The front of our little shipping room – so wee and cute!
One year ago I got the keys to our studio. The following few weeks were busy with us painting and cleaning and setting up shop – it was all very exciting. This past year has seen a lot of growth for us, Thamar joined me full time, I hired on Jessica and Nicole and a few new sewing mama’s joined the team. I guess if it was a ‘normal’ business this wouldn’t have been too much growth – I imagine there would be the big influx of cash from some investment and then you’d go all out, maybe? Anyhow, I’m growing steady and it’s more like the growth comes to me – I meet the right person to work with, talk to someone who knows someone who can sew – that’s how it sort of rolls for me. So this next step for us is exactly perfect .. we are adding an extra room to the studio at just the right time.
It was all quite serendipitous. One day while in the shop we were all in at the same time (6 of us), shipping boxes everywhere, dollies everywhere – it was madness! The studio is really quite small but I remember when I moved in that I thought there was NO way I could fill it. Ha. Then I happened to mention to the gal directly behind me that I needed space and one thing led to another and now I have an extra spot adjacent to us that will become our shipping/ dressing area. I’m so excited! LOTS of work do be done but dang that space has good bones and I have a cute little frontage – eep!
Here are my plans on the doll front, my goals for the next few months. We are now at 25 ladies (and John) creating the dolls, knitting the sweaters, making clothes .. and rolling the heads (thanks John!). I can’t believe that – 25 people – that just blows my mind. So I’m aiming for 50 – 15″ dolls (and there are more boys coming – should start seeing more in about 3 weeks) and about 10 – 15 LB’s at least per week (with more to come) and then the usual Blanket Dollies and the Snuggle Dollies. I’m also trying to make jointed dolls (babies and bigger dolls) a regular thing but this will take some time to put into place.
Nice to have chatted! I have to do this more often!
Christina
PS – I know a lot of you share the same music taste as me. I am all over ‘Washed Out’ – gah – so dreamy – it’s been on repeat at the shop the past week with the new Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver ..
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