There has been so SO much going on. I just don’t even know where to start.
That is what 60 pads look like all piled up on my dining room table! That has been the monster project I’ve been working on ALL MONTH in addition to sewing and stocking the etsy shop and trying* to keep up with schoolwork. I have to say, I’m SO glad that they are now out of my house! That was officially the biggest order I’ve ever fulfilled and it really wiped so much out of me. I mentioned in my last post that I have been anemic? Well I haven’t even had the energy to work my snap press — so I had to enlist my hubby to help with that.
I’m feeling much better now though. On Friday I attended and presented at the university undergraduate Women’s & Gender Studies conference. That was really cool, but I feel like it took me an entire week to prepare for it and the whole weekend to recover! My thesis presentation is due in two weeks and I haven’t even started that part of it! Ooops! At least ceramics is going well.
Last night in ceramics I started carving robots in my pot. Aaron doodles these adorable robots and I made him draw some for me to trace and carve in my ceramics project. I actually had a lot of fun in class last night. It was so relaxing to just be out of the house.
Sullivan’s turning TWO on Saturday so of course I have to plan an elaborate party now. I’m sure this will eat up most of the next few days and I’ll need another week to recover from that. I have a lot of gifts planned that I need to make him still. Ooops! Basically my plan is to sew all day Thursday and Friday and then the party is Saturday. I’ll have a bunch of homework due on Sunday that will probably keep me busy all day too. Uggh!
If I haven’t replied to your etsy convo it’s not because I’m ignoring you! Well, if you’re wanting me to do work, maybe I am putting you off a little bit though — just because things are so hectic at the moment! Having that big order out of the way has gone a long way to de-stress me, but there’s lots of stress in the future because I’m wrangling with suppliers right now. Basically, a few things about my products will have to change because of the way I’d been getting materials.
For example, I have about seven yards of hemp left and NO IDEA when I’ll be able to get some more at a low enough price that it’s even feasible to continue to use it. Prices on materials have gone up significantly lately and what I paid for my last few bales is no longer, unfortunately. I’ve got some organic cotton that I’m going to start phasing into my shop once I have time to cut and prep it all. I think that organic cotton is the choice for me. I know that most other pad makers are really into bamboo, but I just haven’t found an economical weight of fleece that is as durable as hemp or cotton. I think bamboo is great for tops and bamboo velour is very lush and so much softer than hemp velour (bamboo is pretty much the softest type of fleece out there too), BUT I just don’t think it’s a good match for me right now — and I always pick materials and fabrics that I would choose for my own pads.
The other thing that is going to have to change is the snaps I currently use. When I bought my snap press I didn’t know much about them — and I bought a certain brand that I’ve never been very happy with. Well I found out I can get a custom set of dyes for my press so that I can use other snaps. I may or may not then be switching to metal snaps. I’m still in the “testing” phase for the snaps I want to use. Until then, the only color poly-resin snaps I can offer is taupe. I want to use up what I have left of the old snaps before I make the switch.
Okay, there’s more, but I’ve got to get some work done around the house because I have a full day of classes today!
Uh. This is pretty much how I feel right now! (we were doing plaster casting at ceramics last night too and someone wanted a cast of a baby doll face…)
