How it began...
Hiya! It's nice to "see" you and welcome to Soft & Sweet Felts! My name is Candice- ECE, lover of books, gardening, reading and being creative (hence the sewing!). Sewing is my passion, my joy, my center and, as well as all my creative bents, has played a big part in getting me through a lot of rough and dark times.
7 years ago I was revamping my child care program and wanted felt foods for the play kitchen but when I searched for them online not only were they crazy expensive but the amount of pieces (and sizes) didn't seem worth the price (there were so few of them!). So, me, being a fierce problem solver as well, decided: "Why not make them myself?!" And hoo boy! I had no idea just what I was starting and the impact it would have on my life!
First batch of felt toys for the daycare
That decided, it was then finding and purchasing what I needed: patterns and felt. Buu-ut I didn't stop there. The patterns turned into books of patterns and the felt went from 9x12" sheets to 1-3 yards from my favorite fabric store. By the time I had the felt foods I wanted for my daycare, I was hooked and realized I could also make gifts for my grandkids, nieces and nephews for birthdays and Christmas. I also fell into stuffed animal making which created a holiday tradition of giving all the children in my life (family & daycare) a Christmas themed felt doll. And for 3 years that's what I did. Exploring, creating and learning something I found I loved very much!
BBQ set for my nephew, 2017
My first stuffed animal. I was ridiculously proud of it!
During this time my friends and family were encouraging me to sell my creations. It was a neat idea however I wasn't doing it for money but because it was fun, I was getting good, and the expressions on the little faces just filled my heart. I had the daycare and was working in a field I was more passionate about. AND, something I didn't actually realize at the time, it helped keep my mental health strong...until Covid came and pretty quickly things took a turn.
It was within the first few months of the pandemic that I opened Soft & Sweet. My daycare barely operated with everyone staying home and finances were tight, my stress and anxiety were at the highest I'd ever experienced up til then and life just felt out of control. So, I set up a Facebook page and took the first step.
For the first 3 years I kept things easy and small, partly because of the daycare, partly because we seemed to be on a roller coaster of traumatic events (severe injuries that kept getting worse, office fire, a 6 month nightmare that nearly put me in the hospital, chemical pneumonia...the list goes on). During year 2, as I started to struggle with my mental health more and more, I realized the only time I wasn't, or that it was manageable, was when I was sewing. Of course, I picked it up. sewing as often as I could to quiet my mind. I started thinking of the next chapter of my life, of setting it up, because I knew I wasn't going to be running the daycare as long as I wanted to.
So, I took my first step towards expanding by selling through an artisan store which started an avalanche of expansions with this website and three more stores within the next 2 years. I knew that next chapter would be needed within a few years and hoped to have Soft & Sweet ready by the time I needed it. I also thought I had about 5 years.
In April 2023, my mental health was at an all time low and I experienced a very serious anxiety attack that changed my life drastically. For weeks after I struggled to think clearly above anything that wasn't simple common sense. Everyday I struggled to start my day, was exhausted by 10 am and was having frequent suicidal thoughts. I wasn't in a good place at all and the only time I felt relatively myself was when I was sewing. But that wasn't enough and it was time to make a change.
With the support of my loved ones, especially my husband's and my daycare families (who'd become family themselves), I decided to close my daycare of 10 years and focus on my health. And in this last year, I have. It hasn't been easy and I continue to struggle with a lot yet I take it a day at a time. I've been going to regular counselling sessions, am medicated for my anxiety and depression, have become open about how I'm feeling and what is going on with me (something I rarely did before!). I have recently been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder which, and this may be odd to say, is a relief as now I understand more about the feelings and thoughts I struggle with. And through all of this has been my felting, with each order, each piece made, another tug on the rope across the river, keeping me afloat when I feel I can't pull one more time. I have started to laugh again, be silly and sassy again and find joy in life. ;D
Wow! This was longer than I planned on (neurodivergent brain!)! If you got this far, thank you for sticking around and letting me share my story. I hope I'll also be able to share my felt magic with you and help bring a smile to your young person.
With affection,
Candice <3
