Just a quick post to let anyone following this blog know that I'll have to be on hiatus for a bit from it. I'm working on launching an ezine right now, so writing for that has taken over any spare time I had.

Gardening for Wimps

I'll admit it. I'm a cool weather gardener. When it's hot and humid outside, like it has been all summer, the idea of getting outside and sweaty for no foreseeable reason just doesn't appeal. Only when the weather gets stormy do I want to get out and rummage in the dirt. 100F is just not gardening weather. I can't put much in the ground, so when it gets so hot, they start burning in the pot! That doesn't make for nice flowers. So far, I've lost a jasmine, thyme, six azaleas, two tomatoes and possibly one little olive tree. The roses are just barely hanging on. I haven't had a decent bloom for months.


The tentative plan is to repot everything that hasn't rooted into the ground. One of my roses did this, made a huge gorgeous green bush, survived the heat... and fell victim to something that ate every single leaf off in a day. (No, we don't have deer.) Then, whenever my local nursery starts stocking small plants again, putting some color out there again. It was nice this spring. I had loads of petunias out. I love petunias for their saturated color. The roses were heavenly. Then the triple digits hit and it was all over.


The temperatures are slowly beginning to fall. I'm hoping September will bring autumn quickly. Strangely, we've had fronts pushing through constantly, though those brought drier air, not necessarily cooler temps.

Labels!

Mostly so I don't forget myself, this is an excellent tutorial on creating your own clothing labels, which I will be doing soon!

http://freshvintage.typepad.com/freshvintage/2007/01/fabric_labels_t.html

The Goldilocks Syndrome

I spent all week trying to come up with a good idea to write about. I started and discarded so many paragraphs. In lieu of anything else, I will just let the words flow.

It's raining right now, a soft gentle rain that is a mask of a stronger storm farther away, but that seems to be dying on it's way to us. With the thunder I'm hearing, this makes me glad. I'd like to keep my electricity on for a change! The rain is soothing, though, and I need that so much right now. This is one of those times where I feel pulled in many, many different directions. First and foremost is taking care of my son, obviously, but my business comes next. Which direction do I go? Which directions are before me? The problem isn't making a choice, the problem is to spread myself thin enough, long enough, to find out what direction is more than an idea. I have an opportunity to work with a store nearby, which includes product packaging and commissions. I'm pushing forward on graphics work for CafePress. I'm digging into learning more and becoming more familiar with website design. I'd really like to get into AutoCAD and progress with that. I'd like to get into wedding design. I'd like to push the idea of refashioning. I could keep going.

Harper's in Old Town Spring, Tx

You see the problem? So many directions, but only so much of me. Each water has to be tested to see if it's the right one. I feel a bit like Goldilocks. Until I sleep in Mama Bear's bed, I won't know that it's not right.

This would be easier with a clone of myself, or would it?

Color Therapy

I get into these ruts at times. I’m so sick of working on anything I’ve been doing that I just can’t bear to look at it. Working on some other part of it doesn’t help. The only solution is to start another project with a different color, the wilder the better. I’m beginning to discover the wonder of patchwork designs. I’d say quilting, but I don’t really like the actual quilting part. The piecing is the fun part. Even applique work loses its charm after a while, since there’s just too much fiddly work involved in it to let my brain escape. Simple designs are best. Just measure, mark, cut and sew. I don’t even have to do a definite pattern. Random is better. It’s more interesting to see how the colors balance out in the end when you go the random route.

Sometimes, changing color really is necessary. You wouldn’t think it, but working with a single vivid color can burn out the rods and cones in your eyes. I never would have believed it had it not happened. A few years ago, I was working on a bright red satin dress with a full skirt. I worked on it solidly for about a week and a half. The last two days, it stopped being red. It looked peach to me, a pale peach, even. No other colors were affected, just red. It took roughly two weeks before I was able to see the color red again. I guess I can now say I get burned out on certain colors and mean it literally.

Velvet Embossing Tutorial

So far, I've only tested this method on rayon/acetate velvet.
Items needed:
velvet
iron
spray bottle
rubber stamp



Look for stamps that have clear designs with nothing too horribly detailed. I honestly didn't think these key designs would turn out, but they did wonderfully. As with everything, test on a small scrap of fabric before really going after it.

Rubber stamps are best. I haven't used acrylic stamps, but I've read they can distort or melt under high heat. Unmounted stamps can be a cheaper alternative and easier to iron on.

Place the velvet, flock or fuzzy part face down, on the stamp. Wiggle the fabric over the top a bit to settle it into place. Pinning the fabric to your ironing board can help keep it steady. I generally use a high heat on my iron, but not all irons have the exact same heat output. Test, test, test!




Using a spray bottle, soak the velvet over the stamp thoroughly. The water tends to bead up over the back of the fabric, so use your finger to smooth it out if necessary.






Iron until the water steams completely away over the stamped area. You should be able to see an impression of the stamp as the fibers compress on the underside.

Workaholic

A trip to a lake with family is supposed to be relaxing. The wind blows. Children play. The spray from brisk waves fumes up to spatter your face. The shade grows longer and thicker as the sun sinks. The scent of hamburgers grilling on an open pit waft up to meet you at the water's edge. The perfect day.

Unless you're me, and you get bored stiff after about two hours.

Serendipity.

I’m feeling quilty lately. I’m sure it’s a reaction from working on a super difficult white silk dress. Everything in me is screaming for colorful fabric that is easy to sew. Just for a little while. I went a little cotton crazy in the fabric store earlier. What can I say? There was a sale. (Hi, my name is Sarah, and I’m a fabric addict.) Naturally, my brain has been chewing on the design of the quilt I’m going to work on next and whether I want to do appliqués or just a patchwork. That’s when the memory surfaced.

It was my sophomore year in art class. I breezed through that class, mostly because my teacher had already taught my three brothers and knew there was serious talent in the family. The fact that if you wore a short skirt, you got an automatic A didn’t help me much. I detested skirts then. Since I proved right off the bat I could sketch up to and beyond his passing standards, I pretty much did what I wanted and tutored other students in the class. There was one week where we were given assignments for specific items which were then displayed on the back wall. The reason for that was clear when the school was inspected. I distinctly remember two of them. One was to draw a superhero, and the other was for a geometric pattern. For the first one, I chose Goliath from Gargoyles. Not your typical hero, eh? The second assignment was pure luck.

I started out with the basic form of cubes upon cubes. When I started pulling color into it, I began with the corners and did things in a circular progression. It was about halfway in when I ran out of pink. No one else in the class had a pink marker. How can you not have a pink marker? We were pressed for time, and so I just pinned it to the board and was done with it. It wasn’t until I stood back and looked at it that I realized stopping where I did had created a cube of cubes. It’s hard to explain, but it made a beautiful pattern that I never intended. Was my brain doing it subconsciously or was it truly sheer luck? I’ll never know.

This makes me wonder how many of my mistakes have made the best results and how many could have. It also makes me want to do a cube pattern for my quilt.

We all know I’m going to wimp out and do something super simple, yes?

Just a Note!

I'm running a drawing for my Etsy shop! Any purchases between now and August 15th qualify you for an entry in a drawing for a handmade Steampunk Quilt. The more you buy, the more entries you get!

Fly By

Did you see them as they flew past? The little telltale instances during childhood that ended up defining who you are today? I didn’t. In fact, I actively avoided them.

I am a seamstress.

Three instances stand out to me. The first was a visit to a resale shop with my mother. We haunted the place. It was fairly large and not as dangerous for a child to walk through as most were. It was near my home, so we went often, just to browse. I remember buying Misty of Chincotegue there on a rainy afternoon. In the back was a series of rooms, each no bigger than a small bathroom. In one, a rod hung on the wall contained formal dresses. Mom always glanced through. I tried not to pay attention. I wasn’t that much of a girly girl. I thought I was more interested in the cowboy and Indian toy sets out front. Then, she showed me The Dress. It probably wasn’t nearly what my mind built it up to be over the years, but in my memory, it was stunning. Surely Scheherazade had worn this dress for one night, at least. Only some Arabian princess could ever have done it justice. The colors were peacock blue and a cloudy purple. It was high waisted with a moderately plunging neckline. Either sequins or jewels were everywhere. It was long, with a skirt mimicking Fortuny’s style. The sleeves were bell sleeves, wings of sheer violet. I was in love. I think I was ten. We didn’t buy the dress. It was more than my mother was willing to pay for what would end up being a play dress. Wise of her. It would probably have faded from my memory. More than likely, it was actually a horrid 80s sequined monstrosity, but some day, I’m going to make that dress of my dreams.

The next dress was a dress I had for Halloween. I wish I had a full length photo of it, but I only remember there being a headshot taken. I adored that dress. Actually, chronologically, this dress came first. I was Cinderella in a rosebud pink dress. The skirt was enormous, for me, at least. It reminds me now of Glinda the Good Witch’s dress, only with less tulle and chiffon and more gathers with rosebuds. Details escape me, but I felt like a princess in that dress and my tinfoil crown.

The last dress was one I dubbed my Lady of the Lake dress in my mind. I can’t even remember what it really looked like, just the feeling it gave me and a vague impression of swaths of ivory chiffon. I had this during high school and had intended on wearing it as a costume for Halloween one year when we were allowed. It had disappeared by then. Who knows where that dress ended up.


I am a writer.

If you had told me I would ever end up loving to write, I would have looked at you like you’d grown a second nose. It took forever before it occurred to me I really could write. In some things, I am slow. I don’t recall much about writing during elementary school, but I remember bits of an assignment for Jr. High, in Mrs. LeJeune’s class. Something about my horse is all I remember, but I got a very good grade on it. The one that clenched it was in Mrs. Fielder’s English class. I aced English in every year. I took to it like breathing. You’d think I would have had a clue. We had an assignment for a one page story about getting up on stage. I whipped something out, thinking I’d flunk it. Knowing I would, but I just couldn’t do any better. Mrs. Fielder announced she was going to read the best essay the next day. I thought nothing more of it. As she went up to the front of the class, someone caught a glimpse of the name, beginning with S, and assumed it was Shannon Gilley’s. I still recall her smug look. I didn’t think to look at her face when my essay was read.

It wasn’t too long after that when I realized I could write and that I wanted to be a writer in some way. When the Art teacher announced a competition to win a stained glass piece she’d made, the best story about a Frog Prince, I entered. I wish I still had that story. It was about a medieval prince obsessed a witch who turned him into a frog wearing tennis shoes. I still have the stained glass frog. He hangs in the window near where my son sleeps.

As these pieces of time slipped by, I didn’t recognize them for what they were. Now I know, and I wonder what else I will look back on that defined me.

Sharing

There’s a little voice that nags me every time I start to write something for this blog. What’s the point, it says, to write without teaching or showing something? For a while, I had nothing to answer that with. It came to me today, in bits and pieces, much like the drops of rain filling a bucket just outside the porch (I can hear the tap, tap, thunk, tap). Some of the best teachings in life are simply thoughts shared. What may not seem overly important to me could be a drastic epiphany to someone else. So many things are perceived in different ways. The rhythmic buzz of a sewing machine that is cathartic to me can be as irritating as fingernails on chalkboard to someone else. Perhaps it’s context, what is happening in the world around you, your immediate world.


The important thing is to share. When you create something beautiful, something you love, do you not want to show the world, as a child runs to mommy to show his latest picture? Thoughts can be just as beautiful, maybe more so. Dreams fuel the soul. Keeping them bottled up inside seems a bit miserly. Things we create are dreams made solid, be it a little dress, a simple charm, or a photograph. Everything is up for interpretation. I know there are many things created that leave me scratching my head, but they mean something to others, even if only the maker.


Today, as I work on a commissioned dress, I stop seeing the illustration that inspired it. Instead, I see the gleaming, whisper thin white silk flowing under my hands. I see the hundreds of tiny wrinkles smoothing out beneath my heated iron. There is beauty there, the beauty of the unfinished, of the work in progress. Each step can be both a work of art and meditation, all rolled into one whole, if you let it. Right now, the final product isn’t as important as the steps along the way. What is more perfect, the final creation, or the progress it takes to get there? How can you know, if I don’t share it?

How It All Began

Sewing: one thing I never thought I would be doing as a profession. Growing up, I never wanted to touch a sewing machine. My mother sewed constantly, as did my grandmother. I played with embroidery and sewing pillows by hand, but the thought of actually sewing with a machine… Honestly, it scared me a bit. I could just see my fingers zipping under the needle at warp speed. The deciding factor was a baby quilt I wanted to make for my oldest nephew. It involved hundreds of tiny squares, each less than two inches, with an embroidered centerpiece. I think I managed two rows before throwing my hands in the air and dragging Mom out of the garden to teach me to use her machine. I was twelve. That was fifteen years ago.

Theoden, Lord of the Rings

Today, I craft patterns by hand, building elaborate garments from the ground up, literally. It’s been a long journey since that first quilt. Next came dolls and doll clothes. I’ve always been crafty, always pushing beyond my own boundaries, and that continued throughout my sewing. Soon, I was making simple dresses for myself, then shirts, and finally, the dreaded pant. I still loathe pants. The turning point was in 2001 and the release of the movie Lord of the Rings. The costumes fascinated me and I was far from the only one. A little website grew on the internet, devoted to those costumes and the techniques required to make them. I learned so much, both from asking questions and experimenting on my own. From there, I began drafting patterns when commercial patterns weren’t giving me the look I needed. For Halloween 2003, I dressed my three nephews up as characters from Lord of the Rings, using patterns and altered items from thrift stores. I was both proud and unsatisfied with the final result. I needed more practice. That year, an online friend asked me to make a dress from the movie. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sewing Research for Costumers

Costumer's Guide - For a variety of movie costumes, screencaps and detailed write-ups.
Padawan's Guide - The definitive Star Wars costuming site.
Out Now - For some of the best high quality stills and publicity shots from movies old and new.
The Wardrobe Door - A study site for the costumes from the Narnia series.
Costumer's Manifesto - An enormous link site with information on a variety of costumes, clothing, eras, and sewing in general.
The Glove Website - Making, buying, building and wearing of gloves, historical and modern.
Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion - Links, guides, and commentary on the Regency Style.
Realm of Venus - Renaissance costuming in all its glory
VintageSewing.info - Your primary source for recreating vintage fashion.
Fashion-Era.com - A history of fashion and costume throughout the eras.
Lord of the Rings Costume Research - Chock full of fantastic research that can be applied to more than just LotR costuming.
Beginner Costuming - Tutorials, guides, and the basics of costuming.
auroraceleste.livejournal.com - A list of tutorials and guides compiled by the owner of Beginner Costuming.


Fabrics and Supplies
Fabric.com
Joann's Fabric - Sign up for their coupons today, good online and off.
Hancocks' Fabric - Another great place for coupons
Syfabrics - Velvet, pleather and more at great prices.
Warehouse Fabrics Inc.
Just Leather - Leather at great prices!
Fabric Store
Calontir Trims - Modern, historical and SCA style trims
M & J Trims
Inflatable Mannequins - Inexpensive display and dressforms
Pillaged Village - Accessories, trims and trinkets.

Sewing Tips and the Whys Behind Them

We’ve all seen the lists of sewing tips that are certainly handy to know, but have you ever wondered why? Are you like me and frequently reinvent the wheel so that you can understand all aspects of it? Then, and only then, do you truly get the why and wherefore of something.

embossed velvet

Ironing -

Velvet should never be ironed. - Actually, you can iron velvet. If you haven't got a needleboard to lay the velvet on, face down, use a clean white towel, or one that you're sure won't leave a dye residue on the velvet fibers. How this works is that the velvet pile sinks down into the towel fibers without crushing them. A handy tip for ironing seams is to place something narrow, such as a thicker dowel rod, beneath the towel and place the seam over that. This stops the seam allowances from causing ridges that can leave impressions on your fabric.

*This is one I can't quite explain the reasons why, exactly, not without a degree in chemistry.*
For stubborn wrinkles on natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, and rayon, white vinegar is your very best friend. In a small spray bottle (smaller is easier to handle), mix half vinegar and half water together. Be sure it's white vinegar, as cider vinegar will stain. Spray your stubborn wrinkles and iron on your normal setting. Always test any ironing, even with just water, on fabrics you aren't sure of the content on or if they've been pre-shrunk, as steaming wrinkles can potentially shrink the fabric. Also, you can simply spray hung fabric, such as curtains or uncut fabric, and leave the vinegar to dry. The wrinkles will relax out of the fabric. This is especially handy when removing wrinkles before cutting your fabric.

Cutting -

When cutting out large pattern pieces, hang them over something like the top of an open door, or a shower curtain rod for several hours or overnight before sewing. You may have to recut them when the fabric relaxes. Once you cut the piece out from the fabric yardage, it begins to stretch and relax, especially the parts cut on the bias. Skirts, extra long sleeves, cloaks, and etc all really need to be hung before sewing, especially before hemming.

If you're cutting out something super light, such as chiffon, be careful when smoothing your fabric out to pin the pattern pieces on it. If you smooth one spot, it pulls another. I find that holding the edges tight and simply blowing across the fabric can smooth out those pesky wrinkles without moving your fabric off grain. Also, turn off all wind sources, if you can! Even the slightest draft of air can disturb your fabric.

Sewing -

When sewing long seams, it's best to sew in the direction the item will be hanging. In other words, you sew down, the direction gravity will be pulling. The fabric inevitably relaxes, even after you've let the pieces hang. All seams really need to be sewn in the same direction, the initial sewing line, as well as serging lines. If you don't, the fabric can eventually start to sag along that seam. This is especially evident with knit fabrics, or pieces cut on the bias.

For a more professional garment, finish your seams, rather than just cutting with pinking shears. You can do this with many methods, such as french seams, serging, overlock stitch, whip stitching, flat felling, and simple zig zagging. Unfinished seams will eventually begin to fray and they aren't as strong as finished seams.

Many commercial patterns call for facings to have fusible interfacing. Even when lined, some call for only a strip just down the hem edge for buttonholes or simple stability. It never fails that this interfacing comes loose after laundering a handful of times. I find the best way to combat this is to sew the interfacing to the lining, or to the shell with discreet stitches. The same applies for the facings themselves. If you don't want a thread line to show, a few near invisble hand stitches can stop them from bunching up after laundering.

Remove pins as you sew! This is very important. You need to either hand crank the needle over the pins, or remove them as they pass under your feed dog. A needle can shatter if it hits the body of a pin, causing damage to your machine and possibly yourself. Trust me on this one. Been there, done that.

Fabrics -

Leather- You really can sew leather on your machine. Garment leather is classified at 2 oz or less, usually. This is how much it weighs per square foot. I wouldn't recommend sewing anything heavier on a home machine. For this purpose, leather needles exist. Instead of punching through the leather like regular needles do with fabric, sewing machine leather needles actually cut tiny holes as they go through the leather. Use heavier thread when sewing leather, too. I find that upholstery thread is best.

Sheers - Chiffon, organza, georgette. They sound pretty. They look pretty. They can be very difficult to sew. When sewing sheers, make sure your machine needle is as small as you can find, size 9 or 11. Otherwise, the larger needles will leave unsightly holes in your seam. New, sharp needles are preferable. Change the stitch length on your machine to a smaller setting, such as level 2, if you have that. Make sure you're sewing the correct sides together. Ripping seams out of sheers leaves traces behind, so fewer mistakes are important here. Go slowly until you build your confidence and watch out for thread bunching. It's remarkably easy for a misthreaded machine to suck your thin fabric through the needle plate. If your seams are going to show, french seams are much more appealing on a sheer garment than any other. Likewise, rolled or baby hems are more attractive. If your machine came with accessories, you likely have a rolled hem foot in with them. With a bit of experimenting, this foot can be remarkably easy to use and vital if you sew many sheer items.

Not all cottons are created equal. Thus, use the appropriate needle for your cotton. For something like batiste or voile, use the smaller needles. Denim always needs a heavier needle.

Silks can be difficult to sew, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. It tends to be more delicate than other fabrics, but silk is also the strongest natural fiber out there. Chiffon, organza and georgettes made from silk can be ripped rather than cut, and it is much easier to make sure you have the true grain of the fabric when you do this. Be prepared to use many pins, though, once you start sewing. It's beautiful, but it can creep and crawl quite a bit. The exception is dupioni silk. My favorite of any silk fabrics, the only drawback with this gorgeous stuff is that it is very, very easy to get the wrong side of the fabric piece pinned and sewn in. Be doubly aware of your pattern shapes when you start working. I can't tell you how many times I've had to rip out a sleeve for putting it in backwards with dupioni. It looks the same on both sides.

Velvet- Sewing velvet can be... a challenge. Sewing velvet to satin can be a nightmare. A couple of shots of tequila midway through your project might be required, in fact! Take care when you cut, pin within your seam allowances to be sure the pile isn't crushed by your pins, and be ready to either use every pin in your pack, or hand baste it. The walking foot will be your very best friend when you sew velvet. If you must iron your seams, do so lightly, and carefully. See my tip on ironing velvet.

Patterns -

Not all patterns are created equal. I have a vague hope that one of these days, all commercial pattern makers will have a consistent sizing method. Simplicity size 8 is not the same as a Butterick size 8. Some are even larger or smaller than what the pattern back states. It's best to do a trial of a pattern you've never used before, just to be sure. Also, looking at the finished garment measurements printed on the pattern pieces themselves help. This link will help you figure out the size and fit you want.

You want to recreate a garment you saw on last year's catwalk, or maybe the prom dress you wore ten years ago. The problem is, you can't find an exact pattern. Actually, maybe you can. The simplest tip I can give is to break patterns down into basic shapes. Even if this requires taking the pattern instructions out of the envelope and looking at them in the store, it's best to do this before you get the wrong pattern. If you're looking for a formal dress, don't restrict yourself. Combining patterns can be dead easy, once you get over the fear of it. Pattern A has the bodice style you need, but a horrible skirt. Pattern B has the perfect skirt, but the bodice and sleeves are wrong. You couldn't possibly use Pattern B because you found it in the costume section, rather than formalwear. Right? Wrong. A pattern is a pattern is a pattern. Admittedly, some costume patterns cheat and take the easy way out for fittings, like using elastic and no linings, but some are actually the opposite, namely historical recreations. Break down what you're looking at in the item you want to recreate and look for the patterns to fit those pieces. It doesn't all have to be on the same pattern, or in the same section.

Tools -

Even though they're more expensive, you'll do much better with glass headed pins. Cheap, plastic head pins can and will melt when ironed over.

Serger tweezers, or surgical tweezers, are invaluable in the sewing toolbox. There is always some small piece of thread or fabric they can be used on.

Seamrippers need to be replaced every so often, from several times a year for constant use to less frequently for occasional sewing.

Pliers - When you absolutely have to finish something that is six layers thick, grab the pliers. Needles the size of a nail are pretty difficult to push and pull through fabric with sore fingers.

Dust cover - The most important tool in your arsenal is a sewing machine cover. Homemade or one of the plastic ones you can buy at any fabric or hobby store, cover that machine. Dust is your worst enemy.

Sewing machine oil - Your sewing machine is just that, a machine. Machines need maintenance. Metals need lubricating. If you use your machine often, oiling once a week is good. Not so often, you can get away with once every month or so. If you don't have your manual handy to tell you wear to oil, just use common sense and look for places where gears move, joints may stick, and metal touches metal. Don't over oil, though. Just a drop or two in each spot is enough. Once you oil, run your machine at top speed for a minute, and then sew over scrap fabric to be sure all residue is gone before using it.

Machine needles - Change needles often! Why? They get dull, or damaged. Most professionals say to change them with every item you sew, but if all you sew are small crafts, that can be on the ridiculous side. Again, common sense. If you sew a lot, change it out every few days. Pay attention to your size, as well. The larger the needle, the heavier the fabric you sew. Small needles are for sheer fabrics. Large needles are for things like denim. More information on the basics of sewing needles is here.

Magnets - For finding those lost pins. The stronger, the better.

Crafting as a Lifestyle

Let’s be honest. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Long hours, little pay, hoping and praying for the Big Guys to notice your work so that you can finally start making a decent wage on what you love to make. It doesn’t happen for everyone. In fact, it happens for hardly anyone. The Starving Artist Syndrome. What does it really take to make it big, or at least to better your chances?



Again being honest, I haven’t gotten there. I’ve seen those who have, though. First and foremost, a dedication to your craft is required. If you don’t love to do it, you can’t possibly last through the trials and tribulations it takes to get there. It takes heart, all of it, to succeed. If you have big enough heart, you can overcome the time limitations family and mundane jobs put on you. Some of us work best under these constraints. There’s something about being in the pinch that brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. If you’re lucky, you work better when you’re stressed about other things. Just forget it all and concentrate on moving the needle in and out.

It takes time, time spent on working, time spent on networking, time spent on dreaming. Unless you dive into your business knowing exactly where you’ll be in five years, things are constantly evolving in your business. Skills sharpen, ideas clarify, inside knowledge comes easier. If you aren’t willing to dedicate hours each day in the beginning to your business, keep doing what you love, but don’t expect to make a living doing it.

It takes sacrifices. Instead of relaxing with the tv, you spend time in your workspace. Your precious free time gets sucked into the vortex of the Home Business. It’s a fine line, though. You must sacrifice what you love, but not those you love. Even the most dedicated of workaholics need to take time off to spend with the family sometimes. You become rejuvenated. New ideas come to fresh minds. Don’t feel guilty for movie night, or taking your kids to the zoo. Family comes first, just be reasonable about it. Find out what works best for you. Tight schedules work for some, others don’t like being tied down. I myself travel the middle road. I have tentative schedules, but I’m willing to fling them out the window if creativity bites.



Above all, it takes freedom. Let yourself be free to create, free to dream, free to be. The dedication, time, and sacrifices are all worth that freedom. You may not be raking in the money, but you’re doing something you love and you’re passing that on to those who purchase from you.

Live it.
Love it.