Earth Week Project

Earth Week Project: Recycled Pillow Inserts.

Owning my own baby clothing line has definitely made me much more aware of the amount of waste that manufacturing creates.  Just my little lonesome self can create trash bags filled with tiny irregular scraps that are hard to reuse, every month! I can barely wrap my brain around what the waste coming out of a large-scale operation must look like.  What do they do with their scraps? I give my good scraps away to artist friends to reuse, but I'm still left with so. many. scraps. Every time I run a garment through my serger (which is hundreds of times a day), a tiny scrap is created.  Some of those scraps cling to me throughout the day, and I basically look like a fiber-laden Christmas tree when I run outside to get my kiddo off the bus, but the rest, I stick in a massive 10 gallon bin next to my sewing table. For months I have been saving up those shreds of fabric and thread, with the intent to recycle them into pillow stuffing.  Let's just say, I have MORE THAN I CAN HANDLE, at this point.  I could probably stuff a sofa, but I finally got the opportunity to put some of it to good use!

(Scrap Mountain)

My sister is currently settling into some new digs, tiny digs, to be exact.  She rented a tiny home/cabin on a farm down the street from my house, and we've been having a great time making all the trimmings for her new place.  Handmade curtains, pillows, etc.  Recently on a thrifting adventure, my sister picked up some really cool burlap pillowcases, which gave me the chance to make some pillow inserts from my scraps. Hallelujah!

 Here's how I did it:

1. cut around the pillowcase onto some extra yardage I had on hand. I needed 2 pillows, so I cut 4.

2. Place the right sides of the fabric together, and sew around the edge of the square, leaving a 3 inch opening on one side (tough work, I know).

3. Turn the square right side out using the opening left during sewing, and stuff with scraps.

4. Sew the opening shut, and tadah! You have a pillow insert.

5. Stick the pillow in your case, and congratulations, you have one eco-friendly, slightly lumpy, throw pillow.

A day in my studio

The Grand Tour

 Cutest helper EVER

 Cleanest my shop has ever been

Blobby painting was my first piece as a toddler :)

When we go shopping, whether it is online or in a local shop, we rarely get to see how our purchases came to be.  What went into it? As a maker, I often get anxious emails from customers who are desperate to get their orders. "WHY CAN'T IT GET HERE TOMORROW?????" It's hard to wait for things we're excited about, especially when we really don't know what's taking so long!

From an artist's perspective, I feel that buying handmade is a wonderful experience.  I love knowing that when I shop handmade on Etsy, or in my favorite brick and mortar shop, I'm buying a piece of someone else's imagination and heart. I'm buying an expression of their joy, and that purchase is supporting a real person, who has a real family.  It almost gives me chills to think about it! I basically feel guilty every time I shop at a big box store, because I know the environmental and social devastation that mass production creates, and I know my purchase isn't doing anyone a whole lot of good.  No one is getting paid fairly start to finish, from the farmer to the checkout woman who'd rather be at home with her family... SIGH.  It's certainly not the same fuzzy feeling I get when I buy a handmade organic diaper from an Etsy artist, or a hand-poured candle made with local beeswax. When we don't see these things being made however, it's easy to feel separate from them.  It's easy not to worry about the farmer, or the seamstress. We don't see how our things are made anymore, we only see the end result.

With that in mind, I thought it might be cool to write a little blog post about what a day in my studio is like.  Every artist's studio and process is different, but here's a glimpse at mine! I attempt each day to balance work and family life, from my little home-based studio in Lafayette Colorado.

 With this schedule, I am able to make approximately 7 thoughtfully produced baby outfits a day.  I get between 50 and 60 orders in a typical week, so it's very hard to fit every order into my turnaround time of 7-10 business days.  I don't take days off, and I do work weekends. Food poisoning? Still working... Snow day? Working! Good thing I love what I do!

LITTLE LOTUS ORGANICS DAILY SCHEDULE

4:45 AM - I wake up, put on the coffee, and turn on the studio lights.

5:00 AM-5:45 AM - I'm basically conscious enough to start cutting patterns out for the tiny outfits I will make that day.  I use a rotary cutter to cut each component out one at a time.

5:45 AM - I get my son Alex who has Angelman Syndrome out of bed to get ready for school.  I dress him, change his briefs, feed him, write in his daily log to his teacher about any medical or behavioral concerns for that day and answer any questions they left from the day before. I  pack his lunch, pack his bag, check that he has enough bibs and diapers for school, and then drag him to his wheelchair, because he's usually not too psyched to leave.

7:20 AM - I make a complete fool of myself dancing to cheer Alex up while he tearfully boards the bus.  Driver and I make up Johnny Cash parodies for his entertainment.

7:22-9:45 AM - I continue cutting out patterns

9:45-10:00 AM - I compulsively check my Etsy site and tend to any customer service matters.

10:00 AM - Patterns are all cut! Time to start serging the garments together! I love my serger, it's a Juki I replaced my Janome with last fall, there's a world of difference between them!

9:45-2:20 PM - I serge everything together, weeeeeeeeeeee.

2:30 PM - Alex is home from school! I feed him, change his briefs, do his home exercise plan, and we hang out for a bit.

4:00 PM-5:15PM - I sew the waistband of all the pants made that day.

5:15 PM-6:00 PM - I sort each order, write a note to each customer, wrap the orders, and hand them off to hubby to take to the post office.

6:00-8:30 PM - I make the kids' dinner.  We spend time together as a family, do bath time, sofa time, Diaper time, pajama time, and bed time.

8:30 PM - Kids now in bed, I sit down to print the next day's order line-up and shipping labels. Husband and I eat dinner.

8:45 PM - I fall asleep

So as you can see it is a full day of making and care-taking with my favorite people. My studio is really cool in that it is located in the lower portion of our split-level home.  This means that it is separate, but open to the rest of the house.  This enables me to be working, while I watch my 2 year old daughter Lyra grow up.  I sew away while Daddy and baby run and run and run, with the occasional book or coloring break.  I can stop what I'm doing to kiss a booboo, or look at her latest drawing. I'm very grateful for that opportunity.  Most folks who work as much as I do, have to miss out on all of that! I can be a mother, and a maker, the best of both worlds :)

Art is for EVERYONE, how we got from eating paint to mini-masterpieces.

When I was pregnant with Alex, I had high hopes of creating art with him.  We all project different expectations onto baby while we're waiting to meet them, and that was definitely mine.  I wasn't actively planning to force him into a life in the arts, but I was certainly eager to watch him make those first chicken-scratch markings we all made in our early years.  What I didn't know when I was expecting him, was that he would have Angelman Syndrome.  I didn't know that that would one day soon become a tall order I wasn't sure we could achieve.

Fast-forward 3 years, due to PICA (a disorder where you eat things that are not food) the only thing Alex wanted to do with  art supplies was eat them.  Honestly, eating stuff was all he wanted to do in general! He didn't enjoy conceptual play of any kind. Everything was about licking stuff. Play ball? Nope, lick ball. Read a book? Nope, eat book. Cuddle on the couch? Nope, lick mommy.  I'll admit, this kinda broke my heart, but not for long. I'm just not the type of gal who can easily admit defeat, and I didn't want to resign myself and Alex to a lifetime of "lick-based-play."

I started trying to think of ways that Alex and I could come together and enjoy doing something as a family. Art was an obvious first choice for me, and it was easy to convert it to something that could safely accommodate Alex's PICA.  I started with berries.  I defrosted frozen blueberries in my microwave, and we did watercolor paintings with them.  Then I made edible playdoh, and we played with that too.  Eating art supplies safely wasn't the ultimate goal though,  It was to use them for their intended purpose! Over time and with some work, we were able to transition to children's paint, and now at almost 7 years old, he is painting for fun for prolonged periods of time.  Here is how we did it:

1. Start with supplies you feel comfortable giving your child.  If they are lickers and chompers like Alex, it's important that it be edible so that you can follow the next few tips. Try food based paint!

2. Use a space that can get messy.  Our old occupational therapist generously gave us her old dining table, and it has been amazing! We use it hard. It's easy to clean and I do not fret about getting it dirty.  If you do worry about that stuff, put something down that can get dirty.

3. Honor the behaviors you want to see, and ignore the ones you don't (this is why you have to have edible supplies if they're prone to eating them, and a table you can get dirty). This is basic ABA stuff handed down to me by Alex's old ABA therapist. When Alex licks his paint, I do not acknowledge it.  When Alex paints on the chair instead of the paper, I do not acknowledge it. I look away and disengage.  The moment Alex's brush touches his paper though, I clap my hands and celebrate with him.  This teaches that it is more rewarding to paint on the page! Over time, he stopped licking and started painting.

4. Be realistic.  Alex's attention span used to measure at less than 10 seconds.  In the early days of painting, we painted for  10 seconds.  Yes that's right, I prepped all the supplies and got everything all ready, followed by the necessary cleaning chores, just for 10 seconds of fun.  I just made those 10 seconds positive, and tried to sustain his attention a bit longer each time.  As he has matured he has participated longer and longer.  Now he will ask me to paint, and then sit there and do it for half an hour! These things take time, but are so worth it! One also has to redefine what kind of art to expect.  No, I'm not expecting Alex to paint a family portrait or the house etc. It's enough for me that he is experiencing the art process, and doing something functionally that he enjoys!

5. Don't push too hard.  If you are anxious, upset about spills, angry that it didn't go well, arguing about eating paint, feeling discouraged etc. your kiddo is probably going to feel similarly about the whole thing, and not want to try next time.  Just go into it open minded and with as few expectations as possible.  If they only lick or throw the brush, it's ok, just be ready to party down the second that paint hits the paper!

Espresso Patronum: My Small Victories

Today, I'm going to share a secret with you.  The secret... to my relative sanity.

Recently I received basically the coolest mug ever from my best friend Kate.  It hilariously depicted a rather creepy picture of Mr. Potter, holding a cup of espresso, with the caption: Espresso Patronum (Harry Potter fans unite!). It was a really special gift that only my best friend could send.  Of course I had to share the mug with my awesome baristas at the local coffee shop right away, and the moment was magical.   It pretty much made my day.

This lead me to ponder the value of a single moment. Mindfulness can make the smallest thing pure magic. I've mentioned in previous posts that our family tends to live super slowly, we're painfully aware of the moment sometimes as we attempt to muddle through a day of vigilant special needs care, work, cleaning, life, relationships, etc., but it also provides so many opportunities for me to truly cherish the basics.  I think that that is one of the keys to our survival.  Perhaps survival is the wrong word... Because I feel like I'm flourishing, not just getting by. 

So here is my special secret: if you want to be happy, revel in the smallest victory.  Find joy in the small mundane moments we overlook so often. When I go to a coffee shop, it is an event.  I make it one. I take the opportunity to lend the event a lot of significance, so that it is more than just another errand to run. It's a vacation, it's a spiritual practice!  Even if I am in a hurry, or have a million worries, when I step across the threshold of a coffee shop door I leave all of that behind.  I devote myself completely to the moment.  I smile as I wait in line peacefully un-harrassed by my adorable children for a minute or two (I'd gladly wait 10...). I feel genuine joy and give my full attention during my brief exchange with one of the several awesome baristas (possibly the only adult conversation I will have that day). I sit quietly even if I only have a minute, and enjoy a sip or two of my favorite drink, and I'm replenished.  The added bonus is of course the energy coffee provides as I power through the day. So that's it... It's not really a secret at all I suppose, but if you are experiencing a lot of stress or responsibility, just remember to stop and revel in little moments. Don't let your brain trick you into thinking you don't have time to drop everything, just for a minute, and be present. These little magically mundane moments truly make life worth living, and there are plenty to be had, my weird obsession with coffee shops is just one example. 

Happy Holidays!

Getting Personal With my Awesome Customers

There are many things I love about having my own handmade business.  I seriously love it. I love setting my own hours, setting my own quality and ethical standards, working independently and challenging myself, being artistic 24/7 a day, working with my hands, being there for my kids whenever they need me, long walks to the post office, problem solving, marketing, finding the perfect materials, you name it,  I love all of it.  However, one of my favorite and most unexpected joys in running my own handmade business, is getting to catch a little glimpse of my customers' lives, right at one of the most precious times in their life.

Most of my customers are either expectant mothers, mothers just starting their journey with a new baby (whether it's baby #1 or baby #6), or perhaps mothers planning a special photo shoot to preserve adorable memories on special occasions. It's an exciting, nervous, and loving time that is only too brief, and I love playing my own small part in it! It is a really special thing to me for example, that so many of my "going home outfits" that ship out, will be the absolute first thing a baby ever wears.  How amazing is it to know that this new little person is about to be born and will be coming home to change their parents' lives forever (in one of my tiny outfits no less!)? I know I sound cheesy but I mean come on, it really is pretty miraculous. These are the times of joy that we genuinely do remember forever like it was yesterday, and  it's just a real honor and pleasure to catch a tiny glimpse of it as I work with my customers to get their order delivered on time.

I must stress my many thanks and warm wishes to all of my customers (and every family for that matter), as they embark on the exciting and nerve wracking journey of parenthood :)

Awesome Hike!

This weekend we decided to go check out the awesome views from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain! It was a nice steep hike to the top (during which Lyra insisted on daddy carrying her in his arms rather than the fancy hiker carrier of course!) and then 360 views as far as the eye can see.  It was great.  Here's some pics from our hike. Stay tuned this week as we plan to take both kiddos to the pumpkin patch, we're super excited!

Balloons!

Baby Lyra's favorite thing in the whole world right now, would have to be watching the local hot air balloons rise and fall early each morning.  We live directly under their flight path, and that has been such a great and unexpected perk to buying this house. Sometimes they swoop so close that they brush the tree tops in our backyard! Almost every morning when we wake up we hear the soft roar of their flames, and Lyra gets so excited!
Here are some pics of us balloon watching this morning.