At the end of August last year I set my last safety eye, stuffed my last limb and stitched my last seam before leaving the studio to have my second child.
While I was excited to meet the daughter who'd spent the last nine months in the studio with me, pushing me further and further from my desk as my burgeoning bump bloomed, there was a sense of trepidation about stepping away from Pixie Dust Bears for the second time in three years.
I worried that my customers would move on rather than waiting the months until I came back. I fretted that time away from posting on socials would turn the dreaded algorithm against me. Would people still want memory bears when I came back? What if I somehow forgot to sew?! Some worries were clearly more logical than others, but one can't help the pregnancy brain and it's wild irrationality.
Imagine my surprise when, upon posting my 'I'm back' post, I was greeted by so many of my lovely customers excited to see me back and wishing my family and I such kind sentiments. So many of my sweet customers were ready to place an order and had waited for me to return! How delightfully wholesome to know that my little community was here to welcome me back to the fold.
There have been some struggles coming back-- time is much scarcer with a second tiny person in my world. My beautiful daughter is most definitely a velcro baby which makes it difficult to have time away from her without succumbing to her sad cries. She still, even at 9 months old, sleeps terribly (a huge shock after her brother, who was such a wonderful sleeper) which means I'm often floating in a sleep deprived haze.
As predicted, the algorithm is punishing my absence, even more so given my propensity to post pictures instead of the preferred reels (I'm getting better at this) but, as it happens, people do still want memory bears!
In the end, pulling out my shears, switching my sewing machine on and finally getting to just create has been wonderful. And, strangely enough, I haven't forgotten how to sew.
I've had a lovely few months acclimating to the working life of a mum of two under three. The memory bears and keepsakes I've already made have filled me with so much joy. The conversations I've had, learning about loved ones who have passed, or little ones who are growing faster than their wardrobes can keep up with, have filled my heart with happiness. I'm so glad to be back and I can't wait to see what we can make this year.