So Much News...

Hello all! I don’t normally get quite this personal, but a lot has been happening behind the scenes here, and now is the time to catch you all up!

A Change of Scenery

Let’s start at the beginning: when Covid hit, I think we all thought lockdown would last a few months at most. And honestly, a few months of pause kinda sounded nice. I could learn to bake bread, I could whip out that loom I never use, and I could catch up on sleep. But of course, this is not how it went, nor how I felt. Being stuck in an apartment in Brooklyn with no outdoor space of any kind, while we feared for our lives from this great unknown virus, and the hum of refrigerated semi trucks at the mortuary a block away, was hardly a headspace I wanted to be in. That coupled with rethinking how I could keep teaching and doing my job (and therefore pay the rent) was mentally crippling. I know I wasn’t alone with these emotions.

Thankfully, we figured out together how to teach and learn on Zoom (and I am endlessly grateful for all that continue to join me in this way), and I figured out how to not lose my mind completely. Patterns emerged, survival mode kicked in, and priorities shifted. The one thing I never solved in all of this was the luxury of outdoor freedom, and to be allowed, even for a moment, to be out in the fresh air without a mask on. Again, some places were easier in this regard, but New York City was not (and still is not) one of those places. Most of us here don’t have cars, and riding the subway felt sketchy, so even getting out of your own neighborhood takes real planning and a series of calculated risks.

All of this, plus the notion that being maskless in my favorite bar or museum, or being out with all my friends, laughing, listening to music, is a very long way away, had be thinking about if I wanted to stay here. Many of my friends left New York during this time, and I had no intentions to leave at this point pre-Covid, but everything in my body was telling me it was time to rethink my surroundings. I truly love New York, but I’m also not a “New York or nowhere” person, as there are many wonderful places to live, not just here. I started by making a list of what I wanted out of this new location: quiet, smaller, outdoor space where I could be maskless and safe, near a body of water (always a must for me), not too far from a major city, and near loved ones. I pretty quickly whittled it down to a few spots, all in the New England vicinity, and tossed in my hometown in southwest Michigan for good measure, as it also fit all of those requirements too.

I had settled on the plan to move to Maine when the universe gave my family a massive blow with the sudden and unexpected death of my brother. The loss was (and still is) shocking. Taking every precaution possible, I flew to be with my mom in Michigan, and stayed there for a month. If you took a class with me from late December - late January, you saw I was in slightly different surroundings, and now you know why. This loss changed everything, and I knew instantly I needed to move back to my hometown area to be with my mom while I can still have her in my life. Someone was definitely looking out for me, as everything fell perfectly into place: my mom wanted a new car and gave me her old one, I reconnected with some friends I have in the area, and then I found (and rented) the cutest house (pictured above). I will have all the things I wanted in a home, like hardwood floors, bathtub, and a gas stove, but also small town home luxuries like my own backyard to be maskless and safe (and garden), plus I will be a short bike ride or walk to a beautiful Lake Michigan beach.

So I came back to New York with a purpose, packing and sorting, and of course, immediately got Covid, which landed me in bed for a week. I am exceedingly grateful that my case was incredibly mild and that so far I have what appears to be no major lasting effects. I am through the worst of it now thank heavens, nearly finished packing, and leaving on Wednesday, during a very welcomed break from all our winter storms.

Business as Usual

During lockdown, my brother’s passing, getting Covid, all my packing and now moving, I have done my best to maintain business as usual, and once I move, things will carry on as they always have. Though I will not be in Brooklyn, I will still be teaching through Brooklyn Craft Company, as well as hosting my own virtual classes. Patternmaking will keep going, and I will be adding to my collection of video classes as well! I will have a LOT more space in this new home, so I’m hoping for a very productive 2021!

Carolyn at Brooklyn Craft Company and I have worked up some fantastic workshops to come in the next few months, like a soft bra class, a bathing suit class, and more tops and dresses! So don’t worry, thanks to our new way of learning, I am still going to be as available as ever! And once it’s safe to host in-person classes, I will be popping up at sewing shops for special workshops too.

Brief Shipping and Email Pause

The only slight blip is there will be a very brief shipping and email pause this week while I physically move from New York to Michigan. If you have ordered a pattern in the last few days, they will go out tomorrow before I leave. But if you order a pattern this week (Monday, February 22 - Sunday, February 28) they will ship on Monday, March 1. Thanks for your patience and understanding!

Thanks to all of you for keeping me busy and sane during this last year, and I hope I’ve helped keep you busy and sane too, with my patterns and classes. I know we’re all experiencing pandemic fatigue, but you’re doing great! Hang in there everybody… it’s almost spring!

xoxo
Christine