Christmas Are You Kidding?

Can you believe it, Christmas is just around the corner. All the orders I am getting are for Christmas gifts and until a few days ago, I really didn't want to believe that it was so close. But, I guess when October rolls to a finish it really is November and Christmas is really just around the corner.

It's been such a good summer for Mama Jean's Kind Threads and I feel like I am really starting to understand how to make this work and to create items that people like and want and that feels great. It was the close of my first year and feeling pretty proud of myself. I accomplished my goals for fairs and festivals and really working on becoming Mama Jean. Ok, so maybe I don't have an accounting system down yet and I'm still not able to go wholesale for buying fabric and no, I still don't have the longarm sewing machine that I would love to have to help with my quilting but all in all, a great year.
Things I've learned:
I need to remember that coffee is not a meal.
I learned that on a daily basis I need to get up out of my chair and go outside and breath fresh air. The dogs have appreciated this need and the walks have become part of our daily routine.
I need to make sure I clean up after each project is finished so I don't become so buried in bits and pieces that I can't find a pair of scissors which is incredible considering I have about 12 pairs.
I need to remember to buy two spools of thread instead of one, just in case.
I need to oil my machine and take the time it needs to clean out the dust from quilting. To change the needle sooner and oh yes, to change the blade of my rotary cutter the moment it starts to stick. This saves me hours of frustration.

Mostly, I need to remember to always start a project in my heart and finish there. To think of those who I am building for and to put in the most positive energy I can. Then, when it leaves my studio, I know I've given it my best.

So, with a song in my heart and a smile on my face I shall look toward Christmas with joy knowing that as I finish one project and begin another, I am helping create magical moments for my clients. The Christmas that they were able to give a hand made gift picked with care and wrapped in love, in the end isn't that all any of us really need, to know that we are loved?

So much fun to work on Day of the Dead projects.

Summer Skids Into the Finish Line

Wow, what a summer. It's been such a whirlwind of activity from start to finish and then I realize that it was October 14th and I was amazed. The summer festival and fair seasons are over and the new fall and winter ones begin. I had such fun this summer meeting people and exploring the life of being an independent artist and all in all I like it.
I like the push to complete projects the night before the packing and prep The not knowing what's going to happen or who you might meet. The friends who always support you coming out and finding you in all sorts of places and the new people you meet that can make your whole day when they say how much they love your work and that they are excited to see you again. Yep, festivals were a blast and I'm looking forward to June when I return to one of my all time favorites Faerieworlds.

But for now, well it's keeping track of work so no ones orders slip through the cracks and staying one step ahead of the next. I am so appreciating my clients ordering quilts that keep me every busy in my studio as the rains begin to fall again and the leaves outside my studio window change and fall to fill up the gardens. I will have to take breaks to rake and prepare the gardens for winter and I know it will fill me with joy. Fall brings many changes to our lives but the promise of Spring awaits us all, but for now I shall work to help make dreams come true for those who are trusting me with their special quilts and such for family and friends from tailgate quilts to birthday dresses it's a true joy that fills my days.