Dec 12, 2010

December Already!

I've been sewing CONSTANTLY! I reached my goal of 5 custom orders, finishing two this week, along with one more doll for a dear friend. Then, it's on to Christmas sewing. The last thing I finished was this tshirt quilt.
This was right after it was made, but not quilted or binded. 35 shirts. 35!!!!! I think it turned out great, and the wonderful grandmother I made it for seemed very pleased. *YAY* for another happy customer with a one of a kind custom quilt. I LOVE making people happy.

I need to figure out a better way to get pictures of my quilts. They're big and bulky, so there's not much space in the house to get a good shot. The bedroom is just to dark. so I'm all out of ideas. Hopefully I'll figure it out and get better at pictures in general... I wish I could take photographs as well as I quilt, but can't have it all I suppose.

Just in case I don't get a chance to blog again, MERRY CHRISTMAS yall!

Oct 19, 2010

Selling out!

Whew, market has been going so well I've sold quite a bit of stock and taken lots of custom orders. I only have about 5 more spots for customs in full size or larger before Christmas. Meanwhile I'm working on finishing up these dolls which are driving me crazy, several have been abducted by my children, even though they lack clothes or in some instances, hair.

I have several smaller quilts planned out to make, along with some surprise Christmas. I do mean surprise because I'm not really sure what I'm going to do just yet. Still bouncing ideas in my head. The chaos and confusion of the last couple of weeks can seriously put a damper on creativity like no other. I'm looking forward to a calm November after this hectic October (October and august are my worst months out of the entire year). Then we'll slide into the hectic but FUN holiday season. I can't tell you how excited I am about that!!

On the home front, I recently lost my mother to a 3 year battle with cancer. She was my Goddess, my best friend,my teacher and the most amazing person I've ever known. She encouraged me to begin sewing for others, making quilts and doing the custom work. Not only did she leave me with a room full of fabric, patterns, ideas and memories, she left me with a way to provide extra money for my family, and still stay home with them as I've always felt called to do. I can't thank her enough for that gift. I miss her dearly but with every quilt I feel as if I'm working with her, and she would have approved. It makes great therapy, and every quilt is made with love, thought, smiles and even a few tears.

Currently we're building a new shed for the hubs to store his man tools in, and we'll be transforming the garage into a sewing studio. I am so stinking excited. Lots of work to do, but it shall be done!!

Off to the sewing room to fold some fabric (I terrorized it while making a scrappy sunbonnet sue) and think about how I'll be working out the online store.

Much love yall!


Aug 1, 2010

Another Successful day at the market!

I am LOVIN market days. Stressful, yes but talking to folks, selling my stuffs, and the comrade with other vendors is just awesomeness. My husband and fam are supportive even when I get all whiney and complain that I can't do everything (read clean, take care of babies and sew) at the same time. But we manage and they stand by me, and forgive me! That's an awesome fam right there.


I finished this wall hanging on Friday and sold it on Saturday. Granted it was a custom order but hey, I wouldn't have minded keeping it really. I didn't even get to snap a pic of  it after I quilted and binded it... but hey, you get the idea right?

With no custom orders to stress me out this week I'll be completing some UFO (unfinished objects) and focusing on getting the kids ready for back to school and cleaning the house. Just maybe I'll be able to finish up these dolls that have been sitting in their baskets. We'll see!



Jul 25, 2010

Deaf Mama Designs blog is up!






Welcome everyone! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to be joining the blogging world. I am EXCITED yall. Between sewing, selling my handmade goodies at the farmer's market, raising 7  crazy happy kids and loving my awesome hubby, friends and family, yes folks... I need one more thing to do, really!

So here we are! *crickets*

*more crickets*

*crickets getting bored*

Ah ok... a little more about me to fill my first post...


For starters, I'm a mama to 7 wonderfully amazing kids, ages 16, 13, 11, 9, 6, 2 and baby, she's 3 cute little months. 6 girls, 1 boy. FUN FUN FUN! Sometimes not so fun (think laundry day,  bill paying day and everybody in the house is sick so we're going to the doctor day), but always always a blessing.

I've always been a stay at home mama, so I've used my sewing through the years to make a little side cash and to have something to do while I'm at home raising "America's Future". (never mind the fact that  one  current member "America's Future" is begging for a second glass of chocolate milk and refuses to potty train.) Sewing and crafting have always been an outlet from me, stemming from my childhood years when the most awesome lady in the world (hi mama!) taught me how to sew and always encouraged me to try new things, make things, do *anything* to keep me quiet for a little while. I was never quiet, but I did learn to love the DIY lifestyle and appreciate creativity, keeping life simple and learning new things in general.

Recently, I took my sewing to the next step. Two years ago my mom fell ill to cancer, and could no longer sew and sell her quilts at the local market. With encouragement from my husband and family, I recently took over her  business, bringing in my own quilts and also completing many of her unfinished quilts. All of my quilts get her inspection and approval before they go to market. I can't tell you how truly awesome and inspiring it is to know that she has passed the torch to little ol' me.

Now to explain the business name. Mama was "Quilts by Ann"..simple and self explanatory. However, I've found that when most people can't think of my name, they tend to say "She's deaf and has all those kids!" So Deaf Mama Designs it is. So yes, I'm really deaf, though I have a cochlear implant that rocks, and I've had speech therapy so that I can communicate better (and do love communicating!) So that's it! I'm Deaf Mama Designs, no doubt about it.

 Come down to the farmer's market (That's the Jackson, Mississippi farmer's market yall!) Come and see us!