Blood on the Materials List?

When I was learning to sew in the late 90s there was an old saying I heard about hand stitched items: It wasn't complete until it had a little blood. I was in my mid-teens, so I took it quite literally. Working on cross stitch I would always smile when I accidentally poked myself, drawing blood. I remember thinking to myself, at least now it's complete when I'm finished.

Being a hand crafter on Etsy, I do a lot of hand stitching. Almost all of my bows have at least some one on one time with a needle and thread, and I've always been extra careful. When I do draw blood, I'm careful to not get any on the item I'm working on at the time. Instead, it's usually wiped on my jeans. Those that pass through with my hands unscathed always makes me happy: one less opportunity for my thumb and index finger to become a pin cushion.

You see, I've never liked thimbles. I can see the logic in them, and the value, but they're just plain uncomfortable for someone who uses their fingers to feel where the needle needs to go. Those few times I used a thimble on my index finger, I would instead use my middle finger to feel. Being less dextrose than my index finger, it always managed to get injured more. So I put the thimble on my middle finger to protect it, and discovered myself once again using my index finger to feel. I even tried it on my thumb, but found that I couldn't pull the needle through the material with my thumb so covered.

I haven't used a thimble since, but I have discovered that a band-aid makes a great substitute. ~ouch~

Recently I've been working on a new dress for my daughter the past few months, here a little and there a little. I took my time, knowing it would be too big for a little while. It was with this dress I discovered the absolute pain that comes from drawing blood with the dull end of a needle. That's also when the dress became "complete" according to this age-old mantra.

Or was it?












Does it really mean your bodily fluids have to smear onto the item somewhere? That you have to injure yourself before an item can be "complete" rather than just "done"?

I think I've had it wrong all these years. Maybe it was my morbid teenage head, or maybe it was just stupidity.

Or maybe it was not fully understanding "Hand-Stitched"

{Hand-Stitched} has become more than just a needle driven by something other than a sewing machine. {Hand-Stitched} means that, blood or not, a part of you get puts into that item. A part of your soul, and your very being gets stitched alongside that thread pulled by that sharp needle.

If you are one of those lucky enough to have a 

{Hand-Stitched} 

item, and not an item hand made to 

fill a daily quota for pennies a day,

Treasure it.

Keep it close.

And know that someone,

somewhere, 

took great care to make that item 

just how it is.

It's a new year

New year, new sources of motivation, new stuff for my shop, maybe even a new pattern (or two). It's an exciting turn of the years, and I am very much looking forward to it.

First off: 

{New year}

Um, I think that's obvious. It is, after all, the last week of December--New Years has a tendency to follow close behind. But what to do with it? Make resolutions you know you won't keep? Let yet another year slip past? Or brush off all the crap from last year and make a fresh start?

{I choose to let go} 

I opened a shop on Etsy this past summer. I'd like to say I did everything I could to bring business in, but the truth is, I didn't. I was networking for a while, but then stopped, because I wasn't seeing any sales from those likes, and I missed seeing posts from friends that got buried under posts that I didn't read. While Etsy is on my blog, I haven't promoted it on my blog hardly at all. I did a bit of advertising on blogs and on facebook, but have yet to see any sales from it. I stay active in the forums on Etsy, and I facebook. So far, not so good. 

But I am brushing myself off (after I have a good cry of course), and making a fresh start...

...With a new line!

{New Sources of Motivation}

Two words: Kids and Holidays

{New Stuff}

My Etsy shop will soon host my Korker bows, and I am also introducing new collections!

The first items are already beginning to be listed, and more items will join them as soon as they're finished:

Valentine's Day is already in full swing for crafters (we make it a habit to be 3-6 months earlier than the rest of you. I'm usually 3-4 months early). We start planning, ordering, creating, crafting, photographing, and editing long before decorations show up in Target. And next up is every girlie girl's favorite: Valentine's Day. 

{As if we girls needed an excuse to wear pink}

Shortly after, and usually crafted simultaneously with Valentine's Day, is Easter. In all honesty, I have no idea when it falls in 2012, March, July, or somewhere in between, but I've already got a few things up my sleeve, thanks to my son (remember that New Source of Motivation from Kids? Yep. New source for creativity too)

So far, my "other" bows are still in pieces. Ends are sealed, bows are folded and pinned together, they only await my needle and thread to finish them off and turn them into beautiful Bow Ties! After all, who says bows are only for girls? These bows are for both :) Even for Mom! So far I only have a selection of Spring Greens, but I have no plans of stopping with only 3 color patterns.

We'll see what else I can come up with :)

As for a New Pattern? We'll see. My Diamond Sands Shawl is still awaiting completion before I write out the pattern and send it out for testing. I might get lucky and finish by the end of the year, which will make me very happy :) Aside from that? Who knows. I would like a lacy poncho...

Give oh give away!

Busy happenings everywhere! One shawl test should be almost done, another is about halfway through, both with corrections being made, and meanwhile I'm happy and excited and looking forward to when the patterns can go live on Ravelry.com.

Meanwhile, in the past month I dived off the deep end, so to speak, and started listing some of my bows on etsy! That led me to create a facebook fan page, and go hog wild trying to network, all the while, hoping to make a sale (still hoping).

But my fan page finally made it to 25 people (and boy did that take a lot of work!) so I'm celebrating!

Now it's your turn to work.

Here's what I'm giving away:

one of my as yet unlisted new ribbon flowers, available in black and white damask, or satiny pink stripes.

So here's what you do:

- A like on my fan page will get you an entry into the drawing.

- Share my page with your friends, and for every friend that likes me, you'll get an extra entry 

(your friend needs to tell me who sent them)

- If you still want better chances to win, comment below and tell me what your favorite season is, and why. Now hope over to my fan page, and do the same thing for another entry!

Drawing will be held at 9PM, Pacific time, July 26th. That gives you a day and half, so get crackin'!

Want more giveaways?

I'm giving away my new mini ribbon flowers, which are so new I don't even have pictures yet! There're about 2 inches in diameter, as opposed to 3 inches which is pictured above. I'll be sending a surprise bow with every $15 spent in my shop. Spend $30, get 2 bows! Special orders count too, so contact me (convo) if you don't see exactly what you want! This will run until 9PM Pacific time, July 31st. For special orders, as long as initial contact is made before then, you'll still get your bows!

Have fun! Good luck!

And Thank You!!!