In this installment of my series on ways to monetize your softie making habit I want to talk about craft fairs. I have discovered over these last seven years of sewing softies that there are many paths one can take when it comes to selling work. I think it is beneficial to consider all of…
Archives for February 2012
Springtime Craft Tutorial: Felt Tulips
One thing I love about early spring is when the tulips begin to bloom. It may still be frigid February here in Boston, but a bouquet of felt tulips on the table gives me hope that spring is just around the corner. Around this time last year I made a tutorial for felt daffodils if…
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…
Podcast Episode #5: Veteran Softie Pattern Designer, Carol Cruise
I’m excited to share with you today my first foray into creating a recorded interview. In my efforts to learn more about ways to make money from sewing softies I wanted to talk with an industry veteran. I figured there must be a lot I could learn from someone who started selling soft toy patterns…
custom plush from children’s drawings…continued
Today's edition: a drawing Roxanne made when she was 4-years-old of a little girl with brown, curly hair. The pieces I'm doing now are all made from felt because they will all be displayed together in a store window. When I begin taking custom orders the toys will be made from a variety of materials…
Softies for Sale: A Series on Monetizing Your Softie Sewing Habit
One day back in 2005 I took my seven-month-old baby to the library for story time and while I was there I started looking at the sewing books. I ended up checking out a soft toy sewing book written in the late 1960s and later that day, when the baby went down for a nap,…
building my custom plush portfolio
Two more finished custom pieces to show today. Heidi Rettig left a comment on a post I wrote a few weeks ago asking if I would make a plush version of her company logo. Heidi has an arts consulting company. I took a look at her logo and I thought it seemed like a cool…