Yesterday I turned the calendar page to what I know will be an eventful new month! Welcome to December! I’m sure your household is on full holiday mode, whether Hanukkah or Christmas, as December is a month surrounded by family —and unfinished projects!
I can remember in years past when I would challenge myself to be a part of a blog hop that had you posting every single day of December. Whew…I must have been crazy, or younger! Seriously, I don’t know about you but I don’t have the time to write (and I’m sure you don’t have the time to read) every single day of the busiest month of the year! I’m doing good to have a few hours to even call my own! Yep, tis the season!
Old news first – I kicked off my first “Comment Sold” Facebook Live event last weekend for Small Business Saturday. In case you missed it, the replay can be found by clicking here.
It was a lot of fun, however in review, I found there were a few glitches in the numbering of the items on my part. Sigh. Thankfully my audience was more experienced and knew how the program worked to overcome my blunders. All orders have been shipped! Whew! I may try another one in a few weeks (or not). My plans are to begin this new adventure officially the first of the new year, I hope you will join me!
Since the flash flood in June I have been working behind the scenes to get things reorganized. I’ve totally rearranged my studio (which I seem to do a lot) and this time I have what I am calling my “fabric cubical” all set up with my shelving in what does seem like a sectional office design. The other sections include my “sewing cubical” and my “office cubical”. I’m liking the new arrangements.
There are 4 tall shelves in the fabric area, with 2 smaller ones in the back under my quilt cabinet. This particular shelf sports my “store” items – Island Batik precuts, yardage, kits, and of course my patterns by The Quilt Rambler. An overflow shelf has more of my patterns, the Studio 180 Design tools, notions AND secret fabric (that’s why there’s no photo!) All these items are available for purchase on my new Comment Sold platform – you don’t have to wait for a live event! Just click the Store tab on my website to shop at your convenience. As I grow with this there will be lots more Island Batik fabrics!
Here’s a sneak peek at some of my other shelves. It’s a work in progress, but a joyful endeavor.
If you ever needed proof that I’m an Island Batik gal, here it is! This is my personal stash of Island Batik yardage, precuts, and scraps. All arranged by color.
Gotta love The Container Store! Yep, I wish I got frequent shopper points! This is my go-to-store when I have added to my collection of shelving as well as these fabulous containers.
In case you are curious, I wrap my yardage around my 8 1/2″ x 24″ ruler, just the way it comes off the bolt with the salvage edges together, then I fold it in half and it fits nicely into these XL containers! I have smaller ones for my scraps and fat quarters. You may have noticed in my “store” shelving that these also come in sizes that fit my patterns perfectly. Yep. I’m a huge fan of The Container Store!
This is the quilt shelf area of my “fabric cubical” – obviously a work in progress. I need to refold my quilts from my recent road trip to the KC Charity Quilt Show last month…
See all those empty containers??? Huge undertaking future project, as in probably the first of the new year…gotta have goals, right!
And you just thought I had Island Batik stash! (grin). These drawers contain what I call my “Harvey Fabric” – there are actually 5 of them. These are all fabrics I had in my stash “pre-hurricane Harvey” that were sent home with quilt angels back in the summer of 2017 to be washed and returned. I have fabulous memories with some of these prints that date back to before the turn of the century! They all need to be refolded and placed in the “fabric cubical” so I can discard these shelving units and fit my longarm back into the studio….not sure when this will come about, but it’s on the to do list!
Currently the focus of my world is our granddaughter – we have been keeping her most weekdays while mommy gets some much needed rest, and things done to prepare for the holidays, as we all await our new arrival! Yep, we are on heightened alert – BABY WATCH! Our first one came at 36 1/2 weeks, this second blessing has held on for 38 weeks….so seriously it could be any day!
The tree was decorated earlier this week, at least to the height of one very special 3 year old helper…and that’s about all the decorating I will be doing this year…not enough hours in the day!
I do have one major item on my to do list for the month…making stockings for the girls…Seems I haven’t had time to sew for the past several months. (Not to mention I should have made one of these a few Christmas’ ago –sigh) Working with some of the tropical holiday prints from my pre-Harvey stash – I do love bright colors!
You can ask my family, not being creative in the studio (not sewing) has left me rather cranky, stressed, overwhelmed and feeling defeated. If it weren’t for the joy and laughter that our granddaughter brings (and the anticipation of our second granddaughter) I think I’d succumb to depression. I’m like that fish out of water, floundering. Sometimes life is hard, but all the time God is good. I’m reminded of this as I read His Word, where over and over it says, “He cares for you.” That’s what is called blessed assurance!
Well, I’d best get busy – lots of choices for today – clean the studio, sew a bit, maybe play outside later when “Little Bit” comes over – enjoying this beautiful Texas Gulf Coast weather…Here’s wishing you a blessed December, a time to enjoy family, get some homemade gifts finished, make cookies, or whatever makes you smile.
Love your blog. Wish I read it more. Thanks for being such a good teacher and very patience with us slow learners.