Buongiorno Needleworking Friends and Hive Community!

It is very exciting to share with you today: I am just putting the final touches to two of my favourite pair of trousers that I ever made, because they – PLUS 3 dresses!! - have been sold to a gorgeous young American woman, who is the niece of a neighbour here (who bought my red and black wool trousers on the opening night last month).

The two trousers were both ever so slightly large for this lovely woman, so I agreed to take them in – which is not straightforward, as the kecks are constructed spontaneously and unconventionally; they don’t have traditional structure or seams…. But the beauty of working In The Flow, is that – following a bit of prayer and deep breathing – the alterations came together very well: one extra trying-on session, and they fit perfectly! Now I’m doing the double-stitching to reinforce the seams that I’ve taken in, and some handsewing on particular edges and button changes.

The meeting with my neighbour and her niece was so very nice: I was nervous to have them visit my home to see the clothing (just ask @vincentnijman – he has to listen to my neurotic outpourings!!) - really unsure of myself and of the quality of my work.

using a butter knife to pressseams down, so they go into the machine neatly!

It is such a bore to have low self esteem around my craft!! It is gnawingly uncomfortable, and gives me quite a bad mood before a meeting like this. Every time I step forwards in my new 'career' like this, a little energy shifts, and a little perspective is carved out of the chaos. If I give thanks to the Intelligent Universe and the Divine Co-Creative forces that flow through all things, then more often than not the work, and the meeting, unfold/s beautifully. This time was a great example of that!

tons of pinning involved!

The young woman was as enthusiastic as I am about the clothing, and was overjoyed at the good fit which I created for her, having first tried them on just yesterday… She really lit up when she had the trousers on, and came through to the big mirror in the kitchen to double check them, exclaiming her happiness! This is the most glorious feedback I could possibly receive!!

We all chatted afterwards, about the potential of my clothing to be marketed…. Multifarious ideas around Etsy, Amazon, online shops, postal services…. The potential of Instagram to raise my visibility, Facebook to connect me with the local and wider community...

my notes around the alterations

And I again clarified around my not wanting to have a business or to be busy! We both (Vincent and I) emphasised our having ‘retired’ early, or rather our having been burned out (me several times) young, and so our choice is now to live simply and without many of the things that others assume to be obligatory so that we do not have to rush anything, ever. Visibility online is not the kind of grounded and rooted visibility in real life. Being wanted online means being online all the time, and this is the absolute antithesis of what we want to Live.

so rewarding to have sold one of my first - experimental - pinafore dresses!

Being slower and living more quietly allows me to make these kinds of utterly unique items; I’d never have time-energy-focus for them if I were straining to meet deadlines and writing out invoices, struggling to 'be visible' and to 'gain traction'.

I couldn't find a photo of the other skirt and white dress close-up, that I sold - so thisis a snapshot from a distance, from the expo opening night last month

The conventional model of commerce simply doesn’t equate in my creative cycles; it would interfere in every aspect of my life if I allowed it to, but instead the Gift Economy works in symbiosis rather than in a hierarchy (with the creative at the bottom). If everyone worked like this, and removed their time-attention-resources from the clutches of the false power structures, things would work within a softer, cleaner and wholly more harmonious fabric of reality.

Gifting rather than selling transactionally means that a full transmission of meaning and right-alignment is able to happen: we rarely get an experience like that (for maker/ seller AND for new owner) in a regular shop (at least, not in the 'western' world) - and I imagine NEVER in an online store.

So again, here I am following the quieter path to abundance and freedom, full-fillment and flourishment… Vincent and I are prepping to either unload the car from its long trip picking up our stuff from Portugal AND/ OR to throw the tent in there too, and to drive off up into the mountains – for househunting and for escaping the heat!

goodbye, dear white-red pinstripe cloud-patch super-trousers!! enjoy your funky new life with Lotus in America!!

Sending you all the most Love today and always – be well, stay cool, and I wish you the most satisfaction in your beautiful work!

www.claregaiasophia.com