Stop And Go ...

This posting is more for me today, I think. I feel like I've been stumped this month, but I knew I had completed a number of projects from the sewing studio. I've laid them out to show myself -- and you, but, still, I'm feeling kind of lost right now. The main reason is, I'm sure, that I lost my second, long-term, medical transcription account last week. Four and a half years is a long time to have a particular account, so the loss is both monetary and social. I didn't really LOSE the account. Technology has advanced to the point that electronic medical records and voice recognition are becoming so reliable that physician offices and hospitals are switching over. My friend is a physician, and she told me that Medicare has mandated that if offices and hospitals aren't moved over to electronic medical records by 2010, they won't pay the claims! So, the economy is driving the medical field to make the change. I've expected it for years, which is why I've been building my sewing studio and embroidery business, but to hear the final word was quite distressing. Change is hard generally, but change to the budget is harder -- especially in these times. Now I have to get out there and advertise and sell my "studio" more assertively. I've based my business on word or mouth and blogging these years, but the time has come to work my shop - especially the embroidery services - as my main income and look for needs in the corporate field that I can fill.




I've been staying busy organizing a dozen things at the same time. Paperwork, general spring cleaning issues around the house, redecorating, and cleaning and packing up my sewing studio around so that I can reconfigure the room and add in the new equipment purchased last year so that I have everything together. In between all that, I've been piddling around and trying new ideas out for building up my inventory.


Our high school mock trial competition was this weekend, and my beautiful girl won "Best Witness" for her round! We are so proud!




I've carried along crochet with me lately while I've been running around. This is the vintage-style crochet afghan I began this weekend after reading about it on one of the blogs. I'm not sure I love mine because I've been using Red Heart yarn, which I've always adored in the past, but, I have recently ventured into some wool blends, and they are so, so, so much softer and the Red Heart is feeling sort of "crunchy." Is it worth making an afghan from the wool blends? I want to be able to throw the thing in the laundry, so I'm unsure whether to continue with this one or not.



I've finished some more word pillows that you can find in my calicodaisy shop. Don't you love that heart button? It's like jewelry to the pillow. I have "No. 1" and "No. 2" embroidered out in black on some nice natural twill but haven't sewn those up yet.
.


The Shamrock ties. These need to find a good home before the party day arrives. I mean to take them around to some restaurants and show the managers. A number of places have their waitstaff wear shirts and ties. A custom bib my SIL ordered. Here are some wrist cuffs I made from a tutorial found on one pretty thing. My girl thinks they are too young for her. Drats! I think they are so sweet! I made some flat wallets for business cards and ipods. My girl does like these, and she snatched up one of the little owl ones to put hers in.
.
All in all, I guess, along with my stippling practice from earlier in the month and the several sales and orders filled in February, I have accomplished quite a bit. It's just been stop and go, and I want to find my stride again, to know what I need to do. I must keep my income, and I've been so fortunate to earn that right from spot where I sit now - often in my pj's! So I wonder where I will find myself next? Being the embroidery queen and working with large groups and corporations on promotional products? Sewing away in the studio on custom orders and current home dec items to put out at shows? Or back to college to learn a new field? If it weren't for the need of a specific income to maintain, I actually have the world at my feet right now with the possibilty of going in any direction I desire. It really is a wonderful opportunity; I just don't know which way to go!