Willa Hartt LLC

🤓 K.Willa Hartt, mathematician, at your service.

💪 The first full reupholstery project I’ve tackled since I was injured back in May. I’ve been doing smaller furniture, and some sewing, as I build back my strength, but nothing as major as rounded-back-button-tufted-PLAID-armchairs, ya know?

⏳ It took twice as long as it normally would have, because of the start-stop nature of my recovery process, and because I was so darn out of practice after months of “rest”… I second guessed myself every step of the way!

🤗 I’m quite pleased, not only to be done with these GORGEOUS (if I do say so myself) armchairs, but also to be getting my hands on some furniture again. These were torn down back in June!

🧮 And, I mean, that pattern match, right? (It’s not an accident! It’s a lot of planning and math and careful construction.)

😍 Oh, how I love a good plaid.

🥳🤩💕🤪🧮🤯💪☺️🤓🏆❤️🙌

😒 I still hesitate to share photos like the second one in this post, because inevitably there will be some fool who pops off in my comments with a “did you know they make a cutting tool for that?” 🙄🙄🙄

🙃 No, I didn’t ask for the “advice” but, even if I had, -they- didn’t ask if there’s a reason I’m doing it this way… (and yes, of -COURSE- I know…)

🎯 Every single part of my craft is important to me, including the tiny details like the way a pattern lays out on the buttons. If I used a cutter tool to speed up the process, I would lose some of the precision that I count as necessary for a job well done.

✂️ (For those not in the biz, a cutter will slice through multiple layers of fabric at once, instead of individually cutting out circles. However, it’s pretty impossible to line patterns up exactly when layers are piled up like that.)

🤩 My way may not be faster, but as that’s not the point, nor my goal, I am quite happy with the results. I’d rather have quality over speed any day.

💃 I’m writing the rules, and doing things in a way that feels good to me - speedy production be damned.

😒🙃🤷‍♀️😂🙏🎯🤤🤩😘🔥❤️💃

🎃 Fall at the upholstery shop =

🌸 Mums outside
🇦🇽 Plaid inside

🚲 I can’t show the chairs yet, but here at the flowers.

🎃🍁👻🍂❤️😂🙏😍🚲🔥🫣🤓😘💃

🫣 Silver lining time. As well as a little .hartt studio reveal!

📆 When I found myself unable to work back in June, I had already planned on having some work done on my studio at the beginning of July. The plan was to -finally- finish things off.

🪜 After working for three years in a bare bones shell, with no insulation for our long Maine winters, plus no walls, lights, electricity, etc., I was pretty ridiculously excited at the prospect of having “real” walls, and a ceiling! Plus a few additional windows for better light.

🧮 I was also excited to put my long-time plan into action with these built in cross-window shelves, which run the whole length of this 16’ wall. I’ve been sketching these since we started building my studio, so seeing them finally brought to life is beyond amazing.

📚 I couldn’t wait to fill them, and the studio itself, will all of my things and get back to work!

💃 But the silver lining is that, because I wasn’t able to work, I ended up moving most of my things entirely OUT of the studio, and giving it over entirely to renovation space.

🔥 It took about three weeks to fully finish the exterior siding and trim, completely insulate the interior walls and ceiling, install and paint my long-lusted-for bead board walls and this cool ceiling (just sheets of plywood with strips covering the gaps!), and build all of my custom shelves, which extend to the opposite wall, too!

🧳 I’m so glad I was able to fully move out and be out of the way while this all went on!

👨🏻‍🔧 The work was all done by my super talented friend Rangeley and I could not be more pleased with the end results. He successfully took all of my half-baked, hair-brained schemes, and translated them into the beautiful, and functional, space you see here.

🙏 I’m still not fully moved back in, but each time I add something back it feels good, and right, and like I’m one step closer to being -myself- again.

🏆 Good things come to those who wait…and plan, and plot, and wait some more.

🛠️❤️👨🏻‍🔧🙏🔥🏡😍📆🏆🪜🧳💃🧮🏡

😍 My, what a heavy crown you wear.

🧭 One of the lessons I’m working to learn is: HOW I actually want to fill my days, not just the number of hours I will “work”.

🧗‍♀️ When I started my own business, one of the things I was most excited about was the chance to “be my own boss!” To make my own rules! To succeed.

📆 But it quickly became all about making plans and choices for my business and professional self, and focusing very little around how to be happy, healthy, and successful in the other areas of my life.

🤦‍♀️ It became all about work. (Not to mention the grocery shopping, cooking, organizing, cleaning, laundry, pet care, family care, which all pushes self-care further down the list. Though this is all -work-, it’s not often remembered or counted when I am being hard on myself for not doing “enough”.)

🌅 So here is a photo of our absolutely luscious grape arbor, taken today during a misty morning stroll in our backyard, that I took because… I FELT LIKE IT!! 🙀

❤️ I am reclaiming my time - at least in 5-10 minute segments. And I still have room for work. Go figure.

🕰️⏰⏲️⏱️🧭⏳🙀🤦‍♀️📆🤯❤️🌅🙏🔥💃

🙋🏼‍♀️ Oh, hi! Yes, .hartt is still here!

📆 Um, somehow it’s been… months(?!) since my last post, so I figured it was about time that I pop in with an update.

🫶 Since my initial injury back in May, I’ve been taking some true time -off- from work, and that includes updates here on the ‘Gram.

🤕 Not only did I not have much to post about, due to not being able to make anything new, I also felt like the universe was sending me some serious “chill the f out” vibes, and tried to take that to heart and step away from all distractions to just focus on healing my self.

🫥 I was also so sick of talking about my injury, and hearing advice / solutions (yes, believe me, I tried it all); I’ve avoided any space in which I would need to discuss it further (aside from the numerous appointments with professional healers I’ve attended throughout).

🙏 After months of lacking the strength to even lift a glass of water, I am finally, and slowly, working my way back into the studio. But I have to continue to be patient, and very careful, as re-injury is a serious possibility.

🛣️ This near-career-ender has been a true eye opener, to say the least, and I’m really thinking about my path going forward, and what the future holds for my business.

⛔️ At this time, I have closed my waitlist, and am not accepting any new clients or projects, as I’m still working to get through everything I had in progress back in June.

🌹 To other Makers out there, I say this: Be kind to your bodies! What we do is unlike many other careers: we do not need to hold ourselves to the same rigorous schedules and demands as many other professions do.

❤️ And, lastly, a huge thank you to everyone who has reached out, showed up, been there, and offered encouragement and support during this difficult time. Being robbed of ability, independence, and my passion has been a true challenge for this Aries, and I have been getting through it in large part due to the phenomenal support I’ve received from loved ones and peers alike! (If I’ve cried in front of you in the past few months, that means YOU!)

🤞🤕🙏❤️🙋🏼‍♀️😍🔥🤯😢📆🛣️🤷‍♀️🫶🥰

📣 Shameless Plug. (Plus very exciting .hartt news!)

🤯 I’ve taken this entire week “off” for a few reasons:
💪 1. My repetitive motion injury has not been healing, despite acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, topical creams, pain killers, ice & heat, Epsom salt baths… Some time off to “rest” the arm was the next step.
👫 2. My husband also has this week off - a very rare vacation from his usual 70+ hour work weeks.
🛠️ 3. My long-awaited studio finishes synced up perfectly, with my good friend Rangeley hired to come over and get it done, while I am out of the way!

🥳 This week he:
- Painted & installed lots of additional siding and trim
- Framed in & installed 2 additional antique windows
- Insulated and strapped more than half of the inside

🥰 And there’s still some week left! I can’t wait to share some more detail of this very exciting development. This has been a long time coming, and I am so pleased with the work being done.

🤩 To say that I am beyond thrilled to have not just the exterior siding and trim done, but also the final windows installed, would be an understatement. And I don’t even know how to put into words how excited I am to finally have some insulation going in….! No more freezing winters!!

👀 A huge thank you to Rangeley for doing such great work! Check out his feed for more!

🤩❤️💪🩹😘👫😍🛠️📣👀🥰🔥🤯💃

🤩 Wowza - what a transformation!

🥳 So glad that I was able to persuade my friend to refinish these beautiful chairs! Just look at how flawless they turned out!

👉 Swipe to see where we started, as well as some in-progress shots. Joe made it look easy, but make no mistake - refinishing bamboo is a time consuming task! So many little curves and dips…

🎂 Now you’ll just have to wait for the icing on the cake… The Fabrics!! (One of the more surprising and fun combinations I’ve worked with in a while!👏)

🛠️❤️👍😘💯👌🥳🙏🎂🤓💪👩🏼‍🔧👩🏼‍🔧

🚚 I’ve dubbed it: “The Cube” (despite the fact that it is actually rectangular), and, boy, did it arrive in the ta-da-nick-of-time!

🤷‍♀️ Turns out, I needed more space than just a 144 sq.ft. studio… Who knew? Especially with all the huge projects I’ve been working on this year!

🙏 Soon this will contain storage shelves, and other fun goodies, but in the meantime, I’m just grateful for the extra floor space to fill with waiting projects and materials!

🤓 For those of you asking: this has 9’ ceilings, is 20’ long x 8’ wide, and has double doors on either end for maximum versatility.

🚚
🏡 .hartt

🧨🙏❤️🚚😘😂🤓💪👩🏼‍🔧🏡🎁🥰🥳💃

😬 I’m always here for a new challenge.

😮 Like…upholstered walls?!

🤪 May was crazy, and June is going to be crazy, too. I’ve been pulling a lot of long studio days and have had no room in my calendar to speak of for weeks!

🔥 But I’ve been doing so many projects that are fun and interesting, I don’t mind! (Though I do need to quiet things down enough to enjoy just a -little- bit of this glorious, and short, Maine summer!)

🙃😱🤪🥰💪👩🏼‍🔧🙏😂😘👩🏼‍🎨🥳🌞❤️💃

😨 Whew!

🔥 Burning the candle at both ends: this week is the final push before a gigantic Saturday install up at the Norumbega in Camden this weekend!

👏 I can’t wait to share some pics when everything is in place!

👏🔥☺️❤️🥳💪👩🏼‍🔧🙏🥰🙃😅😜💃

🚙💨

🌞 I left my house at 6:45 yesterday morning to make the drive up to Rockland, and spent the day teaching at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship.

😴 The day was exhausting, in the best way possible!

👩🏼‍🔧 As a Maker, especially one who usually works alone, spending the day with others who create is renewing and invigorating.

🥰 As a Mainer, getting out of the city to spend a little quiet time driving along our beautiful coast always feels restorative.

👩‍🏫 As a small business owner, a short time away from the daily grind can be really helpful, even if it’s just to do more “work” in a different venue!

🚙💨😘🔥🥰❤️🙏☀️💪👩🏼‍🔧🤓👩‍🏫🤣💃