Too Much?

So here's the deal.

We all know I can knit, or, at least, you probably do. But what I've realized is how seasonal selling knits is, and how little of a real profit one can turn from knitting. Honestly, you simply cannot charge enough for knits to be truly worth your time, so knitting can only really ever be a hobby (there are exceptions to this rule, of course... but I am not one).
So this spring I decided to expand into sewing clothing (if you follow me on Instagram you might have known about this already). I've done a bit of sewing before, nothing TOO special... a skirt here and these, failed attempts at a dress or two... and I've also done some fashion sketches in my time. So I thought, hey, I've wanted to design dresses, so why don't I?

So I filled up my sketchbook with drawings.

A photo posted by Mary Schaefbauer (@lil_hayseed) on May 15, 2016 at 6:50am PDT

(Bear with the Instagram photos... I seem to be able to find the time for them but not for this)

I didn't want to worry about a million measurements and making a super-fitted piece, so I went with more loose-fitting, comfy-casual, boho-looking clothing, where one size would fit a lot of people, and I'd only need a couple key measurements for a general fit. It doesn't hurt that boho chic is 'totally in' right now, and I couldn't be happier about that.

Ooh look a dress I made

I could go way into my clothing design journey, but I think I'll save that for another post. Stay tuned. Possibly. If you want. Suffice it to say that it's coming along.

But the dressmaking has actually come second to another big idea I had earlier this spring.

I'd read up a lot on flower farming lately, and I decided to give it a shot. I scanned over books, and blogs (shoutout to Floret Flowers, not that they need one), and the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed catalog and gathered my arsenal of seeds. I spent days scheduling plantings and planning beds. I bought a bunch of 3x3" pots, filled them with dirt and seeds and set them on the windowsill. Then when I had too many pots for the windowsill we brought in some tables. I splurged on landscape fabric and set up camp in a couple rows in the north field.

A photo posted by Mary Schaefbauer (@lil_hayseed) on Jun 25, 2016 at 7:30am PDT

When the frost left I spent too many days planting--too many because it took so long I missed a bunch of plantings and some plants that I'd nurtured for weeks, even months, got too big for their pots. This partly has to do with me trying to do it all myself, partly with being terrible at time-management (but that, too, is a post for another time).
It was discouraging, sure, but I did what I could, and got everything in. I watered and weeded, and worried and waited (high five for alliteration). Now there's flowers, for real bouquets, a real, live florist on my side, and a possible bouquet subscription service. Woo!

A photo posted by Mary Schaefbauer (@lil_hayseed) on Jul 10, 2016 at 11:03am PDT

More on this later...?

A photo posted by Mary Schaefbauer (@lil_hayseed) on Jul 20, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

So that's what I've been up to. Mostly. I mean, there's some embroidery patterns in the works, and of course stocking up for the Christmas season (it comes REALLY early for people like me).

I meant, of course, to keep what I can only assume is my brick wall of a following updated on all this, but I can't seem to fit it in.
But I'm trying. I'm trying some new things. Maybe you'll hear about them.

Point of all this is, I'm floundering about this summer with tons and TONS of stuff on my plate, likely way too much. But behind the stress and anxiety about finishing muslin mock-ups, planning for the Xmas season, or whether this darned phlox is ever going to bloom, I love it. I love it all; that's why I insist on doing it all. I know that if I wasn't busy (and subsequently stressed) I would feel unfulfilled, and the thought scares me.

I've been learning to trust God with my plans, and that has helped me. Whether you care about that fact or no isn't my issue, but it's true. It's a mess, but I know, with a bit of work, I can handle it. Am I willing to put in that work...? Hopefully.

With that, have a wonderful day.