I have a pattern in issue 29 of Mollie Makes. It’s a punk and pretty topsy turvy doll (I call them Roxy and Rachel). The idea for this doll came from the magazine’s editor and it was fun to have an assignment. I spent some hours studying British punk girls and the fabrics they wear,…
The Economics of Selling Sewing Patterns
How much is a sewing pattern for a stuffed animal worth? When I sell a single sewing pattern to a big company, such as a book or magazine publisher, or to one of the big pattern companies like Simplicity, I can generally expect to get $250 for that pattern. Then, six months or a year…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #5 Putting Your Pattern Up For Sale: Pricing, Marketing, and Customer Support
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #4 The “Whys” and “What Ifs” of Selling Patterns
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #3 Creating the Document
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #2 Breaking it Down
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
Welcome to Pattern Design Week: Topic #1 Choosing the Right Project to Turn Into a Pattern
This week I'm going to be talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits…
5 Simple Tips for Writing Sewing Patterns Your Customers Will Love
This is a post I wrote for the November 2012 Craftsy Designer Newsletter. Sewing a project from a poorly written pattern is such a frustrating experience. Instructions that are error ridden and hard to follow can make you throw your hands up in frustration, leaving you with a pile of wasted materials and hours of…
5 Tips for Improving Your Softie Patterns
You’ve been designing some original sewing patterns for stuffed animals and some of them are really good! You know you’re capable of creating awesome patterns that turns out three-dimensional toys. You’ve also worked really hard on a few designs that have been total flops. I’m talking about misshapen heads, legs with an awkward stance, proportions…
Softies For Sale Series: The Cottage Industry License
If you make original softies and you want to turn your toys into a business, selling your patterns is probably a good use of your time and effort. Creating a good pattern and getting it ready for sale is a significant investment up front, but once it is made you can sell the pattern in…