New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!  Hope you all had a good new year's eve and are starting 2013 on a positive note.  I did not make it to midnight-I think I gave up around ten.  My four-year-old made it to eleven, and my hubby came to bed a couple of minutes before midnight, only because he got sucked into a football game.  Such an exciting night life we have!  :)

How are the resolutions going so far?  I did not make any official ones, besides reading my Bible every day.  I tried last year and think I did it for a few months before I fell out of it.  So, maybe this year I will last longer.

I hope to blog more consistently.  I have been struggling with what I want the main focus of this blog to be, and have decided that it should just be about my life.  And, since my life is all over the place, then it is okay for this blog to be all over the place subject-wise.  So, I think  it will be a mix of my crafts, my kids, and how we are working towards our goals in life-mainly simplifying our home life and working towards owning a small farm/homestead. 

In my crafting, I am going to try to use what I have more than buying new material.  I made most of my gifts this year based on what I had and am for the most part, very happy with how things turned out.  I made some holiday pillows. a purse, Bible cover, candle mats, and a wall hanging.  Hopefully, everyone really enjoyed their gifts. 

My first project of the year is a tea towel/kitchen towel.  I wanted to do a patchwork heart and then added as I went.  I hand-sewed the patchwork (partly because I enjoy sewing by hand and partly because my machine and I were not getting along working on the previous project), machine stitched the bottom strip, and am currently hand sewing a blanket stitch around the hearts. 

Since I am not turning down the edges as I sew, I applied a fray blocker around the raw edges to make the towel more machine wash friendly.  The fusible backing I have is a heavier type and tends to make the applique stiffer so I used it sparingly.  I am not sure if I am going to list it on my etsy shop, list it here and on facebook, or just give it to a family member.  If you would like this towel, or one like it, just send me a message at mastarkey81@yahoo.com.

So, I feel like I have more that I would like to ramble on about but think I will save it for another day!

I will be linking up at Freshly Pieced so be sure and check out what other fellow bloggers are up to and have a great day! 

New Year-New Goals!

I'm sitting at work, drooling over Keepsake Quilting's new catalog. They have amazing fabric collections as well as patterns. For once, I am glad there is no way for me to scrounge up some extra money to order more fabric. I just received some beautiful fat quarter bundles and quilting templates for Christmas, and so definitely don't need any more fabric or inspiration. What I need more of is time! I think a good thing about having so little time is that I've had to learn how to prioritize my projects and goals as well as keep them realistic. I'm certainly becoming a fan of generalized baby steps!

My ultimate goal is to be able to stay at home and sell my creations full time. The reality of that is kind of depressing right now, so instead of crunching numbers, I focus on more abstract goals. Obvious things, like: create more to sell more. I realized last year, I really didn't make that much; I think I just wanted things to sell and got frustrated when they didn't. Well, people won't buy if there isn't anything listed. So, while I would like to set a goal, like list at least one thing a week, I know that won't always be possible, and I'll stress myself out if I try to stick to it. Instead, I'd just like to focus on increasing my listings in general. Along with that, I am hoping it will double my sales.

I need to try different venues. I did one craft show in November and it was miserable! Very cold and windy and I didn't make back my entry fee, which was only $25! But, I blame it on the lousy weather and maybe having too many options on my table. None of the vendors around me seemed to be too busy either. This year, I am hoping to test out the local farmer's market as well as a few other shows and festivals.

I've also recently started participating in some BNS/BNR treasuries on Etsy. Basically, there is a collection of shops chosen by the curator. If you purchase from one of the shops featured, your shop will be featured in the next round. So far, I've bought more than sold. But, it was all stuff I can use for my shop. And, I got 2 sales out of the deal. So, now, I'm sitting out for a while but definitely plan to participate again.

The most important thing I would like to focus on this year is to enjoy every minute of it! I sew and create because I enjoy it. Since this is not my only source of income, I don't HAVE to do anything. I've tried, well semi-tried, to keep up with what was trending and to try and guess what will sell best and cater my shop around those items. Results: stressful and not fun. I've found that I'm happiest just floating around in my own little world. Things definitely seem to come out a lot better that way!

Like I said in the beginning, abstract baby steps. You only have so much control over the numbers; you can't force people to shop with you. Plus, it's such a great feeling when you know the item is going to someone excited about it. So, this year I'm choosing to focus on the enjoyment of the process while expanding my skill set. Hopefully, the sales will follow. If not, check back next January for the new plan!

What are your goals this year?