The Small Things - Launch!

The Small Things Shop

Finally, they're ready!

I have finished the dresses that I have started referring to as my 'introduction collection' and have set them free in to my Etsy shop. Eeeeep!

I'm so excited as this is what I've been working towards for the past two months solid. I'm also nervous as heck because I'm not sure how well they will be received. They could sell well and get great feedback, or (and let's be brutally honest here), they could tank.

Oddly though the excitement and nervousness are completely intertwined. I'm excited not just because it could be a success, but also because it could completely bomb. Likewise I'm nervous not just because they could bomb, but because they could be a success. Seriously you don't want to know what it's like in my head!

Whichever way the dice lands, I'm proud of what I've achieved and I can hand on heart say that there isn't one dress there that I wouldn't happily wear myself. In fact if this doesn't go well, that's exactly what I'm planning to do!

I have only made these eight dresses for now. I have plans for more, but only if there's a market for them. So this is a test if you like, me dipping my toe into the water.

If you would like a closer look, pop over my Etsy shop by clicking on the link below. Why not tell me what you think?

The Small Things Shop

The Plan

I can't remember if I've already mentioned this on here before, but at the moment I'm working on a small collection of dresses to sell in my Etsy shop.

It's slow going though. Initially I had wanted to have them all finished and ready to go for the start of August. No such luck. I envisioned myself being able to do a lot more around Pip than I've actually managed to. The reality however is that I can only really get things done while she's asleep. Which is a shame because she only cat naps during the day so it feels as though she's waking again just when I'm getting warmed up.

So I've been doing a bit here, a bit there. Sewing during naps, while Dan puts her to bed in the evenings and when I can find a spare moment during the weekends. Progress maybe slow, but it's steady and I'm on track to have them up and ready to go next month. There's no launch date at the moment though, that will depend entirely on Pip as naturally, her needs must come first.

I'm excited and nervous. If this goes well there's no reason why I can't make a modest, but viable living from dressmaking and that's been my dream for the last seven years.

It won't be easy though and as with the dresses themselves, it will probably be slow going. Strap yourselves in!

Bloglovin

Follow my blog!

If you were following Coffee and Cat Hair on Bloglovin I'm afraid you'll have to re-follow me as The Small Things as unfortunately it's not just a simple case of changing a blog name. Very annoying.

Thankfully it doesn't affect the blogs I follow otherwise I'd be lost!

Coffee and Cat Hair is dead!

I'm changing the blog's name to match my shop. Also I no longer have cats, so.

Vive le Small Things!

The week I got some things done.

This week I finally had a burst of productivity and got some things done. 

I moved back into the sewing room after deciding my 'nook' in the bedroom was too small. I washed and ironed the fabric that finally arrived, made two test dresses and then decided that as my sewing machine wasn't up to scratch, I'd go and buy myself an overlocker, Y'know. As you do. 

This was the one I plumped for in the end. 

Isn't she a beaut? I'm getting quite excited about this project now as I've got to admit, I've been climbing the walls a little lately. Please don't get me wrong, I know how lucky I am and I love that I get to watch Pip grow a bit more each day, but for my own sanity I do need something else to focus on other dirty nappies and Mr Tumble.

That said, I will always put my sewing machine down for Gigglebiz. It makes the nappy changing more fun.

I'm back!

Oh my gosh, the last time I posted it was the middle of summer. That seems like such a long, long time ago.

However, I can now reveal the reason for my absence..

Now I know they say that life happens when you're busy making other plans, but this is ridiculous! Dan and I didn't even think we could have kids so this was something of a surprise.

I guess the funniest thing about it all is that yet again, plans of setting up my own business are having to be temporarily shelved. This time however, I don't mind one bit. It's not a dream I'll ever give up on and I know I will make it will happen one day.

So that's my little bit of news. How is everyone? Did you all enjoy your summers?

Kim x

Up, up and away!

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about how things had changed with regards to my plans for The Small Things. I had originally planned to relaunch the shop with a new collection of my usual wares, bags, accessories etc. However my mind continued to wander until eventually I had to admit that I was being pulled in all sorts of different directions creatively, but not actually getting anything productive done. So I took some time out to think more about it and that's where I left it in my last post.

I was a little afraid to post my ideas here to begin with which is why I held out. I knew a lot of them were too ambitious, (quitting my job to open a small boutique) or just plain fanciful, (over night world domination using nothing more than sparkly nail varnish and a smile). However there was one idea in particular that kept popping up again and again. I found myself thinking about it at work, in the car, while I was making dinner and well, if you're thinking about something that much then it's got to be important to you. I really liked the idea of designing my own clothing line, but if I'm being honest, all my sewing skills are self taught. I'm something of a short arse (there's only 5ft of me) so I've been altering and playing around with my own clothes for years, but even so. It still takes me a long time to do certain tasks because I don't know how to do them properly. Which is fine if you're the only one wearing the clothes, not so great if you want to sell them.
So after a bit of too'ing and fro'ing I took up a dressmaking course and although it's still very early days, I've already learned a lot. Any hesitations I had over the time and money have gone. If anything I just wish I'd done this a long time ago.

The next stage of the plan after this is a little hazy, not because I haven't thought about it, (I find it hard to focus on anything else at the moment) but because I'm trying to factor in the habit ideas have of evolving. I know I'd like to create a line of clothing and I know I'd like it to be as ethical and 'green' as possible without sacrificing the fashion element too much. It's how best to achieve this that I'm currently working on - in between practising my zips and button holes of course.

So that's my little update. It's a small step forward, but an important one and I feel as though I'm now headed in the right direction which makes me no end of happy.

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Out with the old..

The sale has now ended which can mean only one thing..new stuff! Woo!

I'm very proud of everything I've made in the past, but my tastes have changed a lot since my time out and lately I've been yearning to create things that reflect my new style.

I said a few posts ago that I was going to add new items to my Etsy shop after the sale. That's still the case, but they are going to trickle in slowly now rather being added all together in one batch. I pride myself in making things well so I don't want to sell anything that I wouldn't buy myself. So with that in mind, a little more time is needed to master some new techniques first!

I seem to be tweeting more about my projects nowadays so if you'd like to read more and see the occasional photo, you can do so here. Despite all the obstacles that have been cropping up, progress is being made and I'm very excited about the new direction I'm moving in. 

Even if progress is a lot slower than I thought it would be! 

A change of plan

Does any one remember my grand plan of unveiling brand new stock next month?

Well since then I've had a case of the light bulbs and as a result my plans have changed a bit. My old stock is still up for sale for another week and as planned any remaining pieces will go to charity. Unfortuantely, at this point my old plan starts to get a bit squiffy..

I've decided to put a few items in my shop next week, but not as many as I was originally going to. Right now my head is crammed full of new and exciting ideas and I want to do ALL of them. It's very distracting.
And this is where the problems start because not all of these ideas are feasable with a full time job. I only have so much time to devote to them so something has to give.

That's why I've decided to change my original plan and hold back on the big shop relaunch for the time being. As I said, I will add a few pieces though. I love creating things and I really want to get the shop up and running again in some form or another.

I'm a little nervous if I'm honest as what I currently have in mind takes me well out of my comfort zone and I could of course, fail spectacularly. I'm not quite ready to go into more detail than that at the moment simply because I'm not even sure what I'm dealing with myself just yet!
It's all just a mess of ideas, thoughts and scribbles in notebooks right now. Rest assured when I'm clearer about what it is that I'm aiming towards, I will definitely share it here too.

Roses are red, so is this brooch

So have you checked out my Etsy shop yet?

I've put my old stock back up for sale for a limited time only (the next 3 weeks). After that they will be gone forever so this is your last chance if you've seen anything you like.

I'm also offering free shipping to all my lovely blog readers! All you have to do is quote "FREEPOST01" when you go to checkout.

My shop is called The Small Things and I will be writing more about it in the future as I work towards building in to what I hope will one day be, a viable business.
Enjoy!

Shopping and banana bread, it's the small things..

I absolutely LOVE sunflowers. That right there was enough of a reason to buy myself a bunch. These beauties are now sat on my kitchen window sill and they make me feel happy each time I catch a glimpse of them. 

But that's not why I'm here, oh no. As I've mentioned previously I'm currently working on new stock for The Small Things *excited squeal*. Before I launch my new line, I'm having a sale of my old stock as I really want to clear it entirely and start afresh. This means it's a proper sale. None of this two or three quid off lark. These babies are ready to go and anything that doesn't go will be donated to charity. 

Well, waste not, want not and all that.

I have to admit, it's been really interesting coming back to my old designs, I think there will still be certain aspects that I'll be keeping as I love them so much. Such as playing with bright colours and recycling fabrics.

So if you would like to "bag" yourself a bargain (thank you, thank you, I'm here all week) or if you'd just like to have a nosy, then head over to The Small Things which is now back open, woo hoo! Oh and do tell me what you think too, I'd love to hear any feedback you have. Unless of course it's just nasty in which case feel free to keep that under your hat. I don't want to be crying into my wine tonight thank you ta.

In other news, so far my holiday has been nothing short of blissful. I haven't being hugely productive, there's just been a whole lot of relaxing and eating food going on, occasionally interrupted by the odd burst of gardening or gate building (don't ask). A couple of days ago we drove into town to do a little shopping and I hauled home this little booty..

Clockwise from left

Pencil case - Accessorize

Hair grip - Claire's Accessories

Dress - Topshop

Turquoise earrings - Accessorize

Floral headband - New Look

Clockwise from left

Same dress as previously - Topshop

Purple nailvarnish - New Look

Nail buffer - Boots

Turquoise bracelets - New Look

And when I got home I decided to make use of the blackest bananas you've ever seen in your life and bake some banana bread. Before anyone has a fit, I actually intended to use these bananas for this purpose all along so they weren't left to go that bad on purpose. The glass of wine may not be an ingredient exactly, but I personally find that it's the only thing that stops me from eating the uncooked bread mix, so to me it's as important as the bananas.

Unfortunately the draw back of including wine into the mix is that my banana loaves always get left a little too long. Still, it tastes "gurt lush" as they say 'round these parts.

And tomorrow? Sorry if you're trying to avoid it, but tomorrow will be all about the Royal Wedding. I'll be going to watch it at the local park with the husband shape and some friends. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't rain! Whatever you decide to do, have fun doing it!

The one where I catch the craft fair bug

The craft fair was a lot of fun. There was coffee, cake, paper aeroplanes and I came away with a gorgeous necklace to boot!

I sold a couple of pieces too which if I'm honest, I really wasn't expecting. The remaining pieces will soon go up on to Etsy along with the supplies that I will no longer need. All the proceeds will go towards new supplies and then I can really get going again. I can't wait!

Unfortunately as it was just the old stock I was trying to clear, my table was pretty empty looking, even the table cloth didn't quite fit! But it was still great fun, I picked up some good tips and it's definitely given me a taste for it so hopefully I will have more posts like this to share in the future.

Here's a quick picture of me setting up the table - you can see what I mean about the table cloth!

Craft Show sneak peek

In my last post I mentioned that I was going to be selling what's left of my old stock so that I could start my Etsy shop a fresh. Well as luck would have it, a good friend of mine asked if I'd like to take part in a small craft fair to raise money for the Diabetes UK charity. It's the perfect opportunity to sell some pieces with the added bonus that I may also make some money to spend on new supplies.

Well that's what I thought anyway. However, take another look at the poster...there's a cake stall people! 

A CAKE STALL. And cake is my crack. So if I'm realistic, any money I make is likely to go towards cake and I won't even feel guilty about spending my supplies money or the extra calories because it's all for charity. I'll be eating cake for charity because I'm a selfless and giving person like that. 

The Queen has been overthrown!

I have a plan!

As some of you may have noticed, I was absent through most of March and my last post was beyond mopy.  I needed a break so that I could focus on what was dragging me down. Was it my job or merely just the weather? Turns out it was a little of both and a couple of other things too which I won't go in to because they're not really that interesting!

So after a few weeks out, I have come up with a plan which will help me change the things I can change and live with the things I can't. And I can't tell you how much more positive and motivated I feel for it!

One change I'm determined to work towards is something that I decided to do back in January and that's to re-open my Etsy shop. Unfortunately life got in the way back then and once again, the plan got shelved. However, now that I have a better idea of what I want The Small Things to be, I have a better idea of how to get there. 

So April is going to be the month that will see a lot more crafting going on in the house of Cat Hair. I will be making new things and selling old stock and supplies as well as giving my old Etsy shop a bit of a make over. And I will share it all with you as I go. 

I don't have a grand re-opening date set yet. Life gets in the way of the best made plans so I'm trying to keep things as flexible as possible for now. But I would like to see it open for business once again sometime in May.

Fingers crossed!

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I shouldn't be here

No really, I shouldn't be here. I'm supposed to be designing new things for The Small Things store, but some how I've ended back surfing le internets. 

So, seeing as I'm here an' all, I may as well update you quickly on the progress of The Small Things. 

I've agreed to hold a stall at a craft fair which will be raising money for "charidee". That's not until April though so I have plenty of time to make new things. Having a date in the diary will also act as an incentive to stay motivated. Although things like Blogger, Twitter and Ebay have a habit of getting in the way!

Unfortunately the weather remains uncooperative. The last couple of days have been all beautiful and sunshiny. Which is great for the soul, but not so great for photo taking when you're stuck at work though. With a bit of luck it'll last until the weekend so I can take some photos of something...anything.

However, in the meantime we'll just have to make do with my little pin-up bag gem from the flickr archives. Enjoy folks.

The Small Things and The Bag Pixie

Once upon a time there was a a little store called The Small Things. There a girl could find all manner of gorgeous accessories and bags all lovingly made by a little bag pixie. Over time, The Small Things grew in it's success and kept the bag pixie very busy. "Come out and play with us" said her friends, but alas, the bag pixie had to stay in her sewing room and make more bags for the store. "Not today, maybe later" she would call back. But she never went out to play.

She worked and worked and worked until one day, the bag pixie decided that she didn't want to spend all her days making bags. She longed to go outside and play in the sunshine. After a particularly busy summer of bag making the pixie eventually decided that she was pooped and shut down The Small Things shop. As she shut the door on her studio, her trusty sewing machine crossed it's bobbins and made a wish, that the bag pixie would return one day to sew once again.

A year and a day later, the bag pixie started to think about her sewing machine again and felt sad that she had shut down her little store. "Perhaps, she thought, it is time for me to return to The Small Things. After all, I am wiser now and will make sure that I spend some time in the sun as well as in my little studio."

So she returned to her old sewing room and there sitting where she had left it all covered in dust, was her trusty sewing machine. "You're back!" it cried and then sneezed bobbins all over the floor from all the dust.

The bag pixie realised that she missed her designing and creating pretty things and after giving her sewing machine a good dusting down decided that it was time to re-open the doors to The Small Things. 

And then she and her sewing machine lived happily ever after.

The End

Translation: I've decided to re-open my long neglected shop, The Small Things!

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