I went to Quilt Market! If you’re part of the home sewing or quilting industry, even tangentially, you know that Quilt Market is the twice yearly industry trade show. Quilt Market isn’t open to the public and I think for a long time it was rather mysterious, but today people who attend the show post…
How to Change from RSS to an Email Newsletter (and Why)
You’re standing on a stage in a crowded auditorium. In the audience are your most supportive fans. These are the people who buy your products and rave about them to their friends. They’re the ones who read your blog posts and Instagram feed faithfully and leave you supportive comments. And now they’re all gathered in…
What It’s Like to Teach a Class at CreativeLive
On Sunday I made a pot of not-too-spicy chili. I also wrote out a detailed explanation of each child’s schedule and packed the bags for day camp before packing my own bag for a trip to San Francisco Monday morning to teach at CreativeLive. I first talked to Elizabeth Madariaga, head of the Craft and…
Email Marketing for Crafters on CreativeLive
Monday morning I fly out to San Francisco to teach a class at CreativeLive. My class is called Email Marketing for Crafters and it’s part of a five-day series called Improve Your Holiday Sales. The week kicks off with Price Your Craft taught by Tara Gentile. Pricing your products isn’t just about covering your expenses…
One Company, Multiple Businesses
I was out for dinner on Friday night when I ran into Sarah, a woman I know from synagogue. Her son was in my class when I taught middle school and we always chat a little when we see one another. This time we started talking about work. I told her that while I loved…
A Profile of Spoonflower’s Top Seller
In 2010 printmaker Andrea Lauren was putting her artwork on mirrors, calendars, buttons, and rings and selling them on Etsy. While browsing the Etsy forums one afternoon, a comment about the print-on-demand fabric company Spoonflower piqued her interest. She’d been searching for a way to print her art on fabric, and this seemed like the…
How to Schedule for Sustainability
What’s the best time to post a new photo on Instagram? Should I update my Facebook page twice a day, or three times? If I send my email newsletter once a week, is that too frequently? Social media marketing experts spend a lot of time thinking about these questions. They do A/B testing on timing…
Creating a Facebook Group to Build Community for Your Business
“The Facebook fan page feels like a podium,” says Jen Hagedorn. “It works for sending one-way messages about new patterns or sales, but it’s impersonal and can feel kind of spammy. The Facebook group, on the other hand, feels like a sewing circle.” Jen started a private Facebook group for her pattern company, Tie…
Should Sewing Patterns Be Certified?
If you’re interested in becoming a sewing pattern designer it’s easier now than it’s ever been. You can learn the skills you need, create a design, test it, and then sell it directly to consumers without a huge investment in formal schooling, software, or printing and distribution. There are online classes in pattern drafting, grading,…
Why I Don’t Do Affiliate Marketing
Hi Abby, I am organizing an online creative business conference in May, and wanted to see if there might be a way for us to work together. We are looking for a few influencers to serve as advisers to the attendees. Advisers get a free pass to the event and advertising space in the conference…