Classes are humming!

Hey there - what fun we've been having sewing! A wide-leg lounge pants class yesterday (Sat.) afternoon produced some awesome creations! Thanks to the great pattern in Amy Butlers "In Stitches", made on some great Amy Butler fabric, they were a hit! I keep forgetting to bring my camera into the store - when I do, I want to post some of this creativity at work!

I think what helps make the sewing time in the lounge so fun is the togetherness women share....making the time to relax, work on a similar project, doing a hobby that's non-stressful and hums along. It's just, well, peaceful. (and men, you're not banned from the lounge - I know there are some male sewers out there; you just need to make yourselves seen!)

In August, we'll do more lounge pants classes, as well as a super-easy wrap skirt. I just made one tonight at home in about 45 minutes (my pattern was already made; the class will include making the pattern)

And we continue to love to chat with our customers - we learn something new every day from you! (Saturday afternoon's tip was from Cheryl, who taught us a simple method of putting pins in the corners of your pattern & fabric - too wordy to explain in this blog - ask us when you come into the store!)

New fabrics to arrive any day now....we'll notify you when they do...after we attack the UPS man when we see him pull up!

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Unknown? O.K., I'm having a bit of trouble putting a title to these posts...there isn't always a theme, you see, just a bit of my daily rambling...

We set our alarms today and got up at 6:45 to watch channel 13...what fun! Deanna Sauceda, thank you again for the wonderful story and helping get the word out and the creativity flowing.

We're busy busy filling up our calendar with lessons and classes - I'm working on a few wrap skirt classes in August. Coming up in our offerings will be an embellishment class, taught by a very talented gal, Kim, who can do wonders with appliques, adding a ruffle, and many other great ways to liven up a garment! She's also going to teach a class on making a dress for girls - similar to the dress seen in our store on the mini dressform. Those offerings will be posted soon.

Fourteen more bolts of fabric are on their way - about 5 of them home decorator....we can't wait for their arrival - later this week? maybe next? Sorry to be so vague, but we can't get much info. from our wholesaler as to an exact arrival date.

Come one, come all crafters!

Today was fantastic - thank you Susan Stiger for the humorous, fun, awesome article in the Business Outlook of the Journal! We had so many wonderful and excited customers today in the store! We are just so thrilled that this article is helping us to reach a goal of ours - to get those covered-in-dust sewing machines out of your closets, to get you to pick up the phone and call us and say "I want to learn to sew!", to get you to come in and gaze lovingly at the fabrics that we gaze lovingly at each day, dreaming of that future skirt, or pair of lounge pants, or purse, or dress for our small daughters,......

I have a request of those of you that come and tell us what you've done/are working on - BRING IT IN FOR SHOW-N-TELL!! We want to see, touch, ooh and aah over your creativity! Whether it be needlepoint, quilting, a garment, crocheting, knitting, we want to see it! Please!

Kristina and her adorable daughter came in wearing their matching skirts that she made (ahem, Kristina's skirt was made from the Sew What Skirts book that we carry and will be teaching a class from...!) You are one hip stitcher!

What's to come!

Well, first for some announcements: last week was a bit of whirlwind for us as far a publicity....Susan Stiger, a journalist w/the Alb. Journal, interviewed Heather over the phone for her column in the Business Outlook - it'll be in the Thurs., July 17 edition. I had called the paper a few days before the interview to inquire about a possible story on our new store...we didn't expect it to happen so fast! The photographer came out last week to take some pics. for the story - we'll be curious to see which one will be w/the article!

THEN, quite a surprise - we got a call from Deanna Sauceda/Channel 13, asking about doing an interview for a story to air on her morning broadcast. She's doing a series on saving money in today's economy, so she came w/her camerman and talked to us about how the lounge and store help customers to save money by making their own clothing, etc., instead of spending elsewhere on ready-made products. It was quite an experience! She's a lovely woman and a saavy reporter - was very patient w/me as I experienced the "deer in the headlights"sensation everytime the camera was turned on and she asked me a question. I anticipate some heavy editing on those parts!! So we have to thank Michelle, a very special customer to us, for getting that story going!! (Oh, the story should be aired this Wed./16th, at 6:45 a.m., I believe..)

Anywho, (to quote a friend, Paula's, expression), we look forward to more word getting out about our little place. We plan to place another fabric order in the next week or so - a luscious list that includes Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey, and more....it was very hard to narrow down to what we can afford at this time.

We're so glad Jen is back from Oklahoma!! It was a tough week for us all as she was off visiting her in-laws....Heather and I missed her - apologies to her family for frequent calls - and I know it was hard for her to be away so soon after opening....

And lastly, check out the schedule of classes - finally they're in place! Hope to see you at the store!

Quieter days in the clubhouse...

We have regulars!! It's awesome! O.K., I realize this is only day 3 of our existance, so they might not qualify as regulars, but they're faces we love to see each day. Our children have been busy bees sewing in the lounge. We have a customer coming in tomorrow to work on her daughter's wedding dress - our first official lounge renter!!

The coffee is flowing, the music is playing, the machines are humming - what more could we ask for in this life?!

Whew!

Heather and a new friend knitting - see - we're not just a sewing store!

Getting used to this business stuff!

End of day 1....exhaustion, disbelief, giddiness, lots of forward thinking! That just sort of sums up today. So many friends and family came by to support us - we're overwhelmed with the shared excitement for this passion of ours!

Words just can't come to me tonight - I'm off to bed to hopefully sleep soundly and wake up anticipating yet another day I get to spend at our clubhouse, I mean, store!