June of 2010, the first prototype, the sewing tool belt was launched online. Several thousands sewn, many designs and redesigns brought me to the present six designs that now are sewn by someone else but still made in USA!  Many, many hours of love and care went into the needs of serving hard working people across the world. My task at hand is not in the sewing and designing but rather the marketing of the chosen few designs that best meet the needs of professionals who strive to work efficiently and to prevent damage or loss of devices and tools.

Finding and keeping a USA manufacturer was not an easy task. I started looking in 2014.  Sewing is mostly done in poor countries with cheap labor.  The goal was to contribute to homeland jobs and fair wages. The other goal was to start up manufacturing without borrowing.  It was slow going using available cash and learning the process. Now there are six tool belt designs as seen in this website store that are ready for mass production. This is the first time I have carried a modest inventory and the first time I was able to ship 80 tool belts on the same day it was ordered!  Awesome feeling! Now to work on reaching out to other companies who don't know HipNotions is here to help keep their work force organized.

The Small Tablet Computer tool belt was ordered and I somehow managed to mail two to Liz In Arizona.  She let me know about this mistake and then later apologized for her delay in returning it! It was my error and she was so kind and considerate about correcting it. I was so grateful. She also wrote-

“I absolutely love the tool belt. I’m a stage manager and went straight into tech rehearsals the day the belt arrive and am so happy with it. “
 
Stage managers typically provide practical and organizational support to the director, actors, designers, stage crew and technicians throughout the production process. They also are the director's representative during performances, making sure that the production runs smoothly. I am guessing Liz would need to carry a computer tablet, smartphone, walkie talkie, pens, clips, tape, notebook, needle nose pliers, screwdriver, flashlight and maybe doubles as the makeup artists with brushes, combs, scissors?

This tool belt pictured below is similar to one she ordered.  This one will soon be part of the new permanent collection of tool belts to be manufactured in the USA.

Sarah, the owner of PollyAnna Events has been growing her business and growing her staff over the years. I was delighted to fill her order once again. The Sewing Tool Belt has been a life saver for her and her staff keeping their tools organized to create just the right setting for their client's events. I never considered the tool belts as flower organizers!  How fun is that?

The Event or Wedding Planner, Display Artist, Tailor, Fashion Designer, Home Interior Designer, Sewer and Quilter have been making this tool belt their own.  Way back in my other life of clothing alterations and window treatments the tool belt was designed to meet my own needs. It was the first thing I looked for before starting any sewing project or when I was doing display work for shows and for a brief time fabric retail at a local store.  Soon other people wanted one.  And so a new sewing adventure began along with a computer adventure since 2010 when this sewing tool belt went on line.  It came in many colors and prints until my inventory of other designs would soon take off and I had to make inventory manageable and somewhat profitable.  So now it is only offered in black and I have a manufacturer in the USA to help with production.  Many other designs have evolved into the core designs seen here in my store.  However the sewing tool belt has not changed. It has stood the test of time.

How did it get this name the name Royal Fashion Runway? Within the first two years of online sales a design house in London wanted an order ASAP before the annual Paris Fashion Show. That same design house would later be designing a royal wedding dress!

9/11/18
"I love this product!  Great quality material!  I have ordered 6 for my team.  We are event planners and use these all the time for our events.  They are the perfect size and allow us to pack so many tools and must haves that we need on the job.  I highly recommend this product! "  Sarah of  Pollyanna Events
7/26/18
"So handy for my sewing tools!  Wearing an apron gets too hot sometimes, but this works great.  Excellent quality.  Highly recommended."
9/13/17
"It's very well designed and very well made!  I use it as a tailor on commercial shoots and it is perfect!  Leaves your hands free and everything is always with you. In fact, I think it is slightly life changing!" Deborah

"I love love love love my belt omg what a life saver!? It's so compact it's made so perfectly!!!!!!!!! I'm absolutely thrilled !!!!" Lisa

Photography by Kelly Ottesen

Setting up my own store was another learning moment. Actually it was some very long moments of figuring out the layout, payment and shipping features.  It actually worked!  One order was already processed! Yahoo!
Thanks to some local brick and mortar store closings I picked up some new models willing to work for cheap and  who could strike the same pose over and over! www.hipnotions.com

My shop has been on auto pilot this year.  Someone had to ease my husband into his retirement!  So we traveled in January, February, April and May.  Some in July and August. Now we are done visiting family and friends and horse shopping.  Yup, I got a new horse and found my old horse a home.  It is time to take the auto pilot off my shop and roll up my sleeves!

I have repeat customers who have reminded me I need to get some of my designs back on my virtual shop shelves.  Designs that are not yet manufactured and I need to sew.  Yes there are many designs gone missing!  I have no more excuses as my broken hand is pretty much fully healed and my husband has totally embraced retirement! He completed my honey do list and now can focus on his projects!

I love hearing from old customers and new.   It is great to hear how your tool belts have helped your work flow and saved time from searching for tools or devices gone missing.  Here are some tool belts that have gone missing from my shop!

I had been  forced  to take leave of sewing for a period of time from June 2017 to about January 2018.  Of course I was still able to do one handed computer work. Mobility would cause my hand to swell and elevation was its only relief along with lots of ibuprofen.   Fortunately my manufacturer was already sewing some of my designs so there was something to offer in my shop. My husband and daughter got to help with the packaging and shipping.

How did a break my hand?  Well there is this hobby of mine which also took hold of my dear husband, Larry, some 25 years ago.  I had some horse experiences as a kid growing up on a farm but never thought I would be picking up the hobby after three children and a cat.  It all started with my neighbor who had two horses and wanted someone to ride with. Fast forward to nine horses later with equipment for serious trail riding and horse camping and the time to do it. We bought what we thought would be our last two horses to camp and explore the US.  We coined them our retirement horses. They would be two of the nine horses we had owned during that period of time.  Most of them were rehab horses that were re- homed. 

We had camped and ridden most major trail systems in a three state area including a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota, which are really mountains not hills,  with our new guys Titus and Clay. This all happened over a four year period of time.  We thought we were good to go until last year at the end of a month long trip to North Dakota.  We had scaled the steep, bare canyons of the Little Missouri Badlands in high winds, slippery muddy slopes,  wildlife surprises and the flaming chimneys of the oil derricks.  We were so happy how well the horses handled these new experiences of open prairie and canyons.

Heading home we stopped at a horse park which looked more like home with wooded hillsides and grassy trails. It seemed like my horse knew we were headed home and was getting excited.  That's when the trouble started. Hind sight was I should have stepped off my horse the very moment I thought it. I hesitated and then he made the choice for me. The reins were pulled out of my hands and my left hand hit the ground before the rest of me. 

I blame myself for that accident and lack of judgement. So I was willing to ride him again once I healed.  So I did some prep rides before  I rode out with my husband on a familiar trail and was thrown again.  Thankfully nothing was re broken!  Needless to say I do not understand what changed with my horse or maybe it is me.  After our 5 year relationship it is just not working and so with a heavy heart we need to find him a new partner!   And I too will find a new four legged partner. 

Gorgeous 10 year old Gelding, Chestnut Morgan 15.2 h for SALE!

I am coming out of my virtual shop to appear December 1 & 2. This event will be held at Pearl Street Brewery in La Crosse, WI, and will be open to the public on Friday, Dec 1, 7-10pm, and Saturday, Dec 2, 12-5pm. There will also be live music and food/beverages available for purchase. .  Vendors were selected on the quality of their work and the style the best fits the aesthetic of the event.  Diftless Makers Exchange FB-  https://www.facebook.com/driftlessmakerexchange/

Pearl Street Brewey Map       https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pearl+St+Brewery/@43.8343558,-91.2383373,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x87f954e8d55222cf:0xa15e0c5e5a0c22b4!8m2!3d43.834352!4d-91.236154

Hope to see you in person!

Therapeutic horseback riding is a unique combination of sport, recreation, and education. There are many benefits to therapeutic riding for individuals with physical, cognitive or psychological disabilities. Therapeutic riding focuses on forming a partnership with the horse. Students gain confidence by mastering riding skills. Sitting astride a horse increases balance and coordination, strengthens muscles, and brings about body awareness. 

The horse's three-dimensional swinging gait closely emulates that of the human gait and allows the brain and body to practice correct walking movement patterns. The rhythmic movement and the warmth generated from the horse's body soothes and relaxes tight or painful muscles, joints, and tendons while building strength and flexibility. 

Most importantly, therapeutic riding is FUN! Riders make new friends and social interactions are developed between the horse, instructors, volunteers, and other students. 

Riding Instructors need to have an understanding of a wide range of disabilities as well as horse and riding skills and safety for all involved.  They are very talented and skilled individuals!! And so my small contribution to this program helps the instructors.  Tool belts hold all the small items and notes to help  the lesson run smoothly.  Specially sewing games or aids were also made for the riding arena environment. And for the horse care people repairs to horse blankets and fly masks with IDs help their jobs go more smoothly!

 Go here for  more info on riding therapy in my area, Horse Sense for Special Riders  www.hssr.org/ .  PATH International is the parent organization of HSSR    www.pathintl.org/  

To mentor and support Veterans with behavioral health, substance use, physical and other challenges who are either involved in the criminal justice system or otherwise struggling with marriage, family, employment, housing and other issues. http://lavmp.org/

Why do I write about this valuable resource in our community?  My daughter-in-law, Catherine enlisted my help in the recognition of veterans in this valuable program 14 embroidered ribbons ago. She is a Marine veteran involved with the program. Each veteran's initials, rank and graduation date were embroidered on a colored ribbon representing their military branch.  These ribbons were to be presented in Veterans court upon graduation of the program.  Sadly a few were black recognizing a death.

What is special about the 14th ribbon? No I did not know the veteran. Rather it was more awareness of their struggles of rehabilitation through my own little mishap of a broken hand.   Not having the use of my left hand for 3 months showed me how I took my left hand/arm for granted. It was life changing and not to mention painful and then asking for help was not much easier.  It will take daily discipline to do the soaks, stretches and exercises to hopefully get full mobility of my hand and arm back in the next 1-2 years.  Confession time-  I was not always happy to drop my regular sewing jobs to set up 2 machines to make one ribbon here or there throughout the years.  Since my little accident,  making this ribbon was one of my first sewing projects on the road back to recovery.  Every ribbon after this one will be done joyfully, cause I can !  And to do it with gratitude for those who have a way longer road to recovery.  A big thank you to all service women and men everywhere. May they know when to ask for help, stay committed to doing the work of recovery and to live with gratitude for what is now.