The night before I could not sleep and so I got up at 3.30am! After several huge mugs of tea I set to and by 6.15am everything was set up and ready - leaving me nearly 5 hours to wait until it all started!
As I said in my previous post I had no idea who would turn up. I'd invited friends and family only as I wasn't feeling brave enough to throw the doors open to the public just yet.
It turned out to be a really lovely day, with visits from lots of my neighbours, the in-laws and several very good friends. By 4pm it looked like this!
I'm still astounded at just how much went and also the number of orders it generated and so so grateful to everyone who came and supported me.
The past few weeks have been so busy with orders that I haven't had chance to add anything new to my Etsy shop as planned. I was getting myself a bit stressed about this until I reminded myself this is my business and it's up to me to decide what I do and when. So I've now let myself off the hook until after Christmas and have been able to crack on with some Christmas sewing.
A shirty quilt for Father-in-law, backed with a cuddly fleece blanket and hand-quilted because my baby machine hates quilting, which leads me neatly to the fact that shortly after my Open Studio I managed to sell my dear little car - now gone to a happy home, helping a young man get to his first job since graduating.
Although sad to see it go, it was totally impractical to keep it as Mr Moog commutes on his motorbike and I'm no longer doing miles and miles of work driving and was only using the family car to ferry dogs and teenagers about.
The very exciting result of selling my car is this:
Oh my word, she's gorgeous! Her name is Bessy and I know we're going to be very very happy together, especially as the very first thing she helped me finish was a quilt for Mother-in-law.
Machine quilted - because I can!!
In other news, I seem to have developed a liking for making fabric notebook covers just lately and yesterday whipped up five more, two of which are for my resident teenagers for Christmas.
There's been lots more sewing going on and there's a whole load more planned. I'm so amazed and happy with how things seem to be taking off and am busy making all sorts of plans for 2015. I have no regrets whatsoever for walking away from a job that was not right for me and I just know I'm doing what I should have done for years!
To round off, here's the only bit of Christmas knitting that is likely to get done around here this year. A pair of Little Alpaca Little Cotton Rabbits from Julie's brilliant pattern - made by special request for my cousin's daughter who fell in love with mine in the summer....she's 14 :)
If I don't manage to blog again before Christmas I'd like to wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and thank you so very much for cheering me on over the past few months.
love
Moogs xxx