Chug-chug-chugging.

It’s the last day before The Psychodelicate opens, and I’m busily finishing the final touches; perfecting listings, re-photographing a few items (thanks to a genius tip from Olivia), and then on to finish/frame/block the things that likely won’t be ready by tomorrow.

My camera strap looks really horribly photoshopped in this image. Like it’s been painted on. Phone photography is difficult.

Living-room photo-studio! It’s been working pretty well, if I do say so myself. I’ve been trying to photograph every piece outside as well as inside (using outdoor lighting), which is a pretty big time-suck but I think it’s worth it.

Anyway, I’m off to the living room to work more! Yikes! Tomorrow!

Millions of stitches

I haven’t been posting as often as I’d like, because we’re now in the home stretch of the shop opening so I’ve been busy tangling threads at every spare moment. Also my desk is currently set up to be a stitching/watching netflix area, so typing is just physically uncomfortable. #whitepeopleproblems

Anyway, here’s a sneak peek at something I’m working on for the shop. It should be finished by now, but I’m trying a new framing technique that is frankly quite horrifying, so I’m postponing it as long as possible. Framing in general really stresses me out. I’ve learned a lot of new useful techniques, but it remains that framing fabric is just difficult. In the future I’m going to try to make as many of my pieces as possible fit in an embroidery hoop, because using one of those as a frame is easy as pie.

Anyway, I must get back to stitching! After all, the shop opens in two days!

(Yikes. Two days. Feeling a little bit nauseous about it, actually. But it will be great! I promise!)

We set a date!

Alright lovelies. I have finally decided* on an opening date for the shop, and I’m ready to reveal the name I picked:

That’s right! We open in a mere three weeks on August 1! Needless to say, I’m over-the-moon excited about this. I’ve been spending hours and hours every day for months on building up an inventory, and I just can’t wait to show it all to you next month.

Here are a few of the awesome things I’ll be selling:

• Crocheted garlands: There have been quite a few sneak peeks of these, and in turn a good amount of interest. I have seven of them finished and waiting to go to their new homes.
• Phrase-based embroideries: These are pieces that I design around beloved words, and so far I am in looooove with them.
• Freeform embroideries: These will be relatively cheap, because I use them to explore new techniques and relax the creative muscle. But I also think they look pretty damn awesome.
• The rest of the collections I’m planning on will be released after the shop opens. I’m supremely excited about these; there will be kits, wreaths, custom work, portraiture, patterns, hats … I seriously can’t wait. I know it’s wise to stick to one craft/type of item/niche per store, but I’m just too excited about all the things I can do to only offer one kind of item.

One thing that has been making me postpone the opening is design/marketing work. It makes my eyes bleed. I have finally found a lovely designer willing to work with me on some buttons and banners, but I still need to determine what sizes to ask for. And what aesthetic to go after. Truth is, I’m having a horribly difficult time branding; just narrowing down the name was insanely difficult. Here are a few (awful, I know) banners I’ve made while trying to narrow down a preferred color scheme/font/aesthetic/tagline.

I promise, my embroidery/crochet/knitting design is much better than my graphic design.

Anyway, now that all the information is out there, you’ll be getting more frequent updates on how the work is going. I’m so excited for August 1!

*I actually decided a long time ago, but haven’t had any logo design to speak of until just a few nights ago. So the announcement comes now.

 

Coming up soon

• Some outrageously delicious food.
• Fair isle in Noro! It’s also delicious, but in a less literal sense.
• How to make the PERFECT roasted marshmallow.
• The atheist visits a religious landmark on a windy day in a skirt and nearly flashes the missionaries.