2020 - A Year in Review


2020: The Year of the Face Mask

I think it's an understatement to say that the year 2020 has been a doozy. 
I still struggle to keep up with social media. Looking back at my IG feed the first post of the year wasn't until March 12th. Hah, I don't think I knew what was coming then. However, It's a nice way to document and review what I was working on throughout the year.

2020 Highlights

The beginning of the year seemed to be slow, as my first post on Instagram wasn't until March 12th. About a year and a half ago my husband and I purchased our first home. We converted the living room into my sewing studio and later when quarantine hit a portion was split into a shared office with my husband. Our adopted kittens were getting into too many things - lots of thread and fabric is around for easy access, so we installed a door
barn door style mirror door with wood frame
About a week into quarantine I wrote this post about taking care of your mental health to reduce anxiety when you're feeling anxious.
Orange flowers on green leafy background. Text overlay read: 10 simple things to do when feeling anxious. www.blissjoybull.comLater that month, the Lakefront in Chicago closed and I was feeling more isolated. I was taking a walk almost every day along the Lake, but once that closed I decided to stay inside more.  
red-orange tulips, white and yellow daisies, purple flowers among greenery
April:
With the help of an RN friend, she helped me design a fabric face mask. To date, I've made over 700 face masks and counting and have donated over 100 masks to ChicagoCAC thanks to you!
a row of pleated fabric face masks with ties
May: 
I created the Thinking of You Care Package so you can send a gift box to a loved one to give them a little boost. 
a pair of wood toggle and gold dangly earrings hang on an open zippered pouch in navy blue. A small votive beeswax candle sits in front. The items sit on a marble ground with a palm plant in the background.
How to Put on a Fabric Face Mask video went viral. Jk, but clients found it helpful to know how to wear their mask correctly. 
Later, I made this video: How to easily remove face mask with ties without removing it fully. 
The owner of Kaya Hemp reached out to me because they saw I was making face masks. They requested hemp face masks for their hemp/CBD store. Custom masks were made with hemp/organic cotton. They still have some colors available that I'm sold out on my site. 
pleated mask blue stripe ticking fabric face mask with black ties
June:
I didn't post a lot online. I was working on a huge wholesale order for Lost Girls Vintage. Later, I would make custom vintage fabric face masks for them. 
Pleated fabric face mask with adjustable ear loops feature vintage floral, fauna, and fruit print in bright colors on white. Inside of mask with lime green.
August:
I chatted with Nicole of StartUp Fashion on how Covid19 was affecting my business. 
woman wears glasses and leather bow dangly earrings and tie dye shirt. She is smiling. A wood shelf and plants sit behind her.
Later that month I made hair scrunchies from fabric scraps to minimize waste in my business.
A hair bun is held with a fabric bow hair scrunchie in a green and blue fabric
@blissjoybull

How I minimize waste in my sewing studio. ##sewingtiktok ##fashion ##fy ##fyp ##handmade

♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) - 山口夕依
September:
ResilienceChi had an auction to raise funds for their programs. I donated a Mini Backpack, now sold out.
waxed canvas mini backpack purse in black with tweed flap
October:
I added new plant basket/organizers to the shop. These are great for holding small plants or organizing your favorite tchotchkes by your front door or other places around your home. 
Pink and black waxed canvas organizer holds a succulent plant. A miniature succulent plant and blue geode sits next to the holder.
Discharge dyeing is the act of removing dye from fabric. Watch this TikTok video on how it was made here. The fabric was made into more  plant basket/organizers
black bleach dyed fabric turned a rust orange tie dye
November:
Things were finally dying down from mask making. So I got a fresh, new look of my leg warmers
woman sits on a grey couch with a white knit blanket and grey fuzzy pillow. She is wearing a chunky cream knit sweater and cream leg warmers below her knees. She is smiling while looking down and holding a white mug with tea.
December: 
Gift boxes went live. An easy way to make gifting that much easier. 
For the cold winter months I developed cherry pit hand warmers. Going on walks in the cold can be more enjoyable with these reusable hand warmers. The perfect size for pockets, these will stay warm for about 25 minutes. 
I developed my first PDF sewing pattern a makeup bag sewing PDF. The sewing kit includes waxed canvas fabric and a zipper to make your waxed zipper pouch. 
 
And finally I shared a Champagne Cocktail Recipe that's perfect for the holidays or special celebrations. 
3 sets of hands clicking champagne flute glasses. Text reads: champagne cocktail recipes

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