Big brave steps!

HELLO!!! Anyone out there?! I have been a bad blogger (again) and failed to post for AGES! It’s not been lack of intention, but things have been rather busy at BBKnitz HQ. Also as you will notice the next few posts are not real time(!!)

Firstly work has just gone crazy!! There is usually a transaction surge in the run up to Christmas, but October was honestly the most relentless month in deal flow for a very long time. So I’ve been truly putting the flex into flexible working.

Naturally this kind of working environment takes its toll, but in true BBKnitz fashion I decided to add another layer of pressure. I mentioned before in “Christmas is coming fa la la la…” that I wanted to produce some Christmas decorations for sale this year so that I could raise money for Ronald MacDonald Houses. So whilst merrily making some small Christmas fripperies to sell at work, a friend sent a link to a local Christmas craft fair suggesting maybe I might want to try and get a stall! It would be a massive understatement to say my interest was piqued 😂. I took a couple of days to think over the idea: Not only have I never had a stall before, I’ve never really sold anything before (other than requests from friends for little gifts). Do I have enough variety of product to have an interesting stall? Could I possibly make enough stock? My brain was already dreaming up “quick” ways to bulk out my stock count of knitted baubles and embroidered hanging hearts (which are relatively time consuming to produce)- what about bunting, mini bunting, advent calendars, stockings? All could be produced quite quickly, and as a Christmas craft addict and hoarder I already had a load of panels and fabric to require minimal additional outlay (revealing the ridiculous size of my craft stash).

So I applied for a stall, and then started the frantic industry of producing everything I possibly could in order to have enough stock to fill a craft stall. In the unlikely event I over produced I could sell what was left at work!

It feels like I am back in wedding prep mode! I have spent every Sunday afternoon at the sewing machine in the Inner Sanctum, I’ve even spent many a dark evening in there trying frantically to get pieces finished off! The whole room is a bombsite of Christmas supply boxes turned upside down! The floor scattered with fabric trimmings!

And as per usual I have underestimated the task in hand… my original plan was to make up the strings of bunting I have been planning for our house for the last 2 years. I had over 20m of flags already made up ready to be sewn together. I obviously don’t need 20m so I could put those to good use. In my enthusiasm I had forgotten the tedious, time consuming task of pressing the bunting tape, pinning in place and then sewing accurately long strings of flags (I am not that brilliant with a sewing machine – especially when being stabbed by pins). Having made up 10m it suddenly occurred to me that bondaweb would’ve been a much better method of prepping the flags for sewing up 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Also I have used a lot of preprinted panels, which are not the most friendly where hemming is concerned so I’ve had to rethink a few items before sewing up.

That said, I am feeling a lot more relaxed about things now! We’re 2 weeks away from the fair and I have the following finished and ready for sale:

• 4 stockings
• 5 strings of bunting
• 15 knitted baubles
• 10 embroidered hanging hearts
• 1 stocking advent calendar
• And I am still in the process of making 5 strings of mini bunting, another stocking calendar, 2 stardard hanging calendars and more baubles and hearts.
• Every spare minute is being used: I am embroidering on my commute, knitting baubles and hand-finishing fabric items during Small’s naps (whilst boxset binging), and sewing in the shed during the weekend afternoons (while Hubby and Small have their own fun) and in the evenings when Small is in bed.
• Crazy as this might sound, being insanely busy at home has really lessened the stress that was creeping in at work. And with the posts I have been putting on Instagram I have already had a lot of items claimed!
• I’ve always wanted to be able to give up work and do my crafting instead, but I am far to slow to be able to produce in sufficient volume to make any kind of income. But then maybe I need work as a counterbalance, without it there wouldn’t be the deadline pressure, the organisational challenge, or the more intellectual stimulation which brings in a bit more reality to my home life with Small and my crafting alter-ego. It will be interesting to see how the stall goes, whether there is demand for the things I make (I might love them but does anyone else 😂), and it is my first brace steps to establishing myself as real maker. Let’s see…