Day Six of a HomeSpun Christmas-----Giveaway with The Joyful Cottage!!

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart!!!

Today is a day I have been looking forward to for weeks as I get to share a giveaway with my dear friend, Ginny of The Joyful Cottage.

Just makes me happy all over, it does, and what a great week this has been, first with Cookies with Kelly, and then Ornaments with Cindy and now getting to tell you all about my friend Ginny and her amazingly talented gift for heirloom sewing
 (as well as her right hand gal, daughter Noelle!).

Its kind of a funny story, really. Though I am naturally a red head, I should totally have been born blonde, because I have admired the items over on Ginny's site for a couple years, became friends with this great gal named Ginny on Facebook, and until we started to talk about this giveaway, never connected that MY Ginny was THE Ginny of one of my favorite places to browse.

Yeah, I roll like that. Its amazing I can count my toes.

So I am INCREDIBLY blessed to share with you my friend, and our little chat we had about her business, The Joyful Cottage, and home life.

She is excited to be our very first major giveaway that is small-business based here on The Welcoming House, and is praying to generate enough orders to help her transition from work to home. 

So grab a cup of tea or coffee, and a cookie if you have one,
and settle in for a lovely chat with Ginny of The Joyful Cottage!

Ginny, when was your Business started?:

The Joyful Cottage has been open since May 2006, as a brick and mortar store (real store where you can shop in person) and an internet store since May 2007. (Isnt that cool, its a REAL store, too! EEk!)

  Has your inventory changed over the years? 

In other words, did you used to sew and now you crochet?

When I first started The Joyful Cottage I carried Sewing Supplies, Sewing Books, Sewing Dvds, Notions and things to assist with sewing. Then a few months later I started selling Custom Created Garments, including Modest Swimsuits, Jumpers, Aprons, Bonnets, Pantaloons/Bloomers, Slips, Skirts, Baby Blankets, Christening/Blessing Gowns, Flower Girl Dresses, etc. 

 I also do Monogramming and Hand Smocking. 

I'm very open to Custom Orders as I want to sew items that a customer would like to have but can't find in a store,

 from simple to extraordinary. 

 Why did you start your business in the first place?

I first started sewing for others when a lady approached me about creating some Custom Hand Smocked Dresses for her daughter, way back in 1990. 

I officially opened The Joyful Cottage after being prompted by the Lord. 

 You see, my daughter Joy Rose was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in Jan 2005, courageously battled the disease until she went to be with the Lord at 14 yrs old on 12/12/05. In Feb 2006 I felt the Lord prompting me to open The Joyful Cottage as a way to share what He had done in my life through Joy's battle with cancer. Honestly I resisted for a couple months because I was afraid to 

spend my "nest egg", thinking I might "need it". After repenting before the Lord and choosing to trust Him, I went forward with the plans to open The Joyful Cottage. 

 After all if I could trust Him to know what was best with Joy's life
surely I could trust Him with money that He provided for me!!! 

 After choosing to follow the Lord's leading and opening The Joyful Cottage, I have been blessed to share with many people how the Lord blessed us during Joy's battle and how
The Joyful Cottage came to be.

Tell me more about yourself. 

What does having a small home-based business allow you to do

 that otherwise you would not be able to do?

I love the Lord Jesus Christ and will serve Him always!!! I've been sewing for almost 40 years and sewing for the public for 22 years. I am the mother of 4 children and 2 grandchildren and have sewn for each of them. We live on a farm, raising animals as well as a big garden. In addition to sewing related things I enjoy homeschooling, cooking, canning, baking, roses, lilacs, chocolate, lace and Victorian type items. I am a lady through and through, and am thankful God created me to be female. I think as a keeper of the home women are truly blessed to be able to fulfill a role that no one else can fill in their family!!! I love to sew for people and provide them with things they can't just go out and buy! I enjoy creating one of a kind items, without duplicating anything, so every item is unique! Having a home based business allows me to care for my family, meeting their needs. It also allows me the freedom to create when I want to, night or day. I can take an "ordinary" garment and make it
extraordinary with some custom monogramming, smocking or embroidery. 

One of a kind items, created with love and
care are our specialty!!

Why are you participating in this giveaway?

I'm participating in this giveaway to bless someone with a Custom Apron that they can use as they go about their home or to give as a gift. I want people to know that home-based businesses still exist and that when possible we should patronize them so they'll continue to exist.

(Did you hear that? an APRON!!!!! *happy dance happy dance*)

 *ahem* What are you offering into the giveaway? 

I'm offering a Ladies J Apron, made to order, for the winner who's blessed to win this item.
 Fabric color (white or cream) chosen by the winner.

Cant you imagine this with seeing some of the other beautiful pictures that she has posted? 
 Feminine, and beautiful. BONUS!


Ginny, two last questions for you.

 First, what is your favorite thing about your craft?

The favorite thing about my craft is taking a plain piece of fabric and creating a one of a kind, never duplicated, item which I pray will bless the one who receives it!! I love seeing a garment/item take shape. I love praying for the recipient of a garment/item as it's being created. 

 I'm blessed by God with sewing talents and I give ALL of the glory to Him!

Last one!  

If there was one thing you would like to tell the Welcoming House readers, what would it be?

 

The one thing I would like to tell The Welcoming House readers is to trust in the Lord with all your heart! Commit everything to Him because He truly does love you and will always give you His best! He is always faithful and true and loves you unconditionally! Even when we don't always understand things that happen in our lives if we trust the Lord, He will bring good from the situation!!! If you ever have questions about life, consult the Bible, as I believe that every answer we have need of can be found in the Scriptures!!! To God be all the glory forever!!!

What a beautiful way to end, and what a beautiful story Ginny has shared with us, right?

So to clarify, lets talk about the giveaway. It will end tonight, at midnight, and you can earn up to five entries per person. The giveaway is for a beautiful hand crafted apron from Ginny's store, The Joyful Cottage, and it will be made to your order, in your choice of fabrics, either cream or white.

Contest ends tonight at midnight, so fill out your entries and share away!

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