Multi -tasking is the theme of my life. Along with the everyday business of the shop - the windows, making up items like mobiles, re-ordering stock from the workshop, individual customer orders, wholesale enquiries and mail order emails - I’m constantly trying to cadge some time to work on new projects or more frustratingly, complete projects that have been on the go for a while.
Writing lists does help of course help, as we’re always told...I do keep too many things in my head...and prioritising competing demands brings a certain sense of control in the early hours but sometimes I feel as if I’m doomed to be surrounded by loose ends.
The Quilt and Craft fairs in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra are coming up fast and fresh ideas and products are essential. On my secondary ‘to-do’ wish list are products related to the shows; creating a new sewn and embellished wardrobe for our felt doll kit... finishing the long overdue patchwork pattern for the back-pack bed...developing a new collection of felted animals...and knitting up samples of new Huggable Friends.
At the same time, Melbourne’s early winter cold snap has turned customer’s minds to knitting ...so new children’s designs are also underway and I’m playing around with a concept for a book of patterns for children...natural alpaca wools for blankets has been ordered and we’ll soon be knitting up stylish ak blankets. And I’m thinking about re-visiting the oversized knitted fleece cushions we made years ago...
Of more immediate concern are samples and patterns for our Cancer Council Morning Tea workshops...happily, I have ticked off most boxes and the projects are looking great. The crazy daffodil doll is particularly appealing – I’ve added arms to our house model so that she can hold her tea cup but her chums look equally charming sans arms.
