Progress .... train screen will be finished tonight!   YAY

One of the great challenges of running your own business, from home, would have to be plugging your brain in and out of what the family are doing / require of you.  Some days it is easier than others to jump from wearing a mother's hat to wearing the work hat.  Sometimes I get really frustrated at how slow I am to get back into the sewing / creating frame of mind.... and I decide that it will be productive to get up at around 3am and in the peace and quiet sew sew sew.  This can be great.  It always means Im falling asleep in the chair by 5pm.  How to juggle outside, inside, kids, meals and emergencies.  It's a dilemma.  One thing that I always have to remember : a couple of hours dedicated to housework or the kids will absolutely mean that I work more efficiently when I do get back to it.  It is the usual deal : when you take a break from concentrating intensely on one thing... you do so much better when you get back to it.  The trouble is.... the kids / house / lawns.... can make you think you can be away from work for a couple of hours but before you know it another day is gone.

I will be so so glad when Peter and I share a house.  It will be great for the kids to have another adult to help them and talk to them..... often it is just something small that with another adult in the house.... I can stay working and it will be dealt with. 

I guess Im making some notes here.... because Im close to filling my obligations, so close to having enough items in the two stores Peter has paid for.... but Im not quite there yet.  And while he is being gracious and not pressuring me.... I still feel pressure.... from myself.  I am close to feeling like a failure.  But I will keep on working at it and NOT let myself be disappointed.  If anything has slowed me down it is just mother commitments and needing to keep value in the things I make.  Im sure, like most cottage industry people, Id rather NOT having slap dash things in store.... far better to be a day or even a week late than offer for sale items that are just awful or even just not as well as I can make them.  

At times like this the kids seem naughtier, less helpful than normal, more demanding, so so loud!!!!  It's just the need to keep working Im sure.  No... let's face it LOL they feel neglected and they dont care that Im nearly finished... they want mum or lunch or clean clothes.... RIGHT NOW!!!

I CAN DO THIS!!!  I can have it all.   Hopefully.

What a beautiful glorious sunny day!  Peter put up a basketball hoop for Sam & Tom and we now have yet another pump so all the balls are nice and bouncy!!!

Got the edging done on the train screen..... quilt pieces now flapping in the breeze!!! quick to dry I hope.  Will be able to finish felt train and carriages tonight and then the screen can go to the Vintage Bazaar!!

Still struggling with the tree screen.  Oh yes... there is always another LOL

Feel like the happiest and most blessed person today.  So much going along quite nicely.

While I agree today has enough troubles... without worrying about tomorrow... just want to document that we are going to get married Christmas 2013.  Just dont want to forget.

 So very happy .... I just have to sew the panels together and bind them..... then make up 2 dozen train / carriages.... not too hard I hope.  Ive cut them out anyhow.

So from 4am to 8 I got this far.....

Trimmed pieces.... felt very happy to get to this point.

 Have to find an edge fabric for the applique panel.

 The screens fold up completely.... unfortunately the lighting was really bad... but the other side is completely blue trains.... it is quilted and looks really nice... terrible photo!!

Boy's screen coming along.... well it is all in pieces still..... but everything is working out just as I imagined it would.... yes... LOL... Im ready for the piece that just doesnt "fit"

A morning of sleet and rain... followed by sunshine / sleet / rain.... freezing cold!!

I got into the car to do some banking... Peter presented me with a serve of perfectly hot yummy soup... spoon too.... I got to eat and get warm on the way there.

He has booked me a space in a new shop here... called "Once Upon a Time".  No pressure but the things Ive been making better get themselves finished really really soon!!!

He is either insane, has a brain tumor or he has faith in me.  Perhaps a bit of all three.  It is a lot of pressure really... Im not sure I have that much faith in me.  I think Im just tired and very very cold.  My sewing room is on the back verandah which has been really wet, windy and cold today.  Perhaps I'll feel better here near the heater.

It is a perfect sunny warm spring day.

My dad gave me a native orchid... and Ive divided it up.  The main piece that I didnt really disturb has lots of little perfect orchid flowers!!!

I wasnt going to share.... but oh well perhaps its ok to show it.  The crazy man who has entangled his life with mine.... bought me this.  Yes this will do just fine as an engagement ring.  OMG I might even get married before Im 99 years old. No one has spent this amount of money on me before.  I pinch myself on a regular basis.  Im very lucky.

well I got ahead of  myself and all that list of things are NOT finished and my in tray on my desk is over flowing and I am just putting it all into a plastic tub to keep the fabrics nice!!!  Gosh I must have had a little too much wine that day thinking I could get everything made PLUS the screens.

The African animal screen in at the bazaar and looks amazing even if I do say so myself.  The pressure is on now to finish two children's screen ... one for a boy and one that any kid would love...

Im so excited it is easy to grab 4 or 5 hours sleep and then get going again.... Im so blessed to be able to make things that I like and not have to just sew people's alterations.... although Im grateful for that work.

It's end of term... gotta run and get my boy... early school out today!

Ive 12 days to make a heap of things to sell at our vintage market.  No pressure LOL.

So Ive decided to make one thing every day and post it here even if it isnt finished.  Im limiting myself to 6 hours sleep.  Im going to do the housework before I go to bed so once the boy is off to school I can sew sew sew.

Of course..... there are going to be hiccups.  Wednesday this week the teachers are out on strike.  Hiccup number 1.

Here is my challenge list for the next two weeks.

1. a tree quilt for a single bed
2. an adult's apron
3. a cushion cover
4. a doll's quilt
5. a needle book
6. shoe stuffers
7. Christmas angel
8. whale
9. big bad wolf
10. Christmas tree skirt
11. adult screen (room divider) cover
12. child screen (room divider) cover
13. covered and embroidered coat hangers
14. fabric puff coasters
15. appliqued european pillow cases