing for the day, I prep for the next day's work. That helps me to jump right into that day's sewing.
Yesterday morning, my sewing table looked like this. From back to front, those are sleeves, a collar, cuffs, and a placket for the front slash in a trade shirt. They are ironed and ready to go. (The fabric clips hold the ironed sides in place until I can stitch them down.)
The front and back pieces have been ironed and are ready to sew together.
That organization helped streamline yesterday's work
and I finished that shirt by the end of the day.
Sleeve buttons were added, the shirt was entered into the inventory, a price tag was created, and the shirt is now hanging on the rack in my office, ready for the trip to Kalamazoo.
And once again, before I headed downstairs for the day, I prepped for the next day's sewing.
This is what my sewing table looks like this morning. Sleeves, collar, cuffs, and placket, all ready to go.
Front and back pieces, pressed and ready. And the daily sewing circle begins again, although today there is a twist in that Molly and Nash will be with us.
Being organized and then using my time well by finding Jolis Chevaux things that could be done while I stayed downstairs with Mama has been key in getting prepped for KZoo.
It ensured that I got all those chemises sewn and ready to go, and it is helping me restock my trade shirts.
I have four more trade shirts to make and then I will start working on bedgowns. Like the chemises and trade shirts, I'll cut them out while Mama keeps me company.
Lucky me. It's going to be a good day.
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The dogs in your life certainly feel loved. I was thinking it would be amazing, but not likely, that Breyer would check which foal you got the first time and send you another scratching one.
ReplyDeleteI haven't said it enough, but those trade shirts of yours are beautiful. Not only are they historically accurate, they have great design -- unusual and comfortable! -- and to be made by someone you know is the cherry on top. Your customers are lucky!
ReplyDeleteAnd so are your dogs.
I love how you and Craig make accommodations for the four-legged members of your family. And the look of doggy devotion on that sweet furry face makes it all worth while.
ReplyDeletemy husband and I find ourselves doing things too bc that is how it has to be so the cats are happy. The amount of things you have made is truly impressive!
ReplyDeleteSomeone once said that when you have more clients or customers than time, raise your prices. A few people may fall away and you will have enough time for those that remain and be better compensated for the work. Perhaps not needed for everything you produce, but look at the most complicated items and consider if your skill should be rewarded.
ReplyDeleteThat rack of inventory is so colorful and interesting looking, it’s easy to see why people shop your wares!
ReplyDelete