Well, it’s been a week now since I last wrote, and though I’m seriously behind in posting, I’m not so behind in work, especially sewing!
Monday I went to Rosamond again and did some more work on the furniture, while also cleaned the workshop. It was a mess combined of sawdust and dirt, so I spent better than an hour cleaning. It was a short day for me though as I had a meeting to go to as well, which was in Palmdale. A distance of a drive from that part of Rosamond, but I managed again to make it in about 45 minutes.
Tuesday was a busy and hectic day as well! I got some sewing done, while I also worked on two of my websites bringing them current, and especially one that I had connected to a CafePress account, which I stopped! It was getting to be too expensive with no sales, and I figured it’d be better if I added the PayPal buttons to that one website, though it’s been a few weeks since dropping the account! As previously mentioned in the last posting, it’s important to keep your websites current, especially if you’re in business, trying to get a business going, or keep it going. Domain names are not cheap, while they come due once a year if you’re not on a 5 or 10-year plan, which I can’t afford at the time!
I did housework Tuesday as well, while I’ve got to go back next week as well to do more work, which is always welcome! After I left, I headed over to Joann Fabrics and while going through the pattern books, since Butterick and McCall patterns are on sale, I figured I’d better get what I could then, or suffer until the next sale. I only got two though and they were for Scrubs, but forgot that I already had a pattern at home for the same thing, though this new pattern had a different style, plus added pockets. Am debating if I want to keep it or return it, though it has button front tops as well, which some people who work in Veterinary Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Doctor’s offices, and hospitals, do wear a variety of uniforms. Now I just have to get some material and make at least one pair of pants and a top to post here, as well as on my website, and Etsy.com account, while I may also try them on Ebay. I had a request too for Cat print material from a friend at Quartz Hill Veterinary, but may either have to go to the Garment District – which a friend at Joann Fabrics mentioned that he wanted to go as well, and we could go together one day, or since I’m self-taught at screen printing, set up a screen with a variety of cats, though they’d have to be in black print, but could do that, or do a stencil of cat paws, while possibly look on the Internet for ideas of multi-color stencils of cats, then make my own accordingly.
If I print my own fabric for orders and requests, I could also add to my variety of things for sale, though the fabric would have to be separate from my Tailoring site, or so I think! I lost all my screens and inks, plus homemade printing unit in one of my past moves when I was moving in a hurry from a drug home in Littlerock! It was a place where I was walking two miles across desert to the bus to go to school. I forget what street the house was on and what was the cross street, but it was another four miles from Charlie Brown Farms in Littlerock on Pearblossom Highway, while only two miles from the town of Pearblossom itself!
I learned how to do screen-printing back around 1984, and though my first prints on cheap pocket tees purchased at Sears weren’t so good, I kept at it while trying different designs and making my own frames, stretching the fabric, putting on the photo emulsion, exposing the screen with the image on it (sometimes hand drawn on tracing paper, while most times printed on acetate), then setting it up and doing the print. Like my first time learning how to develop my own black and white film, along with color. It was fun and I’ll always know how to do it! About a month or two later after having brushed up and learned about the different inks as well, while using water based, plus oil based, I then started doing multi-color prints. First just two colors, then three, and then four. By 1986 I think it was, I began to do five and six colors, along with printing decals for coffee cups since I was doing ceramics at the time and had business from a ‘since closed’ nightclub, and a chain of western stores there! I was doing multi-color decals, and full color on fabric in halftones. Half-tones are dots in the screen and depending on the size of the dot, depends on how much ink goes through; how many colors will be making up a second, third, forth, fifth, and so on, while spot colors can also be added in, but that’s pretty much when someone or a business wants two colors like black with silver, gold, or copper, et al. Fun process and having that knowledge, I can create some nice designs for fabric, then using that same fabric to make clothing and household items to sell. Now I just wish I had a nice sized shop, and silent business partner!
Wednesday was sewing all day from about 7:30 to about 9:30 that night! I’ve been so busy between sewing, woodwork, meetings, and running errands, that I haven’t had time to add to this Blog, while a few other things get forgotten about as well! Not good, but what do you do? Finally got a Nursing Cover cut out and sewn together that I will be offering for sale, though tossing the idea of having a separate Etsy account for nursing mothers, while selling the nursing covers, blankets, and bags, while I wouldn’t make any baby outfits unless there was a special request!
I also got one of my vests almost done that’s going to have embroidered lettering and numbers to help promote my Tailoring business, while just too much more in sewing to list!
Thursday I worked on a skirt that needs a new elastic waistband, though it’s going to have to wait until next week to be finished, as I got the elastic to put in it, but need to make sure it’s the right length, even though I took a measurement of the skirt while on the friend to see how much needed to be cut or purchased. I measured and double checked the measurement, plus how much I would need to purchase, but since the client is a friend, I’m going to take the elastic along on Sunday and make sure it’s a good fit for her! If at all possible, I try and fit my clients so I won’t have to ‘second guess’ even though I took measurements or was told what needed to be done. With hems like taking in a pair of pants, or adding a zipper, or taking in a skirt, that’s simple, while adding a new elastic band, I’m persnickety about the fit! A satisfied client means repeat business!!
I also went to see a friend who I bought my latest sewing machine – Husqvarna Viking Scandinavian 100 from – for pointers on two vests that I’m working on, while pointers for other items and work when it comes to embroidery. She was very helpful and I learned a lot! I then stopped by Wally World (WalMart) to check on fabric that they usually carry, but didn’t have it), then went to Joann Fabrics for more fabric so when I was finished with my two vests, I’d have the material for the linings, ready to cut and sew in! I also picked up a zipper for a jacket I purchased at the Thrift store when I dropped off the donations from the friend in Rosamond. That was actually dropped off on Tuesday before I went to do housework for another friend. I had washed the Shirt-Jacket and ragged sleeved (or torn off sleeves) of a Camouflage Shirt that I also bought! I was given a Military Jacket a few years back, but it is too small and at the time I could barely button it, now I’m lucky to get it on! I love camouflage material and have three and a half yards of it to make myself a shirt, but it’s been waiting now for at least two years and maybe three! The reason being is that I was working then Michael’s Art Supply Store here in the AV, then a Security Guard company down in Santa Clarita, not realizing my true talent and where I should focus my energies on! I actually have about six different rolls of material waiting to get made into shirts, which might get made before too much longer, though clients come first, along with creating items to sell!
While at Joann Fabrics, I also picked up a remnant of Terry Toweling, then some black Kona Cotton to make some appliqués to add to the toweling, then take a picture of it to post as well and sell. I also picked up some Red Poly/Cotton material for the current vest I’m working on that’s also made of Poly/Cotton, while also some Blue Kona Cotton for the other vest that I also want to get done! I had shown everyone at Joann Fabrics what it looked like in the process after having been cut out, along with the piecework or front and back yoke additions that I also designed myself, and everyone there keeps reminding me that when they’re done, to wear them in or bring them in! I’ll be wearing them ‘proudly’ while they’ll be ‘screaming attention’ since they’re both done in the Red, White, and Blue Patriotic colors!
When I got home, I continued working on that skirt, while washing the new material so I could iron it, then use it for what I purchased it for! Maybe in another week I’ll have the one vest done since it’s so important, though clients work is also important, but so far most of my clients tell me not to rush on their orders, which is nice, but I do work on as much as I can on the days that I stay at home and work!
Today – Friday – is strictly a ‘work day’ for sewing, while tomorrow may be the same, though I also have some woodwork of my own to get done! I’ve been working on some Lazy Susan’s for a few weeks now, and since having gone public with my sewing, my woodwork projects only get done on the days when I go to Rosamond and can feel comfortable doing them before I continue with the furniture finishing or refinishing, or on days like Saturday and Sunday when it’s the norm for everyone else to relax, with me it’s work, work, work! And especially since it’s real important to save for yet another move! I’ve also been working on a special request box for another friend and once that’s done, I can take some pictures of it and add to what I have for sale, while I’m also working on some Cowboy Boot Trivets which I am going to detail paint and sell! I’ve also got to make, or continue to make some Cowboy Boot designs out of Pattern Paper for cutting out of material to make quilts, plus, yet also use for transferring to the wood Cowboy Boots as well, while there’s so many other projects that the templates will be used for as well! I try not to be idle, and even in Church on Sundays, I’m working on a crochet project, though may start doing something in Punch Needle to add to clothing or household goods like pillows or comforters or room dividers or similar! Possibly as well for Banners since I have been asked by several folks about doing some! I’m also debating about how to do a banner for the back of the friend’s truck that I’ve been driving for a while now. Can’t afford to have one made by another company out of vinyl with either vinyl lettering or screen printed, so my next thought is printing out the same ‘HemiHeadFourTwentySix-Regular’ (yeah, that’s the font name) letters that I chose for my vest, and either transferring them like I did on my vest, or using them as a Stencil to hand paint what I want on the banner, then use a spray sealer or brush-on sealer to protect the whole canvas, since I’m looking at using Cotton Twill, hemming the edges, and putting in the eyelets. Yeah, a lot of work but worth the rewards! I’ve been so busy though with alterations and custom work that I barely have time for my own projects that were originally for myself, while now they’ll be used in addition to everything else that I’ve sewn and use as a portfolio of my work.
I will ‘try’ to post again either tonight or tomorrow, but it may be another two to three days or more since I’m so busy, while I also push myself to do as much as I can whether I’m at home or in Rosamond!
