Taylor Made Bags, Etc.

Blog Moved!!!

2009-08-05T13:36:00.002-05:00

Greetings All,

I have moved my blog to WordPress you can find the blog here: http://blog.taylormadebags.com

If you have bookmarked me please update your bookmark. See you over there :-)

Design Your Own Labels for Your Projects

2009-08-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ever wanted to design your own labels for your projects?

Since I've been making custom items, I've wanted to put my mark on it. I've searched for idea after idea and I've seen a lot of questions for the home sewing industry as to how-to make your own labels.

I've tried many, many techniques but this one by far is the best one I've run across. The possibilities are endless and you can change them or customize them for a particular product category. Click on image to get step-by-step instructions for Patchwork Pottery.

Materials:

computer, graphics program (I used photoshop) & inkjet printer
regular printer paper
iron-on transfer paper
utility knife, cutting mat & metal ruler
ribbon (I used 1/2 inch natural cotton twill tape)
iron & ironing board
scissors

Custom Bibs

2009-07-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

I had a custom order for bibs the other day. This is something I've never made before, but it was easy enough. What do you think?

Reusable Sandwich Bag

2009-07-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Perfect compliment to the reusable lunch bags. How to Make a Reusable Sandwich Wrap Bag that is stylish and keeps your sandwich fresh.

Materials Needed:

1/3 yard of 45-inch-wide woven polyurethane laminated fabric (PUL; see note below)
1-inch length of 3/4-inch-wide Velcro tape
Thread in a coordinating color
Fabric shears
Ruler

Save the Environment and Lunch Money

2009-07-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

These reusable lunch bags are cute, economical and will save you money in the long haul. Plus, they're easy to make! They're made with oil cloth which means they are water resistant and easy to clean.

Supplies:

oil cloth
thread
pinking shears (optional - you could just sew a traditional double fold hem to prevent raveling)

Stay tuned tomorrow for sandwich wrap.

Golden Hibuscus on Sale on Etsy

2009-07-06T11:10:00.008-05:00

I loved the Chocolate Tweets so much I decided to make one using Hawaiian Styled Fabric. This item is now on sale on Etsy.

Feel free to comment or purchase.

Got One Hour?...Make This Bag!

2009-07-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

Use this tutorial to make a quick bag for work or for play!

Supplies:

1 magnetic purse snap (optional)
1 strip of wadding about 2 1/2 inches by 29
2 large Buttons
2 pieces of wadding or batting to give your bag a bit of body.
2 pieces of your handbag fabric
2 pieces of your lining fabric
2 strips of fabric 3 inches x approx 29 inches for the strap
2 x 6 1/2 inch squares of fabric for the pocket (optional).

Shirred Pillowcase Top

2009-06-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

This tutorial for a shirred pillowcase top may require a little more skill than previous tutorials I've posted, but you can't deny that it's perfect for summer: loose fitting, light weight, colorful. I really love that print.

Supplies:

pillowcase (most pillowcases are approximately 20" wide and 28" long--measure yours before beginning your project)
elastic sewing thread
42" of rickrack trim (optional)

Pillowcase Purse

2009-06-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

Here's a really simple tutorial on how to make a bag out of a pillow case! It would be a great purse, tote bag for the beach, or a reusable shopping bag.

Supplies:

pillowcase
thread

Favorite Creations

2009-06-16T16:33:00.002-05:00

A little video of some of my favorite items I've made.

Software for Embroidery

2009-06-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Traditionally, the designs in embroidery are handmade. A lot of time and effort is invested suing pencils to trace the designs for the embroidery. Reviews would also be done on these traced designs to ensure perfection in the created pattern. It is, however, very much different today as the processes have been made simple and convenient which actually saves you a lot of time creating an embroidery design. All these simplicity and convenience are brought about by the application of the embroidery software.

Embroidery software usually comes along with the embroidery machine so as to allow the capture embroidery designs. With this software, users are able to obtain the traces the patterns which enable users to follow easily. The quality of work that this software produced has caused its popularity to increase.

You can now find the embroidery software in many different forms, as well as a variety of functions that are diversified in themselves, but will nevertheless be able to assist you in your embroidery project. This is because the software includes many different patterns and templates that will make your embroidery more personalized and outstanding.

The embroidery software now comes in a number of forms. Each form possesses different features that are notable. But regardless of their forms, the embroidery software naturally incorporates a number of patterns and even templates, allowing you to make your own embroidery.

There is a great number of eminent embroidery software that you can now find in the market nowadays and below is a list of some of them:

Digitizing Software: Among the various embroidery software that you can find in the market, the most frequently used is none other than the digitizing tool. This software is commendable because it its tools are not intimidating to new-users and the interface is simple. With the tools, users can easily create various innovating designs and patterns which are generally appealing to people’s eyes. This is a useful software for the basic creations of design parts such as clip art, stitch patterns and pattern pills, etc.

Lettering Software: This lettering software is useful for embroidery lettering and in designing. You might be happy to learn that such useful software can now be downloaded from some websites, especially when this software is even able to support a great number of other embroidery tools. It also provides other useful functions such as photo stitching, design editing and auto digitizing which will be helpful in your creation.

Easy Cross Software: When carrying out your embroidery project, it will be very helpful if you can get the help of features and patterns to make your designs stand out among others. This help exists in the Easy Cross Software which can even help you to form new patterns and edit your designs for you and everything can be done very rapidly and simply.

Chocolate Tweets on Sale on Etsy

2009-06-02T19:13:00.012-05:00

This item in now on Sale on Etsy. I love the way it turned out and the color combination reminds me of ice cream. I've also starting dabbling in Polymer Clay so I made a custom zipper pull and flower bud which can be seen below. What do you think?

Various Embroidery Designs Available On The Internet

2009-06-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

Since you must be fully aware that the Internet is a great resource site for everything that you might want to find out about embroidery, you will most likely be interested in finding out the available embroidery designs. You must be very eager to know what kinds of designs you can surf for on the internet.

You’re right. There is definitely a wide range of embroidery designs that you can select on the Internet. Such designs could be categorized under the various colours, sizes themes and styles. Despite being created differently and fitted to different occasions, you will find that they are somehow able to suit the individual’s demands for more decorative embroidery designs and patterns.

The good news is, you do not have to pay for most of the embroidery designs as they are usually available for free on demand. There are also some designs that you can easily download from the various websites but you will need to first attach your computer to your embroidery machine.

Sounds like an interesting deal? You may wish to take a look at the following embroidery designs that you can get for free from the internet:

Embroidery For The Household

What exactly is meant by household embroidery? It actually refers to those that are produced for household items such as curtains, bath towels, blankets, carpets, bed sheets and pillow cases, etc. The embroidery designs available on the Internet can fit the various shapes and sizes of household items depending on your desire. Such designs are created by professional designers according to the various household embroidery needs. Even the colours and shades of the designs that you can find can also be different, depending on your home themes. However, in general, they are usually available in creation with an appealing and highly innovative outlook.

Embroidery For Your Clothing

Being aware that people today are always on the look out for products and services which can make their clothing different from others and gorgeous-looking, embroidery companies have come up with clothing embroidery designs to satisfy this group of customers. Similar to the household designs that are available online, these clothing embroidery designs are also sold in different styles and designed to fit the different clothing of the various gender and age groups, such as men’s wear embroidery, ladies garments and clothing embroidery, trouser, fashion wear, dinner suit, and children’s clothing embroidery. All these mentioned designs can be found online either for free or for a very minimal fee. However, before you use them on the fabrics, ensure that they are digitized so as to create the greatest possible designs to fit the clothing.

Embroidery For Your Custom Logo

With so many kinds of embroidery available on the Internet, do your wonder if you can get customized embroidery designs too? Well, the answer is yes. There are already a few embroidery companies which are providing such tailor made services on the Internet, whereby you can actually request for them to add your desired name to be stitched on the garments of your choice, such as a sports uniform, a cap, shoes, or gloves.

Therefore, regardless of the choice of your embroidery design, you will definitely be able to locate your desired choice if you surf through the various available resources on the Internet.

Different Types of Hand Embroidery

2009-05-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

When talking about embroidery, it leads us to think about stitching. There are generally two methods of stitching that can be done by either stitch by hand or sew by sewing machine. Hand embroidery is more complex between the two methods as every parts and details on your work has to be done very carefully. It also takes a much longer time as hand embroidery requires more creativity and involves the use of your nimble fingers. As a result of this nature, hand embroidery is said to demand more efforts and determination to complete the job.

There are different types of hand embroidery and they are very different in terms of the techniques applied, and the final results of the designs and patterns. It should also be noted that they are different in their origin. Although they are significantly different, they are capable of developing splendid pieces of art.

Cross-stitch is one of the more popular types of hand embroidery. Many people who have interest in hand embroidery should be familiar with cross-stitch and even ever done this at least once. Today, its popularity is still increasing as compared to the other types. Images or designs are simply created in cross-stitch by forming X-shaped stitches on a coloured fabric. Learning to make cross-stitch is not difficult and you would be elated to find so many different patterns and designs out there for you to choose from for your next cross-stitch project.

Another type of hand embroidery is the canvas work which stitches would be done on a canvas. Different kinds of thick threads are used to create the canvas works. You can find threads with different texture available which can be suitable for your work. These threads can come in pure silk, metallic and many others.

Ribbon embroidery is the next type of hand embroidery you should know. Not a modern method as it has been around for many years. Ribbon, perle cotton, and embroidery floss are used in ribbon embroidery to form a stitch pattern or design that can be quite outstanding. The results are more of a romantic appeal. This is another easy method to learn and the process can be fun.

Originated from the time of Henry VIII, the Blackwork embroidery is another well-known method. Black thread stitched is formed on a white fabric in this type of work. The craft made using this method looks thicker and appealing because of its even weave with the threads being twisted

The Bargello embroidery which originated in medieval Italy is another method in hand embroidery. Traditionally, a piece of wool canvas is being crafted with vertical and upright flat stitches which measured in different lengths and sizes. It is usually done for carpets, pillows, and upholstery

Apart from the above mentioned types of hand embroidery, there are others like the Assisi embroidery, hardanger embroidery, white work, and counted-thread embroidery. They are similar in ways that they are not difficult to learn and fun to make.

Embroidery Blanks – Where Is A Good Place To Buy Them?

2009-05-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

What are embroidery blanks? They are actually fabrics or garments meant for you to sew some pictures or words on. These embroidery blanks are easily available in both large and small embroidery companies. You are free to make your purchase either individually or even wholesale if you are running a business but it all depends on the types of embroidery Company you approach. Besides having the different ways of purchase to choose from, you also have the choice of numerous different styles and colors of embroidery blanks as well.

So, if you want a variety of embroidery blanks to choose from, where do you go?Looking for the ideal embroidery blanks is actually a very easy task. As they are available in huge quantities and there are also many embroidery companies in the world that sell them, it is really not a difficult task to make purchases. Since there are so many avenues to turn to, the only thing you need to do is to find the exact place to buy them.

I think the easiest way is to surf the internet for the various available information on embroidery blanks. You can even read up on valuable ideas about embroidery basics. However, the best method for an introduction to embroidery is to log on to the following sites:

Embroidery Blanks ETC

Find the name familiar? Embroidery Blanks ETC is a great site to find a great variety of embroidery blanks. They have many different colors, sizes and styles available for you to choose from. The best deal about shopping at this site is that all the company’s products and services at prices which you would find reasonable. In order to make the best selections, you will only have to take a look at their sale page.

All About Blanks

Another great website that you may wish to consider for a wide range of embroidery blanks is at All About Blanks where you can find some gorgeous looking and soft embroidery blanks to beautify your favorite embroidery patterns. In fact, this is the first company that is dedicated to such products. The company has even given a guarantee for their products’ quality. These products which you can find at the site are ideal both for personal stitching as well as for gift-giving. As with the earlier mentioned website, the products sold at AllAboutBlanks.com are also available at very reasonable prices.

Embroider This

One other ideal site that you can visit for embroidery blanks that are very beautifully made is Embroider This. Here, the embroidery blanks available include items like home ma chine embroidery products, handkerchiefs, fine linens and other gift items, apart from having a great range of blanks to select from. Besides selling their high quality products at a low price, the company also believes in serving their customers with an amiable service.

You need only a few clicks to log onto the embroidery sites mentioned above, which is so convenient and hassle free. However, apart from looking at the choices available, you must also not forget to study the company’s policies. In addition, you also need to ensure that the company provides for customers’ guarantees and find out as much as you can about the company’s services before making any purchases. This is essential in order to make the best and suitable embroidery blanks.

Embroidery On Paper

2009-05-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

Paper embroidery has now becoming more and more popular. The increasing number of people, applying to both men and women, are making their crafts look more elegant with the help of paper embroidery. These fans of paper embroidery, who view this art as a craze, are the people excited in scrap booking.

It was not recently that people are starting to do paper embroidery. It has since existed for many years. There are already thousands of paper cards with paper embroidery on them being sent to different parts of the world. Today, paper embroidery is getting even more popular with the increasing number of people seeing the creative and beauty an item can be with a touch of embroidery design on it. This item can also be a personal thing as it was embroidered with your very own design.

If you are interested in making paper embroidery, why not start to design and create your very own master piece, either for yourself or a friend. Paper embroidery, take an example of creating a paper embroidery card, is not as difficult as you may think and as a matter of fact, it is very easy.

Handcrafting requires you to follow a certain guideline when you are going through the process. Likewise, paper embroidery is not an exception. Selecting suitable paper for stitching is one area you have to look into. These papers are very easy to get as they are available in your local art-supply stores and even some of the bookstores. You should simply look for fibrous and stiff papers. In addition, if you want to embellish on papers, brittle and crisp paper will do the job just fine.

After preparing the right papers for your paper embroidery art, you should begin to look for a suitable adhesive to assemble the pieces. It is very common for those making paper embroidery to use sticky substances like glue stick, double sided tape, adhesive dots and others to do the job. For added effects, they also use staples and bond fabrics.

The next essential item on your list should be a good stabilizer. The stabilizer is used to handle and keep the paper in place on the embroidery hoop. You should always consider the durability and thickness of the paper before getting your stabilizer. It is advisable, whenever possible, to get one that is not activated by water as it might damage your papers. These water-activated stabilizers should also be avoided if you are thinking of dyes or inks on your materials.

Following a suitable stabilizer, the next in line important item is the needles for your paper embroidery project. Not all needles are suitable and fit your papers. Consider using very fine needles for your craft to give you the best possible results. You should also make sure that these needles are suitable for the threads that you will be using. To many people who have experience in paper embroidery, the 75/11 embroidery needles are the best ones to handle the job.

Last but not least, pick the suitable thread that you want to use. Choose the one that suit you style the best as you will find that they are available in various colors and texture. You can try different thread combination to get the right ones you like. In short, have fun experimenting different combination as many times as possible.

What Are The More Usual Choices for Embroidery Threads

2009-05-26T08:00:00.004-05:00

Regardless of whether you are sewing a cross-stitch or completing a project on embroidery with the use of your computerized embroidery machine, you will definitely have the occasions when you see some embroidery threads that are very beautiful to look at. Such embroidery threads are available in various textures and colors to fit any palate. The best part is that such embroidery threads are actually not expensive.

On the other hand, every embroidery design or project has its own ideal embroidery threads to make it outstanding because there will not be any particular thread or types of threads suitable for every embroidery design. Nevertheless, there are certain embroidery threads that you must permanently remove from your list, even though you may still wish to take a look at them.

You may wish to consider the following list for some of the most frequently used embroidery threads. Who knows, you might be able to find your ideal choice from the list below!

Cotton Thread
Although the cotton embroidery thread is usually used in embroidery works, it has very often been left out for some unknown reasons and you might have come such a situation before too. If you have the experience of using it, you will be fully aware that the cotton threads have been commonly found to provide soft and beautiful sheen. Such threads are ideal for any kinds of embroidery designs and today, they are available in weights as well. The cotton threads are usually used in machine embroidery because of their great coverage and strength that you cannot find in other threads.

Rayon Thread
Today, the embroidery thread that has the great popularity is none other than the rayon thread. Most people like the rayon thread more than others because it is better able to produce an attractive sheen. This result is even more obvious when stitched on an embroidery fabric. In addition, the rayon thread also gives a more continuous and problem-free result, thus you can complete your project with having to change the thread because of breakage or any other similar problems. As a result of its popularity, the rayon embroidery thread is now commonly available in practically every color and they can also be purchased from anywhere around the globe.

Polyester Thread
One other fantastic choice that you can think about for that embroidery project of yours is the polyester embroidery thread which is also at a reasonable price. The result it yields is comparable to the rayon thread and you can also make purchases of it in a great range of colors. The best thing about the polyester embroidery thread is that it does not fade in color, bleed or shrink due to excessive washing.

Silk Thread
The silk thread is thought to be the best thread available and it is the most ideal for dyeing because it has better absorbent for dyes, as compared to other fibers available. It is a very strong and durable thread, like the cotton thread and polyester thread. It is commonly used for embroidery because it does not have a breakage problem. In fact, most expensive fabrics make use of this kind of threads.

Metallic Thread
One type of threads that is slowly increasing in popularity is the metallic threads as a great number of embroidery works involved work with it. Numerous slender pieces of metal foil are used to wrap the center core of the thread, with the end result of producing a new type of thread known as the metallic thread. Similar to other embroidery threads available in the market, such threads are also sold in many different colors created by adding colors to the foil via the use of a polyester film. To get a more durable kind of thread, you will want to consider the metallic threads.

What To Get Ready When You Are Creating Free Machine Embroidery Designs

2009-05-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you have the experience of using free machine embroidery designs, you will definitely be aware that such is an easy and fast work to complete. Such designs can be crafted with a variety of fabrics and it might be in your interest to learn that regardless of the fabrics of your choice, you will still get great results with using free machine embroidery designs.

In order to create free machine embroidery designs, you will the use of an ordinary sewing machine which is able to produce a zigzag style together with a material that comes with a typical embroidery hoop. Why is it called “free machine embroidery”? It is given this name because the hand is needed to control the embroidery hoop instead of using a machine as in the case when producing ordinary machine embroidery designs.

As such, it is actually a simple and enjoyable experience to create free machine embroidery designs. The best part of all is that you can save on a computer-assisted machine because such designs can be done on an ordinary sewing machine. You can still keep your old machine but still have fun with creating the free machine embroidery designs.

On the other hand, if you want to create a professionally styled free machine embroidery designs, you will need to be good at dealing with the embroidery hoop as freely as is required of you. Should you feel that you are not yet competent in handling the craft, you need to spend some time in its practice. While so doing, you must be aware of the necessary preparation before the actual commencement of your free machine embroidery designs.

Some of the primarily needs for creating free machine embroidery designs are already listed out below, so if you are keen on learning how to do it, you will have to study the following points carefully and make notes as you go along.

Fabric: You should look for a piece of material that can fit your embroidery hoop perfectly. An over-sized or under-sized material will not yield a desirable effect since the perfect tension cannot be created to sew on your design. The piece of material must first be measured carefully before its use.

Zigzag Sewing Machine: Another important point to note when creating that beautiful free machine embroidery design is to ensure that you select the machine with both the “drop feed control” and is also able to lower its dogs’ teeth. These are essential points to note as they will assist you in your creation of the zigzag stitches in different degrees.

Embroidery Hoop: An embroidery hoop is an important object that you cannot do without when you are creating those free machine embroidery designs

Embroidery Foot: The embroidery foot is a simple gadget that is none other than a needle with an embroidery spring, but its important function is that of keeping the material down against the throat plate so as to help you complete your task more easily.

Stabilizer: This device has an objective of easing your work load without the frequent puckering and slipping acts that will interfere with your craft creation.

Thread: Threads are something that you cannot do without in any embroidery creation. You have to ensure that the suitable thread is selected for your free machine embroidery designs, be it a 100% rayon thread or even the polyester all-purpose type. The important to note here is that it must be well-suited to the creation.

You will be able to commence on your free machine embroidery designs project the moment you have gathered all the necessary materials but you must keep in mind all the essential steps during the process.

Amy Butler Contest

2009-05-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

"The rules of the contest are quite easy - create an item using my Midwest Modern fabric. That’s it! Any sewing project of your choice. It could be one from my new EQ CD; one of my sewing patterns; one of your favorite sewing patterns; or an original project you’ve created - the possibilities are endless!

Then you can email a picture of your project. The contest runs from June 1st through September 15th, so everyone has plenty of time to create. I will be adding a flickr page to my website where I will showcase all of your wonderful projects. I will choose the 10 winners in late September and each of you will receive a wonderful prize package of Midwest Modern fat quarters, a selection of my sewing patterns and a signed copy of my new Softwares from The Electric Quilt Company.

There is a downloadable PDF flyer on the NEW Button of my website for you with all of the contest details. Please share it with a friend! Email all questions to contest at amybutlerdesign.com. The gals in my studio will be glad to help you."

See contest rules here:

25 Marketing tips to get your products moving!

2009-05-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

1.Start a blog…stop debating it…just start one

2.I’m not the biggest fan of Project wonderful…but that is your call

3.Team up and collaborate with someone else…who cares if they say “No!” when you ask…at least you asked. I have had plenty of “no’s” but I also had some pretty good people say “yes”

4.Revamp your shop. If you are selling and products are not moving…take this time to redue your pictures, get a new banner, get some policies

5.Post cards. Let me explain: I just had someone design a post card template for me that had 6 product pictures on it and it matched my banner. I paid 34.99 for 500 via overnight prints. This has really gotten both of my shops going. I don’t send these to people…b/c that would be spam. I send these boutiques and I send them to people who ask for them to include in a goody bag at a craft fair

6.Beware of giving to many products for free. I did this once for my pendant shop and gave away 100 free pendants…I didn’t get one single sale from that. Sometime these work…just don’t do them for everyone or you’ll be draining your products and money

7.Beware of people asking you to send them your products to be featured on a blog…I have done this as well…until I was approached by a very very very popular website that wanted to do a feature on my products…and guess what? All they wanted was picture for me to email them. I had 20 sales and 3 wholesale order from that...and I scored a consignment deal.

8.Try not to leave your business card in a bathroom. #1 it’s disgusting…and #2 you are not going to get business from having your card on the back end of a toilet

9. Do wear your wearable products. Seriously…you are your biggest marketing investment. I have worn things I have made and I always get little comments. I’m shy…so each time someone comments I open up a little bit more…one say I’ll feel confident enough to say my shop is http://lincolnchristian.etsy and you can find me online

10.Sometime you have to invest to get a good return. I recently just spent a decent chunk of change to get some professional pictures of my pictures for my other shop. Once those come in my shop will look great…more appealing. Appeal is after all what brings people in to buy.

11.Sundays are big days. At least they have always been for both of my shops. On Sundays you can find me in the forums and renewing items…I usually have lots of sales on Sundays

12.I heard some on etsy say they add a little paper in their packages they send out and tell customers that if they post a link of their shop on their blog they can get a free pendant! That’s great b/c it drives traffic to your store!

13.Twitter. I fought this one nail and tooth the whole way…then I broke down and did it. Let me tell you it was worked wonders! On the days I twitter I get sales. Lots of people use twitter to let ppl know about sales and new products. Check me out: http://twitter.com/lchristian

14.Do stay in the forums and get to know your community on the etsy forums. They will guide you and help you and give you ideas…use everything to your own judgment though

15.Try and get a consignment deal from yours locally. I have 3 consignments from my pendant shop. They are all out of state. They have turned out good, but I would rather them be local. Make sure you are prepared: set up an interview date, have your mock products and show them with and without packaging…post card (comes in handy!) and business card. Make a sales pitch and close the deal!

16.http://stumbleupon.com I do enjoy this….it can get expensive fast! They do however let you set your own price. I love this and feel it is 100 billion times more effective than project wonderful. You can also see how many people have seen your shop and who liked it and who didn’t

17.Maximize on holidays or by doing a “line” …like a spring line…it keeps your shop fresh b/c it allows you to come up with new products.

18.Facebook. You can use your personal if you don’t want to make one exclusive to your shop.

19.The most subtle way to market is at the end of your emails have your footer be your shop name, website and slogan. I always click on it when someone emails me with that on the bottom

20.Run a promo. This can be whatever you choose. Maybe you to a black Friday or black Monday online on in your shop the day after Turkey Day. Maybe you do a month of free shipping. Maybe you do a buy one get one free….maybe it’s a percentage coupon. But make sure you change it up. You don’t have to have one running every month.

21.Make sure you are marketing to your target market…if you don’t know your target market…you may want to slow your roll and figure that out asap….you cannot be all things to all people.

22.Put a window decal of your shop on your car

23.Elevator pitches are good. I had to practice those like mad in my marketing classes in college

24.Make sure you fuel positive word of mouth about your company

25.Plan an open house. Give yourself a few months to make this really work. Get some good invites..do a save the date if you need to. Wherever you are doing it be your home or some place else….make sure the area is “set up” in all respects to the décor down to the food and displays. Have ready available items to show. Make 2 catalogs via overnightprints to have out for people to look at. Have your business cards and maybe run a raffle or do a goody bag of samples…I know etsy sellers would contribute to the goodybag to help promote business. Make sure you advertise like there is no tomorrow about your open house…you will learn that that you can develop some serious word of mouth that way!

Original posting on Etsy forum: http://bit.ly/13ne31

Organizing Part 6 of 6

2009-05-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Craft organization for your sewing bobbins. Creative way to keep your bobbins from unwinding when not in use.

Please feel free to comment

Organizing Part 5 of 6

2009-05-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Craft organization for your quilting strips. These easy tips will help you keep your craft projects organized.

Feel free to post comments or share info

Organizing Part 4 of 6

2009-05-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Craft organization and clutter control for your quilting blocks.

Custom Journal Covers

2009-05-18T18:29:00.001-05:00

My daughter asked me to make something for her favorite 4 teachers. I suggested journal covers with 5x8 inch pads and a pen. She loved the idea and this is what I made for them:

Organizing Part 3 of 6

2009-05-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

Craft organization for knitting needles, quilting blocks, thread and much more. Learn to control clutter in your sewing and craft room.

Organizing Part 2 of 6

2009-05-17T08:00:00.006-05:00

Craft storage for your sewing, quilting projects and much more using vinyl bags to organize all your craft supplies. Organize your thread work and embroidery floss the easy and fun way. Feel free to post comments.

Organizing Part 1 of 6

2009-05-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a great tip for organizing your small objects when participating in quilting or sewing circles:

Please feel free to post comments

Using Expensive Designer Fabric Sparingly

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you have been in a fabric store lately, you realize just how expensive designer Fabric it has become. Still decorating would not be the same without a bit of Designer fabric here and there.

http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/496779/using_expensive_designer_fabric_sparingly.html

Blogging and My Cell Phone

2009-05-14T17:14:00.005-05:00

I just learned that I can send blog post from my phone. This post is from my phone. Wow, look out world here I come. LOL!

Cutting Out Your Fusible Applique

2009-05-14T09:00:00.005-05:00

Tips on cutting out your fusible web applique quilting pattern. I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to post comment.

Learn to Sew and Sew like a Pro or for Fun

2009-05-13T08:35:00.004-05:00

Whether you are a beginning sewer or an experienced seamstress or just like to dabble in sewing crafts and ideas, these sewing blogs are some of the best on the net. They each offer something unique and worthwhile.

http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/64737/ten_best_sewing_blogs_learn_to_sew.html

Happy Mother's Day Everyone

2009-05-10T21:00:00.004-05:00

Well I decided to take the weekend off from sewing and enjoy some time with my grand baby and just relax for Mother's Day (Yeah right!). We went to the zoo in Tampa, Fl. and had a blast!

I took some pictures of him enjoying the sights and sounds and would like to share them with you.

Getting his 1st look at Flamingos!

Aren't they beautiful?

LOOK its Happy Feet!

Time for a little cooling off - Boy does that feel good!

Hey! That's not a DOGGIE!

MMMMMM! We even stopped to smell the beautiful flowers

Messenger Bag Trio

2009-05-05T10:38:00.014-05:00

I wanted to make a nice combo piece from something I had in my head. I found some fat quarters (I love fat quarters) with an Oriental flair to it and I love oriental. I used my curve design to make the flap unique.

Here are the results:

Next time I make the bag I will create a tutorial on how I made it. It is very easy.

X-Men Wolverine

2009-05-03T14:12:00.003-05:00

Just got back from seeing Wolverine and all I can say is Hugh Jackman is one sexy beast. OMG! That man is fine.

If you like sweaty good looking men than go see this movie. Great action with an actual storyline.

I give it a big thumbs up!

This thing called Blogging

2009-05-02T09:00:00.004-05:00

I was first afraid to do this blogging thing, but I am starting to like this. I am learning a little at a time and hope my journey in Blogland will be a good one. A site I have found very useful is Blogs by Heather.

Her primary business seems to be setting up blogs for others, but she has some very useful information on setting things up on your own blogs.

Hopefully my "Blogucation" will be a happy one!

My New Baby!! And Why I Love the UPS Man

2009-04-30T14:48:00.008-05:00

It's 9AM today and my doorbell rings. Hmmm who could be at my door this early? I'm wondering if someone was bringing me a Publisher's Clearinghouse award or something.

Nope, wasn't PC, but something better. A big brown truck with a handsome man stepped out in his little shorts (I live in Florida) holding this large box with a smile on his face, but my smile was bigger because I knew what he had in his hand. My brand new baby and here she is.

How Do I Love Thee!! Let me count the Top 10 ways....

It is BEAUTIFUL!
It is a 'Project Runway Limited Edition'
I has 294 Stitches
It sews like a dream
All the most common stitches are a fingertip away
It has a knee lifter so I can keep my hands free to hold the fabric I have to get used to this feature because I've never had a knee lifter before
The motor is so quiet I have to check to make sure it is on
Like my Brother PE700 embroidery machine it has a automatic needle threader a feature I love
It has so many feet I'm not sure what they all do, but I like that I have options
The most beneficial feature is the AUTOMATIC THREAD CUTTER at the push of a button

I am so pleased with this machine the Brother 294 Stitch 'Project Runway' Limited Edition. Of course the machine is $599, but it was sooooo worth it. I can't wait to sew with my wonderful polyester embroidery threads that I also purchased. They are grand.

Stay tuned for lovely creations with my new baby and my shiny new thread.

Love this Fabric!!

2009-04-30T13:29:00.014-05:00

I had these fab fat quarter pieces and I wasn't sure what I was going to make with them since it was only a few scraps.

Fat Quarters I got from Joann's

I decided I was going to start writing more, but what could I put my pad in that was convenient yet stylish. I found this great tut on making a journal cover, so without further ado, here it is:

Journal Cover - Closed

Journal Cover - Opened

So now I can keep my notes in style.

Had a little fabric left over so I decided the journal needed a partner so I made this little wallet to go along with it.

My little wallet with key fob.

The Happy Couple Together! Don't they look great?

Yipee! I've created my first sewing e-Book

2009-04-29T20:52:00.006-05:00

Well today I finished my first sewing how-to e-book. This e-book is different from any e-books out there today. Why you ask?...Because, it has embedded video in it showing you the process of constructing my wallet. Yes you heard correctly, this e-book contains video.

Check it out here!

My Favorite Diaper Bag

2009-04-29T19:46:00.005-05:00

Now picture this...You have your 18 month old grandchild with you and your daughter left you with this huge diaper bag with all of this stuff. You need to take a quick run to the store, but you don't want to drag that big old diaper bag with you because you need to get out of there quick without all the fanfare.

So I needed to come up with a solution for the next time he came to visit. I wanted something small, but stylish so I made this:

It measures about 9" long, 3" wide and 5" high. It can hold up to 6 medium diapers one travel size wipes and a 4 oz cup. It has two side pockets, one inside pocket and one back pocket. It is perfect for those quick trips. I just love it!

Close-Up

Inside View

Back View