Tammy, my apprentice/helper, is gone on vacay. And to make it worse, she got a job that she will be starting soon after she gets back. So today, I tied a beige warp onto the old warp on the Toika, and started weaving a beige/tan 5' wide rug by myself. See the stool? It rolls, so I can roll back and forth from one edge to the other. It is much harder, and slower, than weaving with another person. So I take breaks.And I text Tammy to forget that stupid job with benefits. It won't be this much fun.
I came back from one break to find Miss Puss lounging on my work.
She knows how to get attention, this girl.
I grabbed my camera, and as soon as she heard the first click, she was "on".
"Oh, are you taking pictures of ME?"
"Well, then..........I guess I can do a few poses for you......."
"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!"
"How's this?"
"Do I show up good on this beige?"
"OK, that's enough, I'm really getting tired."Sigh.
I actually got half of this rug done today. I was very impressed with myself.
And I didn't have to water the daylilies I planted yesterday, because it rained buckets.
I had the UPS man PICK UP my boxes to go, two days in a row. And I have decided that I am going to schedule pickups all the time, instead of stalking and hunting down the UPS driver, or hauling boxes up to the distribution center.
Not sure why I haven't done it before. But I am doing it for myself now.
I'm like that. I change my mind. And it's done.
I had an interesting call yesterday, and I have been thinking about it since I got it.
It was a distribution center in California that is interested in buying the Solmate sock rugs to send to Japan.
Sounds good, right? He is supplying several stores.
He could call back and order 100 rugs, or 200 rugs, or ..............
But sometimes I think that I need to be careful what I ask for.
Do I want a huge order that would make me crazy, and make me have to search for help? I would have to find someone and teach them to weave, and then wait for them to produce. I would have to put all my energies into sock rugs, and not weave anything else.
This has been a running commentary in my head for some time. And a question that hangs out there unanswered. Where is the line that separates business and passion, is there one, and what exactly does it mean for me?
Is success measured by money in the bank? Rugs going out the door by the dozens? Being busy 24/7?
Or is it measured in another way, in minutes, hours, days at the loom? Weaving for the love of it, one little order at a time? Weaving to put rugs on the shelves, in colors I pick out on a whim?
When you get to be my age, I think you get to choose. Or at least you should get to choose.
Success?
Or serenity?
Sounds simple, doesn't it?
Now if you put a little black and orange into that rug it could be come a camo rug for Miss Puss, who is quite beautiful. She knows a good rug when she sees it too!
ReplyDeleteAs to your soul searching on production, I really can't help except to say maybe finding and talking with others that have made the big leap into supplying a hand created item on a true production scale, there may be both benefits and pitfalls that you haven't even thought as you consider your next step.
I, who am stuck in a job full of burn out, would choose freedom over mass production.
ReplyDeleteDepends on how good the money is...also you could name your price, number of rugs and your time and still have the joy of the creation. If they said no, then, there's your answer.
Your question is do I want to work myself into the groud for this many rugs in a certain time frame. It would seem the scheduled creation in bulk would take away some of the joy.
Just my opinion, but it never counts anywhere, so do not listen!
Love the pin-up girl! The rug is kind of subtle for you, isn't it?! About the production weaving-can you make it work for you by providing so many a month to give yourself breathing room or does it have to be all right away? I have sewn for years and had a few jobs that robbed me of all joy-it is hard to balance creativity with demand. Think hard about your commitments!
ReplyDeleteLove your little "ham". She sure does know she's a cutie.
ReplyDeleteI measure my sucess in the joy I have when I weave something I want to weave. That's ok for me but others need to be able to make a living at what they do. Good luck in what ever you decide.
All your opinions count, and they are helpful, really.
ReplyDeleteThe rug is subtle because I didn't pick out the colors, it is an order.....are you trying to say something???
I know, I am a freak for color.
I am mulling over all the options, and not jumping into anything.