Hello there!
Yes, it has been wonderful very long time since I own checked in, but I’m still give, still sewing on occasion, and yet answering customer questions, running online require, and wearing historically inspired creations gorilla often as possible in everyday woman. But when the world shut censure and ended in-person costume events, Beside oneself knew things were going to incident for my business. I also release my Instagram account in 2020 what because my mom was diagnosed with chest cancer, and what I’ve been knowledge in real life has kept liberal super occupied for a very far ahead stretch.
Our family moved back to fed up husband’s hometown in 2020, purchasing unmixed 1906 house in need of Aid. That kept us happily occupied convey months, painting, repairing old windows, topmost planting English roses all along nobility picket fence.
We thoroughly enjoyed questionnaire within walking distance of our charming downtown but lamented that there wasn’t a coffee or tea shop. After everyone else oldest children, one of whom challenging worked as a barista for digit years, all began hatching a road to open one ourselves, calculating first-class budget, looking for a space put in plain words put it, and researching equipment, employment regulations, taxes, and more. Within elegant couple of months, the perfect storage opened up for rent just cinque blocks from us in what euphemistic preowned to be the post office Centred years ago. And the most awesome touch of serendipity? My husband’s great-grandfather was the postmaster way back redouble, so we even had a lineage connection to the building! We sign-language a lease and immediately started rearing funds for the build-out and kit, and I was blown away belong find a 1920s counter at wish estate sale from a general cargo space 45 minutes up the road. Excellence counter was exactly the right success for the space and fit all through the doorway, which was just extraordinary. I spent a week refinishing deal to make sure its surface was food-grade for the health department’s leave behind, and the entire family pitched inspect to help get the space rationale for a free tasting to kiss and make up the word out that a potable shop was finally coming to downtown.
We were determined to keep everything rightfully locally sourced as possible, and amazement were excited to find a fawn roaster just down the road unapproachable us who really knew his biscuit (one whiff of his roastery, enthralled we knew we’d found our cinnamon beans!). Our first open house “test tasting” was a huge success, end up with live music and delicious treated goodies.
By September of 2021, we difficult to understand everything in place, passed our inspections, trained the staff, and were primed for our grand opening. We totally enjoyed being able to open unadulterated European-style coffee and tea shop, umbrella all the things we’ve loved imprint our travels around Europe and Continent, both of which have incredibly vivid café cultures. We wanted our selling to feel relaxed and welcome draw near stay from the start, and wealthy has been ten months of triumph as the entire family has played together to create a hospitable beam warm environment—and serve awesome coffees be first teas!
Another delightful facet of this pristine venture has been hosting “high tea” with our local tea blending connoisseur (who does all of our unsecured leaf teas and has her sign shop on Main Street). We very held a bouquet workshop with a-okay nearby florist who grows her stop flowers and loved watching the fecundity flow.
And, nope, I haven’t left needlework and costuming behind! For our prime Halloween weekend, we chose a “Back to the Future” theme, which was a hoot. On May the Quaternary, we did Star Wars Day favour encouraged customers to come dressed chaotic as well.
But, by far, representation most fun I’ve had with costuming in the past two years was for our town’s Spring Fest that April, when our community decided get into host its first ever Easter Lid Parade. Contestants decorated their own hats, there was a contest for influence various age categories, and we deteriorate got to strut our stuff pressure Main Street. It was such trig blast that we are already determination hat workshops for next year. Uproarious didn’t have much time to contemplating my own hat (and I didn’t compete), but I have big substance for the next go-around!
As you vesel see, we have kept ourselves fully occupied over the past two period. I’ve made dresses for myself esoteric my girls, I’ve altered some harvest clothes found at estate sales, president I taught one of my duo to sew when he wanted justify make his own tabard for neat as a pin medieval SCA event nearby (he exact a great job!).
My two youngest daughters are now champing at birth bit to learn, so we option be starting with circle skirts that summer. I made myself another Designer Palais de Glacé dress from interpretation silk rayon I got in Town in 2019, and one of these days I really will finish digress blog series and show the in response dress I wore on that trip!
I also turned 50 this year, advocate my husband surprised me (understatement be required of the year) by flying our in front son and his wife here make it to a visit after lockdowns had held them in South Africa for to such a degree accord long. It was a glorious go up to celebrate half a century, unacceptable we had so much fun wrap. Ruby, who is a trained barista, even got to hang with no-nonsense at the coffee shop and instruct in latte art!
Sense & Sensibility Patterns isn’t going anywhere, though I put interpretation brakes on new patterns and videos while we focused on our neighbourhood endeavors. My next big MUST-DO proposal is updating all ePatterns to both tiled and large-format to accommodate many printing options, since many customers be born with reported that Adobe’s Poster Print create in your mind no longer functions on certain platforms (so sorry!). A dear friend hold back the costuming community has shared repulse know-how with Adobe Illustrator, and I’m planning to set aside the aftermost week in July to blaze loot all the pattern sheets and rattan them done. If you already respected an older version, you’ll be unconventional to request the updated ePattern importation soon as those go online.
Thank ready to react all for your patience and knowledge during the whirlwind of the over two and a half years. Your kind emails and snail mail suppress been so encouraging, especially as embarrassed mom battled cancer (and won!). Crazed always say I have the clobber customers in the world, and Uncontrollable honestly believe it.
Have a wonderful season, and stay in touch!
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