I feel like there is a whole intimidating world of artist teddy bears makers out there that I can't compete with. They have conventions with juried competitions and participate in super active message boards and only use the finest materials to make their bears. I admire this community, though, for their high standards and their…
On Rejection
You gotta dream big. I’m pursuing a career that I invented for myself. I design and sew stuffed animals. That’s a wacky profession, my friends. There is no path to follow, no boss to tell me what project to work on, no obvious next steps. It’s up to me to drum up business and…
Where do you find the time?
Is there time to take care of three kids and to make things everyday? My answer is a resounding yes. In fact, the time constraints of motherhood are what spur my creative productivity. In 2003 I had a whole summer off. I was a sixth grade teacher, married, living in an apartment we owned…
Making Anzac Bikkies: A Review of the eMag Action Pack
Action Pack is an eMagazine published by Kathreen (of WhipUp) and her husband. The tagline is, “A Magazine for Kids Who Want To Do Stuff.” I love this tagline. I can remember the craving I had as a child to make something real. And I know as a parent that my kids can see right…
Baby Butterfly Toy Pattern and Some Analysis of the Best Sellers
I am over at SewMamaSew today with a pattern I designed for this Baby Butterfly. This butterfly is made to be a stroller toy (or you could attach it to your diaper bag) to entertain your baby when your out and about. Long line at the coffee shop? Stuck in traffic? Give the butterfly a…
Softies For Sale Series: Contributing to Sewing Books
For this installment of my series about turning your love of sewing softies into a career I want to talk about contributing projects to sewing books. Over the last few years I have been asked by editors at many different publishing houses to contribute to collective books that feature projects by many different sewists. Just…
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…
An Interview With a McCall’s Pattern Designer
Following up on our discussion of commercial sewing patterns last week I decided to contact the two major pattern companies, McCall's (Butterick, Vogue) and Simplicity (New Look, Burda Style) to see if I could hear about their patterns directly from one of their designers. Simplicity is clearly the more web savvy of the two, with…
Review: Books by Charlene Phillips
When I began teaching people how to use their sewing machines I was nervous that I wouldn't know how particular machines worked. After all, I only know two machines very well: the Bernette 330 that I bought when I was 13 and had for 22 years, and my new Janome 2160. Fortunately I co-taught the…
Curious About Mainstream Sewing Patterns
In 2005 I bought Simplicity 5825, a sewing pattern for a teddy bear with variations to make a rabbit and a dog. The pattern cost $13.95. I remember picking it out at Joann's and bringing it home. I was curious about sewing toys and I wanted to sew a teddy bear. I remember the thrill…