March has been a great month! I love softies and there's always so much to learn and see in the softie-making world. This month we explored: designing cut-and-sew softies on Spoonflower taking an indie plush business to the next level with Monster Factory using one of my favorite softie-making tools, the ball point awl….
Archives for March 2013
5 Difficulties New Sewing Machine Users Commonly Encounter
Last night I taught Sewing Machine 101 here in town. This is one of my favorite classes to teach. People walk in the door with a sewing machine they got as a gift or inherited from an aunt or bought for themselves with the best of intentions. They’re nervous. Maybe they’ve tried to sew with…
Bookkeeping for Your Creative Business
On December 1 my business, Abby Glassenberg Design, became an S Corp. Now I get junk mail that refers to me as CEO and President! As such I’ve commited myself to all that being in charge of a legitimate business requires and this includes serious bookkeeping. I first need to make clear that I…
Podcast Episode #1: Monster Factory
The post is part of an occasional series called “Awesome Handmade Toys.” These posts feature toy makers whose work I think is particularly fresh and inventive. You can see previous posts in the series here. I also pin toys to my Inspiring Softies pinboard on a regular basis if you’re looking for more inspiration. +++++…
How to Design Cut-and-Sew Softies and Dolls on Spoonflower
A few weeks ago I got in touch with the folks at Spoonflower, the print on demand fabric company, to see about getting some cut-and-sew softie and doll fabrics to play with. I thrilled when they agreed to send me a few fat quarters and today I’m ready to show you what I’ve…
How To Increase Your Blog Readership? Write a Great Headline
If you sell any sort of handmade product and you’ve ever written a tutorial for your blog, or shown how you organize your studio shelves, or explained how you choose cohesive colors for a quilt top, you’ve done something called “content marketing” such as the one serviced by a digital media advertising agency. Content marketing…
Elephant Softie from Six Months of Softies
Happy weekend to you! I just finished sewing the first pattern from Six Months of Softies and I had to show it to you! This is Polly. The baby is in love with her… …has made off with her… …and refuses to give her back. I can't say I blame her! Wendi has done an…
Six Months of Softies: A Brand New Club!
How do you learn to sew softies? The very best way to learn to sew softies is to, well, sew lots of softies! The more you make, and the more patterns you follow, the better you get at sewing, at designing, and at seeing how softies are constructed. Every pattern has something new to teach…
Sew + Crochet: A Collaboration with Stacey of FreshStitches
When you run a tiny business in which you are the only employee you do everything yourself. You make every decision, you create all the products, do all the design work and all the writing, you do all the outreach, bookkeeping, marketing, and teaching…you do all the everything! It's fantastic! Except sometimes it's a bit…
How to Teach It: A Craftsy Class by Gwen Bortner
Before I became a designer I was a teacher. I’ve known I was a teacher my whole life. Every job I’ve ever had has involved teaching in some way. I’ve been a tutor and a camp counselor. I’ve run a tutoring program and a summer school program for inner city children in Baltimore. I’ve been…