And Another FREE Giveaway!

Stephanie Nance is a talented local Austin artist.  She just announced that she’ll be giving away one of her original pieces today.  First, swing by her blog http://stephanienancestudio.blogspot.com/ to  vote on which piece she should give away and then cross your fingers!

Cool Give-Away!

The Maternal Lens is giving away a set of cool Vintage Actions from Quick Click Design so you can turn your regular photos into “vintage” looking photos!  Check out their blog and/or Quck Click Design to see examples of the actions.  I’ve got my name in the hat for the drawing!

Here is their button link:

Spring Garden

Satya in a Wheelbarrow

I have had a plot (#27) in the Deep Eddy Community Gardens since the Spring of 2003.  When I lived in Seattle for two years, my good friends Rasta Shake and Julie maintained my plot for me.  When I returned to Austin last Spring, one of the most welcomed joys was working in my garden!  Since I started working again in March, I haven’t had as much time to devote to my garden but, it’s still thriving despite my neglect.  A late frost that happened in early April killed most of my first planting of green beans, squash and tomatoes.  I replanted but things are coming up slowly. 

Plot # 27, Deep Eddy Community Garden

You can see my chard, kale, nasturtiums (not yet blooming in this photo but they are now!), some baby squash plants, english peas (along the fence to the back right) and green beans (along the fence closer to the foreground) and there are also some beets and onions scattered throughout.

South View, #27 Deep Eddy Community Garden

Here you can see some more green beans, some broccoli (since harvested), borage, ad the peas are along the fence to the upper left.

Eeyore’s Birthday Party

Nathaniel as Dionysus

Eeyore’s Birthday Party is a Keep Austin Weird original tradition! It usually takes place on the last weekend in April as did the 46th anniversary celebration this year.  I am quite proud of my quick impromtu design and creation of this costume for Nathaniel. It consisted of cutting up an old bed skirt, painting a pine cone and stick gold, tying on a ribbon and ivy, creating a head wreath? from ivy, and using the gold cup we found at Goodwill about a month ago.  It took about an hour to create altogether.  As you can see, Nathaniel was quite proud of it and enjoyed playing the role of Dionysus.  He begged me to put real wine in the golden goblet and he promised he wouldn’t drink any of it but, of course, I said NO!

Satya as a Fairy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Satya wore her fairy costume that I made her on Halloween.  It was quite a bit shorter than when she wore it six months ago but, it still fit! She was too distracted at the festival to look at the camera.

Market Again

I’m still without a computer so I’m borrowing one again.  I was at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market last weekend and I sold about half my inventory at greatly reduced rates.  Since I still have quite a bit more left, I’m planning to be there again this coming Saturday, October 27th from 9am to 1pm.  I’m also going to try to make some capes for Halloween and also some boutique dog collars!!!  I’m not sure if any of my customers are reading my blog but, please spread the word to your dog loving friends to stop by my booth to see the pretty dog collars I’m making! with leashes too!

And now this..

I was all set to update my blog last Thursday and show off the stuff I made for the last farmer’s market but my computer broke! ugh! ANd we didn’t end up doing the market due to the potential weather anyway.  But, we’ll be there this weekend! I promise.  I’m borrowing a computer right now so I can’t upload new photos.  I have two new bigger girl skirts in size 7 and 8.  I have two new cute sundresses in sizes 2T and 3T.  Please come see us this Saturday at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market.

Blood, Sweat, and now…Tears

I had a very sad realization yesterday.  I totalled up all the sales I have made since I started doing the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market on May 31st this year.  It was a little over $1,100– $1,127 to be exact.  Even if that was pure profit, that’s a dismal $300 per month I’ve made for the 15 or more hours of sewing I’ve done each week–  not to mention the six hours Satya and I spent sweating in the brutal Texas sun every Saturday selling at the market.  But, that’s not pure profit, of course.  Then I added up all the expenses– the booth fees every Saturday and all the receipts I could I find for fabric, thread, elastic, etc.  When I subtracted the costs from the profits, it was utterly disappointing.  Apparently I have made a grand total of $33.69.  And, I know that’s not accurate because I lost the receipt for the $80 tent I purchased.  Plus, I started with about $300 worth of personal fabric that I never intended to use for business purposes.

I cannot believe it.  I’m still in shock.  Seriously, I think I must have logged over 150 hours sewing… often past midnight– squeezing in time during Satya’s naps and in the wee hours of the night to finish garmets.  Do you know how much sleep I’ve lost??? Ack! and Satya still wakes up at night to nurse.  Taking care of her and Nathaniel is a full-time job. 

Needless to say, I won’t be doing the market anymore.  Well, I’m going this one last Saturday and I’m going to have an INCREDIBLE sale! Most of my stuff will be priced under $25.  I’ll have sundresses for as little as $10 and shirt/skirt sets for as little $15.  So, if you’ve had your eye on something in my booth, I recommend showing up early to grab it on Saturday morning!

I’ll have a preview as usual on Friday. It might be late.  But, I’m also trying to do some last sewing to use up some fabric. I’ve already completed a cute little red and green apple sundress in size 2T. I’m thinking it would look super cute for Fall with a red or green long-sleeved tee shirt underneath and some red tights. Anyway…. look for the preview on Friday– there will be photos with descriptions, sizes and prices.  And, if your one of the many mamas with kiddos that have stopped by our booth each Saturday to hangout and play with our toys, please… stop by again and say “goodbye!”  We’ll miss you! Maybe we’ll see at the market while we do our shopping in the Fall!

Lots going on!

We had a busy week this week!  We started last Sunday by attending our good friend Jackson’s 8th birthday.  It was a lot of fun! and his dad (Ron) brought sushi for the adults! How cool is that?  There was a pinata and everything.  I thought this photo of Jackson and Ron turned out pretty good.

The next day – Labor Day– was my mom’s birthday.  The kids call her “Bobo”.  She rarely lets us photograph her but I thought she looked really pretty on her birthday and I caught one of her holding her two youngest grandchildren, Satya and Wyatt.

Sometime mid-week we made one of our frequent trips to Barton Springs…. actually “Barkin’ Springs”, which is the name we have for the spillway area below the Barton Springs pool…. thus named because it’s where the dogs and their owners go to swim– since dogs aren’t allowed in the pool area.  We met a nice man named Wesley and his son and their ADORABLE blue heeler pup, Smokey.  Nathaniel fell in LOVE with Smokey.  And Wesley told me had a website called AustinIThinkYouShine.com and he used my camera to shoot this photo of Satya and I with Barton Creek behind us.

 

Nathaniel and Smokey.

But, it wasn’t all fun this week.  I did do some work!  I sewed four dresses to make up for the four I sold at the market last Saturday.  I made two pink sundresses with butterflies (which I don’t have a photo of yet!) but, I also tried two new patterns that I REALLY LOVE.  The first is made with Sandi Henderson’s Ginger Blossom fabrics– it’s a very boutique-y mix-matched style that is quite cute.  It’s a size 2T but would probably fit a petite 3 or even 4-year old. It’s a little too big for my model but it looked cute on her anyway.  Don’t you think?

 

 

 

Next I made a very involved pattern– a Tea Party Sundress with a “princess cut” skirt, handmade flat piping around the bottom of the bias, handmade buttonholes, and I sewed the hem by hand.  But, it was worth the effort! Again, it’s a size 2T and a little big on Satya but you get the idea…

 

My model was more interested in chasing our dog outside than “posing”.

 

Someone better buy these two dresses from me or I’ll end up giving these to Satya also!  You might have noticed her wearing the Vintage Cherry dress I made last week in the photo with Bobo (above.) I also decided to make her a little yellow shirt to go underneath the dress.  It makes it even more adorable, I think.  If I can get down to New Braunfels and get some more of this fabric (cross your fingers they still have some!) I’ll be making some more of these…

 

 

Oh! and I still have all but two of these lovely dresses…

I sold the second (from left) and the middle one (pink and green) but the others will be in my booth tomorrow! Come see us at the market!!!

Another Week Gone By

I cannot believe another week has gone by and it’s time to preview for the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market again.  I didn’t do a lot of sewing for the market this week because  I didn’t sell much last Saturday and I still have plenty of inventory.  I  do have one other peasant shirt and skirt set in a size  2T that I didn’t photograph.  But I did make this adorable little pinafore sundress in a size 2T from a vintage pattern I found at Goodwill…

 Part of me hopes it doesn’t sell so Satya can keep it.  I hope they have at least one more yard of this Sandi Henderson fabric left at the Quilt Haus!

The rest of the dresses that I wrote about last week are all still available! See my last post! They’re darling and I can’t believe not a one of them sold last Saturday!

In other news…. Nathaniel started FIFTH GRADE!!! this week! That seems so old.  I can’t  have a fifth grader, can I? He looks less than thrilled in this photo with his new teacher, Ms. Ambrose, at Joslin Elementary in South Austin.  But, today he had  good news when I came to pick him up! He says he’s making friends and that “it might not be such a bad school after all.” Yay!

And, on Thursday (was that just yesterday? geez!) Satya and I babysat her cousin, Wyatt! He’s getting so big! and handsome and charming too! Yes, I pushed two strollers for 45 minutes to get them to both take naps!

Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market Preview

 

Here they are! I’d hoped to have accomplished more this week but, I have six new peasant tops with ruffle skirts in sizes 1 through 6.  In the photo from left to right is Size 12-18 months in Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern fabric line — a pink and green floral; Size 2T in Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern–a blue and green geometric pattern with polka dots; a Size 4 in Sandi Henderson’s Farmer’s Market fabric– the Yellow Dahlias on green with pumpkin Henna Garden for contrast; Size 6 in Farmer’s Market– Pink/Green Dahlia with Pink Henna Garden; Size 5 Farmer’s Market in Yellow/Green Dahlia with Yellow Henna Garden; and Size 3 Farmer’s Market in Pink/Blue Dahlia with Pink Henna Garden. I hope to have one or two more things completed before tomorrow morning too.  I hope to see y’all at the market between 9 am and 1pm.   Come early! It gets hot after about 11am.