I didn’t attend QuiltCon in February, but I eagerly watched it unfold on Instagram. Over and over again in my feed I saw an incredibly moving quilt. All white with stark black lettering, it read, “I am a woman whose child is dead.” This quilt stirred up intense emotions of sadness among the show’s attendees,…
What Makes a Local Quilt Shop Great?
In September of 2011 my trusty sewing machine of 23 years, a Bernette 330 I’d bought at G Street Fabrics in Rockville, Maryland when I was 13-years-old, broke for good. When the terrible “grrrr grrrr” noise began every time I turned it on, I set aside $500 to spend on a new machine at a…
“Our Word is Our Word”: Fabric Designers Working Without Written Contracts
image To protect their anonymity I’m not using the names of the designers I spoke with and I’ve changed any identifying details, although not in a way that affects their stories. Last fall I wrote a post explaining how much fabric designers earn. Several designers emailed me afterwards about various other issues, one of which…
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…
What Happens When Someone Makes a Tutorial for Your Signature Product: A Case Study of Shower Art
A while ago I found this amazing store on etsy that makes these fun and funky pieces of shower art out of resin, glitter, and suction cups. My roommate and I bought several of their pieces, but as any DIY-er, I wanted to try making them myself! I love working with resin and glitter and…
How to Go On Maternity Leave When Your Business is Just You
When you own a small business it can feel like your business is your baby. You’re there in its infancy, you nurture it day by day even when you’re tired, and you put its needs first for years and years. You feel tremendous pride watching your business grow and thrive with you as its caretaker….
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,…
Book Review: Retro Mama Scrap Happy Sewing by Kim Kruzich
I admire designers who have a signature style. When you see their work out of context you immediately recognize it and know it’s theirs. Their blog, their patterns, their business cards – everything they make – is part of an overall aesthetic. Kim Kruzich is one of those designers. When I think of Kim I…
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- …
- 30
- Next Page »