Open House, Open Hearts

When I was a teenager, I used to dream about having a home shop. At that time, I thought I might be a dressmaker and a home dec sewist and imagined having a home where I could greet my clients, show my goods and services, and decorate the home with items that could be sold to whoever wanted it first. At long last, that girl's dream stepped into reality last week. On Thursday evening and Friday morning, I opened my home studio to my friends for my first open house!

With the help of good friends and my husband, the office studio went from craziness to this beautiful, sweet, artsy room that I think I've seen in magazines and on blogs! But this one is mine! Take a look around and see the pretty furnishings and accessories and displays of my recent projects. Since most of what I do is custom work, I don't have a lot of things to display, but I did come up with a few and borrowed a few back. I have loads of embroidery blanks in the white display cabinets. In one, I am housing baby items, including blankets, bibs, onesies, etc. The other holds household goods such as blanket/throws, dishtowels, and aprons. Look across the room to the cabinet with the plantation shutter door. Ravenhill's pretty dolls hang on the little tree. Aren't they perfect there? One by one, though, they are finding homes here in the south. If you go to my mishflicks, you'll see more views.

I have a pretty little guest book created by Mary for me. Her little shop is BittyBooks on etsy. She did a great job and surprised me by using my blog banner on the cover. (By the way, Mary created a fun Sweet 16 autograph book for my daughter's upcoming party. Great idea!) My swapping prizes and blog-drawing wins are coming in handy, too, decorating my room. The paper-pieced quilt hanging there by the wire mannequin was sent to me from Paula for the Spring Four Seasons Quilt Swap.

I had such a wonderful time at the open house. I was so excited that I couldn't remember what I was doing most of the time! My friends were happy for me and curious to see what I had done with the apartment. I think the hit of the night was the opportunity to go into the CHAMBER OF FABRICS (seen here), as I called it - each at her own risk! The place is chaos! However, everyone seemed to enjoy going through my fabrics and pulling out favorites to be made into wristlets or blankets or pillows. I amassed quite a number of orders that will keep me busy for a few weeks, I think.

Now that I have recovered and rested, I'm sort of overwhelmed still and without words to describe how wonderful I feel on the threshold of this opportunity. I am at the point in life where I have the time, the means, the home, the family, the friends, the equipment, and the skill to move forward with this longtime dream. I'm fortunate enough to have the room in my home to house my studio without having to open a storefront and be away from home. I know that right now I am blessed beyond measure - and not because of anything I can show you here in pictures but because of what I know in the fullness of my heart.