Sissy Sue

The past few weeks I've written about my discovery of actually enjoying sewing and creating a product with my own hands.  Today, I want to share the story of my little business Sissy Sue (and Brother, too! for all my male clients:).

After beginning to meet with the German American Namibian Sewing Club, my projects with the sewing machine grew to more than just blankets and starting quilt tops. With several friends getting married in 2011, I decided I wanted to make a gift for the brides.  My first bag was given to Lilli in June.  When making a few other bags for friends, the lovely women of GAN asked if I had thought about selling my bags.  Me? No! Who would buy them?

But the thought was planted and that August, after reading an inspiring blog entry about hosting a home boutique, I casually mentioned that maybe, someday our group could host a market.  Well, having the motivated membership that we do, that "someday" market happened at the end of October.  Create! am Main Kreativmarkt was a lovely, exciting and successful event in the Sachsenhausen neighborhood of Frankfurt.  As well as selling various bags, crayon rolls and buntings, I also received several customized orders from people at the market.  These orders prompted me to start a website for Sissy Sue, which many amazing friends helped shape (and are still helping to shape...and correct my German!).

In December, I was able to display my products in wonderful, family-friendly Café Savannah, whose team and atmosphere make having coffee with friends and kids possible.  2012 holds many new possibilities for developing Sissy Sue: creating more of a presence on the internet, continuing to work with Café Savannah, as well as organizing and participating in other creative markets in the Frankfurt area, such as Eintagsladen 5.

Now I am able to sew at night and during naptime and occasional weekends when Igor watches the kids, with the goal of saving for visits to the U.S. (what a great motivation!).

There are many things I've enjoyed about discovering this new area of creativity: a new challenge, developing my design eye, having a finished product, providing something of function and beauty for others, getting to know other creative people on a different level (as a peer, not just an admirer), and on and on.

Funny how one year can bring such big changes in one's life.