Out of the frying pan and avoiding the fire

Friday, September 18, 2009


During the week, I wake up at 5:15 a.m. to prepare eggs for my son before he goes to high school.

The smell of the eggs, as they cook, carries me back to my grandparent’s kitchen where my grandfather would rise before the sun, to cook soft boiled eggs for my sister and me. As children, we frequently spent weekends at their farm in Elk, Washington and my grandfather would drive us to school Monday morning. These weekends are some of the fondest memories I have. This is where I learned to sew, laugh and love.

I realize, life is fragile---very much like the yoke in an egg---and I am grateful to wake up early and make those eggs, just as my grandfather did for us. Nothing brings me greater pleasure than caring for my family and home.

You may have heard, as of October 1, I will no longer be accepting custom orders and will be discontinuing the BYOF (buy your own fabric) option. After that date, all of the products listed in both our Etsy and eBay stores will be pre-made. I believe this change in production and inventory methodology will allow me to better serve my family and customers.

By listing only those items that are ready to ship, I will be eliminating a standard 7 to 10 day production time. Moving forward, it is my intention that all items will ship within 24 hours of payment and generally arrive within 2 to 3 days thereafter. Since the actual item for sale will be pictured in the listing, I can call attention to the defining details, such as fabric placement and other unique embellishments or construction techniques utilized. In addition, I hope to share a brief story of how the object came to be --- what inspired me to make it, what I love most about it, etc.

Albeit significant, this change will allow me to create a production schedule designed to maximize my time and resources which directly translates into low (and likely lower) costs for YOU my adored customer.

I am looking forward to the transition and the ability to share more of myself and my craft with you all. I have so many ideas that I am eager to materialize and this will allow me the time to bring those products to market.

Last but not least, I will have more time to care for my family and home.

(Photo credit goes to Little Crickets Felt Fun, please visit her Etsy shop for more cute felt patterns!)