Is my gain worth the loss?

2008-06-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

This week a friend, Mari brought me to an old production house where they manufactured custom shirts. It was the former home to 40 sewers....it was like an industrial sewing machine graveyard. While my heart skipped a few beats because I knew I was going to be taking a few of these guys to a new home (where we would begin to produce more handmade product and further our handmade agenda), but my heart also weighed heavy seeing this abandoned space with with all these once heavily used machines, cutting tables and presses.
So where have all these jobs gone, I think most of us know...and while I do my best to buy products only made in the USA and even more so, as much handmade as possible, it's just not always easy or even available (case and point: zippers). This is of course easy to do when it comes to luxury items a little harder for necessities.
I support local Farmers and Growers by shopping only the actual family farmers here at the Dallas Farmers Market (the only daily market left in the country).
But it's not easy, I am self-employed, I don't have a steady income, my husband is a student and so we have learned to live lean and buy only things that we "REALLY" want or need. It's definitely a lifestyle, we have to find ways to save here and there so I can spend more supporting handmade. I won't lie, this means I buy my toilet paper at the discount chains, which supports overseas purchases and puts these production shops and ma & pops out of business.
Its such a huge vicious cycle and where does it begin and end, everyone I ask has a different opinion.
So to avoid making myself crazy, I have decided I can do what I can do and just keep trying to make small changes to progress.
For now, I will promote handmade, create handmade and buy handmade as much as I can, and with my new industrial machines and serger it will be that much easier. Together we adopted over 7 machines and other odds and ends. I can be happy about that!

No Box Crafts...The Kit-Free Life.

2008-06-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

So a blog has been in the works for almost 3 years.....but it took a challenge from my dear friend, FreeLisa to get it going. A challenge to blog everyday this June, and so June 5th is already here and finally I post. Just 2 weeks to create a habit, right?

Another dear friend of mine, Jennifer Worick has told me for months that my blog needs to begin, so I answer the call.....just not sure with what I will answer.

Today I have just 2 days left of teaching the kiddos here at Make to be crafty and design. I don't believe in using planned patterns for these kids, I give them a basic idea and have them create their own pattern or design! None of them leave with the same projects and they get pretty crazy (will post pics tomorrow). My biggest challenge is ensuring that they are being challenged and working outside their comfort zone. When did we become a society of boxed crafts and pre-made everythings? Most of us have this preconceived notion of exactly what design should be and there are "kits" to get us there. Thanks Martha. We'll I am taking the kit-free life challenge...I am going to Do-It-Myself!

For anyone that knows me, they know that I am the queen of imperfection. Perfection? I don't believe in it. Don't mistake this for incompetence, I'd like to think I am competent. But in the learning of life and especially design, I don't believe there is much room for perfection. You might be guilty of this, but in my classes (I teach sewing and design to both adults and teens), the perfectionism runs rampant! It truly inhibits creativity and design. When you first get started nothing will be perfect, you will sew right side to wrong side, your machine will have bobbin explosions and you will curse A LOT! But for every wrong turn, you will learn a new route.

I have found that we can all get stuck in our comfort zone, and I am of course guilty of this. I often tell myself that things outside my comfort zone aren't necessary or that I don't need those skills, because I am afraid of not being good at it. For the past 5 months, yes 2008 resolutions have stuck with me this year, I have been living outside my comfort zone with my design, lifestyle, relationships, etc.

This year I decided to take the leap and begin designing clothing. I am a handbag designer/maker and last year I threw a few dresses into the mix and was pleased with the outcome and reception...so this year, Enju is launching a handbag and clothing line for Fall 2008 at The Pin Show. Nervous? Hell yes! Can I challenge myself the same way I do my students or will I fall trap to my own version of self-criticism and perfectionism?

As my dear Mother also told me as a disgruntled teenager: Life is not perfect.

The DIY Life in a Modern World

Is my gain worth the loss?

No Box Crafts...The Kit-Free Life.