I’m currently getting ready for Christi Lee to start our Sew-A-Long featuring maggy55 Classic Zip Around Wallet. These CZW were done by Marlys Fry-Sellmeyer. Aren’t they gorgeous?! I’ll take the middle one!!

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This SAL starts July 3 with cutting and prepping, and runs live (or follow on youTube) once a week. What I found when promoting the SALs was there were some who would ask about costs, state they couldn’t afford supplies, or I’d pick these clues up in everyday posting. We had so many on retired, fixed incomes, or disabled (me for one) which made gathering supplies difficult for them. I created a Secret Sister Team.

Not the usual exchange type of Secret Sister, but a team willing to share with those less fortunate in order that they too could participate in our sew-a-longs! I’ve always seemed to have ample sewing supplies so I was participating also. But I found, when it came to sharing my sf101, I couldn’t. It was only 20” wide so it took double the yardage of your pattern fabric. It was just too expensive to part with and I cheated. I subbed a lightweight non woven interfacing! Shame on me! At that time I didn’t realize the importance of woven interfacing! And my finances were very limited. I did feel bad about doing that, so I went on the hunt for a comparable substitute! I did a lot of searching, buying samples from lots of international companies to find a good product.

I finally came across a product I felt was close to what I wanted. I put together a test team and we went to work comparing the two. The biggest difference right off the bat was the width of my new find, which was 45”! That was a big advantage! Out of all of my testers, only one came back with a negative comment. It stopped me in my tracks, but no one else agreed. I did a lot of soul searching and continued to get more samples because I wanted the best product for my members. But I kept going back to the one we put to the test. There was a minimum amount I would be required to buy, but I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. But because I’d have to buy so much, and with the encouragement of Vickie from So You Need Hardware, I decided to sell it!

I posted a pre-sale before it arrived, and the orders started coming in! My big error…I estimated the wrong amount that would fit in a flat rate padded envelope! I sold 10 yard packages but only 8 max would fit! So my first sales cost me (I ate the difference) quite a bit in shipping! But…being new to selling, new to business matters, I was learning as I went! I’ve always said God gave me this business. He knew my needs would change when just a few months after the birth of my company, I lost my husband. Had it not been for my little business, founded due to needs of others, would become my source of social security supplemented income, and my own need! I would not have survived on my own without it. It amazes me still the handy work of God.

I’ve had lots of hills and valleys during my 2 years of business,

but God has sustained me!

Another interfacing I had tried years before because I’d heard it was a super quality, professional finish bag-making product, was Decovil. It’s expensive, but the results pay for itself in the long run. You won’t get a more professional finish with any other products. There are times, places for other products, but on the whole, these two products give best results. And I soon was able to add that to my inventory. I only sell the 2 products because they are the products I believe are absolutely the best for quality, professional results in bag making.  See Our Store

I posted a contest to have my group name my product. Mary Jo Bertolino chose WovenFuse…and won the prize for naming! So this is how wovenFuse came to life. Little did I know when I started that my product would outshine the competitors! But that’s the reviews that have been coming back ever since inception. I thank God for my little business He gave me, for always protecting and sustaining me!

Happy sewing everyone! Ill be back with sewing tips and ideas soon. Until then, don’t forget your wovenFuse!

Follow me on instagram:  @barbsbagsgotinterfacing

And join my Facebook group:  Barb’s Bags…got Interfacing?

My dad made me take a public speaking class in high school because of my shyness.  I took it, wrote my speeches, handed them in, and took an incomplete for the course.  Many years later I attended college and had to get transcripts from high school. That class was still showing incomplete!  I always thought incompletes turned to an F. Well i guess technically it did cause there’s  no credit for an incomplete!

At 38 I had 4 kids, a retried husband who decided I needed to go to work since the kids were getting more expensive.  He gave me a choice of working in the mills or going to school. I chose school. Going thru the college catalog, nothing appealed to me except nursing!  Yes!  I would become a nurse!  My first clinical I was pushed into my patient’s room by my instructor!  I was scared to go in because I’d be forced to talk to him one on one!  My instructors all tried to weed me out during the whole program because they thought I wouldn’t be a good patient advocate!  But…I persevered and came out 2nd in my class, a class that started with over 30, and ended with 17 graduates!

That was an Associate Degree in Nursing. I wanted to further my education and get my BSN. But I found it was a total struggle because of the horrid treatment I received during my 2 yr program. When I said they tried to weed me out (and they told me they did at end of program) they made it so hard, so humiliating in every way they could and it made it way too difficult for me to stick with yet more college.  Another factor that kept me from pursuing further education was that a speech class was required!  And we already know how I love speaking in public! Lol!  So it would be years before I could bring myself to go back to school.

But life has a way of changing all your plans. I worked as a nurse for almost 10 yrs. then discovered a knot on the right side of my neck. I was told by Drs it was thyroid cancer and very treatable. Surgery was planned. But surgery resulted in a change of diagnosis. It was not thyroid cancer. It was metastatic squamous cell cancer with an unknown primary site. A smoker’s cancer and I’ve never smoked!  Radiation was my only option. And that knocked the life out of me.  It also did so much damage I had to have a g-tube for nutrition, and a year and half later, a trach so I could breathe. My esophagus occluded, as well as my throat was nearing occlusion.  That was 24 yrs ago. I still have a trach and g-tube. But God has been awesome to allow me 24 years I never thought I’d ever see, 7 grand kids I feared I’d never even meet!

So my nursing days were over. I started taking classes periodically, trying the waters to see if there was something i could do while having a disability. I decided to conquer my fears and I actually took a speech class!  It was different than I’d imagined. Demonstrations for one thing. I did it!  I conquered my fear!  Didn’t get me anywhere but it was such an accomplishment to finish that class …with an A no less!

So that’s the story of how much of an introvert I am. Nursing was my love. I love nurturing, caring for others. I miss it. But I’ve learned that life continues. We can face it head on…and accept our limitations, focus on what our capabilities are, or we can spend our lives focusing on what we no longer have, and lead a lifeless life!  I choose to live!  God didn’t put me on this earth to feel sorry for myself and waste my life in self pity!  He gave me a voice…maybe a voice in writing only but a voice none the less!  So here I go, blogging!  Using the “voice” I was given!

I hope you follow along as we continue with some exciting sewing thoughts and tips!  This was just an introduction to my blog, my life. I find sewing to be healing, stress relieving!

Until next time…happy sewing y’all!