Custom Work Makes Me Happy!

Hi everyone! We're welcoming spring around here. Finally!!

We've had a bunch on our plate here in our house the past couple of weeks and I haven't been able to do much blogging or sewing. But I've been working on a special order from a customer who likes to cook. She asked me to make some changes to my pencil rolls so that they would hold eating utensils--spoons, knives, and forks as well as chopsticks. So I made a new pattern with slightly wider slots and a much taller back. Now her utensils will all fit inside and still have a protective flap over the top. 

Those are our family's colored chopsticks. They are really fun. 

All closed up I think the roll looks really smart. It's going to be a gift for a friend of hers. 

Custom work is great for me because I really enjoy working directly with someone to help them get exactly what they want. I also appreciate the opportunity to develop new patterns and create new items. It's a fun challenge to tweak things or even to create completely new one. I also find it valuable to communicate with customers since I always learn something new, whether it is what attracts people to my shop or how they use the things I make. So keep those custom orders coming! 

Here are some photos of previous custom orders. 

A tween sized apron in pink and grey linen. One of my all-time favorite creations. 

A petite apron in a gorgeous pastel blue and white floral linen. 

A simple pencil holder in pinks and lime green.
The customer was going to attach it to a bag she was making for her daughter. 

Child-sized play oven mitts made with all the little scraps of these fabrics I had left.
The customer purchased a ready-to-ship apron in these fabrics as well. 

A pinafore smock for a toddler made with fabric the customer purchased. 

A child apron in fabrics I hadn't thought to put together! 

Two little tote bags/purses for the customer's daughters in fabrics she purchased. 

A pencil roll with a covered button closure instead of the ties. 

And finally, you can't tell how adorable this is from the photo, but it is a toddler-sized tie-back smock.
It is super tiny and super cute. The hanger it's on is a child sized hanger. Maybe that gives you an idea.

It's Official! I am an Artist!

I got the great news the other day that I am now officially an artist, according to the state of Rhode Island. Woo hoo! This year RI started exempting sales tax from galleries and artists across the state, which means that once you're certified, your items can be sold tax-free. It also means that the gain on the sale of artistic works (to use the Department of Revenue's wording) is also tax free--in other words, I don't have to claim any profits on my income tax. Right now I am deciding if they gave me the certification based on my winning arguments for why I qualify as an artist or whether it was because they saw that my sales in RI are so low that it didn't matter. 

This artistic works program came into being because the state is attempting to be known as a "State of the Arts," which is a fantastic and, I think, very appropriate goal. Rhode Island is home to one of the foremost art schools in the country, the RI School of Design, and the history of the arts in RI is also quite strong, from jewelry-making in Providence to textile milling in Pawtucket to the dozens of galleries in our oceanside communities. There has been for many years an exemption for artists in particular communities in RI, especially ones that have transitioned from industrial areas to artistic hubs. Now the law covers the entire state. Here is some more background on the decision. 

And here is the scintillating legalese, if you're interested. I have qualified under the "traditional/fine crafts" subheading. I am actually fairly surprised that I qualified as the people I spoke with on the phone at the Department of Revenue were quite discouraging. This is one argument in favor of the "she doesn't provide enough tax income for the state anyway, so let's just give it to her" reason for my qualification. But I don't really care about why they accepted me. I just think it's so neat that they did, since I am a completely self-taught traditional/fine craftsperson and my entire education and previous employment as been, shall we say, unrelated. 

Here is what I wrote on my application:

I consider myself an artist. I work in fabric and thread sewing mostly one-of-a-kind accessories for children, women, and the home. My items include art smocks and colored pencil rolls, handbags and belts, table linens and pillow cases. I use locally hand-screened fabric in my pieces and sell them on Etsy and at arts festivals, making each item one at a time. I personally craft all of these items and do not wish at any point to take on employees or to manufacture on a larger scale. Approximately half of my orders are custom requests and the remaining are either one-of-a-kind or extremely limited editions. The time consuming nature of my work and the limited availability of the fabric I use means I am unable to sew more than three or four of any one type of piece. The artistry and creativity involved in designing and sewing each piece is why I do what I do. My work would be far less valuable if I were simply tossing off dozens of a single product. My customers appreciate the fact that what they purchase from me will be either the only one ever made or one of a very, very few.

Here are some examples of one-of-a-kind items in my shop right now.

women's apron (comes with matching kid one if you want too)

child's nature walk bag or shoulder tote

kids play cape

youth apron

Our Granola Recipe

Every few weeks in our house we make a big batch, sometimes two, of granola. I enjoy making this with HG because the quantities are so flexible. The granola is going to taste just as good if some of the oats end up on the floor instead of the mixing bowl and your sous chef eats a large amount of the coconut. And it's incredibly easy and fast. We eat ours on top of plain yogurt, which Martin often makes for us, with raisins or berries. A really delectable treat is Belgian waffles (again made by Martin) topped with yogurt, granola, and strawberries. Strawberry season is still a long way off around here, though.

HG wears one of my early sewing projects--an apron I made when she was about three. Even then she could put it on herself because of the elastic neck strap and the velcro waist strap. It still fits her just fine now that she is nearly six. When she was littler I think wearing the apron made her feel like a big girl and a big helper, but now I'm pretty certain she wears it because she knows it's practical. There are quite a number of chocolate stains on hers.

We mix our granola in a mixer with the bread hook, but you could use a really large bowl. I did that for years before we got our mixer; it works fine but it's harder and more time consuming. 

HG's apron fabric is from a designer called Unison and was handprinted at the textile mill near my house. I bought the pink fabric before I opened my Etsy shop, and I haven't seen it at the mill since. I really like it, but I don't have any more in that colorway. I have it in a forest green/mint green combo and in a light grey/red-brown combo, but no more pink. The child aprons in my shop are identical in style except they have a sweet little pocket in front.

After we mix all the ingredients we spread it out on a large sheet pan. And then we sweep up the floor under HG's stool!

Here is the recipe.

Mix thoroughly:
4 or 5 cups rolled oats
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (we use pecans, but some folks might like hazelnuts)
1/2 cup oil (we use coconut now but have used canola in the past)
1/2 cup liquid sweetener (honey, agave, and maple syrup are all good)

You could also try adding flax seeds or pumpkin seeds. I have made the recipe above, substituting the nuts for the pumpkin seeds so HG could take it to school.

Pour into a large sheet pan and bake for 1 hour in a 300 degree oven. Every 15 minutes, take the granola out and turn it with a large spatula. Let it cool before storing in an airtight container. Doesn't it look fantastic? Too bad you can't smell it!!

It make a great holiday gift in decorative containers and it's brilliant to serve at brunch--so easy. Enjoy!