Big Reveals (and The Nervous Throw-Ups)

I've been working up the courage to show and tell here on the blog, and I think the day has come.

I think. You know, I could just write this post in its entirety, then run away and never publish it.

(You should know that I'm not normally a cowardly, shrinking-type of person. Normally I have confidence in confidence itself and face unfamiliar situations head-on, laughing at those shrinking violets who melt at the slightest bit of pressure. Normally. But these circumstances are not normal for me.)

Let's do the easy reveal first. Last post (Has it already been almost a week? Geez.) I alluded to having sewn something for my sister. Well, this is what I did:

It's a nursing cover, so a mama can nurse her baby anywhere without fear of condemnation or, more importantly, a big embarrassing reveal. (That second picture is of the small scrap of chenille I sewed into one of the corners and fashioned into a pocket--you can use it to wipe a baby's mouth or store things like nursing pads or a couple wipes.) I used one with Charlotte and will rave about it to anyone who stands still long enough. Ages ago my sister mentioned wanting one of these for her impending nursing baby, and I said, "Goddess. I could make that." She was like, "Are you sure?" And I was like, "Totally." So I put it off for awhile, mainly because my sewing machine wasn't working, until she started getting a desperate, I-need-baby-things look in her eyes. So last week I hauled out my old nursing cover (featured in this Favorite Things post), studied it, and made one up as I went. And it turned out pretty well. I was even able to include boning in the top hem so that Mama Goddess can look at Baby Goddess with ease.

So. That's my first reveal. Not so big, right? Well. You know that story about giving a mouse a cookie? It applies here. As soon as I realized I could, you know, actually make things, and make them well, my hands started itching. I made another nursing cover. It turned out better than the first. I started thinking about other baby-related things I could shower upon my sister. I made a few bibs; some turned out to be doll-sized, some turned out to be actual-baby-sized. I was undeterred by little failures and bumps along the way, because I was having so much fun. I even went to my basket that holds unfinished sewing projects and pulled out a few hand-embroidered baby shirts and onesies that are all finished apart from needing tags. (Think hand-felted wool cut into cute shapes and then embroidered on shirts. They're time-consuming, but pretty darn cute. See an example of a monster design on this post.) I looked at these shirts, looked at the things I had sewn on the machine, and went hmmmm.

This is where it's hard for me to tell you things. You need to know a little back story so you understand: I'm a creative person, I'll admit that. But I've never felt like it's oozing out of my pores or anything. That would be my sister-in-law, who can do any art- or craft-related things that comes her way. I can draw fairly well, but not like I need to be an artist!! I have an above-average eye for decorating and can put together a cute house, but not like my mom, and I didn't major in interior design like two ladies I know. (Janie again. And Rae.) Speaking of those two, they both took sewing classes (plural? or just one?) for their major, and would bring home the cutest creations. They both really know how to sew, and they do it well. And I? Well, between my mom and my grandma I was taught the basics years ago, but I've never consistently stuck with it for months at a time. I've had to re-teach myself how to thread my machine so many times over the years that I've lost track. I love going into JoAnne's, but there is a lot of stuff there that I don't know about, and I'm prone to buying unfamiliar things, bringing them home, and trying them out, usually to very comic or tragic results.

So that's my back story. I'm not a seamstress, like my Grammy. I just really like doing it, and I've recently discovered a few easy-to-make things that have general appeal that I can sew well.

(This reveal is very long-winded. I'm sorry. Blame it on my lack of courage.)

When I realized that I can, you know, sew, I went on Etsy and started randomly searching baby-related items, wondering what else was out there that was within my level of expertise. (On a scale of 1 to 10, my level would be somewhere around a 4. Maybe higher? I don't really know. I made up this scale, and it doesn't even make sense to me.) (Oh, and I'm concentrating on baby things for a few reasons: a) they're small and easy to sew up quickly; b) I know lots of people who are having babies, so easy gifts!; and c) they're popular, quite honestly.) Using the findings of my Etsy searches, the advice of my mother, what I've seen flying off the shelves in Target, and my own meager stash, I decided on about 4 or 5 things that I'm confident I could make easily and quickly and well without a pattern.

And then you know what I did?

I entered myself in a craft show.

I'm sorry, that was probably hard to read. I'll try it again. (deep breath)

I entered myself in a craft show.

Yup. I sure did. A local church is having a craft show/bazaar for no entrance fee, so I entered and committed myself to selling baby-related items. The show itself is in about a month, so I have a lot of work to do.

I don't really know what possessed me to do it, honestly. I'm riddled with all types of insecurities regarding my sewing ability, and then I went and said I'd SEW up lots of HAND-SEWN items to sell at a craft show. Did I mention the SEWING?

Luckily my mom and my sister and my husband are really, really supportive, and I'm sure once my Grammy, the seamstress, finds out, she'll be over the moon. Luckily I'm really, really excited to do this, and this excitement almost acts like bravado, so I can shove any insecurities or worries down to the bottom of my stomach, where presumably they will stay until the day of the craft fair, when I might have a major case of The Nervous Throw-Ups right before showtime.

Hurrah for The Nervous Throw-Ups!

So where am I in my progress? Well, right now I'm kind of twiddling my thumbs. I wanted nice, vibrant, soft fabric, and our town really only has a JoAnne's, which carries, you know, okay-fabric, but all in JoAnne's quality and selection. A couple weeks ago I had asked Raechel for some good designer names she would recommend, as well as where she buys them, and she happily and kindly obliged. She recommended looking at Etsy to buy my fabric, which is where I started, but once I had settled on a few designers I really liked, I realized I could actually get better prices and free shipping on Fabric.com. (Sorry, Etsy!) So yesterday I ordered about 7 yards of gorgeous designer fabrics (just thinking about these fabrics makes my heart go pitter-patter--no one in our town has ever seen these sorts of designs), and I'm now in a state of nervous anticipation waiting for it to arrive.

I know! It's not even here! I have so little time! Luckily there is another facet of my stash I can be working on in the meantime, and today the kids are going to accompany me to our shared favorite stores, JoAnne's and Hobby Lobby. (Seriously, anytime we get anywhere near the Hob-Lob, Baby C starts chanting "Hobby. Lobby." from the back seat. They like playing with pirate hats and, oddly enough, floral stems.)

I'm staying purposefully vague about just what I'm making for this fair. Just be patient with me while I sew and get better and gain confidence.

Oh, and yes, I've opened an Etsy shop. But I'm not telling you anything about it, mainly because it's bare-bones in every sense of the word. I have no banner or message or avatar or anything or even any MERCHANDISE, since, you know, I'd like to sell what I make at the craft fair first. I'm mainly making this Etsy shop, not because I really want a business of sorts, but because I envision all of the people in raptures over my merchandise at this bazaar, wanting to know WHERE CAN WE GET YOUR STUFF, OH SWEET MERCY, WE LOVE IT AND WANT ALL OF IT AND MORE, and then I could just say, "Go here. It's like a store, only on the interwebs."

A girl can dream, after all.

ps: Here's something you need to know about Midwestern craft shows: the majority of the ladies (yes, ladies) there are still selling things that were popular in the late 80s and early 90s, namely hand-made outfits for their outdoor concrete geese (those geese make me see red) and hand-crocheted towels that hang on one's stove handle. You know the ones. So. I'm hoping that I'm the ONLY person in town who has moved into this millennium, the ONLY person selling baby items, and the ONLY person using patterns that aren't John Deere-themed. I'm really hoping for a lot.