Upcycling.... frame, silk, roving, beads..... a beautiful pin cushion

Cold wet weather with some steamy sunny bits.  Very strange.  Still holiday time and it might have been a mistake to drop into the local op shop.  Roller blades for Samuel that have hardly been off for two days now.  A new goggle and snorkel set.  Im not going to the beach today.  Two hours at the skate park was quite enough.

Nightmarish hours online and on the phone trying to organise youth allowance and school and uni.

Looking at getting into office work.  Dictaphone typing in particular.  It's a leap of faith.... well it will be after I figure out if I should buy / subscribe to Office 365 AND advertise.  What kind of files come from a dictaphone?  Lots of investigation to do.  Cant wait to get back to typing.

Off to finish two boring black screens for the tattoo parlor.  So boring that Ive been putting it off for two weeks but they are phoning and they are big bulky guys and one of them knows where I live :)

Dont you hate those facebook ads, those emails, promising all the business get-up-and-go advice for a fair amount of your hard earned dollars of course.

I wonder how many service / virtual industries there are out there taking SO much of our real life income?

Well for once an ad helped me.  Ive been thinking about hiring and training someone to sew with me for a few weeks now.  Ive put together my first take of what an ad might look like.

What is minimum wage in Australia anyhow?

Obviously . wow! where have the weeks gone?  SO much has happened.  Much has changed.  Back working really hard on screens of all kinds.  New ideas like threading boards and felt boards have come from friends.  Privacy screens for preschool bathrooms are the current project.  Im expecting delivery of crochet cotton (teacher can see through filet crochet) and castors! Who new my creations would not only be on screens but on wheels too?

A current crochet pattern Im trying out.

Im also helping to decorate a preschool with things like yarn bomb trees complete with hanging coloured balls ..... these are pre covering with crochet.

Im enjoying trying out new patterns in amongst planting out new garden beds and sewing quilts too.

As you can see this last picture is NOT my work but the colours are inspirational and this is something like what I hope to have finished really soon. This talented and generous lady has a great blog and here is the link http://knottyknotty.blogspot.com.au/  Do visit her blog it is really great.

 The flower above is just a try out .... grabbed some scraps.... the real thing will be in sensational wool from Bendigo Mill and it will be just the right thing to brighten up any space really.

new things Ive finished

something new Im working on.....

Some of my work Im trying to finish this week :)

Im not sure I will ever feature in the Hand-made Australia blog so I thought Id put my thoughts here on MY blog.  It was actually a great exercise to think about the how and why.  Still scarey.... still committed.

What inspired you to start your business?

I had just finished a memory quilt made out of competition t-shirts.  The panels were flapping in the breeze on the clothes line out in the sunshine and I thought it would be nice to see kids running through the quilted pieces, touching and interacting with them.  My partner and I were walking through a shopping center and saw some canvas room dividers.  I commented that it would be a dreamy idea to make dress screens and cover them with quilts.  To my surprise he said that wouldnt be a problem as he used to make dress screen frames!

What is your handmade business all about?

My handmade business is all about choice and value for money.  YOU get to choose the dimensions of the screen and also the fabric and design that decorates it.  This gives you great choice in affordably redecorating your space.  The screen panels are washable.  The dress screens are made out of great products like oak dowel and allergy resistant bamboo wadding.  We keep a record of all the screens we make and you can order a new set of screen covers at a very reasonable price.  This makes our dress screens an investment rather than being a "throw away" item.  New ideas are coming in all the time.  We are working on bridal screens as well as puppet theatres and castle walls for children.

What do you enjoy most about your business?

Planning the design of the screens.  We live on the Mornington Peninsula two blocks from the beach and I have three children ranging from 19 to 7 years of age.  That is quite a lot of inspiration.  Then there are the wonderful designers who make fabrics these days.  Just amazing variety and colour.

What is your favourite product to make?

To be honest any quilt will do.

How did you learn your craft?

Ive sewn since I was a teenager but I really got into quilts about 12 years ago.  My mother taught me to sew clothes but in quilts I am self taught.

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?

Ive recently joined "The business bakery", a small business interactive website.  It is great support network.  Not only great advice.  Just as importantly, interaction with other small business people who understand the fatigue and isolation and stresses that sometimes weigh down on small business people.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year?

I plan to load up the van with my screens and go from markets to shops, from wedding venues to charity auctions, spreading the news that dress screens are back in style, in YOUR style.

Changing jobs : dedicating some proper attention to my small business

Starting a new phase in my life.  After over a year of having to put off sewing etc because of work commitments - well now I have to put off work commitments and learn to organise and juggle home, kids and small business.  In a way it is about time.  On the other hand the teens are making it really hard and a lot of the time I want to run away down to the shed, to my own sewing space, and hide from their anger and demands.

Sometimes I only get a small window of opportunity to create.  So I am taking the advice of a successful business person, and I am keeping a very visual and sample like journal of everything I touch, look at and create.  The reasons are many.  Like being able to duplicate something that turns out great.  Im going back over my short and medium term goals.  I might be a failure of a mother but Im not going to fail at small business.  My screens, quilts and boy dolls wont, after all, be able to talk back or tell me to bugger off.

I think I have always been a little scared of my children.  Scared of them making a scene, of being too strong for me to handle, of them being disappointed in me.  I dont think I really let them get away with too much.  Sometimes I think I have always been a doormat.  It varies from day to day depending on how hard they are fighting me.  I really just want them to finish their education and find a job that doesnt make them physically sick and then they can get on with making their own lives.  It feels kind of sad, but I will be glad, as long as they are financially ok, when they pack their bags and go out on their own.  Im tired of fighting teens.

So right now Im crocheting a cat and Im working on my lists.  Next week - one of the short term goals - Peter has promised that we will make 3 more screen frames.  Ive so much hand quilting to do.  But Im happy in that.  Just have to get the right lighting and get going again.  I LOVE hand quilting.

In the back of my mind is the question : "what if Im successful with my screens and have to make heaps?"  Im jotting down some ideas about how I would cope with that.  There has been an offer of shared work shed space from a friend.  That dedicated work space for frame making would be great.  I, being me, would probably always want to make the screen covers.  But there are some great sewers out there and I might be able to get someone to come and help me make the covers.  That would be exciting : to have enough orders to HAVE to employ someone.  I think I can get the making design and steps tight so I can make up to 5 a week.  I couldnt really hope to sell any more than that.  Could I?

I wonder if it is a common problem - to wish to be successful in a cottage industry but then to dread success?

Well apron on - domestic bliss calls - cleaning up Sam's painting left overs and dishes as always.

Im going through craft magazines today for inspiration.  I need a long list of things to make.  Ive heaps of fabric and I need to clear it out.  I will come back with some photos.

It's a beautiful freezing but sunny blue sky kind of winter's day.  It's a good day.

Ive pulled out the peacock dress screen and am working on it every minute I can.  One side is dark tones.  The other light.  This is the dark side.  It makes the whole thing easier.... that I can buy fabric I love, measure up the fussy cut panels I wish to use.... and then Peter can make the dress screen frame to fit.  I love making these.

I walked back from Sam's school this morning.  He is really upset that he doesnt do well with his writing.  He has been really sick with the flu and chest infection and today he really didnt want to go to school.  But he is there.  Had a really great talk with the student welfare teacher.  All the kids and all the teachers are great.  Hope this gets resolved.  Ive asked that he is given writing work sheets that he can finish.  He gets upset when all the other kids finish writing tasks and he doesnt.  The teacher hasnt responded to my requests before.  I hope she tries it this time.  I cant be dragging him to school every morning.  He has a right to a happy primary school day.

Ive been working on  my first hook book for sale.  Its ok.  The pages inside are beautiful.... but I am going to undo the ouside cover and redo.  I can make it look sensational and then I will be happy to sell it.

Dishes, guinea pigs and sewing.... mmmmmm..... well I will fix up the animals but then Im going to leave the dishes and go sew.  Other wise it just never happens.

A beautiful sunny day here with intense clear blue sky.  Thank you God.  I just cant handle another rainy day.

Just wanted to quickly (I should be doing dishes... the ONE thing I was obviously born to do)..... jot down that Im having second and third thoughts of what I should be doing.  This is all about work and what work makes me the most money vs the effort (ie tiredness so that I can DO what I love and COPE with the family)

I currently work:

takeaway shifts anywhere between 9 and 22 hours a week -  fluctuation hurts household budget sometimes

I clean for a mum

I clean for one man 3 hours a fortnight and one woman 2 hours a fortnight.  You wouldnt think that that would be too much....

Ive sold a screen and really really really want to put all my energy into building my business.

I really have to decide what to spend my time on.  I dont want my business to go through another year and have a zero business account bank balance.

I think I might have to save up and then hold my breath, give up all work, and just jump into my business.

Can I ever afford to do that?

1. Going to give up working at takeaway shop Monday.

2. Going to organise embroidery lessons

and thanks to the support of a dear friend....

sewing lessons.

Business "supporting" umm themselves

Wow it is a 24/7 thing working at your own small business.  I seem to have it on my mind constantly and Im never doing just one thing at a time now. I just thought I would make a note of a couple of things that are happening right now.  I dont know if anyone reads my blog regularly but lots of people are working hard on their own business and some of this might ring true for others.  It might help someone.  Anyway this is more of a note I suppose to document where Im up to now.  It feels like a turning point... something (good or bad ??) is going to happen.

Some of the bits n pieces Im using to decorate my seaside hook book.  I left the coaster there on the table because gallons of coffee go into every creation LOL  Ive taken out my first pics because they were too repetitive.... I think progress photos from this step on will be better.  I really love this hook book!

Second pic : for the needle book Im stacking some shell shapes.

Second pic : I lost the shell shape when I stuffed it for a pin cushion... but then I "quilted" and added runs of beads and now the shell shape is coming along nicely.  Ive some tiny "real" shells and sand to sew at the bottom.

Second pic : my crochet hook holder page is coming along nicely.  Will people want more than 6 or 7 hooks here?  I have so many crochet hooks... should I make another page?  Im just not sure... and Im not sure if I have another page in my brain to create.  Im using Tunisian crochet inside out to make the sea garden hook holders.

Latest screen.... one for probably a little boy's room.... off to "Once upon a time" store Rosebud.

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.