At the moment

Behold, my studio. I have just finished a major creative project, one for which I should have logged hours and expenses as I may decide to sell it. (If I can convince myself to part with the item, similar ones are selling for big bucks on Etsy.) I would show you what I made, but it's currently tumbling through the dryer. (I hope it's okay...) So watch this space; I have so much to tell you about but in time, in time.

Mishmash: Frigid night edition

It's been pretty chilly around here this week, for New Jersey anyway; I'm not giving out actual temperatures for fear my Midwestern friends would laugh me off the Internets; but tonight is the coldest yet and I am NOT going outside to clean out my car as I had intended to, nor am I taking down the pathetic-looking Christmas wreath that still adorns our door.

I have been working on Prayer Quilts this week, since Irene put a note in the church bulletin that we are running extremely low on them and CALLING ALL SEWING MACHINE OPERATORS, could we please make some more. I turned out two moderately acceptable quilts that are ready for tying at the meeting Tuesday night. I have a third one cut out but I think I'll wait on that since I have so many other projects churning. I wish I could say I was proud of these quilts, but they're not really my best work; I tried, but I rushed them and it shows.

As far as the other projects go, I don't want to say too much about them because some of them are intended to be a surprise for a particular reader -- more on that later. I do want to make a new ironing board cover to replace the one that disintegrated last week; ever since I saw the idea for that in one of my sewing books I can't get out of my head the notion that I must not, MUST NOT purchase one.

The volunteering at K's school has kind of piffled out. I keep trying to make myself go, but then I think about spending two hours cataloging Magic Treehouse books incorrectly and putting scotch tape over spine labels, and I think -- and maybe this is snotty, but I think it anyway -- "What a waste of my time." I would much rather be making things with fabric, or even working on the church's music library, which I've been further encouraged to do by the new music director. I suppose I just want more of a challenge.

Speaking of challenges, this weekend is going to be one -- K has yet another long weekend, and with the freezing temperatures even she doesn't want to play outside, so we've had to think creatively about how we're going to spend the time. Today we're going to do an afternoon movie double-feature with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (which we read most of on our recent trip to Wisconsin) and Prince Caspian. Tomorrow we're thinking of doing a game day, which K has specifically asked for recently -- board games, card games, hide and seek, you name it. And for Monday either D and K will join the school's "Day of Service" efforts or, if that doesn't pan out, we'll do and arts-and-crafts day. Tuesday, thank Heaven, she'll be with her grandparents!

Oh! One more thing -- I saw my friend who asked for the felt pencil rolls yesterday and gave them to her, and she was very pleased. She asked me, "How much?' but we were with a crowd and I didn't want to talk about money then, so we agreed that she would call me later. When she did, I told her how much they had cost to make (around $5) and she said, "Let me give you $12 apiece," and I told her that $10 was plenty, but she said she'd feel better giving me $12. I thought about what a commenter on my other blog said:

I would feel guilty if I asked a friend to make me something for pay, and she made it for me and insisted on giving it to me unreimbursed. At the very least, if I'd explicitly asked for whatever it was, I'd want to cover the cost of materials.

So I decided that I'd let her give me what she felt comfortable giving me. I have to admit I'm pleased to have earned some money doing what I love to do. I think when I have time I'll make more pencil rolls to have on hand.

Who will buy?

Last Friday after the noon Mass (where I serve as an acolyte) I went out to lunch with some friends. Because D was off work and K was off school, they went with us. We had brought along K's art-on-the-go bag to keep her occupied, and of course people noticed it. They were impressed with the simple tote bag I had made, but when they saw the felt pencil roll they got really excited and told me I should sell my crafts -- I'm not sure where or to whom.

But one friend offered to buy some from me for her nieces and nephews. I said I'd be glad to make some for her but wasn't sure about selling them. I have, in the past, sold blankets and ponchos that I've made, but I've never felt good about it because people have either offered to overpay (in my opinion) or I've had to ask too much to cover materials and feel like I wasn't getting ripped off for the amount of labor put into the item.

Not that I'd mind selling crocheted items at, say, the church bazaar, for a reasonably low price. That money goes to a good cause and not to my pocket. And I expect that this year I will have plenty of handmade goods to offer up for sale at that function. But that's different.

So my questions to you are: Should I let my friend pay me for the pencil rolls? Should I just ask her to reimburse me for the materials (about $5 each, but I had everything to make them right in my studio, I didn't need to buy a single thing, not even the pencils) or should I let her pay me extra, which she will offer to do? If I do let her pay me extra, what would a reasonable price be? (They took less than an hour apiece to make once I got in the groove; I'm thinking $10 apiece would be more than enough.)

Some other folks have encouraged me to start selling my work on Etsy. Does anyone have experience with this, either buying or selling? I've looked at it and it seems kind of confusing.