Yesterday when I woke, I knew it was going to be a beautiful day, while I knew that I had a few errands to run, plus a meeting to go to that involved advertising my business on another website that has viewers or readers in villages, towns, and cities in countries like Europe and Africa. I also knew that I had a lot of sewing orders and alterations to get done, while my own work to post to my website, here, and possibly Etsy.com to sell, though I also post on Craigslist and ‘occasionally’ I try the Ebay thing!
Well, I got up at 5:30am, looked at my ‘Vision Poster’ which is a Poster I created that shows all that I can do (clippings from magazines of woman’s clothing from undergarments to work wear, evening wear, plus); pictures of me holding a lot of money – and I do mean ‘A LOT’; pictures of nice Ranch style homes but not carbon footprints; Cowboys on horseback as my ‘intended family’ desire; another Cowboy for relationship; a variety of large Trucks including Stock and Horse Trailers that it is my ‘intention’ to own one day or be where I have access and can drive them; a travel picture with a truck and nice horse trailer in it that means ‘camping’ and ‘travel’; a house with Christmas lights since I’m a MAN who also loves to decorate and celebrate days that are important to me or that I like to celebrate; and a few other images that help me to focus on where I’m headed or my ‘intended’ goals.
I went down, fixed my usual mug of coffee (‘mug’ meaning that it’s an Enamelware camping style mug that holds 4 cups), then went out to feed and change the water for my friends’ birds. When I started towards the cage door, I heard this fluttering of wings and when I looked up, I saw this Humming Bird as it was flying around the patio with all the plants and looking for food. I turned and as I started towards the door of the cage, this bird flew up to my right ear and I could feel it as it touched my ear while I could feel the air and hear the sound as it’s wings were moving. It was literally at my ear and I stood still for a moment until it started to look for flowers. As I watched it, I also talked to it and though I wanted to reach out to offer my hand or finger for it to land on, I just watched and it wasn’t afraid of me at all, or so I felt. Most of the time while watching it and talking to it, that Humming Bird was within 6″ of me as it gathered nectar from as many flowers as it could find. For about twenty minutes that bird stayed close and kept looking at me as well while it would fly close to me, then to another flower, then close to me again. It was a wonderful feeling and just before leaving, it hovered about three inches in front of me, then took off. I felt so grand after that experience!
After feeding and watering the birds, I went up and worked on my website for about an hour, while also doing research on the Internet, then did some sewing for about an hour, then it was time to get ready for the meeting. After that meeting I stopped by to see some other friends at Quartz Hill Veterinary Clinic and chatted with them for a few minutes, while the three of us talked about Scrubs as well! I have a pattern for Scrubs, but have yet to use it, and when Kat or Kathy told me that it was another way of making money and that there use to be a gal that came by with a truck of Scrubs and sold them to many different businesses, this same gal doesn’t go by anymore, so figured I could use the business. With the wide variety of fabrics, patterns, and colors that I can choose from, they really inspired me in that area too, and especially mentioning doing Scrubs for Veterinary Clinics with Dogs and Cats. Then they asked about how much I could sell them for, and we went from there! That stop just to say ‘hi’ and chat for a few, turned out to be something as wonderful as at Church and other places when I mention that I can do this or that with wonderful replies!
After that, I then left and headed to another friends house to show her a pattern of a couch cover and that I forgot to let them know that there was additional items to get so when I got going on their couch cover, I would have all the items needed so I wouldn’t have to stop in midstream, let them know, then continue after I got the rest of the items. After that I went to Costco to get a Hot Dog and Soda, since I was real hungry – had not eaten before leaving the house, which isn’t good in my case! I thought that I was going to have to stand at the wall near the Membership area to eat, but as soon as I sat my cup down, a table became available. I grabbed my soda and headed for the table. When I sat down, I noticed an elderly gentleman looking for a place to sit, so I waved him over while saying ‘you’re most welcome to join me’! He smiled, then sat down. For about twenty or thirty minutes while eating, we talked about a variety of things. When I left, I headed home knowing that I had a lot of sewing to catch up on for clients, but when I pulled into the driveway, it dawned on me that JoAnn Fabrics was still having a sale on patterns, so I headed back out the driveway and to JoAnn’s. I had missed the Butterick pattern sale on the same Saturday before that I was there purchasing supplies for two clients clothing. I could have kicked myself too, as there’s three patterns that I wanted to get that would add to my collection for additional items I can make to sell.
I had gotten 9 more patterns and in paying just $.99 cents for each, I saved a whopping $138.94. Two days before I had purchased another 10 patterns and saved $148.20.
Some of the patterns are ‘impulse’ purchases, though now when I buy anything while knowing I also have to save for a move soon, I debate if they’re worth the purchase, in which they all are! Saturday the 16th is the last day for the sale and so I had to get them, as I won’t be getting any payments for work now until this Sunday at church for some sewing I did for another friend there, while I’m also making seat and back cushions for the folding metal chairs, while this last Sunday I found out that they also make some of the other chairs as comfortable, so I’ve got more to sew – guessing about twenty altogether. I also will be doing a banner for our church as well! While I was adding to the ‘joy’s and concern’s’ I happily and excitedly mentioned about finding out that I could do religious attire for any clergy and realized in checking out another website, that I could also do Banners in fabric. Well, soon as they heard that, I was asked if I could make a Banner for Church and accepted!
Back to yesterday and while at JoAnn Fabric’s I was talking – always network and love to talk while I know just about everyone there – I was talking to one employee about the patterns and making not only at least one Wedding dress, plus how much I could sell it for, or even Clergy garb, but anything that could be made quick and simple – meaning, not a lot of pattern pieces or material and she had mentioned that I make something for Nursing Mothers that was simple. Well, I hurried back to the area where the patterns and catalogs are at, then started looking for this item she told me about, but came up empty handed until one customer she was helping was talking about that item. She called me over and the customer and I talked, and when I found out that the pattern was ‘free’ and on-line, I knew that I could start doing those as well since there’s a possible market out there for them, since not everyone sews. I know my specialty is Wild western designs on shirts, like Nudie’s line of western wear for entertainers, but I need to do as much as I can that’s reasonable, quick, and a decent turnover for profit – again thinking of the move pending, while there’s so much I need to get as well, like the Viking 955E, which is an Embroidery machine that will help me quite a bit, and I can do real nice embroidery designs, while being able to Digitize some of my own illustrations to use as well on a variety of items.
After finding out about the website and talking to this gal for a few more minutes, while the sales gal cutting the fabric told her that I was a Tailor and asking for business (with her reply of being okay), I headed towards the Stretch Knit fabrics to estimate prices for one dress pattern that I was going to purchase (actually two since each package has different sizes, while some patterns with the same McCall’s patterns, some are up to five packages, which I can’t seem to justify the purchase as it takes away from a variety of styles that I can purchase at the savings). I was so excited, jazzed, stoked, and pumped-up, while babbling as usual! I was tickled when I checked the prices and though everything’s on sale currently, or most everything, I knew about how much it would cost to make these patterns for women from sizes 8 to 16 in one pattern package, and 18w to 24w in the other package, plus how much I could charge or the profit I’d make.
I felt like I was floating on Cloud Nine and had just met someone wonderful when I left JoAnn’s and headed home. I was going to stop at Winco and pick up some more groceries, then go to Lowes for lumber for other things I’m doing too for added income, but just headed home! I did laundry and cut out two patterns, though they weren’t really patterns that I would be using right away to make anything, but I have at least sixty patterns to cut out that ‘are’ going to be put to use as more money comes in from custom orders, alterations, and once I get set up with PayPal, plus possibly start my Etsy.com account back up again, then I can start doing more items to sell to continue adding to my ‘intended’ income of $1,000.00 a week and growing, which it is my ‘intention’ that it gets to and passes the $2,000.00 a week, and especially with the higher end items like Fancy Western Shirts, Blouses, Pants, Dresses, and some household items, plus Wedding Gowns, Period Clothing, and more!
I am also doing some furniture finishing and refinishing for some new friends in Rosamond, while I may have another client who is one of the Doctor’s at Quartz Hill Veterinary Clinic in repairing an Antique Hutch. She also lives in Rosamond. I am looking forward to doing that as well if she is willing. It will also help me to save, plus purchase more material to make more items to sell, while I am going to try and make a variety of clothing for men and women at a reasonable price to start, though when I get going, I’ll still do reasonable items, while I’ll also have my Fancy and expensive line too!
I stopped cutting patterns about ten and watched some television, then went to sleep.
