In The Beginning

I’m busy.

I’m a wife of 20+ years. I have four children (all two years apart), who I homeschool. I co-lead a large, active homeschool group. I am heavily involved in activities at my church. I have several different life-long illnesses which sap my strength and energy. And in the midst of all that, I decided to start a business. Why?

My business started probably as most do. Someone said, “Hey, you’re really talented – can you make me one of those things you made your kids?” Then a few other people asked me to make them the same thing too. Soon, someone innocently said, “You should go into business – people would love these!” But, I suppose, that’s not even where the dream began. For that story, I have to go even farther back.

When I was a little girl, my mother hand-made our Halloween costumes. Every. Year. There were three of us but nothing stopped her creativity. She would get into a frantic mode around the middle of September, asking us what we wanted to be for Halloween. As soon as we decided, it was a long boring trip to Cloth World where my brother and I would entertain ourselves by playing hide and seek under the roundabouts which held the fabric, much to our mothers chagrin. The year my oldest brother wanted to be C3PO from Star Wars? There was no gold foil to be found on the face of the planet…except in Rolo candies. We ate Rolos that year until we could barely stand to look them in the eye. But my brothers C3PO costume was out-of-this-world amazing!! When my brothers wanted to dress as a dragon and the knight who slew him, she got out the sewing machine and cardboard.

When I needed butterfly wings, she created them from metal hangers, pantyhose and spray paint.

When I needed to be Mrs. Pacman for my 80's school musical, Mom came again to the rescue.

And the year I went as Miss Piggy, she made a hard mask for me from paper mache and paint (wish I still had a picture of that one!). There was no end to her creativity in figuring out how to make a costume work.

I suppose that was really my first foray into creating.

When I was twelve years old, I took a summer 4H class which taught me the very basics of sewing and then I taught myself everything else through trial and error. I made a pair of skorts in high school that looked good enough to wear anywhere. And they had a zipper too! I dabbled in many arts – crochet, cross stitch, latch hooking, drawing, painting, fabric covered photo albums, etc. I sang in choirs and played the flute all through my school years.

When I got married and found we had little money, I started to make some simple home decor projects. Pillows. Curtains. Tied quilts. After my children were born, I rediscovered the love of sewing. And that brought me to that initial rag baby quilt, which led to the friend asking me to make one for her, which led to the innocent remark about starting a business, which led to jumping in with both feet while my eyes were both closed, and starting a business.

So I purchased a tent and some tables, sewed like a mad woman and got a regular spot at the local Farmers & Artisans Market. My first year, I just sewed. Mostly anything I thought someone might purchase. My table really looked like begging. It said, “Please, buy something. Anything. I’ll literally sew ANYTHING for you!!” I had a hodge podge of baby rag quilts, costume aprons, Elsa dresses, burp cloths, insulated water bottle holders, backpacks, cross body bags, book bags and even a Doctor Who bag. My goal, it seems, was selling beautiful things at reasonable prices…and maybe my little business could pay for a week’s family vacation. Something we had never done.

Most of that year was a blur of the sewing machine. Every spare minute was on the sewing machine or at the cutting or ironing tables. I sewed until I never wanted to set eyes upon the machine again. My items were selling somewhat and I received many compliments on my level of work from seasoned sewists but I was overworked and yet, felt under appreciated. I spent the New Year wondering if this was what God really wanted for me. And when I did my taxes for the year and realized I was still ‘in the hole’ for the year, I wondered if it was a sign that I should stop. But He gently reminded me that sometimes, perseverance is a good thing to learn too. What if Edison had stopped at lightbulb #500, thinking it was a sign? What if Lincoln quit pursuing a political career after all his failed jobs and campaigns, before he won the Presidency?

But I’ve always had a creative streak. I owe a lot of that to my mother and her costume making skills. I jokingly call myself a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. I like to dabble in lots of creative arts. At Christmas the previous year, I had received an awesome Silhouette Cameo machine but I had been so very busy sewing that I’d barely had time to play with it. Truth be told, I wanted it for its ability to cut letters on fabric so that I could personalize the baby rag blankets. But as I began to look around on Pinterest, I discovered that the machine had other applications as well. I, again innocently, made a vinyl sign for my Mom as a gift. And a friend asked me for another one and on and on until I decided to make some to sell at the market.

It’s now June and I admit, I am just barely able to look my sewing machine square in the eye again. But my new love are these signs. Did I tell you there is paint involved? And total creativity with the software? And so many pretty colors of vinyl to choose from? I love the flexibility this offers. And business is going well. Just hop on over to Pinterest (follow me, Malapert, while you’re there) and find all kinds of wood signs! Signs for the mantle, signs for the front door, signs for baby rooms, signs for gifts, signs to bring a smile, signs to touch your heart.

Costumes my mother made for us for Frontier Days at school.

I think the Bible’s first few words are words spoken directly to me. “In the beginning, God created”. And He shared a little bit of that creativity with me. And I’m so thankful that He gave me my mom to show me how to think creatively and how to make beautiful things.