This week in my haven I'm thinking about how to make the most of my sewing time. And by this I don't mean sewing faster or sewing more. Instead, I'm asking myself how I can savor the creative process more fully. I think it's so common to focus on being productive and making sure every minute of the day is dedicated to a useful task. This drive can be helpful in many contexts, but it is easy for it to go too far and seep into areas of life where it's actually not that beneficial. Right now, the main focus of my sewing time is not to make as many items as possible. I need to retrain my brain to focus less on how much I sewed each week, but rather how much I enjoyed sewing each week. With a productivity mindset, it would seem that I had a pretty miserable week because I didn't fully complete a single project. However, when I think about how sewing brought joy into my life this week, I suddenly feel much better. Keep reading to see what I've been working on!

This week in my haven I have not done as much actual sewing as I would have liked. Last weekend I went down a sewing rabbit hole doing research about the “Top Down, Center Out” method of fitting a pants sewing pattern. Since then, I've become a little obsessed about learning as much as I can and fitting a muslin using this method. It's been rather interesting, but also challenging. I think I'm at the point of having my toile made, and I'm ready to start transferring my pattern adjustments back to the paper pattern. To be honest, I'm not feeling completely confident that I've gotten to my ideal fit yet, but I think I've come as close as I can at this stage of the process. Next week I hope I can get a pair of pants cut out and stitched up so that I can test out the results of my attempt to use this fitting method.

This week in my haven I have been adjusting to a new daytime schedule and working in a bit of sewing time here and there. I treated myself to a trip to the Vogue Fabric Store in Evanston last week, so I've been sewing a few wardrobe basics. I find it so satisfying to pull together outfits that are made up, either partially or completely, of garments that I've sewed. Before I went to the fabric store last week, I knew I was in need of some new fall basics, especially pants, so that's what I focused on. I picked out a couple cuts of nice, sturdy ponte di roma knit in black and burgundy, and I've started sewing a new pair of stretchy, comfy pants that can also be dressed up. Yay for secret pajamas! Other than that, my sewing focus this week has been on getting ready to share my Vintage Rose appliqué pattern with you, and I'm excited to say that not only is it ready, it's free! Please check it out (and also share the link with all your craft-loving friends and family).

This week in my haven I have been thinking a lot about which parts of running Haven Handmade are my favorite, and which feel more like a chore. The designing and sewing are definitely at the top, while marketing and financial stuff are towards the bottom. When it comes to interacting with customers, I much prefer teaching about what I sew over trying to describe what makes my products unique or worthy of their price tag. Being a vendor at craft markets falls somewhere in the middle. I like sharing photos or videos of what I make on social media, but I dislike feeling obligated to post on a schedule or post certain kinds of content.

This week in my haven I have a very special sewing project to share, one that I started eleven years ago. It began back in 2012, when Mad Men was one of the most popular shows and menswear styles were in fashion. I was a big fan of both the show and the classic look of these tailored styles, so I set about planning to make a Chanel-style tweed jacket. I downloaded a pattern from Burdastyle and bought some tweed fabric and navy blue velvet piping to use as the trim. I promptly cut out all the pattern pieces with great attention to detail. I used pinking shears to cut the tweed so that it wouldn't fray. I carefully lined up the pieces so that the vertical stripes in the tweed would be parallel on each side of the jacket. I started sewing the lining of the jacket, and then I…stopped. For eleven whole years, I just put away the pieces and let myself be too intimidated by the project to continue.

This week in my haven I've been thinking about how to get my home ready for hosting fall get-togethers. In the summer, hosting usually revolves around grilling a meal and hanging out in the yard. There's nothing much to do to get the house ready for guests. In the fall, however, it feels good to refresh my home decor a little in preparation for spending more time indoors. Since Joanna has the day off of school today and since we have guests coming for dinner on Saturday, that's actually what we're doing. We're spending the day getting ready by doing fall crafts, putting up fall decorations, and getting ready to make a delicious meal. And you probably won't be surprised to learn that our crafts involve using my Leaf Collection Appliqué pattern! Be sure to keep reading to see how I'm using this pattern in various ways to add an autumnal touch to my haven.

This week in my haven I've been keeping my hands busy with lots of sewing to get ready for the Logan Square Makers Market at Revolution Brewing. Take a look below to see everything I sewed this week! It's so satisfying to take a few plain bits of fabric and turn them into something unique, beautiful and useful. I think that's a feeling you can get from a variety of hobbies or activities, but sewing is what gives me that sense of creative fulfillment. I really think it's important to have a creative outlet of some sort in order to feel balanced. Creating is definitely a form of self-care, and it's one that isn't selfish because your creations can bring joy to others too. (This is a different conversation, but sometimes I think that there is a very fine line between self-care and selfish.) At the end of this week's journal I have some links to share related to the idea of making things with your hands. I also have a new appliqué pattern and tutorial to share with you this week.

This week in my haven has been all about keeping track—keeping track of everyone’s schedule, keeping track of my own to-do list, keeping track of weather changes, and much more. Often it feels like there is so much to keep track of that forgetting something important is inevitable. In this week's journal I'm reflecting on both practical and pleasing ways to keep track of a variety of things. And in the Haven Handmade shop, I'm introducing a set of products that are designed for helping out with this task. I hope you find a valuable kernel or two by reading In My Haven this week!

This week in my haven I'm thinking about change. Change seems to be a big part of fall. Families change their schedules as children return to school. Children change as they move up a grade level. The weather changes from hot to cool (and back to hot, then back to cool…). As the weather changes, we switch our shorts and tank tops to jeans and sweaters. We might change how we eat too, swapping our cold brew for a spiced latte and our salad for soup. Our day to day life adjusts to the changing season in many ways. One of the most popular ways to observe this seasonal transformation is by appreciating the way trees’ leaves change colors in the fall. It's a beautiful time of year, for sure. My newest appliqué design celebrates this beautiful symbol of the changing seasons.

Continue reading to see my new Leaf Collection Banner and to check out some of my favorite links related to the theme of change.

This week in my haven school started back up, which gave me a lot of uninterrupted sewing time. It was a good thing too because I have been working on a huge custom order, which I'll share more about eventually. Starting school has also meant establishing new routines. As I mentioned to a couple friends this week, January first doesn't feel like the start of a new year to me as much as the first day of school does. Since it's time for my household to settle into a new schedule, it also feels like the right time for Haven Handmade to set some new goals and make plans.

This week in my haven the focus was definitely on getting ready for the first day of school. We had things like dentist appointments and school supply shopping to do, which made it a little more challenging to make progress on some of my projects for Haven Handmade. When I feel like I'm getting behind on my sewing work because of parenting responsibilities, I always try to remind myself that it's a blessing to have this flexibility. I originally started Haven Handmade so that I could focus on the needs of my family first and schedule work around that. I love the work I'm doing for my business though, so sometimes it's hard to put it aside. I know that in the long run it's more important that I prioritize my family because the work will always be there. Is your haven getting ready for the start of a new school year?

This week in my haven I mostly worked on behind the scenes tasks like testing new designs, bookkeeping, and getting a new display piece ready for upcoming markets. I'm really excited about one of the new designs I'm getting ready for fall. You may have seen a little peak of it on my Instagram Stories this week. If not, stay tuned. I should have it ready for ordering by the beginning of September. The design lends itself to lots of variation, so it's going to make a great pattern too. I'm planning to make a video tutorial to go along with this pattern so that you can try it out too. This new pattern has me feeling inspired and excited for fall even though I can't believe that summer is already winding down. There is just one week of summer break left in our haven, and I can barely believe it! Time has flown this summer, and I can definitely say it's because we were having so much fun. I hope the same has been true for your summer!

This week in my haven I sewed 40 items: 6 bottle totes, 13 bookmarks, 12 keychains, and 9 crayon coloring sets. I was restocking the inventory for Midwest Nice and the makers market I was at yesterday. This represents $692 worth of products. Of course, not all of that is profit. And the unknown whenever I sew batches of inventory is how long it will take to sell. It would be nice if I could count on selling a certain amount of inventory in any time period, but that's not the way things work at all! For now I have to exercise patience and trust in the fact that my products are unique, appealing, and well made, which ensures that eventually they will find the right home.

Even though my sewing work this week was focused on summer sales, my mind has been thinking ahead to fall and what new designs I want to have. One of my ideas is a table runner with colorful fall leaves appliquéd across it. Can you picture it? I also have a new product hitting the Haven Handmade shop today…

This week in my haven was another week of getting back into our routine after a travel week. That seems to be the pattern my summer is taking, which is why I keep posting journal entries every two weeks instead of my usual weekly post. Peter, Joanna and I had taken a little trip to Denver and enjoyed some sightseeing, as well as a visit with a dear college friend of mine. Have you ever been to Denver? Our favorite things that we did there were a tour of the Denver Mint and a historic steam train ride through the mountains. We made lots of great memories on our trip, and I picked up the perfect souvenir. A couple years ago, I started trying to find a fabric store to visit when we travel so that I can pick out a special fabric or two as my souvenir. My visit to Fancy Tiger Crafts did not disappoint! I've already cut out and started sewing an Orchard Dress (free pattern by Helen’s Closet) with one of my selections.

That's enough about vacation. What's happening with Haven Handmade?

This week in my haven I was back home after spending the previous week in Indiana with my family to take Joanna to her first 4-H project judging and to spend some time at the lake. The week away was really nice, despite the weather and air quality not cooperating perfectly, but it was also good to be back home. I had missed being able to sew! This week I didn't have too much on my to-do list in the way of orders to complete or markets to prepare for, which has given me time to think about some of my other summer business goals. Specifically, I've been thinking about these two goals: increase the number of email subscribers to this journal and reach 1,000 followers on Instagram. While I know that I need to market my business, this area is definitely not my strength. I'm an introvert, so shouting about Haven Handmade from the internet’s version of the rooftop isn't something I'm naturally predisposed to doing. However, I really believe in this little business of mine and in the uniqueness and quality of what I make, so I know I'll keep trying until I find something that works. And when that thing inevitably stops working as well, I'll go searching for a new way to do things. The level of persistence one needs to be a small business owner is not to be underestimated!

This week in my haven I wrapped up several big items on my to-do list, including an inventory update for Midwest Nice, a very special custom order, and helping Joanna finish up her 4-H projects. You may have seen a few of our progress photos on my Instagram Stories this week. Next week Joanna and I are headed to Indiana for her first year of 4-H judging and to spend time at the lake, so don't be surprised if there isn't much news about what’s happening in my haven.

In addition to those other activities, I also spent over two and a half hours updating the product listings in the shop to better reflect what I'm currently making and selling.

This week in my haven I kicked summer break off with a bang! I participated in two markets and taught an appliqué sewing workshop. In between these events my sewing machine has been getting a workout too. I also took Joanna fabric shopping this week so that she could pick out fabric for her 4-H sewing project. She chose to make a pair of pajama shorts. We also decided that the best way for her to learn how to sew her own shorts was to do a sew-along with me, so I'm going to be sewing some new pj shorts too. I'll be sure to post some in-progress photos to my Instagram Stories, if you care to follow along once we get started. Having more opportunities to share my love of sewing with others has been one of the very parts of starting Haven Handmade.

One other thing I want to mention this week a little giveaway opportunity.

This week in my haven we wrapped up the 2022-2023 school year. Whew! I am looking forward to so many things this summer break. From markets, workshops and events for Haven Handmade to family get-togethers and vacations, our summer is going to be full. In between all these big moments, I know there will be some long, lazy days at home. I hope we have a good balance of easy days hanging around our haven and of summer adventures. I love a good project or event to anchor the day, so it can be a challenge for me to savor a day with nothing on the calendar, but I plan to try to savor those days as much as the more action-packed ones.

This week in my haven I have, once again, been working on a ton of different projects. Here are the highlights:

• prepping for the ice dyeing event for Chicago Sews Meetup

• cutting and sewing items for my first craft market of the summer, Jarvis Square Market

• finishing a special set of items that will be on display at H&H Americas this month

• sewing an adorable Huggable for a little one who’s about to turn one

• planning out two other custom orders

• continuing to plan for my Mini Banner making working at the Chicago Public Library

It's been a little stressful to juggle so many projects (and stay on top of my teaching responsibilities at the same time), but I'm also incredibly grateful to have so many people interested in what I sew.

This week in my haven I can proudly say I have already made progress on some of my goals for the summer. It is such a good feeling to be able to say that after such a short amount of time! The specific goal that I am so excited to tell you about is that I have a workshop scheduled. I am going to be teaching a workshop called “Sew Your Own Mini Banner” at the Maker Lab at the Harold Washington Library on Wednesday, June 14. There is no cost to attend, but it is necessary to register in advance. Putting into words just how thrilled I am to have this event on my calendar is impossible. I hope I see you there!