The Launch at Evelyn's Place

Almost a year after purchasing my Halo X embroidery machine, my little clothing brand, Wear The Quiet, has officially launched – now displayed at Evelyn’s Place, a retail shop filled with handmade goodies in Mount Evelyn.

In my mind, I had imagined capturing the whole moment on camera – from preparing everything at home, to walking into the shop, to the full “ta-da” setup moment.

None of that happened.

The night before was so busy that by the time the day arrived, I was simply exhausted. While it felt surreal finally showcasing what I’ve been practising and building over the past year, my energy had dwindled to the point where I had to strip everything back and focus only on the essentials.

The must-have list looked like this:

• Embroidered t-shirts and jumpers, each with a soft cover so the stitches don’t feel rough against the skin
• Hang tags with SKUs and barcodes attached
• Uploading the products to the shop’s stallholder portal

While I ended up rushing at the end, I had actually given myself three weeks of preparation – which should have been more than enough time. I chose designs that require fewer than 10,000 stitches and planned to embroider only 30 pieces so I could deliver everything on time.

I was even the one who committed to the launch date.

So yes… this one was on me.

I got caught up in ticking off details simply because they were on my checklist, instead of prioritising what actually needed to be done first. The night before the launch, I was still finishing the jumpers – ironing the soft covers, pinning the hang tags, finalising SKUs, and attaching the barcodes.

Thankfully, I had massive help from my hubby. He generated all the barcodes and helped make sure they were attached to the correct hang tags.

All in all, it was a slightly chaotic night.

But the next day, I delivered what I had promised myself.

By the time I arrived at the shop, my energy was running low – though I was still very motivated and quietly elated. My goal became simple: finish hanging the clothes neatly and take at least one photo to mark the moment.

And that’s exactly what I did.

No one will improve your lot if you do not yourself.

~ Bertolt Brecht

This year, my goal is to have my embroidered jumpers stocked in two retail shops. The next space I’ve rented is at 3973 Collective, and I now have two weeks to prepare for that setup.

Hopefully this time, I’ll be a little more ahead of schedule.

Only time will tell.