Sewing Day, the week before a show

There's a magical time in the life of a bag maker when the energy is high and the ordered chaos slides into just plain chaos: all the boxes are out at once, a thin coat of tiny threads coats the whole floor, inventory is accounted for and tagged, custom orders are being filled, and... the sewing machine breaks down. 

So most of that is magical.  This post was originally going to be about that plain chaos, the insane productivity my workshop has seen this spring.  Today definitely added a "Part 2" to that story!

This spring HAS been kind of magical.  I've met a bunch of inventory goals I was aiming for, plus I have 2 really exciting new designs (the Grande and the Clutch) that will debut at their first show on Saturday.  This morning I packed everything I could pack--I even condensed boxes, packing smaller bags inside larger bags.  I finished price tags and inventory this morning, an easy but LONG task.  This afternoon, during this sabbath from the rest of my household tasks, I planned to crank out a custom order or two.

Part 2.  Just then my sweet Singer--the very machine I spoke so highly of in my last post--refused to sew a seam.  It was the weirdest thing: I made a strap, same kind of strap I've made hundreds of before, and then I did some zippers and top stitching which turned out fine.  Then things went all wonky: all kinds of knots on the bottom side of the fabrics.  The good news is that those stitches are coming out very easily, as they were never in that thoroughly in the first place.  The bad news is that I have to spend these precious hours ripping seams and diagnosing my formerly easy to read machine's problem.  Some online tutorials suggest the thread is threaded incorrectly or that the tension is off.  I shall keep you posted.  I think I'm going to wind some new thread and try a different needle.  Perhaps that breaking needle problem is deeper than it seems...

This is an exciting time, though.  I am feeling really ready for the show on Saturday.  I've never done a sketch of my booth set up before, but I did today.  And I have a new stand for my Zippies, which should be cool.  It's the brainchild of my husband Kyle and me, a brilliant PVC / turquoise duct tape / hose strap contraption. 

I'm off--wish me luck!