Me&My Rudolf

Traditionally Christmas comes but once a year, but in Me&My 's case Christmas started TODAY! here is a sneak peek at Me&My Rudolf collection.What do you think? Festive enough?

 

 

 

Tree decorations are hand stitched felt, stuffed with toy grade stuffing, and are £4 each, Sweaters are fleece lined, hand applique and £20 each (+P&P) available from MeMy Folksy shop as of next week, or message via here for more details/comissions/sizes

S xx

Me&My: Retail and up and coming stuff!

Me&My: Retail and up and coming stuff!:     Good Evening, Iv not been here for a while, as I have been crazy busy, October is a manic month, loads of birthdays (including my s...

Me & My: getting up to speed!

Me & My: getting up to speed!: Hellloooo! So turns out having two blogs means I actually write less?! so lets get up to speed, I have been BUSY! Iv not stopped, I have ...

getting up to speed!

Hellloooo! So turns out having two blogs means I actually write less?! so lets get up to speed,

I have been BUSY! Iv not stopped, I have stitched my own finger to a cushion, ended up with 3 'Peppa Pig' plasters on my hand due to lack of concentration AND managed to make 15 t-shirts, 6 cushions, several xmas decorations and started a baby quilt all in 10 days. I'm shattered, I never ever want to sew again (ok maybe just today) but its all worth it, I now have a folksy shop, http://folksy.com/shops/MeMy, I chose Folksy as it is British and more importantly Etsy wouldn't let me have Me & My or any combo of that as my shop name as it was taken (boo!!!) so its their loss, I plan to add 2 new t-shirts to the shop each week, starting it 2 fox tees, then maybe 2 reindeer ones, test the water and see what happens, I also whipped up stock for a local shop in St Albans called rain drops on roses, you can find out more about that on my other blog, www.itsmeandmy.blogspot.com

and now I'm getting ready for boogaloo Craft Fair again, where oh where did October go??

 

 

Mouse decoration can be found on my folksy page, t-shirts are on request and are £12.50, same for cushions and they are £15 per cushion. you can also check out new designs, news and gossip on my facebook page Me&My

whats going on here then??

Wow,
So its been 6 days since I last wrote a blog post, where does the time go? one minute I'm relaxing after an uneventful craft fair pondering what to do next, 3 days later I'm up to my eyes in orders and running around London trying to source a particular shade of cotton! this is the crazy world of self employment! well I'm not complaining, I would work every hour I have for myself rather then work for anyone else, and I'm lucky enough to do a job I love, so no, I'm not complaining.

Updates on where you can Shop for Me&My-
I'm now on Folksy @MeMy 
In now stocked in Raindrops on Roses In St Albans
and of cause you can always buy direct from my facebook page - facebook.com/JustSinead
and I'm always happy for commissions!
hope your all enjoying your weekend, I'm off to applique 20 t-shirts!

 

 

the truth about me and craft fairs

Me and craft fairs are not getting on, I'm always in two minds to even do them as they are such hard work, and my products are not exactly pocket money stuff. So yesterday I packed my bags, left my house at some un godly hour and made my way to North London, I don't drive, so this involved 2 buses and a train, dragging a suitcase and two bags along. Now I really like the craft fair I attended, I like the people and the organisers, but I don't like the lack of sales. now I could take it on the chin, and say OK that was a slow day, but this is the 3rd craft fair in a row where I have made a loss or just about broken even, and I now have to ask myself, what is the point? I get great comments and feed back, I give out loads of business cards and lots of promises from people that they will DEFINITELY buy something from me....well they don't, and I spend five hours sitting. smiling and trying to stay positive, I watch people pick up every single item of stock I have and then put it down and walk away, that's fine, not everyone is going to buy something, but when at least 50% of the people at craft fairs happen to be other traders, then your not going to sell anything at all because traders will look and think they can do the same thing as you themselves. So I need to look at what I can do now, maybe concentrate on be stocked in baby shops, yes that might be a start,but today I'm going to sit down, pack away my sewing stuff and not look at it for a while.

hmm....

Hello! So it turns out I now have two blogs...how did that happen?this time last year I didn't even know what a blog was! Still not entirely sure I do now, but now that my hobby has turned in to a proper business  I felt I should have a blog dedicated just to that, my new blog is...itsmeandmy.blogspot.com  BUT I will still post on here too! So whats been happening? Well as usual I have left everything to the last minute, I have a craft fair on Saturday, and only just started making stock a few days ago!Oh sure I thought about making it last week, even the week before, but I started making a quilt instead,reading other peoples blogs, watching TV and generally procrastinating enough to prevent me from actually doing any real work! So deadline day is here, and Iv spent this week sewing EVERY single spare hour I have had!I have a partner who has some kind of bug, this is a man who never ever gets sick, so I cant really expect him to  help out with the cooking, cleaning and toddler entertaining as he can just about crawl out of bed for a shower right now....oh well, being your own boss comes with its own problems the upside is that I have been to 'work' all week in PJ's..awesome! ALSO something that really bothers me, why oh why does spell check on a BLOG not recognise the work BLOG!!?? anyways, you can find me here this weekend, if our local please pop along!

These two little critters will be for sale there!Along with a few t-shirts, toys and other decorations....

So long Sunday, I didnt notice you had been.

I have very sore fingers, and what is feeling like the beginnings of strain in my arm, perhaps a sign that I type, text and sew too much!in the past 3 days I have hand stitched 11 t-shirt designs, all of them needing to look as neat as the last, I still have 9 to go, plus several toys and tote bags for this Saturdays craft fair, which incidentally is....

 

I have also got around to making my own Fox T-shirt! which I will wear to all my craft fairs from now on :-)

it still needs to be stitched on, but I love the way the colours come through against the grey. and finally, the truth about crafting.....its a VERY messy business, and I am often living surrounded by piles of fabric, thread, cushion inserts, ribbons, pins and needles, and so next week I will HAVE to take a day off to tackle this mountain I have created because I have actually buried half my wardrobe under it!

No Batman, just Robin

I always like to do a few 'pocket money' things for craft fairs, and although I'm definitely moving into baby clothing, and next year will be all about trade shows, I cant help making little things...so for the next few months I will have an on going supply of Robins, Foxes Reindeer and Owls being made from all manner of odds and ends.

 

This little fella are 15cm and 10cm, just the right size to hang on a Christmas tree or above a fireplace.

 

 

A ghostly pumpkin?

hello Blog world! the past few days have been boring but busy, lots of admin, lots of chasing up fabric and orders and LOTS of non sewing!in fact I seem to be allergic to the very idea of sewing right now, and find I'm doing much more creative stuff just to get out of doing any work, so this week I have mostly been...

1.using my stamp set to stamp all my tags for my tees,

2.thinking out side the box in terms of presentation for my next craft fair

3.drawing! lots a lots of scribbles and doodles

4.making fox motifs for tote bags

5. toying with the idea of fox bibs.....

so a busy few days, but non of it helpful in terms of getting through the back log of sewing I have. Oh well as with every craft fair Iv done I  will leave it to the last minute and be sewing until 3am the day before!

now Halloween is on my radar, Iv been so wrapped up about Christmas stock I over looked the spookiest day of all, so today I will be messing around with bits of off cut fabric trying to make little hanging decorations, since I dont seem to own a scrap of orange fabric Mr pumpkin may have to be yellow, or pink....hmmmm....

 

 

Slightly Sodden Sunday

Here is a rough version of a new design, I seem to be very in to pairs of animals this season, Spring was all about Foxes and Squirrels, well Winter is all about Mice, Deer and Robins keeping each other company.... 

 

 

Urghh! the weather has finally decided to give up any hope of a summer and it seems to of totally by passed Autumn and jumped in to winter, I usually love Autumn, being an October baby I get to have a birthday, Halloween and Guy Fawkes night all in the space of a few weeks, but this was before I moved to the countryside!and its a shock to the system, its bloody FREEZING! I'm getting some serious sewing time too as I have no reason to want to go out side, So count down to Birthdays, and Christams has begun!

Just checking in....

 

 

I should be sewing....I should be cutting up fabric and drawing designs, but instead I'm wrapping my head round things like VAT, Tax, Limited companies, creating a folksy shop, working on launching a website with a brother that happens to live 1000's of miles away on Shanghai!keeping on top of the ever present chores, remembering to feed, clothe and talk to my son.....I have a lot to do!everything is a learning curve, and Iv worked and sacrificed to get my business off the ground, to its time to power on, now...where did I put my pinking shears!

 

 

From now till Christmas.....

So, it look like I wont be seeing much day light between now and Christmas, I'm suddenly very very very busy! (I'm not complaining) but true to form I am yet again chasing deadline rather then kicking back and relaxing safe in the knowledge I'm ahead! My son starting nursery was meant to be an opportunity for me to have some office hours, where I could dive in to a pile of fabric for a few hours and be productive, instead I have watched many episodes of 'Teen Mom' on MTV (something I have never even watched before) and clock watched until I have to pick him up, not only am I now looking at a fabric explosion in my craft corner, BUT I am also fully booked up until Christmas with Craft fairs AND stocking for retailers, not to mention my stupidly ambitious idea of trying to pitch at a baby trade show next spring....I am a one woman sweat shop.So If I suvive the next few weeks....

You can catch me selling my hard made wares at the following events.....

SATURDAYS
OCT 6th
NOV 3rd
DEC 1st
 https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Vintage-Tea-Party-and-Gift-Fair-first-Saturday-of-every-month/188067171224344

 

 

 

 

SUNDAYS
OCT 28th
(possibley more to follow)
https://www.facebook.com/TheAbbeyMarket


AND you can BUY my stock from October onwards at in ST ALBANS at.....

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/RaindropsOnRosesStAlbans

woo hoo its a Thursday post!

Hi! Just a quick post of a new design,

This one was a real tough one, as I already designed a cushion with this motif a few months back that I loved, and the pink/green combo worked well on the clean simple white drill cotton backing, so finding a tee in the right colour was hard, and I took a bit of a gamble with blue, but I like it, I may try a green tee with a mauve circle background or even go back to white  what do you think? ...but for now I'm cutting out teeny tiny felt robins to to turn into Xmas decorations...my pile of unfinished work just keeps getting longer!

 

 

 

Its a Super stitching Sunday!

Morning!, So I found myself up past midnight last night finishing off two of my A/W designs, once I get something in my head its impossible to stop until I see it translated into something real, I have two more designs to finish up then its all about stitching up a load of tees ready for retail!

what do you think?

 

 

New designs!

 

 

Two posts in one day?! what on Earth is going on with me, Im in a very productive mood....so, Introducing one of 4 limited run A/W designs! age 3-4 (also 5-6 & 7-8) £12.50 plus P&P hand stitched, no two are the same.

for purchasing please comment/email me via my Facebook page- www.facebook.com/JustSinead or leave a comment below.

 

 

Sunny September

 

Good Morning Blog world! There has been a flurry of fabric activity this morning, with all this lovely lot being dropped through the letter box! It may be sunny and warm outside but I'm designing, cutting and stitching for Xmas! I love this time of year, the Autumnal colours, crisp air and a lot of crafting! I have so much stock to make, its all very exciting, but daunting at the same time, I just home come Christmas I have the use of my hands still.

 

The top fabrics are destined to be made into Ellie toys, The middle fabrics are all for Kids Tees and the bottom lot are just for me, I'm working on a quilt for my bed in girlie colours, I live in a house where I'm totally outnumbered by boys, so I'm holding on to my right to have pretty things in the house.

 

 

 

The quilting adventure

 

So, my first quilt is nearly finished, its going to a good home, and I'm really pleased with how its shaping up, have to bind the edges and neaten it up, but for a first go I think it works. I now understand why people love to quilt, its so satisfying, and its a useful item to have when its all done.Now to try my hand at a wall hanging quilt for my rather drab bedroom..... what do you reckon?

 

 

 

Eekkk Im making a quilt!

working on a quilt! Im very happy with it so far......

its made with Riley Blake material and some super soft cotton I had left from another project, what do you think?

changes.....

Hi there,

So there has been a few changes in the world of Just Sinead, first and foremost I have been super busy designing my Winter range and also stream lining the products I want to sell, the direction I want to take my business and how I can fit it all around my 'proper job' of full time parent! phew! So.... firstly the name, 'Just Sinead'. when I first decided to plunge into the world of craft fairs I totally over looked the fact that I would need a name! it was only when I was asked what I was called that I realised I wasn't really going to sell anything buy shrugging and saying 'oh its just some stuff I knocked up in my spare time' so I literally ran every name I liked into my computer to see if it already existed and yep turns out pretty much everything I liked was already out there somewhere doing business! damn them! So Just Sinead was born out of desperation and too much coffee... but now I'm more confident, I know where I want to take my 'Brand' I have to look at what will work long term, so once I have my website up and running the new trading name (which I have already let slip on facebook, will be unveiled) There also fantastic news on the horizon, in the shape of expanding where you can buy my products, having settled on focusing on children's apparel and decor for kids rooms I am able to set in motion being STOCKED in several retailers! its all hush hush right now...but there will be news soon on the wheres and whens....I'm beyond excited. I already have one amazing baby in the shape of my son, but this tiny business, that has kept me sane through the craziness of parenthood, unemployment, moving and generally having to be a grown up is blossoming into something I'm  excited to be creating...now all I need is an assistant who would work for biscuits and cuppas!

S xx

A model baby

Now I'm not normally one for splashing my sons picture all over this blog (its a different story on facebook!) but I did convince him to 'model' two of my kids T-shirts, it took some compromising, basically he didn't have to wear any trousers, which according to him would mean he simply couldn't model to his full capacity! the t-shirts are all a little big as he insisted on wearing the designs he liked not the ones that actually are for his age! so here is my son wearing an Ellie Tee in age 4-5 and a Fox Tee in the same sizing (he, might I add is not even three! hence the t-shirt looking more like a dress)

I imagine there will be many more photo's to come seeing as I'm designing mt Christmas range....

A Friday photo edition

its been a lovely week of sunshine and walking in the fresh air, not much else to say really...............

A Tuesday Post

hello!
its been a while, Id like to say iv been so busy that I simply haven't had time to blog, but that would be a lie! After several craft fairs, and not many sales i decided to take some time to regroup, and think of where I want my business to go,plus I found myself totally wrapped up in the Olympics and ended up watching far too much diving and swimming!I'm enjoying the stress free crafting I have been able to do, with no deadlines to meet I have been making a quilt, and the odd t-shirt for my son to wear to nursery (yes I an shamelessly going to use my son as a walking advert for my clothes) But I have found the craft fairs to be an invaluable source of advice, Its fantastic speaking to other stall holders who for them this is a full time job, how they got where they are and the advice they can offer, by the end of my mammoth weekend I went home full of ideas.I have realised I have to think bigger, think about being stocked in shops rather then selling myself, yes I am building a website, and I will still do the odd craft fair, but Im building  a brand and a career, so I have to be ambitious enough to reach for something that right now seems so far away. So its back to the drawing board, stream lining what I do and above all getting it out there as a quality product.....lets hope my current level of motivation is still here come September when my son goes to nursery and for the first time in 3 years Il have mornings to myself, the temptation to veg out or go back to bed may prove impossible to resist!

bye bye craft fairs..hello A/W designs!

its been a LONG week! 3 craft fairs in one week, here are a few pics of ths weekend, Big news tomorrow, its the start of the JUST SINEAD SALE!!!!

whats happening this weekend.....

Saturday- Boogaloo & Sunday-Wonder Hill

tough day at the office

goodbye summer, it was lovely while it lasted (all of a week!) So I'm one craft fair down, two more to go, I worked my fingers to the bone sewing all week, only to sit all day with the other traders, waiting for customers that never came...oh sure we had people through the door, but most of them where men with too much hair gel in their 'ironic 1950's quiff, skinny jeans and ray ban sunnies in a jazzy colour, who seriously would never buy one of my products in a million years! was it the wrong location for a craft fair, Id say!, off in the back streets of Borough,where no one would walk past it, was it the wrong day, well I didn't think so until I got there, first day of the Olympics, central London, decent weather,TFL telling us how crazy busy central London would be and how we Londoners shouldnt be using the tube/buses/travelling at all, their message has worked a treat, tube was empty at 9am, Borough market, I sauntered through with a massive suitcase of stock with ease...it was a tough day, I made £6! and I was one of the better ones, at least I sold something!.  Disappointing and demoralising, all that effort for £6! but its a lesson learnt, choose your craft fairs wisely, be picky, and most of all just chalk it up as 'one of those days'.

Just Sinead: The Big Ellie give away!

Just Sinead: The Big Ellie give away!: Hi, So I never normally pay attention to how many people have viewed my blog, I think I still live in a blog bubble where I assume no one r...

The Big Ellie give away!

Hi,
So I never normally pay attention to how many people have viewed my blog, I think I still live in a blog bubble where I assume no one reads it, anyway I was very pleasantly surprised to see Im inching every closer to 1500 views, not bad seeing as Im making the blogging thing up as a I go along!
To celebrate the fact that so many people have bothered to find me in the big bad blogging world, and that Im still enjoying it, Im going to give away a baby Ellie, made in a fabric of the winners choice, to the most interesting comment left under this post assuming anyone comments that is! ;-)

Mini tees are here!

Hello Monday! Summer is here...at last!and rain is just a distant memory... well I have been very busy prepping for 3 craft fairs, plus a weekend off in Somerset catching up with family, so here are my LIMITED ADDITION Just Sinead Mini Tees!

hand applique, machine washable, in ages 3-4 and 4-5 years, I'm thrilled that something that's been in my head as an idea for soooo long is finally made and ready to be worn! all I need is to make another dozen or so and I'm good to go.

Mini Tees are £12 + P&P