WIP Thursday - New Year, Time to Update the Lists!

The end of last year got a bit...hectic, so I didn't update my blog for a while! I need to make new plans for the new year, but I'm sure a lot of them will be recycled ones from last year. I really hope to get a bunch of destashing and organizing done in 2025, plus take in more orders! Last year they slowed down a bit, which was actually a good thing because I had a bunch of other things going on with the family that needed more attention. This year I want to work on building the business back up, and maybe offering more ready to ship things like smaller wallets and simple purses, while still making the more complex and fun ones! 

New blanket design!

Berserk Carter Messenger Bag - Knitorious Fabric and Swoon Patterns

I got to play with some of the new fabric from Knitorious that is open for preorder for just a few more days! The Anime round has a bunch of fun designs, and so many bases!  I haven't watched Berserk, but according to my local experts, this fabric is pretty great. This was my first time using nylon repel, but I can definitely see myself using it again! It was a little slippery, but the thicker backing on it meant that I could skip one layer of interfacing and save a little time. I decided that this fabric needed a bold design to show it off, and found the Carter Messenger from Swoon!

I played around with my photo editor to try to get a better background than my new lightbox

Dinosaur Celestial Curve - Pattern Testing for ChrisW Designs

Sometimes the hardest part of testing a pattern is picking a fabric! I have so many different ones in my collection, but for this one I felt like the purse needed to be pretty AND fun, so I pulled out my hoarded Tula Pink fabrics. The Celestial Curve from ChrisW Designs is such a quick and cute bag, with great shaping and minimal hardware!

I think the slightly limp plants give it a 'walking with dinosaurs' feel

WIP Monday - Time Warp

I blinked, and we're already into December? I did get set up in a new boutique - Sweet Radiance Boutique in Florence, CO, so that's a new adventure for me! I've never had my items in a store before, so there will be a learning curve while I figure out which of my products to put out for sale. I left a bunch of blankets, all my mini notebooks and my Moondance journals there, mostly to force myself to make new stuff and use up my supplies. I'd love to clear out more room in my craft studio (and storage), so I'll be doing another fabric destash sometime this month and trying to get more things sewn up. It's getting down to the wire to finish up all the remaining orders, but I think I can finally focus on them and get everything done. Hopefully.

Fun new ornament coming soon at SB Stitching!

Mulan Summit Sling - Cloudsplitter Designs

The Summit Sling from Cloudsplitter designs is a bag that looks complicated, especially while cutting all the pieces, but actually comes together very nice! Unless you reverse a piece...which I did NOT do this time!

Not the best pic, but apparently the only full front one I grabbed!

WIP Thursday - November is Flying!

I can't believe that the month is almost half over! I actually have all my Etsy orders shipped out, and only a few orders on the list for the end of the year, so it feels a little strange. Usually I'm in panic mode and rushing like a maniac to get ready for shows, but since I missed the one 2 weeks ago, I'm not feeling the usual pressure to make a million more things. I would like to get all the blankets stitched (and sold!) that are in my stash, plus clear out more purses and other things, but I'm also pacing myself and taking breaks as I need to. This week I'm packaging up the doodle dolls, plus stitching up more blankets and hand towels, but at this point I feel like anything I finish is bonus!

I wonder how many doodles it will take to fill this giant bag...

Clear Cypress Cellphone Crossbody - Pattern Testing For The Styled Magnolia

It seems like clear bags are getting more popular, thanks to stadiums and events requiring them, and while this bag won't meet EVERY venue requirements, it is super cute! I have a stockpile of the clear vinyl that I've been collecting, waiting for just the right (easy) patterns, and this one might not be super easy, but it did turn out super cute! The Cypress Cellphone Crossbody with the new Add On pattern from the Styled Magnolia makes for a great little bag!

Taking pics of shiny, reflective vinyl is a challenge, but the colors are great!