In His Grip

Element 8 is my Hero!

The last week or so I have had some computer technical difficulties.  I hate it when my laptopstops working, it makes me realize just how dependent I have become to this cute little pink box.  I also now know just how much time I spend reading and sending emails, blogging, and just plain waisting time on this piece of technology.  But it is a necessary tool for me, after all, I am running a business here.  A couple of weeks ago I took my computer to Jason at Element 8, my computer was running slow and I knew that there was a virus involved.  A day later he delivered my computer running great.  But then this week my computer kept turning off.  I could not keep it on long enough to check email or do any of my "business".  Because Element 8 did a great job for a reasonable price last time I gave them a call again.  The next day Ed from Element 8 called and said that my laptop was ready for pick up and that they had to do surgery and removed two large dust bunnies from the inside of my laptop.  He then proceeded to tell me that I really should not set my laptop on any fabric.  Really, fabric is my life, that is what Stitches By Sturman is all about.  I have dust bunnies cohabitating in my studio with me all the time.  They multiply like rabbits, ha,ha!   So the fact that they found their way into my laptop is no surprise.  My computer is running great once again!  Thanks Element 8 for rescuing me once again.

BIG Job Almost Complete

The biggest job in the 20 year history of Stitches By Sturman in almost complete.  I am in the home stretch and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We have been working on an assisted care facility, Sweet Life, in Leawood that included 369 window treatments.  I am down to around 20 left to complete and yesterday delivered all that I had done so far.  The installation has begun and now I just have to keep my eyes on the prize see that a month ago seemed so far away.  369 valances seemed so daunting at the time but just one window treatment at a time and you can get through them.  Now from a business perspective, the cash flow has been a real bummer, and I also realize that unless I can find another job as big as this one for next year my numbers will be down, but for now, I am ready to be paid!!!!

Junk to Treasure

This is my latest find at the Salvation Army.  I purchased it for just $9 and had big plans for it.  So of course grabbing my handy can of spray paint I went to town.  Because I had it in mind for my studio, I chose the faithful colonial red by Rust-oleum.  The hubby gets very nervous when I spray paint in the garage, but as you can see I put down plastic and made sure all of the cars were not in there so I cannot figure out why he gets his panties in a wad about it.  Obviously, it did not stop me.  After letting the paint dry really well, a couple of days I go to work at giving it that worn look.  I use a sander to start with and then use a sanding block to get the edges just like I want them.  I like the look of a well loved piece of furniture.  Now here is the finished product in my studio along with my dumpster dive chair.  Who would ever know that both of these pieces were someone else's casts offs.  

Stitches By Sturman has a Sign

I purchased one of the large cardboard "S"s quite a while ago thinking I would do something really fun with it.  That was before my studio makeover.  Once I made all of the updates to my studio space I felt that it needed just one more touch.  So I purchased another "S" and a "B" so that I could make a sign of sorts at the bottom of my stairs.  In keeping with the red and white theme of my studio I found this great toile tissue paper and decided to use it on the "S".  I got the good old Mod Podge out and went to work.  First I tore the tissue into smaller pieces about 2" x 2".  Then you just paint the Mod Podge on the letter, place the piece of tissue paper on it and then cover it with the Mod Podge overlaping the paper as you go.  Once the "S"s were complete I knew that the "B" needed to be plain.  So I just painted it in a nice warn red with cream sides and then dry brushed the cream along the edge of the red to give it more of a vintage look.  I like the way it turned out and it was very cheap as well, I had coupons for the letters.  Now when anyone comes into my studio they will have no doubt that they have entered Stitches By Sturman.    

Its Not Happening!

I so wanted to get my Etsy shop Grand Opening up and going by today.  But I realize that it is not happening today.  I am so disappointed in myself for not getting this done.  When I started down this path, I had no idea what to expect and have found that I had more questions then I knew and to research the answers is taking some time.  But all that said, I will be getting it up soon, so keep checking back because you do not want to miss the Grand Opening Giveaway!  That I do have planned and it is ready to go. 

Etsy Shop Coming Soon!

Coming soon!  What is coming soon you ask?  I will be opening an Etsy shop.  Yes, here in the next week it will be up and ready to go.  Keep checking back here as I will have a great big Grand Opening party.  There will be a giveaway.  You will not want to miss out on the fun.

Stitches By Sturman Studio Makeover

I have been working on the makeover for the Stitches By Sturman studio since early December when the wall unit pieces started to arrive.  They not only be had to be put together, but stored out of the way until all were here so we could build the unit.      

Once the wall unit started to come together, I needed to get baskets to put in the cubbies so that it could be organized and still look nice.  I had no idea how much organizing baskets cost. Do you?  Well, they are stincking expensive.  But thanks to Home Goods and IKEA I was able to find some great prices on baskets and boxes.  With a coat of great red spray paint all of the baskets would look similar, yet I would still be able to get the cheap ones. 

    

Here I painted an old window frame I had hangin' around with the great red spray paint and put a piece of wood behind it and pianted it with chalkboard piant to get a chalkborad above my computer area.  You can leave me a little note on my chalkboard any time.

 

Okay, now the fist picture is of what things look like when I am trying to organize and put things right.  They have to go really bad before they can get to the end organized, neat, and tidiness that I want.  This drives Jeff crazy in case any of you are wondering.  He does not get the organizing in the middle of a mess thing.  In the first picture, notice the iron marks on the cutting table, they have disappeared with a new cover on the surface.  We all know they will reappear again because that is just the way it is but for now we have nice clean surface.

In this first picture is a little bookcase that I almost threw away.  If you look in the very first picture, you will see how it appeared before.  I still needed something right by my cutting table to hold various supplies, so of course out came the white spray paint for the bookcase and the great red spray paint for the little cabinet on top, once again looking shiny and new and both were saved from the dumpster.  I love it when I can be a dumpster saver.

So you have had a tour of my new and improved studio.  I will never, ever work in a "workroom" again.  I will be going to the studio for my days work now.  I am so excited.  Thanks for allowing me to share this exictement over the new digs for Stitches By Sturman, after all I am the only one that usually works here and just wanted someone else to think it was great working in the studio.

 

Chair Goes From Dumpster to Studio

I have been updating my workroom into a studio for the last month.  It's not quite complete so I will not be showing pictures yet but here is one of my dumpster chairs that will be in a small sitting area in my studio. Jeff is the one that rescued this chair.  Now picture it, I was not even with him and he brought home this chair that he actually took out of a dumpster.  I guess if you live with someone long enough you are bound to ware off on one another.  Anyway, I am so bad about getting before pictures because I get so excited about starting a project that I forget and don't remember until I have already started.  I actually stripped the fabric off this chair over a year ago.  I just could not bring it into the house like that, and it sat half naked until this week when the makeover began.

The arms and legs were not bad, but they started out as dark wood.  So with my trusty spray paint they became a colonial red.

 

After I allowed the paint to dry I sanded some of it off in the areas that would naturally receive ware.

Add a little more stuffing and some fabric and this is the little dumpster chair that landed in my studio.

Stitches By Sturman's Christmas

Being a sole proprietor, I kind of miss out on all of the Christmas hoopla out there in the business world.  There have been times over the years when one of my designers will give me a little something.  Today I received the best little something I think I could have and they are, oh, so fun.  Have a Merry Christmas.

Child Labor?

This weekend my help came home to work on the BIG hotel job.  I love it when I get to work with someone because I am normally in my studio all alone day in and day out.  I realize how much I enjoy working and talking with someone else rather than just listening to my books on tape.  When I am working on these BIG jobs I will let anyone help out who is willing to use a sewing machine.  Maybe I need to check those child labor laws to see if I am violating any. 

Fun Work

 

There are days when the work that I do is just stinking fun.  Yesterday I worked on a great teenage girls bedroom.  This girl is going to have the coolest room in town.  She has a large window seat in her room and there will be the white cornice with the pink diamonds on it hanging over the window.  At the installation the designer has 2 1/2" round mirrors to put on the cornice where the diamonds come together.  Then there is the  pink cushion with the HUGE covered buttons on it and then those great striped pillows.  It has got be the coolest room ever.  Sometimes it is disappointing that I do not get to see the completed rooms that I work on.

Calling In Reinforcements

Do you know what this is?  These are panels for a new hotel in town.  There are 208 panels of draperies that need to be shortened by November 13th.  Am I crazy to accept this job?  Yes, you might say that I am, but I have my trusty workers coming in this weekend to help with the big job.  We will have it done in plenty of time because my help is really good that way.

Stitches By Sturman Prize Winner!

Surprise! I won the Stitches By Sturman prize for the largest profit month in the 20 years of existence.  Okay, I know that I am the only employee, but a girl has to set some goals and then offer prizes when those goals are met.  It keeps me working hard in that studio of mine.  So now that I have won this great, fun looking piece of technology, how the heck do you work it?  I have figured out how to put iTunes that I have purchased on it.  I figured out how to put CD's that I already own on it.  But for pity screaming, how do you transfer MP3 files that are already on your computer to your new little piece of fun technology?  Help anyone?

Introducing the New "SEWBIZ"

Earlier this summer, I posted about the loss of my SEWBIZ.  I knew that as soon as the girls were back in school, we were going to have to replace this vehicle.  We started the process back in June looking for what we wanted but really felt no pressure to be in a hurry as long as we had all these cars around that I could drive.  This weekend both girls will be off to school meaning no car for me to drive.  The pressure was on.  Now that I knew exactly what I wanted I thought that it would take time to find her.  Surprise, we found her at Randy Reed Chevrolet.  She was just sitting there waiting for us to come along and buy her.  I am not sure why, but I always think my cars are female.  Anyway, there is a new SEWBIZ in town and I think she is pretty sassy.

Cash Flow Woes

I got word late yesterday that the install for the big job in St. Louis is off.  The building did not pass their fire inspection.  This is such a bummer for two reasons; one, it was going to be so much fun for the girls and I to have time together before they go off to college, and two we are now not getting paid until it is installed which now is not until next week.  I guess there are three reasons, next week the girls can not go with me. UGH!  One more week of major cash crunch.

Finishing the Job!

Today will be our final day to work on the biggest job ever for Stitches By Sturman.  We finally recruited Anna to help out this past week to make sure the job is complete.  I was not sure how things would work out earlier this summer when I told Lindsey that she could work for me instead of getting another job.  That much closeness, for that many hours a day, for a whole summer just might be too much.  But I have to say, it has been a ton of fun having Lindsey work with me and even more fun when Anna joined us.  Tomorrow we head out to St. Louis to oversee the installation and make sure we did not miss anything.  We will then spend the night and have some fun on Stitches By Sturman's dollar, okay, I know in the end it is really my dollar.  But with the girls headed off to college in a few weeks, I just have to take every opportunity I can get to spend time with them.  Great job Lindsey and Anna, I could not have done this without your help.

Work Complete, And Stilll More Ahead

This week has been one of a lot of hard work.  Lindsey and I have been working everyday trying to keep up with our deadline for a very big job.  We are working on the window treatments for an assisted care facility.  This is the biggest job yet for Stitches By Sturman in the 19 years of its existence.  We have stacks of wood that have been covered, treatments that are complete, and made bags of scrapes this week.  We have completed a total of 126 treatments this week with 161 more to go.  There are stacks of window treatments all over the house.  With no SEW BIZ van to delivery them with we have to wait until Monday to have them picked up.  With the help of this now "professional" seamstress assistant, we are challenging ourselves to finish the job a week early.  After all, we need to get paid.  Better sooner than later, right?

Big job Almost Done!

This is what my workroom looks like right now.  I have been working so hard on the this big deadline at work.  I am so ready to have the place back to normal again.  With the final date being Monday, I am happy to say that I am almost finished.  This job takes me over my previous monthly profit high.  I usually reward myself with some kind of prize when I reach such milestones.  You know, most valuable employee kind of prize.  Oh yeah, I am the only employee.  However, I am feeling like this may be cheating a bit, as  Lindsey has been working for me the last couple of weeks.  I do need to keep in mind that this particular milestone has been in place for almost two years and I think it will be a very hard goal to beat again.  I am thinking that the prize is definitely in order here.                

Sweat Shop Labor

When you have free labor you have got to take advantage, right?  On Monday I had the whole family working for me.  If you get too close to our house I just might put you to work too.  Okay, they were not totally free, Stitches By Sturman did take them all out to lunch and then we had a Sonic cherry lime-aid break in the afternoon.  Lindsey and Lori were cutting the fabrics.  Dad and Mom cut the wood.  We have 158, 41" boards for valances. I of course was supervising and trying to wrap my head around the most efficient process.  I have a huge job that is due on the 2nd of June.  Lindsey will be working with me all week so hopefully we will be able to keep up with the targeted output.

Anna Gets Another "A"

Look at this great bag!!!!!  I can proudly say that this bag was made by Anna.  This was one of her projects in her clothing construction class.  She used scraps that I had saved from projects at work and the lining we found at Wal-Mart.  Can you believe how great it is?  I gave her the dimensions I wanted the finished bag to be and there you go.  Okay, I admit I did help a little bit with the pockets in the lining, zipper and top stitching, but she is becoming a seamstress in her own right.  This has got to be another "A+" in my book.  Maybe Stitches By Sturman can be a company of three. Hmmm.