Cleaning up

I've been cleaning out closets this week. Yeah, lots of fun. It didn't take long to figure out that we have way too much of too things - fabric and old cycling clothes.

I've been listing fabric in my shop all morning and I still have quite a bit to go. Most of it is newish fabric, but I'll have some vintage listings up at some point. Those are going to be a bear to ship... they are heavy home decor fabrics.

Later today, I'm going to start listing the cycling clothes on ebay. I think it is uber gross to wear used cycling shorts, but people buy them and all I can say is "ewwww".

My Media Debut

I had the honor of getting to give the guest commentary on our local news last night. The segment is called "A Better Region 8" and is usually done by the station manager. However, he offered it to me last week, which meant that I had to come up with a 90 second message super fast. That was some serious pressure... find

ing just the right words and just the right message to represent my group. There were about a thousand different things I'd have liked to say, and choosing one was the most nerve wrecking thing ever. Standing in front of a teleprompter in front of a green screen talking to myself was nothing compared to deciding what to say.

You can see the video here: A Better Region 8.... no laughing! 

Our Share the Road Signs are now on sale, and the Proclamation by the mayor last week was great. I can't wait 'till they start going up!

I did take a day last week to do some stitching.  

I'm working on a special butterfly embroidery project for Taylor.  It's alllmost finished and I promise I'll post pics as soon as it's done. I really hoped to have it done by now so that I could give it to her as a Pre-K graduation gift. (We took a trip to Build-a-Bear instead.) And, I still don't have a clue when/if my shop will be back. Honestly, I haven't been thinking much about it. I still browse etsy and lurk in the aretsy team thread, but I just don't feel any real pull to get back in there and list stuff. 

And then there were five

I've been struggling lately with what to do about my Etsy shop. I enjoy sewing and I enjoy having a bit of extra money, but the past few months or so I have not really enjoyed feeling like I need to keep up with the shop. My sewing mojo comes and goes (as I'm sure most people's does). So really that shouldn't be that big of a deal, but having a mostly neglected shop just nags at me and creates this sense of pressure... which does not help matters. I know that the shop won't be at all successful if I'm not listing regularly and promoting it well. The question I face is whether to just get over it and get back to business, or list as I feel like it and if I sell something great (and if not, no biggie), or do I just go back to crafting for just me and my friends and family and take etsy out of the equation. Making the last few custom orders I've done was like pulling teeth.  They were super nice customers and really good orders, but I just struggled. Before this little etsy crisis, I'd be stoked to get an order to work on.... now... eh. That's a problem for my shop as a good portion of my sales are custom orders for brides and bikes.

Was the desire to make a buck killing my creativity? Maybe I just need a new outlook on my shop? If I take a break by closing shop for a bit, will it be possible to make a successful comeback? Do I want to have a busy shop?

Stay tuned.....

My poor neglected blog....

I've been a busy gal lately, but I have found some time to pick up a new hobby. I've drooled over the lovely hand-spun yarns on etsy (ahem... WoolyHands, TheTwistedPurl) long enough without being able to do something with them. I picked up the book Stitch 'n Bitch a few weeks ago and got to work. Mostly, the instructions are pretty clear, but I still ended up having to go online and watch videos of hands in action.  I must say I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, but of course it has a few "first timer" bobbles. I don't think I quite grasped her method for bringing in a new ball of yarn... I don't have a beautifully seamless transition. 

I have yet to try anything more complicated than a scarf, but I can tell that I'm going to enjoy this. Of course, I take it up and finish my first project when it's 70 degrees outside. Ah well. 

I'm still here...

Wow. It's been a really long time since my last post! So what's been happening?..

Well, I've been really busy with the cycling advocacy group I'm starting. We're having our first meeting next Tuesday, and my oh my, it's getting overwhelming. So much to learn and so much I really want to get right. 

The little one had two firsts - her first ear infection and her first date. Yup, a date :)

Aren't they cute? The day before Valentine's Day, she and her buddy went to see Playhouse Disney Live, then had dinner, and a carriage ride (and everyone says "awwwww"). That wicked cute little green jumper she's wearing is from Brighton Early. I made her a pretty Valentine heart pin for the occasion. It's pinned down near the bottom of her dress. 

What else? Oh, yeah... the past week and a half, I've been working on another large jewelry roll order. Seven custom rolls for seven bridesmaids.  I finally got them finished up today. My sewing funk continues, though. It was like pulling teeth to get them finished. 

Trades, Lovely Trades

I love a good trade, and lately I have had some really really good ones. Several weeks ago, I traded Laurie (aka punkinhead) a wristlet from my shop for a set of these beautiful vintage fabric coasters.  They are so stinkin' pretty!

Just yesterday I made another awesome trade with Kiley of Kiley's Handmade Books. She is getting that cute elephant wallet and I am getting this gorgeous handmade, square, recycled leather journal. 

Over Christmas, my dad gave Taylor a very special silver dollar that his grandfather had given to him. He told her a really beautiful story about how his grandfather always gave him a dollar and handkerchiefs for Christmas (and how he thought it was rather lame, but whatever) and how his dad always took the dollar on the way home (even more lame, geesh). Then when his grandfather passed away, his dad gave him back all the dollars. So now I have Taylor's dollar and this great story. My plan for this journal is to write all of these kind of things down so that she can read them some day, and so that I won't forget them either.

Whew.. back with a quick update

Just a quick update for today... the FedEx man brought me a sexy new Macbook last night! Yay! It's funny how disconnected I felt without access to the web. I know I existed for most of my life without it, but, boy you sure get used to having it! Being iced-in for two days without internet access made it seem so much worse, too.  

I've been doing a little Christmas sewing lately. I made some teacher gifts, gift pouches for all the nieces and nephews, a Strawberry Shortcake apron for my little bit, and a Super Sleuth (those with young kids will know them from My Friends Tigger and Pooh) costume for a wee friend. I have been really slacking on my Etsy shop. I don't know if it's just a bit of burnout or what, but I just haven't been into it lately. I've been happy sewing all sorts of non-business things, but when it comes to sewing for the shop I just can't muster the want-to. The feeling's been coming in waves over the past few months.... I'm sure the etsy love will return eventually. :)

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now.  

Back From Wherever

I've been avoiding my blog like the plague lately.  I've been fighting the urge to make political posts.  I struggle with the idea that it could turn some people off, but at the same time it is my blog, right... my platform so to speak?  And, I don't want to be Miss Negative Nelly Crankypants, not that it's all negative.  Far from it.  So, I'm going to do a split post starting with the non-political stuff and if you don't want to read the rest then that's A-OK.

The best stuff first:

We had our first parent-teacher conference yesterday and I am just the proudest mama ever!  I already knew that Taylor is a smart cookie, but her teacher told us a story that just makes me beam.

Little bit is always very quiet and well-behaved and has never had to change her color (they use the stop-light system for behavior).  Well, one day at nap-time the teacher got onto a girl who was near Taylor for making noise and made the girl change her color.  Before the kids go home, the ones who stayed on green for the day get to get a piece of candy or a sticker.  When the teacher got to Taylor, her color was on yellow and Taylor told her with tears in her eyes that she couldn't have any candy because she had to change her color.  Without being told, she had changed it on her own because she was the one who made the noise at nap-time.  Her teacher was so moved that she had been so honest that she told her to change it back to green so she could get a piece of candy.  My sweet little one's moral compass is pointing in the right direction! ... did I mention I'm really proud of her?!  

In etsy news, I really haven't had tons of time to sew.  I did manage to get a few things made last week, and this week I got a custom wallet out the door.  I also have some sewing to look forward to for a repeat customer who is sending me some fabric to use.  She's always super fun to work with so I'm looking forward to that.

OK, the political stuff.... starting with the positive.

I've been volunteering my time down at the Democratic HQ here and have been so incredibly surprised at the positive reaction people have had to the campaign.  People that you'd never guess would be supportive coming in, getting their yard signs, and saying "thanks for being here".  I've had lots of "thank you"s and "so glad you called"s  while doing phone banking.  It really has been an amazing experience.  The icing on the cake came today when we found out that Pres. Clinton will be attending our rally on Saturday.  How awesome is that!!!  

The posts I've been avoiding are really about how I'm really tired of the Republican campaign taking ownership of patriotism.  That somehow I'm not as American or that I'm not as proud of my country because I don't buy into the neo-con ideology.  It is ludicrous and it pisses me off! I'm tired of and saddened by reading hateful, fearful letters to the editors of my local paper about how Obama is going to be the end of us all because he's Muslim, the anti-christ, going to kill babies and on and on and on.... all lies fueled (or at the very least not repudiated) by the McCain campaign.  

I've chosen my candidate because I care about our country and want someone in the White House who will inspire us, bring us together, and restore our standing in the world as "the shining beacon on the hill".  I admire his "intellectual vigor" as Colin Powell so eloquently put it and I'm proud of the campaign he's running.  I feel like Obama gets what it's like to be in my shoes... lower middle class (stuck in a no-man's land of not making enough, but making too much for assistance), having to make hard decisions about money, health-care, etc.  I want the war in Iraq to be over and I want our military to be able to focus on the real threats.   I want real change from the last 8 years!

You know, I also think it's perfectly fine if someone doesn't agree with Obama's policies and wants to vote for McCain, and I'll never ever call them unpatriotic or somehow less American. I will not wish harm on their candidate or on them because that's the beauty of this country, we all have the right to decide for ourselves.  

Ok, there.  I really do feel better now.... 

So excited to unveil....

My very first Special Edition wallet!  Some of you may remember that I was working on getting set up with Sublime Stitching's licensing program a while back.  Well, I got approved and I just listed my very first hand-embroidered super organized wallet!  

I will be listing these periodically, so you'll have to check in every now and then. I'll give a special head's up to my blog reader's so you guys will be the first to know when a new one is being listed. Each one will be different (different fabrics, patterns, colors.....).  These are really an outlet for me.  I love sewing the items for my store, but sometimes it becomes more about getting products out there than about the creative process.  These take care of that for me and we all win!

We won :)

Not long ago, BrightonEarly had a contest on her blog and the prize was 1/2 off one of her super cute dresses.  Guess who one!  Me (well, Taylor really)!  The dress arrived in the mail today and it's just super cute and super well made. I see this staying in the wardrobe for quite some time. Thanks so much Tasha! You can check out her Etsy shop here where she has a fantastic back to school sale going on.

More Etsy Bicycle Goodness

In honor of the temps coming down a wee bit so that riding is fun again, I thought I'd do another round of cycling accessories found on etsy.

First up is this super duper cute cycling cap from

KoziePrery's shop:

Her shop is full of really stylish caps that appear incredibly well constructed.  Many of her caps are made with reclaimed fabric, a wonderful little bonus feature!

This next product just rocks my socks!

These are Ear Toasties from Matel Makes.

They fit around your helmet straps to keep your ears warm. Brilliant!  I never have much luck with keeping beanies down over my ears with a helmet, so this is just the thing.

Can you tell I'm ready for cooler weather?

I love this track jacket from Red Boot Design! 

Getting ready for school?!?!?!

I am just in shock that in two weeks Taylor will be starting pre-k.  She's never been in any kind of daycare or mother's day out; it's always just been the two of us hanging out together. Needless to say, I'm a little nervous... for me.  No, not so much for her.  She's a little social butterfly that's wanted to be in school ever since she learned that there was such a place.  I'm really excited for her.  I'm not gonna know what to do with myself without her around her all day.

All nerves and excitement aside, though, we have to get this gal ready. When she heard she needed a blanket and pillow for nap-time she asked if I'd make her something (sweet girl).  So, I let her browse fabric on etsy till she found this great butterfly print by Alexander Henry from bellasarababy.  I'm thinking a simple flannel backed blanket, maybe tied, will do the trick.  Of course, I'll post a pic or two when it's done :)

And, while we were in her shop we had to browse the clothes and Taylor picked out the cutest skirt ever!  The fabric and skirt came in the mail today and she had to put it on right away!  I didn't get to look at it long, but the quality looks great.  It's a good thing; once she falls in love with an outfit it's hard to get her out of it!

I Heart Custom Orders

1. Custom Sling Bag, 2. More custom jewelry rolls, 3. More custom jewelry rolls, 4. Custom Jewelry Rolls, 5. Mondo custom seat bag, 6. custom top tube tote

So, this is what I've been up to this week!  I have been glued to my sewing machine all week long.  I still have a couple more custom orders to work on, but I am taking the weekend off. Hooray!  I really do love custom work, though.  It's always fun to see what my customers will come up with.  The jewelry rolls are all for brides. (Congrats Nicole and Amanda!)  The seat bag looks normal, but it is actually much bigger than my normal ones.  I had a customer who just needed to carry more stuff, so....  The top tube tote was for a gal who has the cutest cruiser ever!  And, the sling bag... It looks so simple, yet that was one heck of a challenge.  I'm really diggin' it and sorta thinking of making one for myself.

Just popping in...

Where the heck did this week go?!  I can't believe today is Friday!  I've been pretty buried in my sewing room I guess.  I took in lots of custom orders this week so I've been busy working on getting those together, and will still be working on them next week.  I treated myself to a pair of really nice dress maker's shears, and I had no idea what I was missing.... I just thought I had good scissors.  What else?  Jason's shirt came in from Rat Trap Press and he loves it!  Those folks are so nice; they sent me a shirt, too (one of their crank set designs)!  How cool was that?  I also ordered some vintage buttons that I hope will be in soon.  

Oh, how I love buttons!

Crafty Bike Stuff on Etsy

As of now, there's no cycling specific category on etsy.  However, I've been told by admin that they'll look into adding a section for cycling in the subcategory of sports (in the toys category)... yeah we'll still be buried, but it's a something, right?  Anyway, until then, I thought I'd highlight some of the many fabulous cycling related items on etsy.  For starters....

"The Badger" by rattrappress

This is one for the hardcore cycling fans.  Rattrappress is making one in orange for my husband who NEEDED this the moment he saw it.  Check out their shop for other cycling inspired designs.

Need to add a little cute to your cruiser?  CityStreamers makes the most fun streamers for your bike ever!  They just slip right over your grips... easy.  Who says streamers are just for kids' bikes?

How cool is this?!  Laura from Tangerine Treehouse makes these custom head badges that are just amazing!  If you can make a line drawing of it, she can turn it into a beautiful head badge.  And, if you're like me and can't draw, for a very small fee she can turn your idea into a drawing!

While putting this post together I spoke with (ok, well convo'd) all of these sellers and they are all really great folks.  I hope you will go check them all out and show your support for us cyclists on etsy.  I hope to make this a pretty regular feature here, so stay tuned... or go ride!

Diving back in

After much whining about it this morning, I dove right back into my sewing.  I really wasn't ready for the vacation to be over (it was fabulous, btw), but after I got my belly-aching over with I had pretty darn productive day.  

When I really need to sew a lot of stuff, I dedicate one day to cutting and prepping.  So, today was that day.  Now I have all ready to sew: 4 jewelry rolls (for a bride), 2 bicycle seat bags, and 4 top tube totes to match.  That bit of red and pink striped fabric is some super duper cheap knit that I picked up today at Hancocks.  I've been thinking about trying to make something fun with knits, and at like a dollar a yard, I couldn't pass that up.  I'm thinking of this really cute sleep set from BurdaStyle.  I just love that site!  I haven't tried making any of their projects yet, but I love seeing everyone else's projects.  I really do think I'll try this one.  

Oh, and more great crafty news... my application for the licensing program at Sublime Stitching was accepted!!!  Yay!  Once I get my shop all caught back up, guess what's next?  Keep your eyes peeled!  

I'm gonna leave you tonight with one more beach photo... this is one of my very favorites.

Introducing....

A brand spanking new item on DogwoodLane,  the Girls' Ride Top Tube Tote!!!  It's a mouth full, but hey, it gets the point across.  These little bags are a super convenient place to keep your cell phone and keys handy while you're riding.  I just have this one listed right now, but you can bet that there will be more!  

One Crafty Rider...

As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, I've been really busy with custom orders.  Well, this lovely seat bag was one of them.   This bag was custom made with the zipper on the outside, so quick work could be made of getting flat fixin's in and out during a triathlon.  The best part... this triathlete is a fellow crafty lady!  She's Debi from the grayeyedscorpio on Etsy. She was sweet enough to take some pictures for me of her new seat bag on her bike.  When she's not riding, she's sewing up some super cute accessories for her shop.  She has some of the most fabulous headbands!  And, if you check out her feedback, they get rave reviews for having the perfect fit.   You know, not so loose that they fall right of the back of your head, but not so tight that you end up with a splitting headache after 15 minutes.  Of course, that's not all she has (there are some great totes, uber cute fabric covered pendants, aprons...) but, I've got my eye on this little number: