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New ways of performing existing skills

I thought I would see how I go with making a wallet tonight (let’s not start with the easy stuff…). I only got the interfacing and outer cut, and that took longer than it would normally take me to totally finish one. *sigh* This is going to be slow.  No pics tonight because I haven’t done enough to be interesting yet, and it’s also not really that easy to take photos at the moment.

 
On the upside, I get my follow-up x-ray tomorrow. I’m being treated for a suspected scaphoid fracture, which is a common injury if you’re silly enough to stick your hand out to break your fall.  The scaphoid is a very small bone, apparently so fine that fractures don’t necessarily show up on x-ray straight away, but can be seen after 10-14 days once it starts to heal. Tomorrow is almost 3 weeks, but it was the first free appointment with the wrist specialist at the fracture clinic. So there is a chance that it’s not actually broken (and I’m praying that is the case).  At the very least I’m hoping I will get this cast off and a new, lighter one instead, and that will allow me to manoeuvre my right arm more freely.

X-ray Image from Wikipedia
Image from Wikipedia, not my wrist

To start with, doing anything required a huge mental effort.  I found that working out how to do everything left-handed was about on par with going and living in France. For the first couple of weeks it was a case of knowing what was going on, knowing what I wanted to do, but having to go through a mental process of how to achieve that which would normally come easily – whether that be ensuring I spoke in French that was correct enough to be understood, or making myself a snack with one hand.  I needed so many naps in the last few weeks! Continue reading New ways of performing existing skills

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Flat out

Dear Reader,

Please believe me that I have not forgotten you nor my blog.  Life just got a little busy for a bit, then I got to be the other sort of flat out for a little bit, and then it got busy again…

In late February and early March I had quite a bit of contract work on, and I decided to do Newtown Fair with about 10 days notice. So I had a stint of about 3 weeks without a day off. Was that was done though, I got to have my summer holiday with my lovely husband. We headed off for a week in the Coromandel. We ended up spending most of it at Hahei Beach. Originally we had intended to move around a bit more, but once we got there it was so lovely, and we were feeling a bit lazy, so every couple of days we sauntered over to the camp office and paid for two more days.  In between we basically swam, laid around, and occasionally went for a walk.

Continue reading Flat out

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Burning the candle at both ends and random acts of kindness

Progress has stalled somewhat on the workroom makeover – early starts, lots of admin, and needing to sew have taken their toll, but I am happy to report that things are definitely a lot tidier now, and I can indeed turn on the iron and the elnapress without risk of burning the house down.  Which is very important on two counts:

  1. Pressing/ironing is an incredibly important and oft repeated step in the sewing process if you want good results.
  2. I like my house. It is a wonderful home, and it would be a disaster if ironing created a fire hazard. Continue reading Burning the candle at both ends and random acts of kindness
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I can see the top of my cutting table!

 

This bodes well for me being able to cut things out!
This bodes well for me being able to cut things out!

I knew progress was going to slow somewhat on the makeover last week, because I had a full week of work (as in seven days).  I’m working from home today, admin for the shop and my contracting work, and sewing.  Well, I will be sewing as soon as I can… So far I’ve managed to unearth the cutting table, which had everything that needed to be kept flat (maps, patterns, etc) piled up on it.  Next step is the ironing station!

Being able to sew again is rather urgent, as I’ve signed up to do Newtown Fair this coming Sunday with Melina Martin and her friend Amanda from TigerBlossom.  Guess how much stock I have on hand. Go on, guess.

 

Yep, none.

 

Eek.

 

I’m also hoping I’ve finally managed to tweak my settings back so people can comment again.  People.  Not spammers.

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Someday never happens, so let today be the day – studio makeover stage one

On Wednesday I said I was going to start tidying my workroom.  And I did!  When I do these things, I like to do them properly, so after I’d cleared the floor, I started washing the walls down.

When I went to bed on Wednesday (well, Thursday) the room looked like this:

Bedtime on Wednesday - it is at least all clean.
Bedtime on Wednesday – it is at least all clean.

By the time I was half-way around the office/sewing area I had the realisation that you always need to wash the walls with sugar soap before you start painting, and seeing as I was in the middle of doing that anyway… Continue reading Someday never happens, so let today be the day – studio makeover stage one

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Studio Makeover – the beginning

The end of 2012 ended up being a little hectic in my world. I ended up juggling working three contracts for IT Training on top of doubling my commitment in running the shop, and trying to get stock made for Christmas. Unfortunately there was also a bereavement in my family – my father passed away in November.

Because I was constantly just trying to keep my head above water with everything that was happening, my workroom, which is usually terribly disorganised (to say the least) has descended into utter chaos. Which is sad, because just before everything started getting so hectic, one of my good friends had come over and helped me start out on a big reorganisation project (she loves organising things even more than making things, so I sat and sewed for her while she tidied for me. WIN/WIN!).

This state of chaos can no longer continue – I need a massive tidy up. Continue reading Studio Makeover – the beginning

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Shopping with The Sewphist

It suddenly occurred to me that it might be a good idea to talk about where you can buy my wares!  I have two online stores (felt and etsy, click on the tabs above to be directed to the shop), but sadly I am notoriously bad at keeping them up to date!

If you’re in Wellington, you can come visit me at Made.it.  You’ll find me behind the counter most Fridays and Saturdays, and of course you’ll find my notebooks, visual diaries, purses and wallets there everyday (apart from Sunday and Monday, because those are our resting/making days).  You’ll usually find satchels and cushions there too, but just at the moment they’re sold out – feel free to request a custom item though, as I love making to order.

I’m still managing to do the odd market in between running the shop and various contract jobs.

Whoops, blurry phone camera shot!

Next out of the starting block is Craft2.0, on November 3rd.  There’s a new venue this time, the St James Theatre, and I think it will be fabtastic!  The designer line up for November has just been released today – you should nosey on over and have a look.  It’s pretty!

Craft 2.0 – Saturday 3 November in Wellington

I have a couple more fairs that I’ve applied for before Christmas too, but I’ll keep those announcements for another day – gotta give myself something to post about regularly!

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Time for a proper update – or why I’ve become such a bad blogger

Back in June last year I declared the start of a year of productive non-employment. My job had come to an end (it wasn’t a great time to be on a fixed-term employment contract in the public sector…) and I decided that it was time to do some of the things I’d been thinking about for ages. Like spending more time sewing, trying to build up my business, starting a MA translating French Literature, and maybe doing the odd bit of contract work to help tide me over.

As everyone knows, the best laid plans of mice and men… and all that.  Two weeks into my year (and approximately 100 pages of reading potential translation texts) an opportunity dropped into my lap.  An opportunity that I’d always wanted, but hadn’t dared to articulate for my year of productive non-employment.  That opportunity that I think secretly all of us who slave over our sewing machines/knitting needles/hot glue guns/vector art programmes dream of.

Yes.

A shop.

And it dropped into my lap.

Well, as much as it is possible for a shop to drop into a lap.  Rather, fellow-Wellingtonian Melina Martin approached me, and others like me, to go in on a business venture. She’d seen the perfect location.  All we needed was elbow grease, enthusiasm, and the willingness to commit ourselves to the mad venture.

Our very first shop window - August 2011

 

Originally we planned for 6 months, to get us through to Christmas, and to see how it went. And it went! So over a year on, and Made.it is starting to become known around Wellington. It’s still a lot of hard work. Sometimes I still think we’re crazy. But it’s also incredibly fulfilling to be doing something I’ve always wanted to, and at the same time providing a venue for other small businesses like my own to have their work available throughout the week and year.

Somewhere along the line, we turned 1

So, slightly more than a year on, I’m feeling pretty good about declaring that year of productive non-employment.  Even if I haven’t quite gotten around to starting that Masters yet…

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It’s been way too long!

And I have so much to talk about, but in the meantime, here’s a montage of some of my work.  I wish I had better pictures of my more recent satchels, but they keep on selling before I get myself organised to take proper shots of them.

A few things I've made

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Martinborough Fair – this thing is happening!

If you live in the Wellington region, you may have heard of the Martinborough Fair, held on the first Saturday of Feb and March every year. Well, until this year, when a weatherbomb headed our way, and they had to postpone the March event. It’s now been set for Saturday 5 May, and I’m going to be there, stall sharing with my most awesome friend Nini from Things Unseen.  Nini’s jewellery is beautiful, and I’m really excited about travelling up there with her.  It’s going to be an awesome day!

I need to make more stock.  Lots more stock.  Eek!