Potential Elf Run?

With building a new house and moving in August, I knew last fall that I would not be doing a Christmas in July Open House here at the Satt Cat Inn.  What I did not anticipate in any way was a pandemic.  HOWEVER, I do think that this new “pandemic, masking, social distancing way of life”  has required people to become creative in order to continue daily living with some semblance of normalcy.

I continue to make masks, especially now for children as they possibly need them to try and return to the classrooms for some kind of normal educational experience in an abnormal world.

And I have also sewn a 60″-ish Swedish table runner with two complementary 18″ inch table squares.  It was so nice to have normal sewing that only required normal creativity.

But it is July and my Open House that is not happening…at least in the normal way.  So in this “pandemic, masking, social distancing way of life”, I had an idea.  Ah-h, my creativity is trying to rally.  The sewing room is packed and ready to go on the truck, but my computer and design book are not packed yet.  Over the next few months, I will highlight some of the most popular items during the past year & holiday season; and you can check my website at www.sattcatbags.com for even more ideas.  Most items can be personalized by embroidering a name, or choosing a personal fabric or even by showcasing a favorite color.

boys and girls in many color options with names on the back

padded and personalized by fabric and color

any size personalized any way

As soon as you know what you may want to order for whomever, either add a a reply comment to this blog OR send me an email and I will add you to The List.

pick a color and add a name for personalization

made from a recycled shirt and personalized to the individual

personal to the recipient

6 pockets, cinches to a circular ball and can be monogrammed

I already have five orders, and with the extended time that any of my online ordering companies need in this bizarre world, it’s never too soon to start acquiring the needed supplies.

personalized by color, name and date

personalized by size, color and name

has inside pocket and personal by color and embroidery

A holiday tradition especially in a group or litter, as we say

Who knows, maybe instead of the Bunny Drop that the Old Guy and I did back in March to deliver all the spring sewing orders, we could do an Elf Run to safely deliver the orders in this “pandemic, masking, social distancing way of life”.  Could be fun and would be entertaining, for sure!

 

On the Move

Recently, I was asked by a client if I was planning another Christmas in July Open House. For those unfamiliar with it, the Christmas in July Open House was an event held last summer here at the Satt Cat Inn to showcase many of the Satt Cat Bags products in a party atmosphere with product samples, snacks and beverages.  The intent was to allow those that came an opportunity to order items that would then disperse the mad rush of sewing that happens for me during the holidays.  It was a complete success, and I am eager to host another one, BUT let’s just say that my answer to the original question is……..it has been postponed.

 

Why postponed, you ask?  As if life wasn’t chaotic enough as we all have dealt with Covid-19 and all that it is involved with that, but the Old Guy and I have sold our home and are building a new home with plans to physically move in August.  To say it has been interesting to do all of this during a pandemic is an understatement.  We have never been conventional people, and this whole process started last fall well before Covid-19.  Maybe chaos keeps the mind sharp?!  So this July, we will be fully living among boxes getting ready for The Move.  I have decided that my sewing room will be the last room packed since I have been very busy sewing and probably will be until the truck comes.  I’m envisioning Granny of the Beverly Hillbillies in her rocking chair when they loaded up the truck and moved to Bever-lee only instead, I’ll be riding on top of the truck sewing as we relocate.

During the pandemic and besides sewing over 250 masks, I have sewn for a set of twins and their big sister:

nana blankie and mini blankie

Big Sister toy bag

nana blankie and mini blankie

and another new baby with a Golden Books nursery whose family loves softball and baseball:

We have all been thanking those medical personnel and essential workers, AND I have sewn personalized candy bags to thank some special teachers:

I have sewn a very personal utility bag for a special lady and a wine bag for a very handy guy:

And of course with my pledge to sew a pillowcase for every order between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, I have started sewing pillowcases for the Quilts of Valor:

So I continue to happily sew for others, but now I am also packing those boxes and overseeing everything we have picked out for our new Satt Cat Inn.  There will be another Satt Cat Bags Open House, but not while we are in boxes.  Stay safe, stay healthy and stay tuned!

 

A Cause for the Brave

Suddenly we are to Memorial Day 2020 on the calendar.  The end of May.  The beginning of summer.  Festivals should abound and graduations should be happening.  And where did spring go?!?  Oh that’s right – it happened while we all stayed home going out for only essentials; and sadly, we all now use terms like pandemic, Covid-19 or shelter-in-place in normal conversations.

My sewing continues.  My normal.  Two years ago, I was privileged to see a program on the Quilts of Valor.  The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.  Since my mother was a quilter and my dad was a WWII veteran, I was hooked and the whole program was in my heart.  To feed this new passion, I went to one of the Quilts of Valor’s presentation ceremonies last fall and saw the benefits first hand from the appreciation on veterans’ faces to the pride of those that made the quilts.  There were WWII veterans who stood proudly next to recent heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan.  I was moved and wondered how I could help…

…and then it hit me!  Along with the Quilts of Valor quilt, a pillowcase is also presented to each veteran.  I may not quilt, but having made somewhere between 100 and 200 pillowcases in my past, I found my place.  This year, I will donate a patriotic pillowcase to the Quilts of Valor Foundation for every Satt Cat Bags order between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  I felt these were appropriate days for commemorating those who ensure our freedoms.

Whatever your order is does not matter.  It does not have to be a pillowcase, but could be a wine bag, a mini nana blankie, a pillow or anything showcased on my website www.sattcatbags.com .  All will be counted.   As we all thank our newest heroes of medical personnel and essential workers during The Virus, let’s also remember that we are the home of the free because of the brave.  Happy Summer.

 

Still Sewing, Still Crazy

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we at the Satt Cat Inn (with everyone else) are entering the second month of the “shelter-in-place”, stay-at-home status.  I continue sewing orders using online shopping for supplies and sewing masks, lots of masks.

Some masks are for families:

Some masks are for business employees:

Some masks are for agencies that directly deal with individuals effected by Covid-19:

The other side of this past month’s sewing is more of the normal that we all had in our pasts that seems so long ago…..even though it’s just weeks ago.

Babies are still arriving:

Birthdays are celebrated with the passions of the honorees:

Pillowcases are personalized for an athletic teenager and a wee boy:

And for one of those Satt Cat Bags items categorized as “not a bag”, there was Dane the Dinosaur to cut-out, stuff and assemble.  Did you know that there are 20 pieces to a stuffed dinosaur?  Too fun.

It’s nice to have those “normal” items to sew as we all stay safe; but as needed, I will sew masks.  We will get back to being social again. We will have family parties.  BUT until then, we will do our part and stay home and stay strong, and I will sew.

 

Crazy Sewing Lady

Life was going very well.  All the babies that I was lined up to sew for were arriving.  Names were revealed.  Personalization to the items was being prepared.   I was busy making kitten bundles, a Satt Cat Bags grouping of three items specifically for a baby.

And other items for other babies.

I was making pillows for some special people meeting milestones in their lives.

Then the Covid-19 virus became real and an issue in everyone’s lives.  Just prior to the shelter-in-place order, we loaded up 5 bunny bag orders and delivered them all to the front doors of clients so that people would at least have their bunny bags.  I called it my Bunny (Bag) Drop.  Although he did see the humor in it, the Old Guy wouldn’t endorse putting a big, fluffy tail on the back of his truck during deliveries.  Next time.

I was busy.  I was sewing.  BUT with the Covid-19 virus pressing closer to home, I was sent a pattern with a request to make respiratory masks for those working with patients and the public.  There was a shortage.  I set aside all that I was sewing in my perfect world, went to my magic fabric closet and proceeded to mass produce masks for the real world.  To date, I have made about 100 masks.

Some are in kid patterns, some are adult prints.  Some are bright and some are more subtle.  It does not matter.  I am not a medical person, but I can sew.  Let me do my part to support those to help others.  My magic closet just keeps providing the fabric with another 25 ready to be assembled.  And thanks Deb – the ribbon is helping, too!

Stay safe and stay home.

 

From Santa to Bunny to Yum Yum!

At times, it has come up in conversations with friends and clients that someone wants to know how I think….or how I came up with a particular design.  I assure you that my husband would agree with me that no, you don’t want to know!  Ideas come to me at all hours of the day or places that I might be.  I have ideas hit while I am at church, on a walk, out shopping, riding in the car or even first thing in the morning!  To accommodate this random bolt of creativity, I am never without pencil and paper for jotting down notes or sketches.

Right now, one of the popular spring sewing items that I am working on includes bunny bags.  The basic design of a bunny bag started back in 2013 as a Santa bag, my thank-you gift to clients for that year.

……which then segued the next year to the pint jar bag, a bag that may or may not be used with a pint Mason jar.  Clients have used them to hold cookie mixes, jams or trail mixes when using the jar, and any small gift when not.  During the Christmas season since 2014, the pint jar bag has continually been popular for coaches, teachers, neighbors or anyone else that needs that personal little “treat” gift, embroidered with a name or not..

As my creative mind tried to come up with a holiday pint jar bag for the spring season,  the bunny bag was born.  It is a (usually) grey marbled flannel bag with a spring colored satin lining with ears and a tail.  Ya can’t forget the tail!  One is cute, but a whole litter of them is just…..spring!  Again, this particular bunny bag design may or may not hold a pint Mason jar.  Clearly if it is for a child, I do not endorse a glass jar in it.

And most recently, the bunny bag morphed again to create Yum Yum Bags.  Yum Yum bags are a set of bags designed to enhance any holiday or event with personality and color.  They are a bit shorter than a traditional pint jar bag but can still hold that Mason jar.  By picking the applicable colored bags and adding  the ribbons of your choice,  these yum yum bags can hold silverware, cookie pops, treats, appetizers on skewers or anything that you can dream of to put into an open jar.  And again, one is functional, two are entertaining, but more than that are just fun! So go with yum; yum-yum or yum, yum, yum!

We’ll just have to see where this basic bag design takes my brain next.  I never know when or where it will happen, so I guess just stay tuned!

 

Babies, Babies Everywhere

Right now, I am on hold to sew for five new babies due to arrive in the next couple weeks.  Now that is exciting for me since I love to sew for babies!  I have done a blog in the past with the results of my personal study concerning sewing for babies.  Of course, it was scientifically done with the utmost of accuracy.  Okay maybe not, but there is the function side of sewing for babies and the fun, whimsical side.

FUNCTION – new mamas and their friends tend to want more items from me that are functional – nana blankies which are bigger receiving blankets; burp cloths used for the obvious, a tote bag to haul small necessities or even a baby laundry bag.

These items are usually ordered before the baby is born, coordinate with the nursery and many times, are ordered as gender neutral.

FUN – doting grandparents, aunties and other friends like to order more of the fun, whimsical, memory driven items.  I have clients that have ordered mitten bags, mini mittens, tooth fairy bags, bunny bags or the new snowball ornaments for each child/grandchild in a family.  As the family grows, I am asked to add to their collection in honor of the newest family member in a specific color with the name embroidered.

This “fun” group is also more likely to order the ever poplar mini nana blankie…a personal creation for that little one to either snuggle with or eventually carry around as a bit of security.  A toy bag or “book” bag is also very popular for a wee one.

A personalized pillowcase (especially when the transfer is made from crib to big bed) is also a popular choice, but that would be the next stage of life in my sewing world!

Babies are a-comin’, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of welcoming them to the world.

2020 – A New Year and New Designs

As we close out 2019 and look to 2020, I am excited!  Excited about the success of this past year and excited for all the new opportunities of 2020.  The last Christmas gifts went out in plenty of time.  One was a Memory Bear made from the shirt of a dear mother.  I was told she would always walk her dog wearing a scarf and was an avid Chicago Cubs fan.  Adding personality to Memory Bears is one of my favorite things to do!  The other was a pair of shoe bags for a couple who travel to warmer climates in the winter.  Her fabric is the pastel-y shells and his is the retro cabana look.  So appropriate.

On a side note, after my holiday sewing, I was also busy wrapping Christmas presents for all.  Especially our wee boys!  I helped a friend wrap her grandkid gifts last year and decided to wrap our wee boys’ gifts similarly this year.  Thanks for the idea, Betty!  I have been asked to add the final picture on my blog, so here you go….With holiday sewing (and wrapping) done, I can now turn the page to 2020.  Over the past week, I have been sketching some new ornament designs, a couple new bag ideas and applications for many parties.  I actually have an order for one of the new designs already, and I haven’t even finalized the plan!  Crazy.  Stay tuned for the yum-yum bag or should I say, bags.Even though I do most of my sewing between September and December, I also do a fair amount for other holidays and events.  In fact right now, I have orders for four upcoming babies that are due in February and March.  I will be sewing full sized nana blankies: mini nana blankies (some with names and some without):

a toy bag:

a bunny bag:tooth fairy bags:

and some personalized pillows and a storage bag not for a baby.

And then there are upcoming weddings, Valentine’s Day, Easter and spring!  As we all settle into the new year, check out your favorite categories on my website (click here).

Almost…Done!

Since the first Satt Cat Bags Christmas in July Open House, I have been busy.  Really busy.  Busy sewing and fulfilling everybody’s orders and wishes for the holidays of Christmas or Hanukkah.  As I finished an order, I would deliver it; and someone would see that person’s order; and then they would place an order; and so it would continue.  It was so fun, both to sew and also to experience.  I have met new friends and continued in this pattern for the past 5 months.  And now, I am almost done with holiday orders.  One more order to be done for Christmas and then…..I am done for this season.  It has been awesome, and I have every client (yes, every one) to thank.

Over the past 5 months, many gifts have been made.  Besides making 25 snowball ornaments (a favorite) and 27 Christmas bears (another favorite) that I have described previously, some of the gifts that I have made include Memory pillows and bears made from the shirts of a beloved father/grandfather:

Some teachers will be getting some yummy treats in pint jar bags:

Some sweet little granddaughters will be getting unicorn toy bags….in princess style, of course:

Another granddaughter is getting an adorable SCB  “kitten bundle” which is three items all for the same sweet baby.  This bundle included a personalized snowball ornament, a full sized winter nana blankie and a personalized mini nana blankie:

Nana blankies will keep a sweet young one warm this winter and soft healing / prayer blankies will hopefully give some people comfort:

Instead of a toy bag, three backpack bags will be used extensively to hold all those special favorites that kiddos have.  Who needs to haul a bag when you can just carry it all on your back?!

And finally, the 2019 thank-you gifts are almost delivered, and it was quite the litter to distribute.  33 total were made this year which is the most thank-yous for one year that I have made in the past 8 years.   I sincerely wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season!

 

 

End of Another Year

October 31, 2019 marks the end of my fiscal year.  Satt Cat Bags is 8 years old!  To recap this past year is to simply say that it has been the best year yet!  I was even able to fulfill a dream and accomplish a Christmas in July Open House, meet new people and eat some watermelon shaped trees besides.  And the win-win was that I was able to stretch out my Christmas sewing for others over 6 months….Score!

Being the numbers person that I am, I am always interested as to what I sewed the most over the year.  With a total of about 150 items made this year, the top “winners” were the new snowball ornaments and mini mittens in a variety of colors:

Followed by Christmas Bears and utility bags:

 

Running close behind those items in third place were pillows, burp cloths and wine bags:

 

Besides reflecting on what I have sewn over the past year, I also get excited about now  delivering thank-you gifts to those who were clients in those twelve months from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019.  Soooooo…… if you are one of those 33 people that I have sewn for this past year, look for me.  I’m heading your way with this year’s thank-you gift for an awesome year!  On to Year 9!