Someone is using my patches to embellish their gifts to friends! How wonderful!
This one has sold, but one like it is available here.
Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy
This little heart has my heart. Thank you Kennedy. I can't wait to hand sew it to a special project for a friend recovering from surgery! Thank you for the fast delivery, personal note and sweet surprises! I will share a photo when I finish creating!
Of course, I wish I was a fly on the wall on several occasions for this "grow" patch! I'd want to see it being slow stitched on the special project. Then see the friends opening it together and lastly to see the friend happy, well and recovered using it! That would be such a delight!
These are sold out, but 2 bunny patches, like these are available here.
Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy
And the other one:
I adore the bunnies! I am hand stitching this design of a Japanese
friend's spirit animal on gift bag. I know she will love it! Thank you
for your kind, fun, personal note. I enjoyed opening every little
package you enclosed. Thank you, Kennedy! I am going to check out your
blog next! I will order again.
Another fly on the wall story! What a great creative idea! I'd love to see this friend's spirit animal stitched on a gift bag, but better yet, seeing friends together opening the gift! I'm sure my imagination will serve me well, as I pretend to be a fly on the wall!
Saying Goodbye: Since stitching is my new alternative to hoarding, I'm never sad to see these go because I know I can stitch some more of them. Also, since I know they are going to some fun, creative and kind "forever" homes!
COMING SOON in PINK!
I've stitched several batches of these mending hearts and all have sold out! I am so thankful! Guess what I'll be stitching this weekend? I have some time worn pink cutter quilt pieces like these and will stitch some more for spring!
What I Learned:
1. My alternative to hoarding through stitching seems to be taking hold and even more surprising, my textile art keeps finding new forever homes! I am so thankful! Thank you Etsy and Etsy buyers!
2. I am still experiencing "stitcher's block." I haven't felt like picking up a needle in about a month. And when I do, what I stitch I don't really like, but I hope someone else will! My textile art has been selling out, so I do really need to get going to replenish the sold out stock, but I've been telling myself that for several weeks now without much motivation. Let's see what this weekend holds!
3. Actually I haven't felt motivated to blog either, lol, and there are plenty of stories from Etsy buyers to blog about. I just can't get myself to do it. Luckily, all the Etsy shops have been keeping me busy with tons of sales. Sales have been crazy, some weeks the sales are so many, it's like the last 2 weeks before Christmas!
How have you gotten over your "creative" blocks? I usually have to wait, which I'm okay with because I usually spend the time organizing until I find a piece of fabric or an idea that hits me. I'm doing my best to be patient. Anyone "out there" with any ideas or inspiration for me?
All the fabrics are from recycled scraps or remnant pieces that no one wanted and gave to me. Most of them are vintage. Both are are available here.
Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy
Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your stories and I'd love to see photo updates, since I can't be a fly on the wall! I am so happy you used my textile art patches to embellish gifts for friends! Your stories really touch my heart. Thank you!
I hope your friend has recovered from surgery and is well on the mend!
Thank you for coming around again and ordering more patches! It really inspired me to write this blog post today and to start making more mending heart patches since you ordered 2 more and there is only one left now! Thank you for helping me get out of my funk! I am truly grateful to you!
My mom and her quilt guild have been making masks for CHOC nurses and Camp Pendleton marines, since March. She sent me some of her extra ones to sell. She's probably sent me 6-7 different fabric types and 2 different mask styles, this is the one with folds. Here are the ones she made from boro kasuri, they are washable and have 3 layers and one of them is a filter, available here. Photo via Mending Ways on Etsy
Sales
are still sky high! We were back to our regular average of 25 sales a week, but it seems to have doubled! I hope it keeps up so we can make up for last year's dive in sales. Last
year, I tried Etsy's advice and changed almost all the listing to "free shipping," so I think it might be that because I'd been slowly changing my shops
back to regular shipping and I think that's making a difference.
Now I think it has for sure because to prepare for Mother's day I changed almost every listing $35 and under from "free" shipping to transparent shipping, meaning you can see my shipping costs now and sales have more than doubled from our usual average. So it still could be these uncertain times and people ordering more due needing "isolation" and home school activities or changing back to "regular" and transparent shipping. What do you think?
I am adding new items weekly, but since sales are way up, some days I'm too busy just packaging for our shipping days! We ship out every Mon, Wed and Fri and get packages ready the day before, if payment has cleared. Yesterday I got 16 packages ready to ship out today! I think our record earlier last month was 25!
Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 185 items, The Destiny of Things- 173 items, VintageToGoEasy - 167 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 172 items. And now, Mending Ways with 34 items! Many of my textile art patches have found new "forever" homes, so I need to make some more. I am so grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!
Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home! All lookieloos are appreciated!
These "word" face masks were very popular among the CHOC nurses. My mom sent a photo of them wearing hers, but I can't find it now! These "word" masks are washable with 3 layers of fabric, one of them being a filter from interfacing. They also have a the adjustable metal nose bridge inside. My mom sent me an email of how she made them, it's quite long, I'll be adding that to the listing over the weekend. "Word" reusable masks, available here. Photo via Hoarder Rehab.
Related Stories:
Leather Wallet Textile Patch Storage Book: Mending Ways, Story 11
6. All my Mending Ways Creative Outlets Hoarding Alternative stories, here.
Stay safe, stay well, stay calm and stitch on! Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!
Stay safe, stay well, stay calm and stitch on! Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!
