Patterns and Fabrics and Sales. Oh My!

This blog post is being interrupted for an important bulletin: IT'S SNOWING!! I *love* the first snow of the year. It's beautiful. Pristine. Enveloping. Quiet. Full of potential (snowmen! igloos! sledding!).

These are big, thick flakes. There may not be many of them, and they may not stick around. But they're there!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled post.

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Some of my favorite online shops are having some great sales! I just placed an order at banberry place. She carries great patterns, has got some yummmmmmy fabrics and is having a 'black weekend' sale. ohhhhh boy. It would be so easy to get carried away. But I controlled myself. For now. I'll check back there later today if I can't live without the gorgeous corduroy fabrics...

I finally ordered the Antonia pattern I've been lusting after for.ever. Yay! I'm steadily increasing my hoard of knits, and this is a great pattern for using just a little bit of several prints. You can be sure Leith will be sporting several funky shirts before the end of the year.

Also, I re-ordered the Olivia pattern. I had this one early on in my sewing journey, and for some reason was afraid of it, so I sold it. Now that I'm much more confident with knits, and with my sewing in general, I *want* it! So, today was the day. I really love the versatility of the underdress, and I think I'll like how it looks with the Anna wrap dress.

Oh, she also has a blog, StuntSewing, with shop updates, helpful pattern tips, and inspiring pictures!

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Yesterday I was all about productivity. Okay, not really, but I did complete several things. Here are a couple of quick pictures for proof:

A Holiday/Celebration Anna

Here's a peek at the fabrics:












A cute reversible apron:






Plus, I finished up a size 5 Holiday/Anytime skirt!







Also, I finished an elf-ish hat and have cut out and started a different skirt....just need to get back in the sewing room and figure out how to ruffle some fabric!

k

A Day in the Park

Yesterday was one of those beautiful November days we don't often get in Nebraska. Well, except this year...we've had several, actually!

It was so nice that Leith and I went to the park for a little play time after Montessori. I even managed to remember the camera! For the first half hour or so no one else was there! Then a little boy and his grandpa arrived, so Leith was following them around and asking "that guy" a bunch of questions. Luckily they were very accommodating, since the boy was only a little older than Leith.

Anyway, on to the pictures. Here's L climbing the stairs to the highest slide:



Isn't that sky gorgeous?! Brilliant blue, not a cloud in it.


Here's one of Leith's favorite spots in the playground...a 'fish bowl' viewing area, just the right size for a toddler.




She looks so grown up here.




Here she is, patiently waiting for me to tell her she can eat the chocolate turkey. When I said 'yes' guess what she did? Yep, "gobble gobble" LOL (I crack me up sometimes.)



Want more info on the chocolate turkey? It's made with chocolate chips (head), malted milk balls (body), chocolate stars (feet and tail feathers), and a tiny bit of red gel (wattle). There's also a little bit of coconut dyed green for 'grass.'

k

Last Saturday's Craft Show

There was a local artisan's bazaar at the Yoga Body & Balance studio last Saturday. It was in part to benefit the Friendship home. They had food, drinks, conversation and, of course, hand crafted art "by some of Lincoln's finest established and budding artisans." Who would have guessed I'm a budding artisan? lol So many creative and talented vendors were there.

According to the YB&B folks, there were vendors with "crocheted wearables; semi-precious stone jewelry; hand embroidered pillows; paintings; ACEO cards; poetry books crafted by author; handmade journals; hat boxes; a novel; musical recordings; baby clothes; chakra readings; plus a variety of gift baskets from several vendors and more."

Here are a couple of quick pictures of my booth (click for full picture):



Maybe you recognize a few things from my etsy shop? A few things not yet in the shop, too.




We were kind of crammed together, and there was an artist against the corner to the left of my booth, so I didn't raise the clothes rack, which makes it look even more crammed together.

I had a good time. Got to be in the LincolnHandmade section, next to Christy and Lisa. They had a few sales, but all in all it was a pretty small show. We decided it was great practice for the Seasons of Craft show on December 6 and 7.

k

Dilemma....

Is a person better off discounting/pricing low just to sell items....or pricing them at costs+time and risking that items won't sell....

My question isn't meant to be "about me" -- I don't base my self-worth on selling/not selling something. It's also not meant to be a price-setting discussion, not exactly, anyway. It's more like: what's your opinion? lower prices to get sales or keep prices and wait?

If items are seen as priced too high, people won't buy them because they want a bargain; but if prices are too low, people think the items are not worth much and won't buy them. Or is it just that people aren't buying right now? Are my items not "good enough" (I believe they are!)?

Mostly I make things because I want to be creative. But I have some items online and did a small craft show over the weekend. So far, nothing's sold. I'm worried now that the prices are too high. I'm also worried that dropping prices will make the items seem less worthy somehow. There's another show in two weeks and I'm considering price changes and stocking different things, but not sure what. Do I make more of the "cute" things that haven't sold? Try something different? gah.

k

Holiday/Anytime Skirt v1.0

Well, I managed to finish it today! Actually, I finished several things today: cleaned off the patio, stored the furniture, tossed the tossables and saved the saveables, all that *and* this adorable skirt!

Christmas side:



(yes, it is blurry. a blurry picture of a stationary object.)

Anytime side:



I am ridiculously proud of how this turned out. My own pattern! Okay, not pattern so much as instructions. Tomorrow is a school day, so hopefully I'll get a couple more done. Some will have the bias tape like this, some will have rolled hems, some will be regular hemmed. Maybe.

Adding this to craftyconservative's "I made it myself" Monday theme!

















k

Slow and Steady.....

More slow than steady, unfortunately! lol

Here is the beginning of my new obsession: reversible skirts! I've had the idea for a while to make them with one fabric being a Christmas print, the other an any occasion print.

There will be many, many more of these skirts in my future. I'm really happy with my pattern (made it myself!) and there are lots of options for finishing the hem, so each one will be an original!

I love the Misfit Toys!




I also love Ikea Hippos!




What do you think? Want a reversible twirly skirt for your tyke? Send me a note! I'll also have some stocked in my Etsy shop in just a week or so.

k

Etsy Virtual Trunk Show - recap

Whooooo boy that was fun!! Etsy hosted a 24-hour virtual trunk show, and my local Etsy team, Lincoln Handmade, was featured in one of the rooms!

It was like a virtual craft show. Vendors got to chat about a few items, and 'buyers' got to meet shop owners. Sometimes it was a little confusing, and sometimes there were buyers who didn't know what they'd stumbled in to, so there were some repetitive questions, but all in all it was great! Lots of support from team members really helped.

There were actually several Etsy teams in different rooms in the virtual labs area of Etsy. Each team had one or two hours to split up amongst team members. Each member had a few minutes to post a thumbnail of their items (which linked to their shops), and chat a bit about the item. Members could make special offers (free shipping, free gift w/ purchase) or play a quick game (find the _____ in my shop and receive it free), those sorts of things.

I think this is a relatively new scheme through Etsy, and I'm hoping they'll do it more often. We had pretty good turnout, I got a couple of new hearts, and I saw some really wonderful and creative items made by team members. The best part was, I won a pair of earrings from LynetteFast! She had a giveaway during her portion of the show, and I was the lucky winner!

Being the lazy bum, erm, procrastinator that I am, I spent most of the two days before the show in mad preparation rather than marketing. *sigh* Well, at least I've got a little bit of stock in my shop now. And more to add. Just have to get my "pro" status from flickr!

k

p.s.: Check out those Etsy labs. They have tons of information, suggestions and inspiration!

a few things for my etsy shop

Just a few quick pictures of some new things for Leith and for my etsy shop....why does it always take longer to do the photos and list it than it does to make the things?! LOL

First up, an adorable little toddler tote bag. I'm not a fan of the 1930s repro fabrics, but this color/fabric combo really appeals to me.




Next, one of my all-time favorite patterns, Farbenmix Anna. I totally <3 this pattern. It's going to take three pictures to show off this beauty. Pretty pink toile and funky pink dots! First, this shows the back when the dots are at the front:





The front of the dress with each fabric:







Last, but certainly not least, a Yee Haw Christmas dress. This is using the Farbenmix Vida pattern and some really fun cowboy themed holiday fabric. After looking at the pictures, I realized the elastic hasn't been put in yet! I got so excited about getting pictures because it's so cute, that I forgot to do the last step!



And a close up of the fabrics:



I used some great vintage buttons from my grandmother's stash, so I think this one will stay in the family....it just happens to be Leith's size!

k

Upcoming Events

Gotta get the sewing machine sewing, the serger serging and the iron ironing. It's going to be a busy few weeks at the refibered household!

First up, Lincoln Handmade will be part of Etsy's Around the World virtual trunk show on November 13! Etsy's doing 24 hours of trunk shows, and LNKhandmadeTeam gets an hour to show off members' items! Christy (our "Prez") is doing so much leg work to make this happen. We'll have a dry run on Monday, then Thursday is the real deal! Make sure you check it out on Thursday evening from 7-8pm CST!

Saturday, November 22 there is a local artisan's bazaar at Body & Balance 2300 South 48th Street here in Lincoln. Check out their newsletter. This one's still tentative for me, haven't heard back yet, but I do plan to attend and help support my fellow crafters and Friendship Home!

LNKhandmadeTeam is also spreading the Etsy love at the Seasons of Crafts show on December 6 and 7. Four team members will be showing on Saturday, and two on Sunday. Head out to the Lancaster County Event Center and check out all the fabulous crafts and foods.

Oh yeah, and in there some time we have to fit in a little thing called Thanksgiving! and Christmas decorating! I'm planning to do a lot of handmade shopping at these events! Guess what you're getting for the holidays! lol

k

Watching History Being Made

Yesterday was Election Day 2008. It's been a very long national campaign but the voting is done and most of the ballots have been counted. Either way history was being made with yesterday's election.

I've had a strange sense of surrealism with all the goings on -- all the campaigning, all the discussion, distortion and distaste...then to watch the televised concession and acceptance speeches...well, it's hard to believe that I get to be a witness to it, let alone the fact that I'm a part of it!

I'm excited for future, a little anxious and cautious, but generally excited. Wow. Just. Wow.

k