Sewing, blogging, and creative business.
I’m very excited to have finished this patchwork Progress Pride Flag quilt. The pattern is by Bobbie Gentili from Geeky Bobbin. All of the fabrics are scraps from my stash.
This was a fun project and the finished quilt is really bright and colorful. As part of this process, I also enjoyed learning more about how the design of the Progress Pride flag came to be.
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 ofRead More →
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 ifRead More →
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 inRead More →
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 patternsRead More →
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 materialsRead More →
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,Read More →
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 coolRead More →
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, withRead More →
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 theRead More →
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 thrillRead More →