Sausage fingers

Can you see me? {muffle...muffle...snip...snip...whir...whir...tossing fabric....} How about now?  I realize it's kind of crazy in here with all the cutting and stitching and the ipod playing in the background and the iron steaming and the hair pulling and all...and that stuff is kind of thrown all over the place.  That's me in front of the machine...where I've been sitting for a very long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.

The two peas spent the week at my parents house.  Local Grandma came over to watch Sprout.  And I spent many hours this week holed up in my sewing room - sewing like mad.

Friday I...wait for it...Friday I sewed...are you ready?  Ready?  18 hours.  Ok, Maybe 16...I did stop to eat and I did sit down for about 20 minutes while I waited for my friend Kristen to come over.  I texted her at 8pm something like, "I am losing my mind.  Busy?  Please come to my house.  I need reinforcements.  Please.  PLEEEASE!".  Being the wonderful friend that she is, she called me immediately and said, "What's wrong?".  I shared with her my insanity and that I couldn't even see to thread my needle anymore and she zipped right over.

As I sewed over a tube in a pillow I wasn't supposed to for the 3rd time at around 2am, Kristen says, "don't make another stitch unless I say so."  You know how drunk drivers weave all over the road way?  That was me...sewing all crazy and haphazardly.  I was losing it.

Why the insanity?  Did I mention before that I'm working on a line of sewing patterns? We are actually working on 14 different patterns, have applied for, been accepted and paid for a booth at the International Quilt Market in Houston in October and are gonna JUMP!

I have had such great response from the trunk shows I've been doing the last few years that I'm taking many of the things I have been making for years and years along with some new things and putting them all together in patterns so you can make your own.  I mean really, I only have so much time and so many hands...I was finding it impossible to keep up with all the orders and requests.  So everyone...getcha a sewing machine and learn how to sew!

This first batch of patterns will have some home dec items, functional items, a quilt, lots of bags and some kids clothing.  A pretty fun mix that I hope everyone will enjoy making and using.

But I have to admit...my fingers feel like fat little sausages and now that all the samples for the pattern covers are done...I'm stepping away from my machine.  For a few days at least.  We are taking a little staycation this week...gonna go to some water parks, and the zoo, and tour around Cincinnati a bit.  I can't wait to have a break.

{I swear, I know other people work really hard...but my husband and I work like 15 hour days everyday.  Day jobs, kids, chores, business stuff...its so exhausting but in an exciting, anticipatory kind of way.  This is something totally new for us and I, love having him be fully on board and working with me.  He even comes down here and says, "I've designed a new apron..." and proceeds to show me some crazy strap thing that only a guy could come up with...that I'll probably have patterned for Spring :>)  Ha!  Ha!}

Next week, the marathon photo shoot.  Britt of Britt Lakin Photography who makes my heart swoon she's so awesome, is gonna come hang at my house for an afternoon.  Last night, Carla (our awesome business partner, family, friend, spiritual mentor, fabulous cook - more on her later this week) and I mapped out all the shots and made a quick trip to the store for a few props.  This morning, the gardener woke up at 5am to finish painting the playhouse.  It has a fresh face for all these photos for next week and it looks so cute!

Can't wait to share so much more with you in the coming months as this all starts to fall into place...

xoxo,

Trish