Now that I’ve made the decision to change the structure of the shop there are all sorts of wonderful ideas rushing into my mind at all hours of the day and night. I’m finding inspiration everywhere! This weekend I got to spend some much needed time just being with Eric and the little fox. It was so incredibly nice and really underlined how important it is to spend time with my family. It also made me realize how much I’ve missed out on by working weekends, even when it was just Saturdays.
On Saturday we took little Fox to see Red Yarn at Cafe au Play, a super family friendly coffee shop in Portland. That space always gives me inspiration. The entire space is based on the needs and behaviors of people with kids. There’s a cozy indoor play space for kids, there are tables for adults, and an amazing outdoor area that I wish I could recreate in my own back yard. Basically you feel like you can hang out there as long as you like. It’s comfortable, cheerful, and most importantly, welcoming. Those are the feelings that I want our new creative spaces to convey. Next time you trek out to Portland make sure you stop in with your little ones and enjoy a snack and some coffee with friends. You will be so glad that you did.
Here are my current thoughts about our new craft studio/s.
– A family-friendly craft space in the front room. Tables, chairs, play space, fabric, permanent sewing stations.
– A quiet room. Couch, chairs, lamps, book shelves. Perfect for knitting, daydreaming, or napping.
– A kitchen room. This is where semi-messy crafts and snacks can happen.
– More emphasis on spaces for kids to occupy themselves, relax, or craft with parents.
– A physical barrier to separate the retail space from the craft space. Not only will it give you peace of mind that your little one will stay in the crafty zone with you, but it also creates a privileged space for crafting. Crafty spaces will not be accessible to the general public.
– Members, volunteers, students and teachers will be the driving force behind the new space. I’m not interested in making money off of this shop (not that that was ever really one of our goals). What I want is to improve the quality of living for crafty people, especially mamas.
SO. This is where I ask for volunteers, donations, teachers, and a general call to action! We’re looking for volunteers to work shifts in the shop, donations of tables, chairs, sewing machines, a refrigerator, microwave, TV, and shelving. We are also looking for crafty teachers! There will be more information about this in coming days, but for now I just wanted to share everything that’s on my mind and in progress. If you’d like to get involved, send me an email: hello@thecraftyfoxshop.com