Man, my knuckles hurt!

It's from all the pinning and pinning and pinning of these darned hotpads. Also from clutching the wheel on the sewing machine and "encouraging" the needle to penetrate up to 8 layers of tough bias tape, plus the 7 layers involved in the hotpads. Last night I had to put Ben-Gay on my hands to ease the pain, and I have to pop my knuckles more frequently than usual.

Anyway, here they are in all their relative glory.

I finished the last one this afternoon. And I got the embroidery for the "wedding bibs" done today. Tomorrow I'll cut them out and bind them in the tape I pressed tonight. Then I can finally get rid of them all and finish getting ready for the carnival this weekend.

Let's see, all I need to do is embroider 3 toddler aprons, bind a few blankets, make a couple of walkermate bags, sort out my stock, pack the car, clean up the house . . . . . . . .

A One-Ladybug Sweatshop

My one-ladybug sweatshop has been going full speed since Monday, and my legs are getting tired. ;o) I've finished the pillowcases and hotpads that were in progress as of my last post. I'm now about halfway through with the 4 sets of hotpads and mitts that Olga ordered on Tuesday, and have planned out the embroidery for her original project.

However, this still leaves 2 hotpads to do (replacements for those she bought), as well as everything else I mentioned --- embroidery, blankets, toddler aprons, etc., etc., etc..

Plus, before the carnival I need to inventory everything, "freshen up" all my old stock (AND the drawers it's stored in), send out an Etsy order, pack everything up, write a list of what I'm taking, and clean up the living room, the den, my room . . . . . . . . .

Oh yeah, I need to go to Target sometime this week, too ---- if the remnants of Hurricane Ike don't blow us away.

I'm a glutton for punishment

I'm getting ready for two carnivals in the next two weeks. I have 4 half-done potholders at the sewing machine, I have to put collars on at least 3 toddler aprons, and I need to embroider a few more items as well. Oh, and I'd like to bind a couple more blankets as well. Plus, I have five little pillowcases to finish sewing by Saturday for a regular client.

But apparently that isn't enough work for me. Oh, no, not me.

Yesterday a lady called about embroidering some "wedding bibs". (Yeah, yeah, I've never heard of them before either.) I quoted her $20. Today she came by to drop them off, and I end up agreeing to cut out and bind the darn things for another $10 (I should have said $15). Anyway, my mother got in the act and told her about my micro mitts and my newest item, heart-shaped hotpads. I showed them to her and she loved them, so much that she left with two hearts and these mitts.

She was so taken with them that she ordered two sets of each.

To be done by next Wednesday, before she goes out of town on Friday.

With all that I have to do in the next week and a bit, why oh why did I agree to make 8 more hotpads on top of the "bibs"?

All together now:

because I'm a glutton for punishment!