Mooloo's New Home, New Year and New Start part 3

MatyMoo

My God Daughter, not autistic or anything, turned up here one day in a fairy dress (complete with wings) when we were going out for lunch. When I smiled her Mum rolled her eyes and said to me there are some arguments it is just not worth having, that is what she wanted to wear today She is now 9 and still requests anything pink, sparkly or fluffy for birthdays and christmas, I love the fact that she is being allowed to grow up at her own pace and in many ways is still a littley.

Sounds like you have had a lovely day and I don't want to spoil it but any update on the garden battle Mooloo?

And I second what SavvySue says - do not under sell your self our your skills.

Claire, on MemoryGirls's thread, has recently set up a craft thread and may have contacts for zips and things if you are stuck in the future.

Savvy_sewing

MatyMoo wrote: »

My God Daughter, not autistic or anything, turned up here one day in a fairy dress (complete with wings) when we were going out for lunch. When I smiled her Mum rolled her eyes and said to me there are some arguments it is just not worth having, that is what she wanted to wear today She is now 9 and still requests anything pink, sparkly or fluffy for birthdays and christmas, I love the fact that she is being allowed to grow up at her own pace and in many ways is still a littley.

Sounds like you have had a lovely day and I don't want to spoil it but any update on the garden battle Mooloo?

And I second what SavvySue says - do not under sell your self our your skills.

Claire, on MemoryGirls's thread, has recently set up a craft thread and may have contacts for zips and things if you are stuck in the future.

I shall take a look later.
Yes I will start to see what others are charging, look at the costs of fabrics etc all soon., So that when we get closer to the time when things need to be sorted, I will have a fair idea of things. Lets face it a lot has happened in the years between my last lot of selling! and I was underpriced then!. I know I was.
Do not make the same mistake twice. (well try not too!).
Never got to the bottom of MemoryGirls threads didnt quite get to understand them.
But I will take another look. All ideas are needed, research is essential.
Have looked at the jaycott zips. They are a very good price, and their shipping is not too bad either.
Right I have to take DGD to her Mum and Her auntie today. Going to visit the baby and Biggest while I get the chance.
REally want to be in the sewing room, have so much cut out ready to do, but family also need to be slotted in. (Although not as often as they used to).

Twin2 had a rebate from the Jobseekers Allowance. Mistake in thier calculations from last September, she recieved over £600!! and what did she do, before I heard about it? She spent over £400 of it!
Can you believe that.... So rediculous.
Right I better be off.

ps. the garden, I have to contact them and I was going to write but the inks gone in the printer, the one that I had from company on line were faulty.l Got to sort that out.
I will have to sort that out when I get back.

Savvy_sewing

Not sure where my time is going anymore.

I am supposed to be taking DGD to her Nursery Garden Fete today! eek, its persisting with rain at the moment. Its dull, and dark, and dreary.
I am still sitting in my dressing gown, and feeling very tired. Somehow my early night ended up being after 11 before I was in bed, and not a stitch sewn.

It was lovely to see the new baby, already 7 1/2 weeks old, I cannot believe where the time is going.
This time next week my birthday will be over, the celebratory visit to Ragdale Hall over and we will be on our last few hours before we come home.
Is my dress made? Nope.

The dress I made last week, I ruined yesterday. Rushing to get the washing done, I forgot that I didnt know the contents of the fabric for the skirt piece, and washed it with a mixed wash on a 40C wash! OOps. the bottom was obviously wool, as it felted!!
That means removing the collar, the skirt, finding something else and remaking it before thats wearable again.

I bought a camisole and a skirt in the charity shop for £7.50 - for the fabrics again.
I went to the local shop and came back with all my stuff. The lady has got herself into a mess, and the terms and conditions were a bit too changeable and random. I am going to get a duplicate book before I leave anything there, or anywhere else for that matter. Make it more organised, with the terms and conditions laid out in writing.

The twins presented me with my birthday present yesterday. I did say that I would rather not have it until next week, but they insisted I had it. So I have a box from Lush. Very nice. so I know whats in there then! Bless them nothing can be kept secret, or wait. Alas also it means that the refund that twin2 got for her JSA is now practically all gone. Twin1 told me that she paid for them to go to the fair that was in town, I queried them and off course there were several hangers on too. At £2 a ride, I hate to think what else has been spent, along with the seveeral hundred she spent on Food.!
If I could scream now - you would hear it in Landsend.!

The sun was out by the evening still, so all the washing was on the line, and DGD was playing out with her trampet, pram and things, and then her marbles. I managed to bring in/put away all her things before I got her to bed, but didnt get around to bringing the washing in.
I carefully washed a wedding dress that twin2 had been given (a while ago, but it was filthy), and hoped for the best. Turned it inside out, so that the beads were inside, put it on a small 30C soak, and then a delicate wash, with the reduced spin. Its actually come out much better indeed. Considering it was supposed to be specialist dry clean only. Certainly smells better too.
I shall see if all the marks have come off when its dry. Doubt they all will have, but its hanging on the back of my workroom door, to dry.
If its salvedgable then I will store it for her (If ever anyone would actually pop the question again- you never know), and if not, I will use what is useable for the fabric for the premature unit sewing that I have said I would do.
With the school holiday at the end of next week, I am likely to have to rethink my sewing times, as I will not have as much time to work.

Anything else I should have done, didnt get done.

With the rain today, I am not inspired, and its very obvious to me that my moods do differe to the sunlight! No I am not a vampire or a weirwolf, but I do get that SAD symdrome.

Time to get out of the chair, wash up the breakfast dishes and get dressed. See about the little bit of foodshopping we must get before the morning is over and the BF arrives.

Savvy_Sue

Mooloo wrote: »

Yes I will start to see what others are charging, look at the costs of fabrics etc all soon., So that when we get closer to the time when things need to be sorted, I will have a fair idea of things. Lets face it a lot has happened in the years between my last lot of selling! and I was underpriced then!. I know I was.
Do not make the same mistake twice. (well try not too!).

I'd strongly recommend that you work out time and materials separately, and bill your wedding dress customer for materials at least as you go along.

Mooloo wrote: »

With the rain today, I am not inspired, and its very obvious to me that my moods do differe to the sunlight! No I am not a vampire or a weirwolf, but I do get that SAD symdrome.

Two words: Vitamin D3. Lots of it.

Errata

You certainly need to ensure you don't finish up out of pocket or with no profit. In this instance given the cost of the specialised materials it would probably be sensible to advise the customer they have to pay for them up front before they leave the supplier. Your charge for making would then be something like the cost of your time and experience = your hourly wage, cost of utilities used, and an amount for your business to replace equipment/ expand etc.
Can you find out what other home dressmakers in the area are charging for wedding dresses?

Savvy_sewing

Vitamin D3? Right thats on my google list!

RE the wedding dress, I shall have to get Biggest of Mooloo to contact a few other dressmakers for me, (and get some idea of the costs, and some quotes then I will have an idea of what to charge.) I will start to source satins and silks, and embroidery panels again. My old contacts are long gone I should think, and they were in London, so I will have to start afresh. Which is going to be much easier with the internet, then I had when I first made dresses!.

I wanted a Duplicate book for the new Mooloo's and couldnt find one when we were in town today. Then I thought that perhaps I could use an old one that I must have lurking around. Sure enough, i found one part used in a basket under my bed. 1998!!! Thats been hanging around a while. Alas the last piece of carbon paper in it is practically out of ink, but it was amazing that I said to BF, I wonder if there would be one in the wicker basket under my bed, and went straight to it!. Very unusual, I usually have to search high and low!.
Anyway, I may be able to make use of it for now, just until I can buy a better one.

I managed to go to the Nursery Garden Fete yesterday, however it was indoors due to the rain. Then when it was finished, the sun came out! Typical.
We donated a cake, that Phillspad made for me (I am not a baker). Spent some money of her FacePainting- little tiger. Then she had a go on hooking the duck, throwing beanbags through hula hoops, had her nails painted, made a crab mask, had drink and cake, and a few other things that I cannot remember now.
I got talking to the sectretary, and bought two of the nursery sweatshirts, at a reduced price, of £3.50 each as they were the last of the gold on blue ones. The rest now are going to be blue with gold. But DGD was thrilled and doesnt mind which colour way they are. We had to get age 5/6 and they will only just do her this term. But it will save me looking for something for her to wear to Nursery without having to ruin her other tops with messy play.
She has also ordered a Bunting with the Nursery Name across it, in Blue/yellow/Gold colours.
Also she has suggested that I bring some of my stuff in, so the staff/parents can see what I do, and will have a brouchure in the lobby for me, (When I get that far).
So the bricks are building and the buisiness has a good chance of getting up and running properly now.

Molly41

Sounds like you had a lovely time. Send me some of your finding fairy dust to me please. Ive mislaid a really important hospital report and have ransacked my house today trying to find it :{ x

minimoneysaver

Maybe you can pin a couple of examples up in the nursery lobby with your contact card and a note saying 'available in any requested material' or something like that.

Savvy_sewing

Molly41 wrote: »

Sounds like you had a lovely time. Send me some of your finding fairy dust to me please. Ive mislaid a really important hospital report and have ransacked my house today trying to find it :{ x

Hi Molly,
I shall send some over now. It will be with you after you have sat down, had a cup of tea, and put it to the back of your mind for half an hour! (well I hope so anyway). If you still cannot find it, can you ring the department up tomorrow and ask them to send you another copy. Your bound to find it then!:D

Savvy_sewing

minimoneysaver wrote: »

Maybe you can pin a couple of examples up in the nursery lobby with your contact card and a note saying 'available in any requested material' or something like that.

Yes I think that that would be a good idea, and I am sure that they would do that for me, especially if I make a good job of thiers.!
Alas I do not have the right amount of the colours so will need a quick trip to the charity shop in Middleton Cheyney where Mens shirts are only about £1 a go! Get some blue and some yellow shirts!

Right I am going to make our evening meal. Lunch was late, so dinner is late.