Archive for June, 2010
Boy, this is a hard entry to write. I guess there’s no easy way to announce this news, so I’m just going to jump in. As of July 25, 2010 Home Ec. will be closing the doors on our brick and mortar shop and moving exclusively online.
There are many reasons I came to this (hard and labored-over) decision. Of course the fact that we’re in the midst of The Great Depression Jr. isn’t helping anyone in retail nowadays, and we are no exception, but that’s not the whole story. We could probably hold on a while longer in our current location, maybe we’d ride out the financial storms, but if I’m being 100% honest with you, I’ve come to realize that my heart is not in it.
The last 12 months have probably been the hardest of my life. In late November of 2009, my mother died suddenly after a very short illness. Four and a half months later, her mother (my last remaining grandparent) died as well. It’s been incredibly hard to absorb these blows while keeping the shop running. Anyone who owns a retail shop will tell you it’s a 24/7 kind of proposition. Your shop doesn’t slow down to adapt to your life, it becomes your life. Which is great if you’re up for it, but I am feeling a very intense need to take a deep breath and reassess how I’m living and what I’m creating.
I’ve worked in the craft community for many years now, in various permutations. From running my own accessories business to putting on craft fairs, writing for blogs and writing my own sewing book. I dreamed about having a physical outpost for all the crafty stuff I loved, but the reality of being so deeply obligated to one thing has taken its toll and I’d like to get some of that old freedom back. Freedom to make my own schedule, and to tackle new challenges (writing a second book, exploring fabric design, etc.) without being so tied to the physical shop. We will remain open to the public through Sunday, July 25 but the last week of the month will be spent packing and moving (barring one last nighttime class, part 3 of our Modern Baby Quilt class).
I want to make it clear that Home Ec. as an entity, however, is not going anywhere! We’re moving into an office space where my kick-ass helper gals will fill your orders for the fabrics, books, and craft kits we’ve always offered. Better yet, the lower overhead means we can carry a lot more of all that stuff. We’re even developing some fun new products of our own! We’ll be bringing in some guest bloggers with original projects and articles, and we’ve also got a Home Ec. podcast in the works, which will be debuting at the end of August. As bittersweet as closing our lovely space at 3815 W. Sunset Blvd. may feel, I’m re-energized and excited as all get out about what we can accomplish online. And I sincerely hope you will join us!