New Challenge

With my upcoming layoff, which seems to be taking forever, new challenges are coming my way everyday. I was recently challenged to make a dress. Funny. I remember making my very first dress at the age of four on my grandma's lap while she pushed to sewing pedal for me. Over the years I've sewn professionally as a side gig and even did my first year of college in fashion design. Needless to say, I'm up for the challenge. It's like going back to my roots. Doing something that I haven't done in a long time. It's like falling off a horse. How hard can it be? Ha! Beware saying such words with a cavalier attitude. We'll see. I'm working on it now.

Because my life is about to enter a new phase. One of working for myself instead of "the man" as they say... I really do feel that I have to leave myself open for all options. Not only have I decided to sew a dress, I've decide to add clothes to my line of stuff that I will be selling at craft shows come March. So right now is just my way of shaking the dust off and giving myself a dry run to see how far I can take this new challenge. Can I turn it into something that will ultimately work for me? I can no longer keep my nose in the air about my leather work as some kind of art form. When I have to do it day in and day out, it becomes work. Sure, I'm having fun at it, but it's still a lot of work.

So stay turned. My first dress in 15 years. (Okay, so I've been a little busy!)

What I've been up to.....

I just finished the Amy Butler Zinnia Pillow. OMG that thing was so hard to do. There was a lot of work involved. About 12 hours of real time hands on work to get it finished. And it took over $40 worth of materials. Not cheap. Not easy. But I'm just showing off my "mad skills" as my son would say. LOL!

He's gone!!!

I got my son away from the house! Yay!!!! Soon I'll go upstairs and work. He went to the Texans football game. If he get's pictures I'll be sure to post them. Here's a picture of my baby and his last girlfriend! Okay so he's not a baby....he'll be 17 in Dec.

Anyway, nice to have the house to myself. Hopefully, he'll be gone all day. Ahhhh! This is the life!

So....

What have I been working on. The Silver Mirror Mirror leather pillow covers in the picture. With craft shows, you have to have plenty of inventory, even if you may not sell much, so that's what I've been doing for the past two weeks. Increasing inventory. So I actually made two of these. What do you think? Big sellers in New York!!!!

Love What I Do

A few weeks ago, a major company (2nd largest in the world) told me that I was going to be laid off at the end of the year. Yes, I was upset, but only for about 20 mins. I had been given my date. It was now official. They had no more use for me. Well like anyone, I sat down and thought about it and 20 mins later, I didn't have anymore use for them. Here was my one shot chance to break free from corporate America and do what I love.

So I've been piecing together my plans to open my own business. This really has been a step by step process. I mean the getting from point A to point B. I knew where I would be come Jan 1, 2010 (short of dying), that's point A. So I had to figure out where the hell is point B? You gotta know where you'd like to go before you can get there. Figuring this out didn't happen overnight. I had to ask myself, what do I want to do with my business? Did I want to just create leather goods in my workroom? Yes? No? Who do I want to sell them to? Can I make this plan bigger? So my plan went from doing craft shows at the beginning of the year, just to pay the bills, to doing trade shows a year later.

I'm at the very beginning of the journey from point A to point B. My very first craft show (in over 12 years) is one month away. Let's just call it a baby craft show. It's at a church. Tables were cheap. I decided to give it a try. Needless to say, this has lead to how I'm going to pull off the larger ones from January onward. It's like a practice run. Already I can see, I'm not going to be nearly as ready or as polished up as I plan to be in January. No money for it right now. But that's okay. I have a plan and damn if I don't love what I do!

Too tired.

I'm just too tired to go into my work shop cracking knuckles today. My son is having his first away football game today and I'm waiting for him to come in with the news that they won. He's a receiver for junior varsity at his high school. I never go to the away games because they take place during work hours. The kid thinks this world is all his and has an ego as huge as the state we reside in, but I love him. What can I say....I'm a mom.

The finished product....

I finally finished my Zebra Hair On Cowhide Laptop Bag. Check it out!!!! Personally, I love the feel of hair on cowhide so I never get enough of working with the stuff. I'm always looking for something unique. I've mixed this back with a bit of crinkled black patent leather and added that to the chain also. Silver hardware. The inside liner is done in a red crepe back satin so it has a soft and silky feel inside and out.

Welcome to Fine-Thangz

This is my very first blog. Wow! As you can see from the widget posted on the side page, I make leather goods. I mostly work with leather to make cowhide clutches, laptop bags, pillows, pillow covers, and custom leather ottomans.

I love working with leather because it truly is a challenge. It so very hard to do. In no way does that stuff behave like fabric. You can't treat it like fabric. It really was a whole new way of sewing, for me, when I first started a few years ago. Don't get me wrong... in no way do I consider myself a master at it yet. I'm still learning new things about leather. Everyday I go into my work room, crack my knuckles and lets just see what comes out.

I hope you'll take time to visit my shop on Etsy. I still don't have everything listed there yet, but I'm working on it. There's also my website available at http://fine-thangz.ecrater.com/ to see the full range of products I offer. Let me know you came by. I absolutely love feedback because it helps me create a better product. Let me know what you think. Also keep it mind that I do a lot of custom work and if there is something that you have in mind, please tell me about it. Thanks.

SharonH