Mooloo's little tapestry of life, 2016

Savvy_sewing

greenbee wrote: »

hopefully she'll develop her skills Mooloo... in the meantime maybe you should get her to help you make another one and see whether it sells Or maybe you could make up kits? Or offer emoji cushion-making for kids' parties (with a choice from ones you know you can do cost-effectively).

Great ideas there!
I don't have any yellow remnants so will be on the look out for some to be able to do some other ones she liked.

Savvy_sewing

The shop is 2 years open today!
Alas staff has asked for the day off to care for her grandchildren as they are not back at school today. So I have just me to celebrate with. No balloons and fizzy fruit juice this year, just me, my machines and the work.
I am so greatful that I always have work in to.
When I launched the shop a 3 year lease seemed a very long time, and I was nervous that I wouldn't get enough work.
Today we are coming up to 2900 invoices and many have several items at a time. In fact more do then not these days.
A lot has changed in the last 2 years and probably will in the next two!
For a start I need to negotiate a new lease!
I believe that I have turned a corner and the sewing lessons are attracting more interest, with the next 6 week course fully subscribed. Yeah!

On the home front DGD returns to year 4 primary school and her little friend that moved in up the road will be starting at her school.
So a new year for a lot of people then!

I turn my mind now to positive thoughts and to a great year ahead of us!

pollyanna_26

Mooloo Congratulations on the two years anniversary . I have been mia a lot recently as real life has been challenging but I catch up where I can . It has been wonderful to see you face each challenge as it comes and grow the business at the same time . Well done and good luck for the next 12 months .
Hugs
polly x

Waves_and_Smiles

Congratulations! _party__party_

You have done extraordinarily well, at least buy yourself a lovely dinner tonight and open the wine! I am always reading daily even if I don't post and cheering you on. Remember, you have achieved all of this through your own hard work and dedication, look at you go!

Savvy_sewing

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

Congratulations! _party__party_

You have done extraordinarily well, at least buy yourself a lovely dinner tonight and open the wine! I am always reading daily even if I don't post and cheering you on. Remember, you have achieved all of this through your own hard work and dedication, look at you go!

DGD and I shared a Tesco dinner for two. ( well I have the wine and she had coke!)
I was sitting in my middle floor sewing today, with the window open, and while I was thinking great two years when a couple went by and the man read out the sign saying "alterations and all things sewing" and the woman said "that's new"!!!!
I wanted to shout out to them and say "no I am not!!!!!!"
But I suppose I should be thinking good, I have been noticed and they might use me in the future.
I would have liked to celebrate in the shop as I did last year but staff took the day off and on my own it didn't seem worth it.
Maybe I will do something at the weekend and use the week to celebrate
I'm tired now as it was a busy day, up and down the stairs serving lots of new customers.

dktreesea

Congratulations on the two year anniversary. That's been a great effort. I hope your lease renegotiations go well for the year after next and beyond.

Savvy_sewing

Yeah!
Today after waiting since June, my Cover Stitch machine has arrived!
It should revolutionise my dress/top hems.!
I got a little play on it, but I was rather busy so I will have to wait a bit longer to use it.

I really feel as if things are all beginning to fall in to place.

Savvy_sewing

Morning from a bleary eyed Moo!
I was tossing and turning during the night and had weird dreams inbetween.
Today the shop is going to be closed all day. A scary change to the routine but if I am going to save money on wages, find time to do things at home and with my Mum, then I needed more than 2 spare hours.
I just don't have enough energy or enthusiasm after a day sewing at work to do things at home. However we are not going back to the winter hours of 10-4 that we had last winter, and I will book fittings outside of shop hours up until 5.15 if necessary. I am hoping that will make it easier for both the customer and myself.
I didn't manage to create any side line funds yesterday but I was given a curry for my tea and half a bottle of wine from my neighbour, so I can use the chicken tonight and didn't have to defrost anything today. DGD also had a MCDONALDS!!
Today is Tax Credits day, so I moved about £23 odd into the savings account and left £400 in my housekeeping account to build up ready for the huge increase in the DDs for the rent and council tax that is coming up.
I still have £200 in my personal account but want to hang on to that ready for Petrol, and birthdays etc.
I still don't know what DGD really wants for her 9th Birthday which is less than a month away, and then a week later it is Biggest of Mooloo's, and the birthday season begins in my family.
My plan for today is to walk DGD to school, hang out the washing, change my bed, and leave it to wash while I go and see my Mum. Do her bed, possibly cut the lawn, and take her shopping.
At 3.15 it's my day for collection at school and then I have two little girls maybe 3 for tea and entertaining.
So knowing me that will be me worn out and an early night once again.
I am looking forward to seeing my Mum and not rushing in and out!
Hope everything is all right for everyone, have a good day.

dktreesea

I'm glad to hear you are having a day off work on Wednesdays. Could you perhaps have one late night a week, to allow those who work to get into you on the way back from work? It could work if your town does a late night on Thursdays, say.


I don't know abut spending your day off just on chores though. I think a long lunch with friends somewhere or a trip with a couple of friends to a local spa if you have any countryside ones nearby might be more relaxing. If you're a morning person could you maybe do chores first thing and always stop at, say, 10.30am, right on the dot, wherever you are up to, freeing up the rest of the day for yourself?


If you want to see this through to the point where you can retire and sell up your business for a fine sum of money (we had a 5x5x5 year lease on our premises with the option to buy them at the end of the term - I did this just to make sure we would have a business to sell with no problems with the lease going forward) you really need to pace yourself. I know Sunday is your day off too, but it isn't the same because you have child caring responsibilities.

Savvy_sewing

Mum was unwell when I got there, so we have spent most of the morning at the doctors, with ecg and blood tests.
She was light headed, and her heart was racing when I arrived. Although she was much improved by the time I had to leave her.
I have literally only 15 minutes to get DGD and the other little girl.
So I was lucky. Originally they said she would have to wait for the ecg until 2.45 but the nurse did it at 11.30 when she did the bloods.
Mum has a medical condition that I can't pronounce that basically causes her to loose her breath and she sort of struggles to breathe and it is awful while it happens. All of us children do the same on occasion, although I touch wood haven't had an attack in several years. However Mum had a particularly bad one yesterday and we are not sure if it is linked.
Her blood pressure was very low but the heart was ok.
I think it's possible that the pulled muscle from the attack caused her to breath too shallow and that possibly caused a reduced amount of oxygen, which could cause the light headed episode.
But we will keep an eye on her, and she had to go back to the doctors next week.
I left her comfortable and resting.