Unsealing My Lips

Just before I went to bed last night, I did one quick last check of my social media. And there it was - finally! The my-lips-are-sealed project that I had worked on for several weeks in March and April!

Early last August I was contacted by Breyer and asked if I'd like to participate again for BreyerFest 2026 and if I did, to submit some ideas as to what I'd like to teach. 

I really wanted to provide something beginner sewists could do. We all have a beginning point, but sometimes we compare ourselves to the more accomplished and experienced artisans and quit before we begin. 

So I pitched that idea to Breyer with my reasoning that I felt it was important to have something beginners as well as more experienced sewists could do, something that would be useful, that was fun to make, and wasn't too hard that they would be disappointed in the results. 

Breyer agreed, and so...

I clicked on the links and noticed that one of the pattern sheets had not been uploaded, so I will contact Breyer and make sure that that gets posted, too.

Now that the virtual workshops have been announced, I'll share more about mine, how Lisa and Jessie both helped me in its production, and more.

Stay 'tooned!

 

Moving on to the Next Thing!

The virtual seminar is all sorted, clipped, and has notes to accompany it. It's been sent to Mountain Mama Jessica and she will begin putting it all together into one cohesive video today. 

I love teaching, I love sewing, and I love models. Creating a virtual seminar hits all three of those loves. But doing one is a lot of work and I am tired.

Of course, there are always things that you find that make you laugh. Not only did Nashie make his way around the baby gate we'd put at the bottom of the stairs and interrupt filming, but another visitor photo bombed us.

As I was previewing the film clips, a sudden streak across the window in one video caught my eye. I rewound the clip and a bird had flown across the yard outside the window! 

It was small, but very distracting. It's been removed. (Unlike the time that Craig strolled across the yard with the dogs in tow to do their business that was caught on camera. I didn't catch that until I was watching the finished video at BreyerFest!)

My next step is to watch the draft that Jessica sends back to me, make any requests for changes (if needed), watch it a final time (including for what is going on outside the window, LOL) and then send the completed video on to Breyer.

Now I move on to my next project - finishing preparations for Indy Blooms. The swap meet is this afternoon, but I won't be there. 

I went last year and had good sales, but I wasn't using a walker then. Hauling in and hauling out Friday night, then repeating that for the show next day, plus a long day of showing... I don't think I am up to that this year. 

I went through my downstairs china cabinet yesterday and pulled out some pieces I am considering taking to the show. 

My real love is collectibility, and this year the show doesn't have collectibility classes as it has in the past. (There are a few decorator classes at the end of each division, but there is much more to collectibility than just the decorators.) And, I am less and less inclined to bring my really valuable or old chinas - the risk of breakage is just too high.

So, between no collectibility classes and those pesky lifting restrictions I am still under, my show string is small. Some tried and true plastics and (less valuable) chinas, a couple decorators, and that's all.

ButI'm okay with that. I've been showing for years and the best part for me is seeing my hobby friends and making new ones. Plus, Leslie is going with me and we will get some sister time as I show.

It's going to be a great day.

BreyerFest 2024: Making a Virtual Seminar

 Making a virtual seminar may sound easy (just film and go!) but trust me, it is not. It is a process that requires lots of planning and preparation, coordinating time (and lighting) for filming, lots of editing, working through tech issues, watching drafts, more editing, and finally, getting all that done and the video sent off to Breyer in time for their deadline for completion. 

Preparation for a virtual seminar also includes doing some set up in the area we plan to film in and finding someone to do the filming for me. I also need someone to edit it; luckily I have some very tech savvy kids and Jessica, Cole, Kyle, Vanessa, and Andrew can all step up and help me. (And have.)

This is how my sewing room looked as Lisa and I got ready to film this year's virtual seminar on making a basic pony pouch. 

I have to be careful about those windows overlooking our back yard. Craig and Nash made a surprise appearance last year in the show apron virtual seminar when he took Nash out to do his business! They meandered right across the yard, although luckily the actual business side of their back yard jaunt was not caught on tape! 

There is always some "volunteer help" that needs to be addressed, too. I shut the doors to keep these furry volunteers out, but all of them know how to get into the sewing room by short cutting through the Jack and Jill bathroom. Both Pepper and Nash have joyfully popped in ("Hooray! I found you!!") at inopportune times necessitating some re-takes! 

Sample pony pouches, models inside, set out and ready to be filmed.

The seminar is filmed in 3-5 minute takes. I get ready for the next take, Lisa counts down while I watch her, and when she says, "Go," I begin the next segment.

When filming is over, I watch all the clips, make notes about using them in the video, then send them on for editing. Jessica did this year's film for me. (It turned out really nice - I am so happy with it!)

She puts the segments together and then send me a rough cut. I watch that, making notes on any changes that I'd like and send it back to her. Jessica makes those changes, adds a title page, a supply list, and then an acknowledgement page at the very end. 

I watch the final product again, and unless I see a change I'd like to have made, the video is done.

The last thing to do is to send it to Breyer. I take some pictures for advertising the virtual seminar on Breyer's web page, write up a little blurb to accompany it along with a supply list, and send everything on to Breyer.

Breyer previews the video, chooses a photo from those I've sent, and then puts it all together for the web site.

At last, everything is done and I can sit back and take a breath. I also look forward to watching it during BreyerFest. I may have watched the final product many times before that (at least 5 times as of today), but it is really fun to click on a BreyerFest link and see something you produced pop up.

In an upcoming blog post I will share how I became a presenter and some possible steps you might take if you want to do it, too.

Stay 'tooned!