Me

I have two new sewing buddies (from strawberriesandcream): Wopples the hedgehog is named after his wopsy ear and rolly-polly quality (he never stays upright, always wants to roll up into a ball and hide away just like a hedgehog), and Missy the mouse who is just so adorable! I love them!

P.S. They are pincushions.

This weekend I went camping at Beaverlac. It is about a 2 hr drive out of Cape Town and then over the Cederberg mountains (you need a ‘proper’ car get to down the steep dirt track). Once there it is beautiful: hot dry air met with cold refreshing spring water.

We took lilo’s and floated away starring at the fish swimming below. There was no cell phone signal so I suffered a bit from ‘internet-lessness‘ but that added to the relaxation factor.

At the one waterfall there was a very cute Wagtail that hung around.

Later we discovered that he had nested right next to the waterfall. See the tiny red arrow in the picture below (far right).

It was a wonderful weekend but now I am back running around and sewing till midnight.

I have the cutest couple living next door to me: two Rock Pigeons. I first noticed them one evening when they were perfectly huddled around a lamp - it was a perfect picture and I wish I had taken the opportunity and snapped away. But, as always, I did not and the next day the lamp was taken down (they are doing alterations/revamping the National Monument next door) and the couple found a new place to sleep. They did come to visit but the photo opportunity had passed.

Now that the lamp is hanging up-right again my fluffy neighbours are back and I am happy to see them as in love as ever tucked away under a new roof.

P.S. The photo would have been cuter if the lamp light was on as it used to be but they have now put a garish spot-light on the corresponding wall so there is no need for it other than novelty…and that it is the two Rock Pigeons home.

I am so excited today - my granny came back from Europe (England, Germany, Ireland and Scotland) and has brought me my etsy trade (which got sent, by request, to where my granny stayed in England).

The trade was a Small Anemone pendant from Harriet (beautyuncut) for the Aquamarine and Indigo Geometric Shweshwe Small Town Wren Bag.

Harriet, after receiving the bag, wanted to send me something extra (lucky me, I know) to say thank you. Ironically, it arrived two days ago (before my granny). What a wonderful surprise! Thank you Harriet.

Thank you Harriet for my new pendant. It is so me! I love it. The craftsmanship is gorgeous and overall, I ♥ beautyuncut becuase my pendant is truly BEAUTIFUL!

‘Taking the plunge’ and starting by yourself is really hard. Sure, there are some definite benefits such as owning your own time but there are also definitely disadvantages and challenges. Here are my two biggest ones:

1. Cashflow: This is the most difficult thing. Whatever I get in goes straight back into Wren. As it grows so the costs grow. It is also hard because I want to start achieving/attaining my personal goals (not just Wren goals) but without the financial stability I cannot. Wren comes first before me.

2. Staying motivated: There are some days when I wonder (rather seriously) whether it would be easier to just get a ‘normal’ job, move out and deal with having an all-day unenjoyable job. However, I did not find that fulfilling and I have to keep reminding myself to persevere. Wren has grown fast and that is terrific. The challenge is to always focus on the positives and the possibilities. It helps having such wonderful readers of my blog - thank you.

After going in for a service, coming back broken and going back 6 times after that and still being returned worse than it went in, my mom and I sadly decided that her sewing machine would never be the same again.

She bought it 20 years ago as a gift for herself and quickly it paid for itself. She sewed most of my sister’s and my clothes (including Matric dance dresses). She also used to make these gorgeous waist coats that we loved when we were younger and sold a lot of them to friends and family.

Two years ago I learnt to sew and have used it everyday since starting Wren 7 months ago (Thanks mom for letting me use it). That sewing machine lasted well, sewed well and rarely gave us any trouble.

We decided to trade it in for a newer machine because the market value we would have gotten for it (especially broken) was not even close to what was offered in the trade-in. I am now paying my mom back slowly (or as fast as I can) so that she can ‘replace’ her machine. ‘My’ new machine is a slight downgrade but is perfect for what I need. It is beautiful, sews very quietly and even though I miss little things, I am sure I am going to enjoy this new machine as much as I did the old one when I get used to it. …although, the new machine has this special button foot that is unbelievable!!! All I do is put the button in it and it sews the exact size button hole without me doing anything! Seems I already love it.

I was tagged by Neilfa to list my 5 current addictions (a game started by Being Brazen). Here they are:

1. My Happy Hugger. In this weather, I’m cooking the buckwheat grains.

2. Throwing my whining pets out of my flat. One feels sorry for them at first with the cold weather outside but then they start demanding attention, climbing over everything and simply getting in the way.

From left to right: Mischief trying to ‘catch’ the bird pouch, Shaka and Balue fighting over who gets to sit in the suitcase ‘pet-bed’ and Mischief sitting as close as he possibly can to the heater without burning (Katie was on the other side).

3. A Kitka bread from Olympia Bakery with a nice hot bowl of soup. (We are having a very long winter in Cape Town and although today is a beautiful day, another cold front is arriving tomorrow ).

4. Charly’s Bakery.

5. Writing in my new moleskine diary. I decided that having ten ‘to do lists’ (or ‘wish lists’ as Jesse once referred to them as) was not working very well for me. I kept loosing them and/or throwing the wrong ones away. Now they are all in one (organized) little black book (with a cute little Wren sticker). I’m loving it!

…and I now tag: the Tiny Red

This weekend I got one step closer to achieving one of Wren and my life’s goals: to make other’s dreams come true.

The demand for Wren bags has steadily increased and Fatimah and Zerina are battling with one sewing machine to keep up. Instead of looking for another sample-machinist to join the team, they asked to get a second sewing machine. For about a month we have been looking.

Then through my ‘Sewing machines, services and sad faces‘ post a few days ago somebody contacted me to offering us a great deal on a very good industrial sewing machine. The machine was perfect: it was a Brother, new, worked, was affordable and as far as industrial sewing machines go, the most beautiful one I had ever seen. Needless to say, we bought it (or Wren bought it).

Poor Jeremy moved the solid stainless steel sewing machine.

During the car trip I was able to ask Fatimah what she would like in her life: She wants to be able to stop working at the factories (currently she has to get up very early, around 4 am, and catch 2 taxis’s, a bus and then another taxi just to get to work), and work from home. I am hoping that sometime next year Fatimah will be able to do this. I wanted to get a studio where we could all work together, but that is not her dream. Now that I know what she wants and what I want, we will work together to make these individual dreams come true.

From Left to right; Zerina, Fatimah (at the back), Fatimah's daughter (at the back), Two girls from the neighbourhood, Ouma and then me.

It is great to be able to make such a positive difference in other’s lives. Thank you to everybody who has bought something from Wren becuase you are a part of this story.

On Wednesday I took some books out at the library. The lady who checked my books out looked grumpy. She took my books, shouted at some students for making too much noise and continued to mutter under her breath about something or other. When she handed my books back she smiled and I did a double take. I could not believe 1) how beautiful she was when she smiled and 2) that she had just smiled!

I walked away amazed and made a conscious effort for the rest of the day to keep a smile on my face. If it turned a lady I would have described as ordinary looking (and rather miserable) into a joyful and beautiful person (on perception) - well it is cheaper than any make-up in the world.

Smile! It makes you look more beautiful and feel a whole lot more positive.

Above is a picture of Katie (my dog) smiling. She always greets me with a toothy grin that I adore. I have to smile back.

For the past month my sewing machine has been in for a service. It started making a loud ‘clunking’ sounds and I decided that it needed to go in for a service. I returned it yesterday for the third time, now actually broken. This has really knocked my production and noticeably, my stock. I have been borrowing sewing machines left, right and center and learning to appreciate my mom’s very expensive buy 18 years back. Here are the things I miss most about my mom’s sewing machine:

- The magnetic foot. With a magnetic foot the fabric does not move as much. You can line two pieces of fabric up and they stay lined up.

- The needle that stays down (as an option). This allows me to stop, move the fabric and continue sewing without having to wind the needle up or down.

- The rabbit - tortoise speed feature. I have never made it to rabbit speed and for making the little bird pouches I like to sew like a 100 year old tortoise. Now I have no option but to go fast, hold my breath and hope I still have 5 fingers on each hand at the end.

- The zip foot.

- The easy top loading bobbin.

- The adjustable foot tension. This makes a big difference when I want to sew over, for example: a zip and I do not want the stitch to stop.

- The sensitive reverse button.

As you can see, I am using a VERY basic sewing machine at the moment. Please bear with me for just a little while longer till I get my sewing machine back and I promise I will make a flock of bird pouches first.

Here are a few bags and one cute little bird I have been able to make for this week’s shop stock.