Absent For a Year!

Well I have not been abscent, but I can no longer access my blogger via my iPhone and so I have not been able to easily access this site.
Today my daughter is studying the art of blogging eats and tells me that I should be blogging more.
So I wondered if i could access the site from my kindle, and low and behold here I am.
So that's a start.
Life is very busy, and since I was last here there have been significant changes in my world.
I am pleased to say that I still have my shop in Brackley, which is practically unrecognizable from the shop I opened in 2014
The shop is now a retail outfit as well as an alterations and repairs business, and the Sewing lessons and workshops are gaining more and more momentum now.
 My daughter Christine now works part-time with me, and one of the seamstress has come back out of retirement to help me.
I am currently advertising for new staff as things change and I need to free myself some time for expanding the business.
I was recently at the NEC in Birmingham for the Stitches trade show and have now found  several new suppliers to provide new things for the shop.
For now I will sign out, as I have lots of Sewing to do, and I need to find a way to get photos from my iPhone across to here.
Wish me luck, technology is not yet my master skill.

Sofa Covers

While home for the last few days, I have been slowly changing things around. Yesterday culminated in my making new sofa covers. 

The pale white and lilac had seen better days, and my DGD had rubbed her dirty hands across them once too often.

So with some roll end fabrics and a long length of continuous zip it's all change. 

From this to 

This! 

Cover Stitch Machine

Today's post was going to be about finding a Thankyou card, through the door when I arrived at work today.

A beautiful card, made and given with some thought. 

It was a Thankyou card for taking time out to help a lady who was having a problem with shortening a dress for somebody and needed it rescuing. So together we sat unpicking it, all 3 metres of stretch stitches. Then I used the rolled hem facilities on the overlocker to do the hem. 

However I am so excited because my Cover Stitch machine finally arrived  today.

I ordered it and paid for it in June after seeing them used on the Sewing Bee.

This machine should give me a more professional finish on my stretch hems, predominantly on jersey/knit fabric.

Happy Birthday!

Today the shop is 2 years old!

What a journey I have been on. I could only dream and imagine how the shop was going to evolve!

So here is to the next two years, and beyond!!

entertaining DGD!

So today I took my granddaughter to work with me. As predicted she soon got board and while I was cutting out envelope cushions upstairs she wanted to make an Emoji. 

Not any Emoji though. She wanted the "poo".

So she chose some brown velvet curtain remnants and with a little felt, and the help of my Saturday girl and my self after work, we produced her cushion. 

Flags Galore

Today was a busy day at work, making flags. 

It's an ongoing job that my Saturday girl started to cut out etc for me last week. But the deadline for making them all is next Friday. So today apart from doing fittings, all I did was a conveyor belt of flags. 

The order is for 28 flags for the Brackley Rugby Club!

So by the end of the day there are about 6 finished.

Guess that I will be sewing flags for a few days yet.

On the home front I still haven't really achieved very much. I'm either too tired or too lazy. 

What I have been doing is focussing on the LOA (law of attraction), and feeling amazed and very positive.

The goal I set myself was to find £30 a day (adverage), extra income towards my goal for £100,00 when I retire. It sounds like a total and utter pipe dream. 

But yesterday the first of my days, I received £27 for selling bits and bobs, and £20 worth of vouchers were given to me for helping a lady out of a sewing mess.

Then today I received £40 from selling some cushions I'd made.

Also last night I went to bed focussing on my Sewing Lessons, and imagining that they were all booked up for the month, and although I have a few spaces left, I have had two bookings today, and several requests for more information.

So I can honestly say that having a positive attitude and a belief that I can achieve is showing fairly good returns.

So flags up!! 

Building Dreams

I am a dreamer! I believe that  my dreams or goals are an important part of my life and that without them I flounder.

However with them I feel optimistic and full of ideas and strategies to achieve what ever I want.

I have read many self help books, organisation books, and goal getting books.

I have read The Secret, and the Law of Attraction.

I true to practise positive thoughts and visualise my life as I want it.

That is not always easy as I tend to suffer from great bouts of depression at times.

Today I am in the process of fighting my way back out of the latest bout, and I am concerntrating on the positive side of things.

Yesterday I ordered my new cooker, and fridge freezer. I have been wanting to replace the old ones for over a year.

So I have been saving up every spare penny and now I have managed it.

I would like to say that I am excited about it, but I'm more satisfied that I am achieving my goals.

At the beginning of August I replaced my car, after a month without a car. My previous car "died a death," after catastrophic engine failure. 

Again for over a year I had wanted to replace it but couldn't justify why.

But I got my little red sports car after all.

So I have found that if I want something, and I focus on it, then I will find a way to get it.

As long as I am not hurting anyone, getting into uncontrollable debt, or causing harm then I find a way.

So the next dream I have is still very vague and needs refining before I can make it a reality.

My Dream is to have a home abroad in the sunshine, within view or a stroll to the sea, and easy commute so family can stay. 

But that is too vague a dream at the moment.

My main thought is that I can build up my savings again, and investigate the places, follow forums, and gain knowledge of the best way of creating the dream.

Believe and you will achieve!

 

Reserecting The Blog

Gosh, not a single post since the beginning of the year!

So much has been going on in Mooloo's World, that I practically forgot that I even had a blog.

Although I post nearly every day on MSE about my life, I had set up this blog to record my makes. 

The truth is that since I opened my little Alterations shop, I haven't really had time to make anything and so I didn't really have anything to post.

Today, 19th August, it was suggested that I started a blog, and linked it to my posts on MSE, and that somehow I could generate an income from a blog!

I don't think that an income would be very forthcoming as yet. But it has reminded me that to start blogging outside of MSE world may generate some interest. 

So nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

Here I am to start practising the art of Blogging, and see where it takes me.

This may mean that I will need to change the title, but for now I will just start writing.

This time though I am going to shift my content from talking about my makes, to talking about my day.

Most mornings, I make myself a cup of tea with my travel kettle beside the bed. I use my trusty iPhone, and check my personal and my business bank balances. Hopefully there is some money to move into savings, and be aware of my spending.

Then I check my Emails, and Facebook.

What did we do before all of this technology? 

Personally I have been writing my diary/journal on paper, since around 1993.

Under my bed, in the loft are over 100 books to testify the fact!

I did write for a while on my Kindle, but eventually my granddaughter took over the kindle so I didn't get access to it, and then she damaged it.

So for about a year there is a lot of my ramblings missing. 

I have to get ready for work now, I can't be late as Staff don't start until 10.30 today. 

sewing Lessons for the Children

Today being Saturday, it is the day the Children come to sew.

Although today we didn't get much sewing done. We were choosing fabrics etc to make a sewing machine cover. Influenced by this months issue of Love Sewing and Simply Sewing. 

This picture is of the start to one little girls  "caravan" 

Eventually they will be appliqués together then of course the rear and the sides will be created, before assembling it all together into an incredible cover. 

2016 Changes

AHappy New Year!

Where does the time go?

Running the shop has been full time, and my blog has suffered rather than been improved on.

I have managed to update my website somewhat but I still struggle to update things. 

I do have a running commentary going on on MSE website, which has become my haunt over the last 9 years. However that is more about my life then my making.

I'm thinking of changing my blog to be more about life, as the shop work means that I am not making much anymore.

I'm challenging myself to save the scraps from the jobs we alter in the shop and see what I can make with them. Could be interesting, or a complete failure. 

Time will tell. 

Meanwhile here are a few things that I did do this last few months

Lampshades

Thermal bags

More bags

Recovered chairs

Rebuilt evening dresses

Even more bags

Made coatumes

More costumes

Knickers!

Egyptian gods

and bunting!

All since September. 

So actually that's not so bad as I thought.

1st Anniversary/Birthday for Mooloo's the Shop!

I can hardly believe that we have been trading for 12 months already!

The time has flown by. 

Here is to the next 12 months.

Changes are coming at the shop, tomorrow I am dismantling the clothing section on the middle floor, so we can make a bigger changing room, and the seamstresses can have more space.

Then we will consider the clothes, and will possibly be opening a dress agency instead. 

Tip of the Day - how to make a TuTu

http://www.nationalsewingcircle.com/video/how-to-make-a-tutu-007543/

The National Sewing Circle is an American site full of Video's- etc

You will need ribbon the size of the child's waist, plus 24" for tiying. Then strips of tulu twice the finished length.

You then literally tie the tule to the ribbon. 

Here they use a yard stick to make it easier to work with and then remove the stick once at the required length.

Simple and actually a no sew project!

Mini Knicker Course

This Morning I taught my class of ladies how to make a pair of Knickers. Always a fun and popular little course.

These were the demo pair I made. Although I didn't have any pretty knicker elastic to use. 

In the afternoon we had a few ladies looking for remnants, and then a one to one lesson with another lady.

All in all a good day. 

Yesterday I had a meeting with a Fabric Sales Man, and have ordered £500 worth of fabrics, by the bolt, to sell in the shop. So I need to work on my website so I can also sell on line. 

The Workshop

At Mooloo's shop, I am lucky to have three rooms. All one ontop of the other, however many people only see the ground floor where I work most of the time. 

But if you join me for a sewing lesson then you come to the top floor, where you will find my favourite place, the workshop. Here is where my other machines are, where my pupils, young and old come to improve their sewing skills. 

Where I keep some of my fabric stash, and escape to do the bigger jobs. 

It is quite different from when I started last Autumn! 

Sewing Patterns

Well Mooloo's is evolving.

In September it was me, one desk and lots of ambition.

Now it is me, A part time reception/assistant, two part time sewing ladies.

Two desks, three filing cabinets full of sewing patterns, and a workshop full of beautiful remnants and about 8 sewing machines and 2 overlockers. Oh and a floor full of Nearly New Clothing for everyone!

1000th Alteration!

Friday the 15th May, 2015 saw the 1000th alteration come through my shop doors!

I can't believe how many jobs I have done in the last 8.1/2 months!

To celebrate such a milestone my customer received a certificate and a bottle of sparkly wine, and a free alteration. 

My 1000th Alteration Customer!

Today my 1000th customer walked through my shop doors. And received a certificate, a bottle of sparkly, and a free alteration.Even better, she is a regular. What luck! 

Saving Bunny!

Today a mum brought in two well loved toys and asked if I could mend them. Not a normal job but a 6 year old boy loves his toys so who am I to not help?

Bunny was the worst for wear, he needed his paws repaired, holes in his seams, his nose was gone and he needed some stuffing!

Learning to ride a bike

Well it's not about my makes today. To be honest I'm not getting the chance, or is it making the opportunity, to create at the moment.

2014 was all about creating the dream, and getting the Mooloo's business up and running in commercial premises.

Which I did.

Well Here's to a continuing Successful 2015, but also to some family time.

My granddaughter is growing up fast, and now has a new larger bike. But so far I haven't been able to let her ride it, as I couldn't keep up with her.

So I decided to follow some basic Laws of Attraction, and manifest what I needed. A bike of my own. 

And it arrived today.

Here is my new bike, well new to me, and totally free! 

Now this will help me with her, and also with my health, I hope.

It will be good to get out on a Sunday, and get the fresh air, and have family time.

Once I learn how to ride it! 

So if you are not into the Law of Attraction, or Mindstore, maybe you could learn about it along side me. 

#itonlyworks!

Merry Christmas!

The Window Display at the moment!