Long Time Gone

I feel like I disappeared for awhile. I tried to anyway. Overall, I needed a bit of a break from all things usual- our schedule, my shop, my blog, sewing.... A couple weeks ago Jack got very sick...and then of course, after being coughed on day & night I came down with something as well. I realized though, more than ever that life & work & creating comes in waves and has highs & lows.


So after closing up shop a bit, abandoning this little blog o' mine, finishing orders, and getting healthy....we took off for a much need mini vacation to Santa Monica. It was a working business trip for my husband but Jack & I enjoyed the bits of time with him....in addition to lounging by the pool, exploring Third Street Promenade, devouring the best vegan restaurant food we've found, walking the beach view trail, & soaking in all the california sunnyness.


Here's a few snapshots of our trip...I'm planning a few more posts to come on the farmer's market, Reform School & design of our hotel.

little rascal peeking out our hotel window

hunka hunka

my gorgeous guys

inspired by the surfer guys

love, pure love

sillyness. pure sillyness

hooray! looking forward to getting back in the groove. might be a new groove. but a groove nonetheless......

Business Bits - The Story of Joy

Topic: Ad Campaign - Learning from BMW

There are a lot of really dumb ads out there. However, I think BMW gets it right. And I'm not even a car person (in fact, if I could, I'd drive an old 80's Ford pick-up. Really.) 

Anyhow, BMW launched an ad campaign awhile back that I think we can learn from.

It's called, "The Story of Joy."

Remember my post  from way back about telling your story? Well, BMW does just that-sharing more about what they're all about rather than just talking at you. Do they still want us to buy their cars? Yes, but they also want us to know & fall in love with their brand- their story.

One of their taglines says it perfectly & gives us something to think about in how we create & shape our own business identities:

"We realized a long time ago that what you make people feel is just as important as what you make."

What does your brand/blog/site/shop make people feel?

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my handsome & loving husband. Thank you for being such an amazingly adventurous & patient father to our little bundle.

Little Treasure

my new favorite necklace.

made by jack.

he's been sick all week. and with all the hugging + coughing i'm now sick too.

blaming this gray, unseasonably cold portland weather.

so we stayed inside and built lego mansions & made crafts.

please someone, send me some sunshine. and some tea.

hoping for sunnier skies & healthier bodies next week!

Hello Craft - Summit of Awesome

Portland is indeed a very crafty city...so no surprise that Hello Craft decided to hold their Summit of Awesome here this week.  It's a brilliant event (or so I imagine it to be!) filled with business classes, hands-on workshops, & technical seminars. Plus, a networker's paradise.

Sadly, I'm not able to go this week....but luckily there is recaps posted on their site & some sessions are shown in Etsy Virtual Labs. 

If you are a lucky little maven that gets to go...do share your thoughts!

{{on another note: i've been missing in action all week- taking care of a sick little guy and our often ill little kitty. hoping for brighter days next week!}}

Business Bits - Is Bigger Better?

Topic: Business Growth: Is Bigger Better?

Bigger is better.  Right? Well, seems like many folks want us to believe that. Especially in business. There is a pervasive pressure to grow, baby, grow.

I hear businessy people talk about it all the time: finding investors, developing wholesale accounts, Even my dad joked around about when I would make my business public.  Other people often exclaim, "Oh my my gosh, you're still making all those things yourself!"  This feedback can be both energizing (they have confidence in me!) and hurtful (I'm not trying to develop a factory here). 

So, needless to say, I enjoyed the outlook shared by Bo Burlingham, author of the book, Small Giants. He challenges the notion that bigger is better in business. I've read the book & found this clip to be especially thought-provoking when considering how & by how much you want your business to grow.

Outline:  { I was a teacher for goodness sake! }

In facing the pressure to grow, small businesses need to ask themselves, "What is it you want out of your business?"     Ok, so, what is it?

While the notion of 'investors' may seem a bit distant for some - replace that term with "wholesale accounts," "new site," "hiring employees".....

Owner of Anchor Brewery, a company that has mindfully & strategically stayed small,  proclaims, "we have an identity."   Do you have an identity?

Growing a company can often be at the risk of "moving product over building relationships."
 Do you ever feel like you're facing this risk?

Successful businesses that stay small purposefully all include three characteristics:
    - Integrity (we are who we say we are)
    - Professionalism  (we do what we say we will do)
    - Human Connection (building an emotional bond)


___________________________________________________________________
Bo includes profiles of other small businesses he calls Small Giants - a fascinating read!

Grab a cuppa & check out my other Business Bits articles

Father's Day Crafty Gift Ideas

Father's Day is just about a week away....so here's a little collection of things to make for dear old dad:

Paper Shirt Card & tons of other ideas from Martha Stewart

Smallest Tool Box Ever! Clever idea using an altoid box. Directions found at Alpha Mom

Easy Men's Wallet Tutorial from yours truly :)

Rather buy something for daddy-o? Check out my Etsy gift picks for Father's Day!

Missing- The Search for Kyron Horman

MISSING: Kyron Horman

Any information about his whereabouts please call:

503-261-2847

My blog space is usually reserved for fabric & loveliness & bits of happiness....but this story troubles me deeply. In fact, I find myself thinking of 7 year-old Kyron, missing now for a week, several times daily. I pray & check the news for updates & at times, have found myself in tears.

Kyron went missing from his school last Friday morning. His disapearance pulls at my heart and I cannot even imagine the desperation felt by his family. Perhaps it's the same sweetness I see in my own young son....

in any case, I'm hoping thought that by adding his photo we can increase the awareness of this case.

Treasures - Guest Post from Karuski

I am so pleased to have Minna from Karuski as my guest blogger today! I've gotten to know Minna a bit through our blogs and really admire her shop & fabulous work.  She kindly agreed to share a bit about her charming fabric finds...I'm so intrigued by her reclaimed treasures- particularly because she unearths amazing prints & partly because she's in Finland...a world away from me.  Welcome Minna!

First of all, thanks Allisa for asking me to contribute to your lovely blog!


I'm sure many of you share a passion for sweet fabrics, so do I. I also love recycling, thrift stores and flea markets and I use mainly reclaimed fabrics on Karuski. The best thing about visiting a second hand store is that you never really know what kind of treasures you will find each time. I usually don't return home with empty hands. On the other hand I need to go there with an open mind and without expectations. It's all about happy surprises and joy of discovery!

I thought I would share a few things I found on my treasure hunt last week. These serve as good examples what can be found at second hand stores in Finland. Enjoy!

An entrance to a flea market (loppis in Swedish, kirppis in Finnish) I visit regularly.

Lovely floral and botanical prints.

Two on the left are vintage bed sheets, one on the right has served as a curtain.

Plain beige and black fabrics are 2-4 yards each, pale pink roses on white is a pillow case, mustard leaves print has been either a curtain or a table cloth, gray squares are napkins. Cute vintage shank buttons are leather and fabric covered.

This curtain came in double quantity. Another one has now found its place by my studio's window. This piece I could use for a pillow cover, for instance.

Besides fabrics I was lucky to score this fabulous rack. It will be handy at craft fairs holding small purses or even jewelry.

I normally look for fabrics, trims and other sewing supplies but there is always so much variety from clothing to furniture, lamps, table ware and home deco items + everything in between. These places in my area have very modest prices too. Or what do you say about a vintage curtain with a lovely print for approximately $3.00?

What's the best find your have made at your local flea or elsewhere? We would love to hear, please share!

Frilly Fabric Flower Tutorial

Love making these frilly little fabric flowers, they look lovely sewn on just about anything (take a peek below for more ideas).  In the winter I made twisted selvage edge rosettes, but these flowers are really cinchy & easy to vary their size.

They seem to have cropped up everywhere - bags, shirts, & such.... the twist I've added is making them double-sided with a somewhat finished edge.

Here's  quick tutorial to make your own:

Supplies: fabric scraps, jar or other object to make circles, needle & thread, pen & scissors

Step 1:  Layer fabric (it will be easier & faster to cut). Trace mason jar & cut out circles. Two circles are needed for each flower.

Step 2:  Lay two circles wrong sides together (right sides out). Pin if desired (I don't find it necessary to pin these, but I'm a bit of a risk take ;)  Stitch along edge using super small zigzag stitch. This kind of 'finishes' the edge. Trim any threads or fabric.

Step 3: Making the flower shape. There are two ways to do this. The first, shown above, is gripping & then pinching the fabric together with four fingers so four separate "petals" are formed. *Remember the grade school game with the folded paper that would tell your fortune? just like that ;)  

OR: you can try it like this. If your fingers aren't quite as nimble for the technique shown above, this is slightly easier. Start by folding your circle in half. Hold the middle on the sewn edge (not quite shown) and with opposite hand fold in/ bring in the sides, then pinch the bottom. (hard to show & take a photo)

Step 4: Sew up the bottom. Two different ways shown. First, on the left photo, sew each little 'petal' separately. Bring your needle around each little fold a few times & then move to the next. This creates a 'puckered' flower. OR with flower flattened a bit (after folding) sew through all layers (just be sure to catch all the folds). This creates kind of a fan.  Really, they don't look that much different when finished...so whatever works for you.

Step 5: If desired, sew a pin back on at this point.

OR sew directly onto anything else.....

on pillow

on shirt

Variations: Use just one fabric in making flower. Vary the sizes of the circles. Bunch them closer or looser apart. Sew beads inside at the center - little pearls would look lovely!  Endless possibilities really :)

Enjoy!

Studio Peeks

I'm fascinated by the spaces people carve out for themselves to work & create. It's a little like claiming a spot in this world and saying....'I'm going to make something happen here.'  Last week I shared a glimpse into my studio, one that is far from my own personal style, but I am so grateful to have. Before that room, I stored fabric in the nursery closet, ironed in our den, cut on the kitchen table, and sewed in our bedroom. Horribly inefficient...but it worked at the time- with just a grain of an idea & a brand new baby in the crib!

I'm happy to have gathered more glimpses into the creative spaces of designers I really appreciate & respect....so grab a cup and take a look....
Enjoy!

Modern & inviting corner from Inklore

Wonderfully organized area, brimming with supplies from a la mode

Can I come shopping please? This space also from a la mode is sensational!

Any sewer would be pleased as punch to have this room where Happy Zombie creates her magic. Can it get any better than this?

Pure Bliss. That's what I'm calling this little corner of sewing utopia also found at Happy Zombie.

I love this photo from Moon Over Maize...those tools & hardware give me even more appreciation to her craft & skill in jewelry making.

Another peek into the creative space from Moon Over Maize, this one shared with her kids...a mom after my own heart!

Ok, so when Cindy from Live a Colorful Life shared this photo with me, she must have known I will now need to come visit! The table, the sunlight, the fabric stash...no wonder she is able to make such wonderful sewn, quilty things!

I love this photo from Zoetropa - truly a little glimpse into her creative process.

How tidy & inviting is this little sewing corner from Smidgebox? What a wonderful crafty nook!

Smidgebox's fabric stash - organized & inspiring...and inviting :)

A big thank you to all my creative friends who shared their little pieces of this world with me!

Business Bits- Developing Specific Goals

Topic: Developing Specific Business Goals

I love when a skill from my 'previous life' (before Jack  & Quiltish) translates over into running a small business.

One little knack I had was developing very specific goals. Not necessarily for me...but for my students.  As a teacher of students of special needs I was required to develop, document, and record progress towards very specific goals. At first, (at the tender age of 21 when I began teaching) I saw this process as a paperwork burden...but soon realized it was an invaluable aspect of my teaching - and the success of my students.

I see the same merit for business.

Why make specific goals? So you know where you going, where you've been, if you need to change paths, if what you're doing is making any difference at all.

Why specific? So you can measure them....you can actually determine if what you've set out to achieve has been accomplished.  It doesn't really mean anything to say, "I want to sell more stuff." or "I want a better site." what the heck does that mean?

How?  Make them measurable. Think:  how much, how often by when (e.g. 50 sales per month by December 2010)

I just wrote my business goals for this quarter. I'm sharing the chart I made & process I used.  I included a very hypothetical example.

Develop your own goals with the blank Goal Planner Sheet in this free Downloadable PDF .

step to develop goals:

1. Have in mind your big long term goal. Example:  Create a small business that allows me to work from home and contribute at least $2000 monthly to our family income.

{steps 2 & 3 done simultaneously}

2. Develop 3-5 short term goals that work towards achieving long term goal (measured in a short term period, such as 3 months)

Example: "Average 500 daily views for Etsy shop for duration of at least one week by Sept. 1, 2010" 

3. Determine where you are NOW- use Etsy data, Google Analytics, transaction records, etc. 

Example: "currently average 100 shop views daily"  (other examples: 50 sales monthly, or 1 blog post weekly, or $200 weekly profit)

4. Plan very specific, measurable strategies for each goal. Example:

- Promote 3 items daily on Facebook

- List or Renew 3 items daily

- Post new items on blog once weekly

- Upload 10 photos to Flickr weekly

**notice each strategy is measurable - how much & how often 

5.  Benchmark: set how often goals will be measured.

Example: start of each month

6. Follow through until set end date. Did you achieve your goal? I hope so!

NOTES:

This is an ongoing worksheet....take notice of your progress, do goals & strategies need to be modified? Think of an ingenious marketing idea? Add it to your strategy list! Didn't meet your goal? Analyze the how & when to help determine what can be improved or tried differently.  

FURTHER READING:

Dream Big - Previous post on dreaming big & determining your overall business goals

The Thing About Goals - Seth Godin