Catching Up On Sewing Stuff

I've been sewing a lot lately,and teaching myself hand sewing!  Bring on the hexies and English Paper Piecing!!  Here is a quick catch up in pictures....

I needed some hexagons to practice on, so of course, I fussy cut them.  I'm not sure what this will end up turning into but you never know with me....I'm sure I will change my mind over and over again.

This is the unstitched layout of my first BEE BLOCK!  Yes, I joined a couple of online quilting bees.  This is for the Love Lucy Bee on Flickr.  This bee is using the Lucy Boston Cross Block and is open internationally.  My month isn't until October of 2014 so I have a while to plan my colors.  The totally cool part is the international part!!  I will be getting blocks from Germany!  England!  Japan!  HOW FUN!  You can follow along via Instagram with #LoveLucyBee

These are the pieces for the Lucy Boston Cross Block...yep, one inch sides!!  So tiny!

I'm planning on doing this QAL on Canoe Ridge Creations for the Giant Starburst.   I'm more than slightly terrified that I don't have enough fabric, in fact I know I don't, but I'm going to make it work.  I'm thinking it will be a Christmas gift for my momma.  You can follow this with #GiantStarburst on Instagram as well!

These two blocks have already been sent out and I'm just waiting on the return blocks.  I joined the Scrappy Nine Patch Swap over at Just a Bit Frayed.  I actually really like this fabric combo so expect to see it again later, I'm sure!

I also signed up for the Stash Bee!  Signups are still open on this one so if you're into sewing and want to join a Bee, now is your chance!!  I can't wait to see our hive assignments the first of December :)  OH!  I totally forgot!!  I mentioned Instagram a couple of times up there....you can find me on there @pommesdeterres  :)

Quiz Time from Roxy!!

So, I have a major girl crush.  haha Roxy writes one of my all-time favorite blogs and I couldn't help but pick up these questions from her last post to share here :)  Enjoy!! 

1. I love animals! Share details and photos of your special furry companions. [No pets? Who/What is your favorite cuddle buddy?]

My fur babies are my true loves of my life.  

 

 

Cody is my child.  I sometimes feel like I did birth the little shit haha  

 

 

 

Elroy is the one I spend the most time with these days because his current favorite sleep spot is on the pillow next to my head while he paws at my hair. 

 

2. What is your favorite Friday afternoon/evening activity?

 My favorite thing about Friday is leaving work.  Not even gonna lie!  I work.  A LOT.  Like 50-60 hours/week minimum.  Usually I'm off Saturdays, and while I end up going in sometimes (ok, a lot of the time), so leaving on Fridays means that I get at least a few hours of me time to do what I want.....which, let's be honest.  I usually end up sleeping. 

 

3. A day in the life: What does you typical day look like?

 My usual work shift is 1230-930 at the store so I will go with one of those days....Since I've most likely stayed up incredibly late the night before, I get woken up by Elroy around 630am.  I feed him and then roll over and go back to sleep.  I might have moved his food and one dish to right by my bed so I can do this.  Don't judge.  :)   I wake up again around 10-1030 and check my phone for a bit - the usual, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Shower and ready to leave by 1215 since my drive to work is only 10 minutes.  Work, with lunch from 3-4, leaving around 930 but most nights it isn't until 10.  After that it is fair game but most nights end up with me in bed with my laptop or stitching on something for the shop. 

 

4. Do you have any fitness routines? What are they?

 Fitness is something that comes and goes with me.  At work I'm on my feet all day long running from one side of the store to the other.  When I get a few hours or even an hour, I'm at the trail walking or jogging (yes, I JOG now!!!) but that's about it.  

 

5. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

 Nice, France.  I've never been there but it looks absolutely picture perfect.  And I would get to use my French class!! 

 

6. You've got a whole day to yourself...what will you do?

 Watch stuff off the dvr - Scandal and all the American Horror Stories (both seasons!!) are saved on there right now and I neeeed to watch both!!  While watching, I'm sewing...or crocheting....or knitting...or something.  I can't just sit.  And I've got a million ideas racing through my mind to try and a few shows to get ready for. 

 

7. Dream job?

 Child Psychologist.  Or Elementary School Librarian.  I have the fondest memories of my elementary school librarian, Mrs. Early.  She, along with my parents, really encouraged me to read and to always hold onto my passion for it.  I started working in the school libraries way back then and went all the way through high school.

 

8. Least favorite chore?

 Ugh.  Dishes.  Or taking the trash out.  Both are surefire reasons to get married someday, right??! 

 

9. When do you most feel like a rock star?

 When my boss sends me a picture of my departments that I run and tells me I'm doing a great job.  He doesn't give out compliments that often so when I get them, I hold onto them and relish in them a bit. 

 

10. What is something you are currently trying to improve within yourself?

 Internal happiness is always a struggle with me.  I've got a history of anorexia.  I've got a history of manic depression.  So, I'm just trying to maintain if that makes sense.  I like regularity.  I like steady.  I feel like if I can master steady, then I'm golden. 

 

MADE: Ring Display

y'all.  I'm still alive.  Alive and well, no less!  And I made something today!  WOOHOO!  My creative muse has been coming and going for a while now and she left on an extended vacation it seems.  But, I think she is back.  I've been tucking little Pinterest ideas away for my future show for a while now.  I even have a board dedicated to the ones I like, but I have not actually made any of them until today....  I hated the way I had my rings at every show last year.  I had them on a tray one time, in a bowl another time, and then a basket.  None of those felt right.  I needed a display.  A proper ring display...but I never found one to buy that I really loved.  Insert: Pinterest.  The first idea was this pin.  A shoe and rings?  Hello.  Perfect.  But then I never found a shoe that I really loved enough to use.  This second pin that I found seemed more perfect.  And do-able!  I hunted for a frame and ultimately found this one at Hobby Lobby (all their frames are 50% everyday!) that was perfect and went to town...Here's how I did it in pictures:

The important thing to look for in a frame is a deep glass setting.  The way that I built mine is so that I can just take this ring insert out and change up the fabric and such so having the glass set-in about an inch really was a requirement.  I think it is important to note that I didn't take the glass out either, it is still in behind the insert.

This is my frame, head on.  I really liked the scroll accents.  It suits my shabby-chic-ness of my other displays.

This is the picture that I sent to a few friends to see which fabric they thought I should use.  We all said the same thing, the right fabric was the one to use!

I don't remember where I saw it, but foam hair curlers are a life saver in this project!!  Instead of trying to roll up foam or felt or anything, just use the curlers!  I had to lay them out inside the frame to see how I wanted the rings to be displayed.

I decided to use the frame sideways, this will mean that I need to find a different back so that I have a support but that's small apples to worry about!  haha

Now this is the awkward part.  I cut my fabric to be just under an inch past the edge of each row and left it quite a bit long since I didn't know how much would be needed to go around each row.  I glued three curlers together, end to end to make up a row.  Then I glued the curlers to the fabric.  I forgot to take a picture of it, but I took the edge of the fabric and glued it to my first row.  Then I brought the fabric all the way around so that the edge touched the fold of the fabric going back to get to the next curler.  I did this because you have to be able to sit the rings in between the curlers, you don't want to glue the fabric to itself and lost that ability. 

DONE!  SO in love with it!!

 It came out pretty cute, right?!  I kinda love it!  Let me know if you make one!!

Struggling.

Well, I am still alive.  I've just been struggling with a lot of things lately.  The intensity of how much I miss Dayton and my friends there comes in waves.  Lately, it feels like tidal waves crashing over me.  I miss having my own space, my friends, my life there.  I dislike Ross County so much for so many different reasons.  This has never felt like "home" in the sense that Dayton or Clinton County does.  Everything with Scarlett Key has been weighing heavily on me as well.  I am seriously debating closing the Etsy shop, I don't do well on there.  I know it will only return as much as I put into it, but let's face it...I was unemployed and put my all into it and I still was lost amongst the masses on there.  I do so much better at shows.  However, the time off work to prepare and work those shows doesn't happen so then I'm back to square one with struggling on Etsy.  I know there is a learning curve, and I will master it.  I just feel beat down a bit about it right now.  I will be back, maybe not here, maybe on a blog *just* for Scarlett Key things, but I will be back at some point. 

SHIRT ORDER REMINDER

Just a reminder that I'm placing my ONE AND ONLY shirt order this weekend!!  Please email or message or leave me your PayPal email and I can invoice you the $20 shirt order fee!!  Thank you for all of your support!!

Putting myself out there.

It is after *much* internal debate that I'm writing this post.  I need help.  I have researched KickStarter and while I think it is a great tool, I don't think it is for me right now. 

I'm looking to purchase a new tent for my craft shows during this coming summer.  Scarlett Key is in my blood now, it is a passion that I can't let go of and all I want to do is build my business.  While I do well on Etsy, and I'm incredibly grateful to all of my customers on there, craft shows/festivals/fairs are where I do the bulk of my business.  Last year, I got to use my brother's pop up but would love to have one of my own.  This is where you all can come in!!  I have designed a tee shirt supporting Scarlett Key.  All proceeds from these will go into my NEW TENT FUND :) 

Each shirt is just $20, and will be customized with YOUR name on the back!  Um, hello, how cool is that?!?!  These are the same shirts that I will be wearing during all my shows so you really will be part of the Scarlett Key family if you purchase one!  These shirts are a generically sized tee shirt (read: I will probably order a medium or a large and I wear a large from Old Navy usually) and the sizes that you can order range from XS to 4X.  They take about two weeks to make and ship to me so I will need to place my order by MAY 10th to get them here before I really get into show season.  Once I get them, I will make sure they get shipped or delivered to you!! 

If you would like to purchase one AND SUPPORT SCARLETT KEY then please send me an email at scarlettkeysales@gmail.com using SHIRT ORDER in the subject line and I will share my paypal information with you. 

I absolutely can't thank everyone enough for all of their support during this time in my life.  I really do pour my heart and soul into this little business of mine and seeing the love that others have for my products only adds to the fire in me to make it better. 

...and we're back!

I had an incredible month away but I'm so glad to be back.  I kept up with my fast of social media with the one exception of a photo that just HAD to be posted to facebook.  I will write more later about all that happened, if I decide to - right now I kinda want to keep it all to myself.  I didn't do this to go have a great month and then share, I did this to prove to myself that I didn't have to post every single tiny thing, thought, emotion for the entire world to see.  Just because it didn't get put online doesn't mean it didn't happen.  I don't know.... Anyways, here is a peek at my goals and how I fared :)

1 - Figure out new packaging for Scarlett Key, this included all types of rebranding the shop.  I'm looking into some great ideas, and I can't wait to make a decision and take the steps to make it possible.  I need a cohesiveness when it comes to my shop, I need a brand even though it is a small business it is my business and I want to present the best side of it at all times.  < - > I did this.  I made some serious decisions.  I'm not totally rebranding the shop, just making some changes here and there.  The addition of a key stamp to a few more places to make that tie-in with my name.  How I'm packaging mail orders has changed.  My stationary has changed a little bit.  All steps in the right direct if I do say so myself.

2 - Finish at least one of each new product in as many colors as possible.  < - > Yeah, this didn't happen.  I got a good bit done, but not anywhere near what I would like to get done.  The new pieces will be added to the shop soon.  Most likely with in the week or so.

3 - Finish all duplicates of current products.  When it comes to my bows and such, my goal is to have at least two of them made at all times.  I also want to streamline the ordering process for these as well.  That means the final decision on keeping them as individual listings or make them a group listing with a color selection at checkout.  < - > I didn't finish any new pieces from old patterns, but that's ok.  I have a while before they're needed for shows.  As for deciding on how to streamline ordering, I think I will keep it the way it is for now.  When I finish more pieces, I will streamline it as I go.  i.e. - bows at one time, purses at another, etc.

4 - Make a list of shows that I want to be a part of and gather all applications for them.  < - > This didn't happen, but I already have been contacted about coming back to shows this year.  I'm excited and thrilled to be asked back!!

5 - Get out all display items, inventory, brainstorm ideas, create a visual, and update anything if needed.  < - > Done!  haha  I had my dad help build me the stand for my future business card holder, I just need to build a basket to hold them.  The only other thing that I need to build is a ring holder (hello, and thank you to Pinterest for the idea floating around in my head...).  I'm also going to gather some vintage sheets or something similarly pretty for the sides of my booth when I'm outside.  I have so many pretty visions in my head!

6 - Get and keep inventory sheets up-to-date.  < - > Done!  I've been really good about this!

7 - Get my show bag ready.  < - > Done!  Jamie got me the cutest Thirty-One purse for Christmas that has Scarlett Key on it and I just love it so so so much.  I seriously can't wait to walk into my first show carrying it.

8 - Get all unused items out of my room and to Goodwill.  < - > Done!  Mom and I cleaned a BUNCH of stuff out of the house and I feel a million times better!

9 - Present and decide with dad on the horseshoe items.  < - > I didn't do this, daddy has had a rough month so I took it easy on him :)

10 - Put in at least three miles on the trail each day off.  The only exception to this will be days with rain and/or snow or below 40 degrees.  < - > DONE!!!  This is by far my most happy goal on here!!!  I might have missed one day of over 40 days off on the trail, but I did hit over 10 miles most weeks!  We had a serious snow storm for a few days and that kept me away.  But, to make up for it, there were some seriously cold days out there and I still went!  I'm so insanely proud of myself. 

Oh!  And I know I'm late on this, but did you hear that Google Reader is going be leaving us this summer?  I have already set up this little blog on BlogLovin', all you gotta do is click that link over on the top right (see the Eiffel Tower?) and it will get you there, just hit the blue follow button on that screen!  :)