28...and counting...matryoshkas, each one sewn by hand
The thing about preparing for a big craft fair is that I'm busier than ever but there is a lot of repetition and all of it has to be saved up for the day of the fair so I feel a bit guilty as I've had nothing new and shiny to add to my etsy shop lately. Instead of making just a handful of each item and moving on to the next thing like I usually do, I'm making 20, 30, even 40 of each item for this festival and am beginning to feel like a one-woman factory of sorts! While the pace and repetition of the work is amplified, it is incredibly satisfying to see just how much one person can create with their own two hands in a relatively short amount of time and even though my fingers might ache, it is the kind of ache that reassures me I am doing something worthwhile (well that and the heavy drugs help dull the pain...i keed i keed!).
Much of the work is done on my machine but some, like these matryoshka sachets, is all done by hand. Perhaps I am a bit old-fashioned, but I think there is something so frank and honest about hand-stitched items that can't be replicated. I can't always justify spending the time doing it for larger items in my shop but, for these little guys, I can and I do because it's lends a simple but valuable charm that is such a rare and beautiful commodity in the world we live in. Is it strange to be really excited about finally interracting with customers face to face and seeing them hold these in their own hands?
matryoshkas sachets waiting to be pressed and filled with lavender
I feel pretty good about my progress so far, especially because I've also been balancing several shoe orders and a wholesale order...phew! I can't wait to share some of the items in the shop as well though after the fair—expect to see some new pillow designs and a new embroidery pattern (it's the "Off to College" theme!) that will be available shortly before or after, depending on how much of my hair I have already pulled out...there are drugs for that too right?
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