Keeping up!

The AAI students are plugging along...a few more than the rest of course! It's such a crucial time to encourage them to get started and in to a routine. The time flies! And I certainly don't want them getting discouraged. Renee and I met them at a local fabric store to help them pick fabric and patterns (and avert as many disastrous choices as possible down the line- yes, I know, that's for our benefit so we're not fixing a cocktail dress made in satin from a stretch pattern). Some of the chipper designers-Sophie, Treyce and Camille!

This is the time of year where I also start planning for the coming chicken season. My family and another raise 60 meat chickens in a free-range moveable pen (or tractor). It's a bit strange to some to mix being a designer and chicken farming but it's very grounding work!

We get the chicks on April 23rd and they will be mailed here to Blue Lake, CA from Pennsylvania from JM Hatchery .  It's funny to think of these little peeps all huddled together in a box on there way to us. I get a bit nervous during this time. In most cases, everything goes well and we don't lose a single chick. I have heard other horrible stories though. I have the 'bat cave' phone number for our local US Postal hub so I can go directly down anytime of day or night and pick them up. They are happy to give them to us as they make a racket- I am not the only one getting chicks. Working graveyard at postal sorting is hard enough without a thousand Peep! Peep!s going on.

That is a picture of last year's broilers in their pen soon after we put them in there.

 They are so cute! Our cat, Chihiro, is very interested. Once they get bigger though, he stays clear- I've even seen him running away from our laying hens.

This tractor has a few laying hen chicks in with the broilers. They are the darkest and lightest chicks.

I've also been EXTREMELY busy switching over from working on Master Pattern to my own line,  Chicken Boots. A lot of infra-structure was in place from doing it on the side as Saremy Designs but I am being more thorough with the development. Making sew-in labels and working on new designs (Jewelry Cases!).

My pal, Sunni from Yarn, and I will be going on a NorCal road trip visiting yarn stores between SF area and Eureka. I am excited to show my line of knitting needle cases, project bags, and wristlets! I thoroughly enjoy this and stand behind how functional these items are. I'll need another avenue for the jewelry cases and pocket buckets though!

How about a tutorial on making your own customized sew-in labels for all your creations?

Sounds good to me....stay tuned!

Comments

[Tiffany Tuttle]

Do you use your labels on knitted garments? I have some custom labels that I got a few Christmases back from a cousin, but I am always hesitant to put them on the stuff I knit (and we both know I don't really sew *smile*). It seems like if they were on the inside they'd be itchy, on the outside it looks like I'm advertising, and on scarves I don't even know where they would go! Any ideas?

[Saremy Duffy]

I typically do not add my labels to knit garments however that isn't because I do not think they would work! If you are worried about the itch factor...try adding the label to the lower side seam (if there is one, and the seam will not be directly against skin).

Another place that could be cute is inside a placket (where something is buttoned up) either exposed when unbuttoned, or completely hidden all the time behind one. Think men's dress shirts...sometimes you see a label near the hem in the button placket.

Scarves are tricky! I see them gently tacked on so that they could be easily removable. This is where making your own comes in handy. You could make the background color blend in with the scarf perfectly so it is unobtrusive! I will post a how-to very soon! I just discovered an easier printer paper for my method!

Thanks for the comment!

[kasintehty]

I had no idea you could print out labels with a printer?! You just use a normal inkjet? That's awesome...I've been tempted to do the lazy thing and order some but that's a lot cooler.

[Saremy Duffy]

Hi kasintehty...I do use a normal inkjet! I am currently using Tailor Iron On Quick Fuse Fabric Sheets (but you don't need to use the quick fuse kind- they can be plain ol' fabric and you peel off a paper backing once printed). The color is amazing and extremely crisp! And I've never had one jam in the printer. I always buy them with a 40% off coupon from Jo-Ann's since otherwise they are too pricey.