Helppppppppp.........

I'm investing in one of these buttons. My latest new customer has just called in with 11 pairs of trousers to shorten!! I have already got 3 pair of lined patio door curtains to shorten [got to wait for Twiglet to be free to help with those cos my replacement knee doesn't allow me to kneel down on the floor....the best place to cut curtains], a jacket to shorten the sleeves on, a bridesmaid's dress to put side panels into to let out for a very pregnant bridesmaid, a dress to take in the sides of [including realigning a concealed zip!] ....etc etc Does noone sew these days? [Oh yes of course you do Snailbeachshepherdess....fancy a few hours extra work?]

840 customers and they still keep coming...

It's been a week since I blogged and the reason is because I've been under the biggest sewing pile ever. I've had everything from chair seat cushions to make zipped covers for to a huge [and I mean HUGE!] waterproof canopy cover for an outside swinging seat [and that is one job I'm not keen to repeat 'cos it filled the space I have in my sewing room and was very tricky to get it's dimensions right]. It had to have tubes of fabric made for the side poles to slide into and other Velcro'd tubes to hold it at each end plus a 6" skirt all round to help keep the drips off the seat below [and one thing is for certain with all the rain we are getting it's gonna be well used this year!]....yes it's been a nightmare to design. As well as those I've had the usual steady flow of trousers to shorten, Gents trousers to let out because they have shrunk in the wash! [middle age spread really but we have to humour them don't we :-)], Posh frocks to tweak, Oh! and the occasional bride and bridesmaid of course.
I must be one of the luckiest people in the world to actually really love the job I do and my "I can do" attitude means I take on all sorts of jobs and enjoy the challenge every day brings me. I have met so many lovely people here and made lots of new friends just from my job. [I think you were one of my first Mountanear :-) .....and of course one of my best!] I'm blessed.

Good company, good food and great entertainment...

Just wanted to say...If you love Queen's music and need a brilliant night out then Birmingham Hippodrome is the place to go at the moment. We have seen this show down in London [just once or twice...actually 5 times!] but out of curiosity as to how they would take this show on the road we booked tickets to take Twiget with us to see it in Birmingham. Yes there were a few changes to the London show but, wow, what a truly brill show. The young performers really gave their all and everyone, I am certain, will have gone home having felt they had certainly got their money's worth. I know we did.

My latest creations

After a really intense week with my sewing I needed a little 'me time' and was feeling creative so thought I'd share the results with you. These are cards I've made from printing off photos of flowers and each one has a 3D effect [not sure the photos really do them justice]. A yellow set...

a pink set......


and a purple set....
I sell greetings cards of all sorts and usually make them to order with photos, names, dates, events etc on but also have a few customers who just call in for one so like to keep a few 'open' ones made ready and as my display was looking rather depleted I felt in need of refreshing them. I think these will brighten up my display nicely.

Phew they've gone...

We have had absolute Bedlem outside our gate for well over a week and at last it's all gone. The traffic lights had been from 100yds the one side of us to at least the same the other side but as they needed to be a 3 way setting they were very slow changing and have caused many frayed tempers. Trying to run a busy sewing business in the middle of all that hasn't been easy. The water board have lots to answer for. They have dug holes right outside the gate [ and at one time I counted 5 men looking into the one hole] and parked everything from bumper trucks to mini diggers right across the gateway so that I have had numerous phone calls from my customers to say they couldn't get to me.
Needless to say it hasn't stopped many of them and I have had one of my busiest weeks ever with at least 4 more new customers. "Where do they all come from?" I ask myself. 8am 'til 5pm five days a week isn't enough for some as this week I have worked two evenings too. I also think someone had written 'local drop in' across my banners at the gate cos it's been a week of visitors/customers calling in to sit down chat and tell me all their news. At one point I had a neighbour with her baby and a customer with her mum and baby here at the same time so it was back to the house being full of little ones. I love it love it love it. I have made sooooooo many friends running this business and feel truly blessed that they all feel able to come in and make themselves at home..........That's what I have been put here for. It's what I do :-)

To flow or not to flow, that is the question...

We had a card at the beginning of last week to say we would not have a water supply on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so each morning I religiously filled buckets [to flush toilets] and bottles and jugs for kitchen use. Wednesday came and went uneventful so did Thursday and Friday. Our water kept flowing and then on Friday we had yet another card to say it would be Monday and Tuesday this week. As I sit here typing I can see the work men preparing the road outside our house for traffic lights [watching the lights change is about as exciting as my day gets hehehehe]. There are several men walking up and down the road in their yellow jackets and hard hats....do you imagine it just might get done today? I have no doubt there will be a hole dug for one or two to stand looking into at some point.

Long distant sewing services

The norm is that I get 2-3 new customers every week with my sewing business. It has blown my mind at the amount that search me out for my services but yesterday was exceptional :-) I had a customer come to my door to have a new zip put in her trousers [nothing new there I hear you say]. She was a lady who originated in Northern Ireland but the tan and dialect said she hadn't lived there for a while. Actually her zip had broken whilst working out in South Africa and she decided to bring it to me to replace it!! She is only visiting her daughter over here during her summer holiday, as she does every year, and although she could have had it done in Africa she had brought it here by choice. What a long way to come to have a zip replaced :-)

A lull before the next storm?...

What a difference a day makes. Last week I was so busy I didn't have time to pee. This week I think my customers have all hibernated 'til the next hot spell. It's been my quietest week for months. The annoying bit is I know next week will be hectic again 'cos I've already got a bride, 3 bridesmaids and a brides going away outfit booked in to do. Oh well, not complaining 'cos a little breather does me good and it's given me time to do things for me. The old saying that 'a cobbler's wife walks bare footed' sort of applies here. I've just cut out a top to run up for me this morning and just made a coffee so I'm guessing I will now get a queue at my door within the next hour so I don't get the chance to make up my top.
My quiet week has also allowed me to have quality time with my little Granddaughter. She is 8 months old and just gorgeous. I babysat yesterday afternoon for a hour and a half, while her mum and dad visited the accountant, and we had such fun... Treasured moments. They left her pushchair with me so it gave me the opportunity to be the proud Nanny and take her for a walk through the village.

Weekend to chill and recharge batteries

It was a busy week last week with soaring temperatures so what I needed was some chill out time over the weekend.

Saturday morning we rose early so I could pop into our local town to find a walk-in hairdresser to lessen my thatch. I am back to being short and spiky now so feeling cooler and refreshed to start my week. I already have sewing on my rail to start me off and still have to finish the alterations on a wedding dress. It's Monday so it's the day of the week I spend with Twiglet [my MUCH older sister :-) ]. She comes down to help me out on a Monday [and any other day we can slip in]. Life is for living and we are lucky enough to really enjoy each other's company. Our days are full of fun and laughter. If I have curtains to shorten/make she does the groveling on the floor to measure and cut them for me as my replacement knee doesn't allow me to kneel down. She is truly a treasure and over the years I know life wouldn't have been anywhere as good without her in it. We are truly blessed.

Sunday was our day for buying a new shiny wheelbarrow...yes, it's exciting times here in the village :-) We loaned our old one to our eldest daughter and her partner to build their new extension and they still have lots to do to tidy up the building site/garden so we have said they can keep it. It's very special watching the younger generation building a beautiful home together so that is a small price to pay.
We grabbed a quick Sunday lunch and then pulled up our chairs and put our feet up to watch the tennis. Wow! what a game. They certainly had to work for their achievements. I was exhausted just watching them.

Right, it's time to get moving now. Trousers to shorten, zips to replace and anything else that floods in through the door. Chat later x

Let's make a start....

I've followed the blogs of others for too long now so here goes.....maybe I should start by a little about me?
I'm a country girl with simple needs who's aim in life is to put a smile on at least one face every day....and I never fail.
Having brought up my family and given them all my time and attention when they needed it most I needed a new challenge when they got older. I have always been interested in crafts and sewing so I retrained as a tailoress and ran a small alterations and repairs department in our local town centre. This gave me the skills I needed but not the job satisfaction so I decided to set up working for myself from home. When I took the plunge 5 years ago and set up my business with my sewing machines I debated if I would ever get enough customers, as I live in a village pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but as I now have well over 800 customers I think I can now stop holding my breath and relax knowing it's successful [as long as they don't all turn up on the same day!].