Sewing for money - a little small business post

I'm in the early days of my business, Sparrow Stitch. Sometimes I'm working on curtains for weeks, and sometimes things are a little lean and I'm taking on smaller projects. I don't actually mind. While I'm not trying to reach a certain income level month-to-month, the leaner times are good for business admin and a bit of sewing variety.

You may recall, from last summer, that I made one of these cushions before. A few weeks ago I made its twin, for Ava's little sister Eadie. I love a bit of girly sewing, and there's something quite therapeutic about running the seams of a square through the zig-zag stitch of my sewing machine.

I also made some bandanas to fit on a couple of dog collars. A friend's mother commissioned me and gave me some detailed parameters, but again it was a satisfying project. Neat, precise, tidy. Kind of what I needed at the time.

It's the Easter holidays at the moment, so my sewing's hit a bit of a standstill while we spend most of our time outdoors. I wouldn't wish the time away, but I'm looking forward to Monday coming round, school and nursery starting up again, and hearing the sound of my sewing machine coming back to life.

Sewing: the Cycle Lane Quilt

Hello! I've been looking forward to showing you the Cycle Lane Quilt I made in November, as a commission for a new baby. His parents are keen cyclists and climbers, hence the bikes and ropes, and you may also notice there are four magpies for a boy.

 

The quilt is cot-sized, modern in style and colour, and quilted in wonky lines. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. My lovely neighbour (who commissioned it) particularly wanted the magpies included, so after too many hours spent trawling UK online fabric shops, I ended up sourcing it from spoonflower in the US. The rest of the fabrics are a mixture of lines, including a couple from Julia Rothman's Ride, Michael Miller Ship Ahoy ropes, and my favourite Violet Craft from Michael Miller Waterfront 'flight'. The birds are just lovely, and the charcoal background... sigh. I bought those four key fabrics from Celtic Fusion Fabrics; they always have such a lovely selection.

Look at that, I managed to take a close-up picture of one of the few spots where my corners don't perfectly match. That's hurried photography for you!

A little shot of the back too. Just look at that blurred focus. It's clear why I usually get my husband to take my quilt photos! (By the way, I never used to be a fan of orange, but the slightly burnt tone of that pumpkin shade? It's totally won me over.)

Baby quilts are my favourite to make. All the joy of the fabrics and the quilting, and none of the stress and effort of getting two square metres of fabric rolled under the arm of my sewing machine! I'm starting my business this year and baby quilts are definitely going to be a key product.