Month: May 2010

Week Recap

| terriaw

I’ve had a split-personality kind of week!

Dark side first – I know some of you will think I’m crazy for listening to hard rock music. But I love it. I went to a rock concert earlier this week. It was SO much fun!

Now, on to the lighter side – I have also been diligently sewing this week, working on two custom orders for my shop.

I received a request for a set of patchwork chair pads in a shabby chic style. I love shabby chic style, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to make this set.

I’ve also been working on that handbag for my insurance agent, like the one I made for my mom for Mother’s Day.

I got some new fabrics this week! These Alexander Henry’s Zanzibar are going to be funky new purses for me.

I don’t know what I’m going to use these Little Folks fabrics for yet, but I loved the color combo (and recent coupon) offered by Fabricworm.

I’m really looking forward to the warm, sunny weekend we’re supposed to have so I can’t wait to spend the days outside in our gardens.

Hope you enjoy the weekend too!

Best Practice – Customer/Reader Appreciation

| terriaw

“The customer is always right.” How many times have you heard that? I used to work in the retail industry, and I always rolled my eyes when I heard that speech. At the end of the day, I think every corporation, small business, and individual maker of handmade goods will tell you that customers (and blog readers) are the #1 most important element to their business (or blog).


I know, you don’t need to hear from me how important it is to appreciate your shop customers or your blog readers. Crafters are kind folks by nature, right?! Just look at the steady list of giveaways taking place every single week as proof of that.

I am not an expert in marketing, and I am generally a shy person when it comes to marketing, making it hard for me to drum up new customers or new blog readers. I try to appreciate the ones I have. I just wanted to share a few of the things I try to do, especially here with my blog.

Comments
If you have ever left a comment on my blog, you have most likely received an email from me thanking you for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment. I love comments. I love hearing from readers. That has also been the start to a few email conversations that have led to great friendships I cherish.

Offering Tutorials
I think tutorials are a cool way to offer your readers something for free. Who doesn’t love a free pattern?! I wish I were better at offering more tutorials!


Participating in Swaps
Exchanging supplies or handmade goods through swaps is a great way to meet people and share similar obsessions. Some of my blogger friendships began from swaps. (That reminds me, don’t forget about our Christmas in July ornament swap coming up.)

Interact and Engage
Sometimes I can be indecisive, so it’s good to know I can ask you all for advice, such as with my recent patchwork arrangements project. I loved reading your thoughts on which half-square triangle arrangement you liked best. I like it when other bloggers ask for an opinion or feedback because it initiates in a creative conversation, which is beneficial to all of us.


Surveys
Amy frequently posts surveys on her blog, seeking feedback on sewing topics or ideas for content she could offer. I love that! Personally, I think surveys are fun to participate in because they make me feel like I have a say, like I’m contributing to the success of another creative person. I’m all for that!

Giveaways
I adore this little matchbook notepad I got from Randi’s shop with a recent fabric order!


I am going to make a supply of these little drawstring bags to include in orders from my shop. Just a little something extra.


I mentioned above the number of giveaways that take place every week. I’m not telling you that you should do a giveaway. Just saying I like doing giveaways, whether it’s an extra goodie with an order, a giveaway for a blogiversary, or participating in a sponsored event like the upcoming Sew,Mama,Sew‘s May Day giveaway. (Be sure to check back next week for the giveaway I have to offer!)

This series has been fun for me to do. It has challenged me to take notice of and share the things I do to keep myself organized and to keep life running smoothly. It’s also been good writing practice for me. I hope you have found it to be useful in some way too.

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Previous posts about my Best Practices:

Resources

Filing

Notetaking

Bobbins, Pins and Folding

Business Cards

Carry Your Product

Blogger Friends Make Me Happy

| terriaw

I recently commented on Erica’s blog about how much I loved her mini notepad quilt. That idea was the inspiration for the embroidered mini quilt I made for my recent blogiversary. I didn’t realize how much I love the look of embroidery on a quilt.

I asked Erica if she would take a custom order to make one for me with my new favorite saying, “follow your dreams.” It arrived in my mail over the weekend, and I couldn’t be happier!

(measures 7″ wide x 8″ tall)

Check out how cool the back looks too!

It turned out even better than I imagined,  so I want to carry it around with me as a reminder of that sentiment and my friendship with Erica. Thank you, Erica, for making this treasure for me!

A Purse for Mom

| terriaw

My  mom asked me to make her a funky purse for Mother’s Day. She wanted a purse to carry for summer, something modern.

She liked the size of the purse I made for myself a couple months ago (see below), but she didn’t want skull and crossbones fabric. Imagine that!

She liked the fabrics I bought from the Poppy collection, and she ended up choosing the stripes for the outside with a solid green for the lining.  Neither of us are big purse carriers. This design measures 12 inches wide by 8 inches tall, which is proving to be just perfect for my needs. The darts I put in the bottom corners give it just the right amount of space on the inside.

Since turquoise is supposedly the color for 2010, I thought the coordinated turquoise piping and zipper would be a nice way to tie this one together.

My mom’s version needed a little flair, so I scattered a few gems on the front side. I just know she is going to love it! (fingers crossed)

After meeting with our insurance agent a couple days ago, we started talking about sewing. I showed her my mom’s bag, and she ended up ordering one too. Boy, what a thrill!

Happy Mother’s Day to Mom and all your moms too!

Book Review – Sewing Bits and Pieces

| terriaw

Have you seen Sandi Henderson‘s new sewing book, Sewing Bits & Pieces yet? It’s fabulous!

As I mentioned in my most recent Best Practice post about Resources, a couple things I like to look for in a book or magazine: high quality pictures and illustrations (eye candy!), useful tips, intermediate to advanced techniques, and a variety of fresh, modern projects. My aunt Marcy has a general rule – if a book has at least 2-3 projects she wants to make, she buys it. Knowing the high quality and charm of Sandi Henderson‘s fabrics and patterns, I knew this one would be a winner when I pre-ordered it. Whew.

The description on the back cover says “Turn your favorite fabric scraps into fresh and fun handcrafted treasures.” It offers 32  projects using fabric scraps. We are all looking for new ways to use up our scraps, and this book offers plenty of ideas and inspiration.

I think the skill level for the clothing, home goods and craft projects is probably intermediate. There are some applique projects and gathering steps that would have been challenging when I was first learning to sew. One thing I really like about this book is the different approach Sandi took by offering a quick section on sewing terms and a quick section on commonly used tools, instead of providing a comprehensive section on teaching readers how to sew. The patterns in the back section DO NOT need to be enlarged – I love that!

Here are a couple of my favorite projects Sandi offers in her selected categories:

Kitchen – appliqued tablecloth and towels, adorable fruit-shaped magnets, and snack bags.

Bed & bath – a patchwork pillow, organizer, sachet, appliqued pillows, appliqued shower curtain.

Children – includes the coolest looking growth chart in the form of a 3D-looking tree, adorable Mary Jane Slippers, and the cutest library tote using a strategically placed piece of Heather Ross’ princess and the pea fabric.

Party – I can’t wait to make these party lanterns for my patio, but the party bags and invitations will be a must for me too.

Crafts – a pretty butterfly pin that could embellish a jean jacket or a shopping tote, gift tags, and these innovative fabric silhouettes!

Adults – my favorite in this category is the patchwork scarf, which will be the very first project I plan to make.

I’ve had this stack of Ginger Blossom fabrics for awhile, just waiting for the right project to hit me.

I think these fabrics are going to make an adorable patchwork scarf! So much cuter than the old-school cowboy bandanas to hold my hair back while working in the garden or bike riding down the trail. The pattern actually makes two adult scarves so I might have an extra one for a giveaway. (wink wink!)

I love all the original and modern ideas Sandi presented in this book. I also appreciate the stylish photos and illustrations provided for reference. This book is full of cheerful projects that I can quickly whip up in an afternoon and use over and over again.

I preordered Melissa‘s new book Small Stash Sewing, which I can’t wait to find on my doorstep around the end of May. I will definitely offer a book review of that treasure when it arrives.

Best Practice – Resources

| terriaw

Ready for another installment of my Best Practices series? I can’t believe I have stuck with this series for six weeks  now!

I have worked as a paralegal for so many years (17!), and I’ve always found it important to have the right resources at hand. This carries over to my creative world too. There are lots of resources available, from books to magazines to the Internet.

(my new favorite resource – the Fat Quarterly e-zine!)

I especially love using the Internet and fellow bloggers for resources and inspiration. But I also like to have the actual books and magazines when learning the terminology, materials, tools, new techniques, and just looking for inspiration.

Finding what works for your needs can be fun. A couple things I like to look for in my resources: high quality pictures and illustrations (eye candy!), useful tips, intermediate to advanced techniques, and a variety of fresh, modern projects.

Sewing / Quilting References

When I first learned how to quilt in 1999, I took formal classes at the local quilt shop. I guess I was lucky to have access to such a fabulous shop because so many people nowadays seem to be either self-taught or are learning from free sites on the Internet. I’m a visual learner, so I like to hear and see the steps done and then try them myself.

Anyway, after those classes, I bought this quilting encyclopedia to have by my side as I made quilts on my own.

It’s an older book, but still great reference, from tools to techniques to piecing to quilting.

I progressed to using baby quilt books, since they provided easy to follow instructions for great projects.

These days, my sewing interested have expanded from sewing quilts to patchwork goods for our house and bags and clothes. Who doesn’t love Anna Maria Horner’s Seams To Me sewing book?! Every girl has to have this on her shelf!

I love the basic sewing techniques in this book to guide you through the charming projects that will stretch your sewing skills beyond of quilting. I adore Anna Maria’s voice and perspective – fun and free. There are no rules here; just guidelines to help steer you in the direction of success with your modern projects. I also especially like that this book is spiral bound so I can lay it flat.

Another sewing book I love is Amy Karol‘s Bend-the-Rules-Sewing book. It’s full of clever, modern projects with a fresh twist, from bags to aprons to table linens to aprons. I love her illustrations, and the multiple pictures or ideas she presents for each project.

Knitting and Crochet References

I learned how to knit and crochet when I was about 10 years old, but I ended up setting crafts aside while I was in college.

I relearned both knitting and crochet over 10 years ago, so I bought a couple reference books to have on hand. My absolute favorite resource book is the Knitters Companion because it serves like a mini encyclopedia (or a paperbook version of Google) when I get stuck and need to look up something quickly. I also really like that it’s spiral-bound so I can lay it flat if I need to follow along.

I always need help figuring out how to interchange yarns, since I often don’t have access to the yarn used in a pattern. So I especially love those particular pages!

Embroidery References

I used to do more embroidery and needlepoint in years past. At one point, I had to narrow down my hobbies, which is mainly sewing these days.

(Doodle Stitching by Aimie Ray, Kids Embroidery by Kristin Nicholas, and Colorful Stitchery by Kristin Nicholas)

But I was so happy I had these reference books on my shelves when I made my mini friendship quilt for my recent blog giveaway. I needed a refresher on how to stitch words and flowers.

Color References

I think we would all agree how much fun it is to learn about the color wheel, how to use it, and how to make projects with the color wheel in mind.

I love the color exploration sections in Joelle Hoverson’s books. She provides a simple yet artsy narrative on combining various colors to achieve a different feeling.

I found this cool book at the local yarn store. I haven’t had much time to spend studying it, but it has amazing examples of different color combinations based on how you turn your color wheel.

Drawing Resources

I also have a pile of drawing and design resources, but I haven’t had much time to spend on those art techniques since the design and drawing classes I took last year.

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I know, there are zillions of great craft reference books and pattern books on the market. I could write a separate post reviewing each one of these wonderful creative books. (I do have a couple new sewing books I plan to review soon, so stay tuned for more on that.) Having these particular resources on my shelves has given me access to techniques and inspiration right at my fingertips! Feel free to share your favorite resources in the comments or link to your blog.

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Previous posts about my Best Practices:

Filing

Notetaking

Bobbins, Pins and Folding

Business Cards

Carry Your Product

Weekend at the Cottage

| terriaw

Sorry to disappear for a couple days! We spent the weekend at my parents’ cottage on northern Lake Michigan, which always makes me happy.

My brother ran the half marathon for the third year in a row, so we were there to cheer him on.

(Note that the time in the background wasn’t his finishing time – he did much better than that! I needed to wait until he was cooled off and ready for a picture.)

I always love exploring in the woods along the water and beachcombing. It’s heavenly looking for the most perfect rock, watching the gulls and ducks, and daydreaming over the water.

We did a little shopping (so proud I didn’t buy anything), a little eating, and a lot of relaxing!

We haven’t seen my family in a few months, so it was good to get together.

I didn’t do any sewing, but I sold the last tote bag from my shop and my mom ordered a purse, so I have a few sewing projects to get done this week. Hope you all had a nice May Day and weekend!