Giveaway Winner- Happy Scrap Buster Tutorial

Congrats to SewMeow for winning a pretty little pack of fabric from my destash giveaway!

Thanks to all for your helpful businessy comments & questions...look for a post on pricing tomorrow & a marketing series soon. ooh, it's getting juicy :)

Here's a marvelous project tutorial for any little scrap pack: Patchwork Napkins found at Sew Mama Sew

Spring Coasters Tutorial

Spring is here! Well, it sure looks it anyway. Flowers buds, cherry blossoms, longer days...and the promise of sunnier weather. To help cheer on warmer days, I found this lovely pieced fabric coaster tutorial from The Long Thread. These pretties are now on my craft to-do list (and a beautiful way to use up scraps!). Also on my ever-lovin' long list:

• an alphabet wall quilt for Jack
• felt flowers
• ruffles. ruffle flowers. ruffle trims
• a new bag design (ooh, can't wait to show this one off!)
• a notepad portfolio ( in the works... a fun surprise to share soon!)
• felt easter eggs
• more patchwork bags & pillows

ok...that's good for now. whew.

what's on your crafty list? do share!

{{image credit: The Long Thread }}

Craft Time

I've got a whole lot of crafty ideas lined up - ruffly flowers, felt eggs, more patchwork, and even a wall quilt hanging....but today? Today I got as far as making pipe cleaner glasses for my little goofball.

Patchwork Pretties

Take a look at a few lovelies I've been working on! Had them in my mind for awhile now....been missing quilting & thought I'd add a bit of -modern- patchwork to my bags. {{they'll be stocked in my shop soon!}}

smooch

i just love this kid to bits!

Business Bits - Must Read: Craft Inc.

Topic: A Must Read- Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco

I remember my husband brought this book home for me almost two years ago...I thought, "holy hell, I guess this is serious." (this being my little etsy endeavor). It's proven to be quite a valuable gift. The subtitle says it all- "turning your creative hobby into a business," and I refer back monthly- at least. It's been out for awhile so perhaps you've heard of it- but if not it's worth the read.

Written by a crafter, it's outlined with easy to understand advice from starting out to getting big & everything in between; marketing, wholesaling, making it legal, protecting your work....and gobs more. She weaves little question + answer tidbits in from various successful crafters such as Lotta Jansdotter, Denyse Schmidt, In Fiore, and Lovely Design. It's all very inspiring & informative...perfect for revving up your crafty engine!

Next step? The Craft Inc Business Planner published in September '09

Any businessy books you've found helpful? If so, please post + share!

Have you checked out my little fabric destash giveaway? To enter, just post business topics & questions you're interested in this post

Stitchin'

have embroidery on my mind. envisioning cherry blossoms on linen....we'll see what i come up with. in the mean time, here's a lovely little project from purl bee: pillow cases with various embroidery stitches, great way to learn & practice a stitch.

embroidery sampler pillow from purl bee

i like to draw my own designs but i happened upon a few shops with cute embroidery patterns :

Comfort Stitching
September House
Sadie & Oliver
Little Dear

Prairie Home Companion - Inspiration

i'm a prairie girl at heart. still holding out hope that someday i'll live where all things are open & wide & true. yesterday, i took a photo of this old barn- which is actually not far from our house... i fell in love the first time i saw it years + years ago. it's now a community farm & my heart smiles each time we pass.

A bit of inspiration for my Etsy Finds. Along with excerpts from "Home on the Range" (J. Lomax 1910):

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,

Where the deer and the antelope play,

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Where the air is so pure, the zephyrs so free,
The breezes so balmy and light,
That I would not exchange my home on the range
For all of the cities so bright.

How often at night when the heavens are bright
With the light from the glittering stars
Have I stood here amazed and asked as I gazed
If their glory exceeds that of ours.

Oh, I love these wild prairies where I roam
The curlew I love to hear scream,
And I love the white rocks and the antelope flocks
That graze on the mountain-tops green.

Oh, give me a land where the bright diamond sand
Flows leisurely down the stream;
Where the graceful white swan goes gliding along
Like a maid in a heavenly dream.

Credits:
1. Wildflower Photograph by Shutter Bug Eye
2. Vintage Quilt from Sadie Olive
3. Hook Board by Post Road Vintage
4. Blue Speckled Bowls from Odd Bits at Etsy
5. Rustic Bench from True Connection

Giveaway With a Question Attached

Over here cleaning out my fabric supplies... you know, out with old & in the with the new bit...and I've got some charming bundles & scraps. They just need a new home!So...I donated gobs to the Project Linus, listed some in my destash shop, & am offering this cute little bundle (+ a half yard surprise!) as a giveaway. Some florals, dots, apples, & mermaid...all perfect for spring (it's on it's way you know ;)

To enter? Just leave a comment with a businessy related topic you're interested in for your Etsy shop, website, or future crafty endeavor. (e.g. marketing, branding, wholesaling, etc.)

Why? Because, as you might've read, I'm sharing tips every Monday in my "Business Bits" and am excited to report back on topics of interest.

Don't have a business/etsy shop? You can still enter- just leave a comment with what you think makes a successful Etsy shop or crafty website!


winner chosen by Random.org on february 28th (8:00 pm PST)

Bird on a Branch

wishing i had a mega fabulous camera today...tried so hard to capture this amazing bald eagle perched high up the tree in our backyard foresty area. jack & i heard it squawking all afternoon (ever hear an eagle squawk? it's loud + shrill + intense!) we are able to spot it & with ultra zoom mode i got this photo....we're hoping they're will be little eagle babies in the spring!

inspired me to look up bird & branch tutorials & i found this lovely bird pattern from Spool

here's my nod to birds on a branch with my new zip pouch featuring fabric from tina givens.

ps. be sure to check out my fabric destash giveaway i'll be holding later this week!

Business Bits - Creating a Schedule

{{NEWSFLASH: I'm currently working on an e-book to share my experience starting & running a successful Etsy shop - stay tuned!}}


Topic: Making It Work at Home- Creating a Schedule

A lot of people ask just how *exactly* it all gets done. Sometimes, I'm not really sure. I stare blankly and say, 'I don't know, it just does'. Was it fairy pixie dust? Do I sleepwalk & sew at 3am?

One thing I am certain of is our schedule. Oh, it sounds so blase doesn't it? Like maybe it will cramp my creative style? Well, once I made the mental switch from hobby to business, I just can't see any other (sane) way around it! Plus, I learned from teaching high school students with special needs for 7 years that schedules/routines/calendars can be surprisingly freeing....

Image Credit Fibers & Twigs

Here are some little bits on scheduling:

• Make it before you break it: With a toddler our days are totally scheduled. I allocate time to play & explore & take classes together. And of course his naps are my time to work & treat myself. Evenings are broken up between partial work time & alone time with my hubby. Mornings (before the house wakes!) are my time alone & to create. Having this set in place makes it easier to deal with change. If something comes up we deviate, shift, compromise. And it all works out. But the opposite means running around crazy, stressing trying to find time to work....and feeling guilty about whether family or work is coming first. Having a schedule alleviates these headaches & makes (work) life so much easier....
• Prioritize: There is a quote out there I've always kept in mind (but can't seem to locate so if you recognize it, let me know!) : "show me someone's calendar & I'll tell you what their priorities are." I guess in a way the calendar doesn't lie. If someone spends 15 hours a week at the gym we can assume they value health. So, when making a schedule, decide what's most important. Personally, I don't care about sleeping in (really!) ....so it's not in my schedule. But I do love snuggling in the mornings with my son- not much can get in the way of that.
• Divide it up: A home-based business can be daunting. Technically, there is always work to do. It has to be divided. So, If I have an hour I set a timer: 30 mins of sewing & 10 for emails & 20 for housework. (you can see my priorities here, ha!) Also, my to-do lists are totally separate- one list for Quiltish work & the other for house/life/fun stuff - a very visual separation of home & work.
  
• Seek (and accept!) help: This can be so hard for us moms, I think. Pride is it? Or just knowing that we can do it best! I realized though, that asking for help isn't like waving a white flag or whimping out or settling- it's just plain smart. Help can come in all forms and I (generally) accept it all & gladly schedule it into our week: our regular sitter, family members, my husband being flexible-ish...it can actually be surprising how many people want to help when asked (i had no idea my brother's girlfriend would go for stuffing tissue paper in bags- but she did and we had a blast laughing the whole time!)
• E= MC2: I appreciate this concept from our pastor; It's easy to say, "I don't have time for that." But we spend our time, our energy doing something- so it often comes down to deciding whether I want to put my energy here (watching television) or there (marketing my shop).
• Capitalize on Multi-Tasking: I have found the stirring 'underground' revolution of mothers & crafters & small business owners so inspiring- and a common thread I've noticed is an ability to multi-task. I don't mean chewing gum & rubbing your tummy. More like re-thinking how to set up the days & our lives. For example, during my child's first year, I craved exercise, time to think & ways to spend quality time with him. Initially it felt like all of these had to be met separately to be satisfied. But of course, like most other moms, I didn't have an abundance of time or energy or money & realized that taking 3-4 mile walks daily with my son in the stroller completely gave me what I needed: a chance to think, get moving, & enjoy the park/trees/trails/shops & sights together.
• Every Last Drop: Sometimes an hour doesn't equal an hour. I know I can get a gazillion times more sewing done from 4am- 5am rather than the evening after a hectic day with the toddler. So, that's when I do it. I save emails & easier stuff for the evening.
  
• Reevaluate: It's easy to get an a slump. Or get to a point where things just don't work. I often can go a whole week (or more!) like this. Finally, I come to a point & look at things & say 'wow, I've got to make a change.' I try to do this often. Helps keep things fresh & not feeling over-routinized. Never thought I'd enjoy working out at the gym in the late afternoons...but I tried it...and I do!
  
  Image Credit Studio Brainstorm

Thanks for reading this week's edition! Do post a comment & add any scheduling or time-saving tips you might have, I'd love to have a mighty long list!

Love Wishes

Nunc scio, quid sit Amor

Now I know what love is.
- Virgil

wishes for a love-filled valentine's day...whatever kind of love that may be....

Quick Valentines

Sooo, I've been 'out' sick this week. Ugh. But after endless cups o' tea, honey & mint lozenges, & too many days in loungy pants- I do believe I'm on the mend!

Being cooped gave us chance to get ready for Valentine's Day- we made delicious heart cookies (but ate them all too quickly before I could snap a photo!) and these fun heart crayons found on The Long Thread. I think Jack thought it was a trick- a craft where you're supposed to break & peel the crayons! Anyhow, he ended up making some great combos- like the blue & orange above.

Also printed our these sweet little downloadable cards from The Long Thread...it's not too late!


Cleaned out my sewing bin- Jack glued little crafty bits on card stock hearts. Perfect project for a two year-old dynamo!

Business Bits - Dream Big

Welcome to my first little post on businessy topics! While I certainly don't have an MBA (but I married one) & I'm by no means an expert....I've become super interested in all things entrepreneurial & would love to share my findings with others who, like me, seek to move their talents into a profitable, thriving business- whatever shape that comes in!


Sooo, where to start? How about where I wish I would've begun with my Etsy shop- with the dream.

the idea.
the thought.

the beginning of the pursuit. {Image Credit Valentina Design}

It's so cliche I almost don't want to write it...but I think it's important nevertheless & it drives all subsequent decisions: Dream Big.

I guess if we were to get all technical, we might call it a business plan. But maybe even before getting there it's just a matter of dreaming-imagining-envisioning where oh where do I want the business to go? what do i want it to look like? how will it shape my life?

Here's the opposite of dreaming big: starting an Etsy shop & thinking, "hey, it would be nice to have some extra cash. maybe someone, somewhere would perhaps buy my little bag. maybe. who knows. i'll just put it up. we'll see. nothing will probably happen. maybe. maybe i can sell a few. maybe i can pay some bills with it. we'll see. it would be nice......"

well, sadly that was me. that pretty much sums up my life decisions up until my Etsy shop took off & i realized that much empowerment came from that & (simultaneously for me) being a mom.

Now, (maybe a wee bit late) I really dream. I think, I plan, I want, I hope. And I want to do it BIG.

Not to say I'm not grounded. I grow slow & I grow small. But...I'm growing...and since I started dreaming....I now grow in the direction I had hoped for.

Here are some questions I found kind of initiated this process:

1. "If I found someone to invest $100,000 in Quiltish, what exactly would you do with it?" - Hubby.
This is such a fabulous question because I really had to think, What do I want Quiltish to be? Do I want an actual store? What would I make/sell? Would this change the small goodness I have now? Do I even want to do this forever?

2. "What would you do/be if you knew you wouldn't fail?" - Pastor.
Oh boy, as someone so leary of failure (had enough of that thank you very much!) I really had to push my limits & think, well, what the heck would I do?! write a book? get my Ph.d? own a store? start the business idea i have that has nothing to do with sewing?

3. "When you look in the mirror does an entrepreneur look back?" Inc. Magazine
I think this is a good question no matter what I'm doing in life.... When I look in the mirror does a .... mother/wife/teacher/friend/student...look back? I'm all about introspection and I think it's helpful to take inventory. If the face of a friend doesn't look back in the mirror to me...then I have some changes to make. Same thing on the business front- if I don't see an entrepreneur there (and quite honestly, I haven't decided if I do!) then I either need to change my path or make personal changes.... that's that. It is what it is.
Other questions to ask before pursuing a business found in Inc Magazine here

Once the dream is dreamt & the questions answered then all other decisions become easier and more meaningful.....


So, there we go. A little bit of business to start off the week. What are you dreaming up?

Super

I love me some football.

-versus-

Black & Gold Lovelies {Saints}
1. Photograph by Sweet Blue
2. Flower Brooch by AAlicia Accessories
3. Felt Garland Anastasia Jamin Home
4. Golden Dahlia by Karuski
5. Embroidered Pillow by Waterrose
6. Lariat by An Original Jewelry

Cobalt & White Lovelies {Colts}
1. Teardrop Necklace by Glitz Glitter
2. Flower Pearl Necklace by Zifrenia
3. Miniature Clay House by Little Red Door
4. Plaid Skirt by The Garbologists Wife
5. Vintage Chenille Fabric by Alora's Adorables

Business Bits

Confessions:
Each time my husband's issue of Inc. Magazine arrives in the mailbox, I gleefully hide it away & sneak peeks as soon as I can, geekily enjoying all the business bits.

On Sundays I first reach for the Target ad, then the sports or metro, and then....the business section. Truly. And while I'm pouring my guts out here I might as well admit that I've got a few businessy books stacked up on my nighstand right now, next to my Maeve Binchys.

I have no explanation for this other than pure osmosis. Those little entreprenurial, managmenty, marketing bugs must've gotten in me in Boston while my husband attended business school. Because, up until then, even just the word "business" evoked strong headaches & disturbing images of The Donald, creepy corporate offices, and men's thin silky dress socks.

But even a simple girl like me has sort of embraced (though a bit undercover) the notions of business...which I'm defining as 'management.' Many business concepts helped me run my class of high school students with greater ease (!). And then again while running a household. And now.....while making a go of working from home.

So what's the big deal?

Now that I've confessed, there's no point in hiding anymore! Instead, I'll be starting a new section called "Business Bits" here every Monday to share my findings. Maybe I can even persuade the resident expert marketing guru and MBA genius (uh, my husband) to weigh in...

Have questions or areas of interest?....post a comment & I'll let you know what I find!


{{Image Credit Sadie Olive }}

Finding Inspiration

dreaming in fabric. saw the brilliant photo down below- reminded me of denyse schmidt's new line, hope valley. and so, i made this little imaginary quilt. hoping to scoop up both the photo & the fabric sometime and make this little dream a reality.

where have you found inspiration lately? i'd love to hear!

a thousand lanterns by irene sochuki

{{image credit to irene}} ps. please visit her shop- it's just pure loveliness!

Sweet Dreams

Dragon tales and the water is wide
Pirate's sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

The rocket racer's all tuckered out
Superman's in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon, will find the mouse
And I love you

God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars
God hears "Amen," wherever we are
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed

Sweet dreams

{{spent the last few days & nights & mornings transitioning our little guy to his 'big' toddler bed. a little afraid. a little brave. a little excited. a little snuggly. a lot awake. ....so proud of him! and am hoping things get back to normal soon.....}}

"Godspeed" by the Dixie Chicks