Start Your Own.....With Simply Solids

This is the last of guest posts in the Start Your Own series.  A great big huge THANK YOU to all of our contributor. I've learned so much from you and am grateful for your time, effort and thoughtfulness.

Our guest blogger this week is Mandy Noble.  Mandy is mum, business owner, fabric lover and opportunist.  She is creator and owner of Simply Solids, a brilliant online fabric shop in the UK.  You can get to shopping on her website or just go to have a peek around her blog if you'd like to learn more.

Thank you, Mandy, for writing such a tangible post, giving us a peek into your mindset and your family as well as how you have evolved into Simply Solids. 

Where to start???

I am 42 and mum to three gorgeous children, Jamie 10, Freya 8 and Audrey 5.  I live in a small village in the Peak District, which is absolutely beautiful - picture perfect.  My husband Lewis is a successful landscape artist and we kind of live an idyllic life!! (most of the time!)  I gave up work to look after the children and now they are all at primary school I needed to find a job that would be flexible and fit around them.  I used to be a business development manager for a large multimedia company and am pretty IT savvy so running an online store selling fabric (which I am addicted to) is the perfect solution!

My mum taught me to sew when I was little, but I never did a huge amount other than curtains till after the kids were born.  In 1989 I went to a quilt exhibition of slave quilts in Atlanta, Georgia and swore that one day I would make my own quilt, it took a good 11 years before i started one and another 7 years before that was finished!  3 kids got in the way, but once they were past the baby stage I signed up for a block a month workshop and that was it - I was hooked.

When I started quilting I was into Japanese Daiwabo fabrics so everything was very muted, but after joining flickr and discovering the blogging world I discovered new modern fabrics and fell in love.  I love bright colours and simple designs and my quilts today reflect this.  I have a mad confidence in that I will try anything and love a new challenge!!

The shop came about because I was struggling to get hold of certain Kona cotton solids in the and thought maybe I should order it in in bulk myself and sell a bit on Etsy.  Then a friend (lilysquilts) kind of bet me to start a shop - so I did!!  My job before the children were born involved web design and I have always managed my husband's business so I had a lot of the necessary skills already, I started small and am just building it up as I go along.

My goal with Simply Solids is to have the complete range of Kona Cotton Solids combined with a few other ranges - Amy Butler Solids, Kaffe Fasset Shot Cottons and some plain Linens.  I will always order in any colour a customer needs and am always open to suggestion for different ranges.  I also stock Gutermann Cotton threads and wadding meaning that customers can get everything they need to complete a quilt.  I stock Moda pre-cuts because I love them, the ranges are always changing and they offer such flexibility.  I have only been going for a year so my stock and ranges will continue to grow and grow!

I would love to expand to a bricks and mortar shop in the future, but the time is not right now with the kids, I am very involved at school and they need me around holidays and after school.  Maybe once they are older I may be able to do this and have a workshop space as well.

As for advice - I think having a business background and the ability to run my own website makes a huge difference, it keeps the costs down as I don't need any outside contractors.  I am also lucky in that my dad is an accountant and has set up my accounts system.  I would advise anyone thinking of starting out to consider all these things, profit margins are tight so you need to be able to do as much of the admin as you can and get good systems in place.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have turned my hobby/passion into a career that fits in around my family.  I don't make a huge amount of money from it but hopefully as I expand it will make a difference to our household income.

Start Your Own...With Penny Barnes

Our guest blogger this week is Penny Barnes.  Penny is a longarm quilter who incorporated her love for fabric and quilting into a career for herself, but in a different way than what you might think.  I admire her open spirit to take an opportunity when presented.  Thank you, Penny, for writing such a personal, tangible post for us today!

Hello Everyone! My  name is Penny  Barnes and I am a Fabricaholic, which has triggered symptoms of being a Quiltaholic as well.  I love fabric.  I love to look at it, touch it, and bring it home to my sewing stash.  Sometimes, occasionally (okay… most of the time) I purchase fabric without a definite plan in mind for it’s use. There is currently no known cure. I work at a local quilt shop called The Quilted Forest, located here in north central Iowa that feeds my habit. Okay.  There.  I said it.  Admitting I have a problem is key in beating the… Hey wait!  I don’t to cure this!   I love to make quilts for family, friends and people I’ve never met.  I’ve also recently made quilts to donate to a local Children’s Hospital.  

In 2008, I started out working at the quilt shop on just the occasional Saturday, an opportunity to spend a day surrounded by my beloved fabric. I treasured those Saturdays.   I was working another full time job when, due to cuts, my position was eliminated.  My mom was admitted to hospice on that same day.  That’s what I call a bad day, but I carried on; was able to move in to another full time position which I like to refer to as The Job from Hell.  (Ever have one of those?)  Less than one year later, that position was eliminated as well, and it was a wake up call. Somebody was trying to tell me something.  It was time.  Time to step out in faith and into my world of quilts!  I was able to begin working several days a week at the quilt shop nursing my wounds.  Losing one’s job is hard. Being told it’s nothing personal when it still feels personal, is painful.  But now I was spending my day in my most favorite happy place, helping other quilters choose fabrics for their projects, sewing shop samples and getting paid for it.  It felt good.  (Is anyone else thinking about that saying “when one door closes  another one opens”?)

As part of my therapy to deal with losing my job, I decided I would make all of my kids and grandkids quilts that Christmas.  Did I mention I have 6 kids? And, at that time 4 grandkids?  (I have six now and one due next February)  Six plus four equals ten. (Yikes!) And I started in August.  Doesn’t that sound crazy? Yeah, I thought so too.  As I started finishing quilt tops, I wondered how I would ever afford the cost of getting them all quilted.  Enter another great idea: I asked my shop owner, Shelley, if I could learn how to run the longarm machine in our shop, so that I could quilt my own quilts on my own time.  She said YES!  So I got my first lesson...the week of Thanksgiving.  I had less than a month to finish all 10 quilts and I did it!  It wasn’t long after that the longarm quilter at the shop had to leave and I was asked if I wanted to take that position.  I was terrified.   The only thing I had done was a basic meandering stipple with the occasional star or heart.    I knew I couldn’t take on that job without more training, so was fortunate enough to enroll in some classes with Dawn Cavanaugh at APQS and have been doing all of the machine quilting at the shop since. 

One of the most important things I learned was to practice, practice, practice…and then practice some more! So my first purchase was a dry erase board.  I still use it when I want to experiment with a design I’d like to try.  I watch you tube videos and love to find books on machine quilting.  Some of my favorite and most inspiring books have been Freehand Patterns by Nan Moore, and Hooked on Feathers by Sally Terry.  I also have a few books by Sue Patten that have also been very helpful.  Qnntv.com has a show called Quilt It the Longarm Quilting show which has been awesome to watch and get ideas for quilting. There are so many great resources available for us quilters.  I love to experiment with new patterns and ideas in my quilting, whether for myself or customers.   What I have found is that everyone has their own style, even when you are attempting to mimic a design in an instructional book.  Your quilting is going to be your own.  And that’s a good thing.

I’ve had thoughts of purchasing my own longarm machine, and still may do so at some time so that I can continue to quilt my own quilts.  Longarm quilting can be a bit isolating.  It’s a lot of time with just you, the machine and the quilt, and hopefully some really great music on your IPod, which on some days is great.  I tend to be a people person and love my time with the customers who are shopping for fabrics.  Having the machine in the basement of a quilt shop lets me take an occasional break and have opportunity to do just that.

I feel so fortunate that I’ve gotten to experience so many aspects of the quilting industry since taking that one tiny step.  Offering to work that occasional Saturday has given me the  opportunity to experience quilt shows, quilt market and I’ve learned to be a longarm quilter.   I feel like I’m on such an incredible journey…and now the journey is taking me to Ireland!  I’ve been asked to be a tour escort for the International Quilt Festival of Ireland next June!  I can hardly wait!  Is it June yet?

So I guess my advice to you, if you are thinking about starting some sort of quilting business.  See if you don’t have an occasional Saturday in your schedule.   Just one small step could provide you with the experience and knowledge to decide if that’s the right path for you. 

I hope you’ll stop by and visit me on my blog Pieces of Me.
Penny

Start Your Own....With Jenny Pedigo

Our guest blogger this week is Jenny Pedigo.  Jenny is a longarm quilter who started her own independent business just under 5 years ago.   Along with her busienss website, Jenny has a gallery of images that really starts my imagination running wild.  Or, you can learn more about Jenny at her blog which is always full of eye candy.

Thank you, Jenny, for writing an honest, realistic, informative post for us.  Getting your point of view is very helpful to those just starting out.

I work alone.  Just me and my longarm machine.  I purchase my machine about 4 1/2 years ago.  It was a used machine.  That was what fit in our budget.  My loving husband drove down to Arizona with a 14 ft. flat bed trailer and picked it up for me.  My sister is the one that encouraged me to become a longarm quilter.  She thought I'd be good at it.  I thought it would be a great thing to do out of my home while home with my kids.

Shortly after getting my machine I started my business.  It was a bit of a learning curve for sure.  Everything from what batting to use....what thread to use...what pantographs to get...what to quilt on the quilts.....how to quilt.  It was all definitely a learning process.  I took many longarm quilting classes and mostly just practiced a lot.   I met other longarm quilters that were a huge help and definitely couldn't have done it with out them!Since starting my business I have quilted over 550 quilts.  

There are benefits and difficulties to this business.  Like any business that is run out of the house it is difficult.  I am home but at work.  Trying to manage home with work is exhausting sometimes.  I really try to stick with a schedule to make it easier but if your on a deadline that doesn't always work.  Custom quilting is another difficult topic.  It's something that I don't feel I ever get payed enough for.  I prefer to do overall quilting designs for that reason.  My feet get tired....my back gets tired....my wrists get tired....I get tired!   I pay quarterly taxes and taxes at the end of the year.  Therefore at the end of the year when I calculate how much I've made I am always a bit disappointed.

I hope I'm not coming across negative.  Just trying to keep it real.  Now on a good note.  I love what I do!!!  I love the creative side of it.  Like I mentioned before I love to design my own quilt patterns and started about a year ago.  I don't think I could have ever done that if it wasn't for my Longarm quilting business.  And really using the creative side of the brain.  I've met some of the most wonderful quilters, young and old, modern and traditional.  I think it's great how we quilters can be so different but love to do the same thing.

If I had any advise for anyone that might be interested in starting a longarm quilting business, I would have to say go for it.  It's a great supplemental income.  It pays for the groceries and of course fabric. :)  If your looking to buy a longarm quilting machine, consider buying a used one.  There are perfectly good used machines out there that have not been quilted with very much.  It's a much cheaper way to go.  If you do take the plunge and get a machine, then get to know it very well.  There usually isn't a technician locally that knows very much about these machines.  So if you can learn how to maintain it that will be to your advantage.  And lastly...practice!!  That's the best way to learn how to do it.  Practice, practice and practice some more.  Take classes, watch video's and buy books.  There are some great books out there on quilting from some absolutely wonderful quilters.

Thanks for giving me this opportunity Cindy to share a little bit about my business.  I hope it may have been helpful to anyone that might be interested in Longarm Quilting.

Start Your Own...With Celtic Fusions Fabric

Our guest blogger this week is Gwen of Celtic Fusion Fabrics.  Gwen has been in business in the UK for4 years.  Her shop is filled with fun, quirky, eclectic prints that would brighten up any project.  You can follower her blog, which is chock full of eye candy, or her facebook page, but really what you want is to hit the online fabric shop.  There you'll find a dizzying array of happiness from Alexander Henry, Amy Schlimer, Anna Maria Horner, Cloud 9, Echino, Kokka, Riley Blake and Monaluna to name a few.

Gwen has super-generously offered readers of this post a chance to win 6 fat quarters designed by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller. 

"This range was inspired by her own feelings of childhood, as well as her  children’s. Simple play, creative play…the kind of play that requires imagination and no agenda. So while this collection has a very classic feel, there is a lot of whimsicality in the color and design as well."

To enter, just go over to her online shop and mini fabric bundle that you love.  Come back here and leave a comment including the name of your favorite parcel.  Gwen will draw a winner on Sunday night.

Thank you, Gwen, for writing such an insightful and funny post for us this week!

I suppose Celticfusionfabrics was an accident really.  I definitely had not planned on opening an online shop at all.  It just sort of developed. When I was in University in Dublin (too many years ago) I sold leather scraps, ribbons and trims on a stall at Mother Redcaps market.  To be honest I definitely did not love it ... the rain ... jeepers the rain and the early hours were even worse.  To be honest it was torture.  But it was extra cash for the college years.

It was then only in the later half of my years in Theatre and Film that people were always saying how difficult it was to source unusual fabric for curtains, upholstering chairs etc.  I always had pieces left over from small projects and I wanted to get rid of them so I starting selling on ebay.  It was really a way to get rid of my unwanted cloth rather than thinking ‘I can make  this a career choice’.. and so the shop was born.  My hubbie is an accountant so he kept me on the straight and narrow with my books.  I suppose it was not so risky as I had a full time job.  Having the shop was a great way to source fabrics for myself, place them on the shelf and stroke them adoringly.

Firstly, with starting off, you have got to have a real passion for it.  There are going to be late hours, answering customer queries and advertising yourself . I  just started with contacting suppliers in the UK ordered in small amounts and took it from there. I do think that starting up you need someone to help you keep within you limits of the cash that you can spend.  Best to start small and see how you get on.  Do your research, there are definite trends and seasons for cloth and fabric designers. A bargain bolt of pink flamingos with green stripes might seem like a good idea, but will anyone want to buy any from you?   Probably not.  Trust me I know.

 

Sourcing unusual items for your craft or your shop is time consuming, but it is fun and you really have got to love what you are selling in order to sell to someone else (but I really did love the flamingo fabric – just no one else loved it as much as I did).

Now with the shop and a full time job it has being quite difficult tying to find the time to have sewing projects on the go, but there have being so many babies born over the past couple of months it has being unavoidable to not want to make and create for little people. It is something that I would love to do more of and I really admire crafters who  have the will to stay at home, have kiddies, rustle up 10 quilts a week,  keep the house and stay sane … as that is serious multi tasking.

A walk in bricks and mortar shop would be fantastic.  You would get to meet your customers face to face and buying fabric online is not easy for people, even for myself.  It is one of those items  that you just want to touch get a feel for the weight, the colour, etc.  But I could not see that happening for a while.  I love the stability of my job and my colleagues and the shared coffee breaks. Saying that I spend many Saturdays wandering around the fabric shop in London with great envy. So a bricks and mortar shop is definitely not on the cards.  But, I am starting to screen print a fabric line for the shop: one colour prints on linen.  Its been great fun designing and experimenting.  To be honest I am  more nervous about that than I ever was about starting celticfusionfabrics. I don’t know why.  Strange…  eh?

Thank you to Cindy for giving me the opportunity to write on her blog,

Gwen

Start Your Own....With Modern Quilt Relish

Our guest bloggers this week are Jill and Marny of Modern Quilt Relish.  They are a great team of pattern designers who, together, create beautiful modern quilt patterns.  Not only are they business partners, but they are good friends!  You really get a sense of their relationship reading through this post.  If you are interested in seeing more, you can learn about their day-to-day life on their blog, or have a peek in their online shop to see what patterns area available.  Either way, you are in for a treat. 

Thank you, Marny and Jill, for writing such an inspiring, informative post for us this week!

Hi Cindy, Jill and I are so pleased you chose us to contribute to your blog. Here goes…

Marny Buck and Jill Guffy make up Modern Quilt Relish. We are longtime friends, tennis partners and past co-workers at the large, local quilt shop. We have explored modern design elements as they apply to quilting, been inspired by visiting Quilt National Exhibits, and have run a Contemporary Quilting group. Recently we joined our local Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild.

We embrace contemporary design. The look of quilts is constantly changing.  It has been a great energizer to see modern elements such as negative space and asymmetry appearing more and more in quilts today. The desire to create quilt patterns featuring these modern design elements that are easy and fun to execute motivates us.

After years of “what if” our partnership took shape. Modern Quilt Relish began simmering in the spring of 2010 with a blog that encourages simply sophisticated design through process and exploration and continues with ten published patterns. Two new patterns are due to be released at the end of October 2011.

Our business success depends on both of us. Our skills and vision complement one another. While our communication style with one another is a constant “flight of ideas” we are very business like in setting deadlines, striving for the best product we can produce, and moving Modern Quilt Relish forward.
We are much braver together than we would be apart. It is so much easier to push that “send” button on a daring email when there are two of you. Having two of us also guarantees that there is always someone available to send patterns or deal with emails, etc.

A steep learning curve has challenged us in the creation of Modern Quilt Relish. Software for pattern writing, blogging, online business details, legal business setup, printing, bookkeeping, etc., all take time away from the design process and the quilt making. Conquering all these details has brought us much satisfaction. It has to be said, though, that the designing and the quilt making remain our first love.  We do not hesitate to ask for advice. (Well we might hesitate, but we do it anyway.)

Fortunately, our local university had a seminar on starting your own business. Attending this, and meeting with the instructor individually, ensured the legal start of our business. Over the years of working in the quilt shop and attending quilt events we have made acquaintances with other pattern writers, magazine editors, accomplished quilters and store owners. This network has been very helpful when we seek information or support.

Our online presence is enough for us. An actual storefront would not be compatible with our pattern business. Retail isn’t for sissies! There are long hours and financial investments at stake. There are also great rewards. But for pattern writers, it does not make sense to open a storefront. We have attended, and will continue to attend, International Quilt Market. Our booth was well received. It was a large financial step, but it is where quilt shop owners from around the world saw our pattern company for the first time. Fabric companies, magazine editors, book editors and others took a good look. Opportunities from unexpected sources can be the result.

We offer this. Seek sound advice, be professional and take advantage of friendships in your own network. Be brave, take calculated risks, and above all, have fun and love what you do. You might be surprised by the opportunities out there!

Thank you for letting us join you today.

Start Your Own...With Saffron Craig

Our guest blogger this week is Saffron of Saffron Craig.  Saffron is an Australian fabric designer who saw a need in the market and acted to fill it with her own creations.  Her website just makes me want to create quilts and her online shop makes it all too easy to go on a shopping spree!  Get.Over.There.Right.Now.  If you are interested in watching Saffron create, you can follow her current projects via her blog. 

Saffron Craig has super-generously offered readers of this post a $25 gift voucher for use in the shop.  To enter, just go over to her online shop and find a fabric that you love.  Come back here and leave a comment including the name of your favorite print.  I'm curious to hear what you'd like to make, if you feel like sharing!

Thank you, Saffron, for writing such an inspiring, informative post for us this week!

I've been interested in design, and particularly fashion, since my teens. I studied Fashion Design at RMIT and after travelling the world for a couple of years I started my own women's wear fashion label which I ran for a few years.

After the birth of our daughter however I had to change plan and my mother in law got me onto quilting. Frustrated with the limited choice of contemporary fabrics I started screen printing my own on the kitchen table.  I transitioned from fabric - lover to fabric designer out of necessity. A few years ago there wasn't many modern, vibrant fabric designs available so I started making my own. It wasn't a conscious choice to make a career out of it but a gradual transition. But once we realised people like our fabrics and would pay for them we got hooked!  The feedback was very encouraging so I took it up a level and debuted my fabrics at the Sydney Quilt and Craft show in 2008. Since then I've been totally immersed in designing patterns and motives predominantly for fabrics.

In my free time, I make a bit of everything and my sketch book is always close by. However, it's a blurry line between free time and work time as I love what I do so much. So, really, free time means doing something totally different, like Yoga, drawing, going for walks on the beach, reading blogs, doing fun stuff with my husband and daughter.

I was never worried about leaving  a "proper" job to pursue fabric designing as I didn't really have a "proper" job to give up. I was lucky enough to do what I love and turn it into a business slowly. In a lot of ways it is a relief to be able to focus on patterns and not run a fashion label.  I'm worried sometimes as the amount of effort and time we invest is not always reflected on the balance sheet, especially in these quite difficult economic times.

I'm sure every small business owner would agree that the difficulty is to find a balance between work and life, and not making things that used to be fun into a chore. Also, once you start turning a hobby into a business there's a lot you need to learn that has nothing to do with why you started it in the first place.

I never stopped learning, particularly because I work on the computer so much and software keeps improving and changing.  We've cobbled together business advice from friends, books and online as we needed it, but we're now at a point where we're looking to find a business mentor to take us to the next level.  Also, partnering with our current distributors has helped a lot to focus on what I do best, which is designing. 

And though I run my own fabric label I do design for other companies as well. Which is nice, as I don't have to be involved in the production and selling process but can just send off a design and it's done. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive as I have so many designs that will never make it onto my own fabrics, designs that we plan to sell.

In fact I want to expand my bespoke design services, so if you're looking for a custom design let me know!

I think everyone has to find their own way and make it work for them, their situation, how much time they can invest, etc. It definitely pays off to have someone to help you with the things you struggle with as running a business involves so much these days. I'm lucky enough that my husband complements my skills in many ways. One thing is for sure, you can't be half-hearted about it. You got to be really passionate about what you do as the shine will wear off sometimes and it's the love for your work that will get you through the challenges you're facing.

Thank you, Saffron, for contributing to the Start Your Own series here at Fluffy Sheep Quilting.  OK, my flock of Fluffy Sheep...get over to Saffron's shop then come right back here and leave a comment to enter the giveaway.  I will use a random number generator on Friday night to choose the winner of the giveaway!  Good luck :)

Start Your Own....With Patchwork Delights

This is the second in a series of Start Your Own posts.  Start your own what?  Start your own business, silly!  I have planned a line up of guest bloggers who have successfully started their own quilt or craft business including shop owners, online fabric vendors, a pattern designer, two long arm quilters and a entrepreneur selling her handmade goods.  There will be a new blogger every Thursday for the next few weeks, so keep checking back! 

Our guest blogger this week is my very special friend Fiona of PatchworkDelights.  Fi is funny, creative, entrepreneurial and inspiring.  You can learn more about her on her blog where she profiles her beautiful quilts (that can be custom made), mug rugs, pouches and tutorials.  Lucky for us, Fi also has an etsy shop where she sells her handmade baby balls, mug rugs, cafetiere cosies and adorable bookmarks!  Thank you, Fi, for writing such a lovely post for us this week!

 

A Delight to Meet You!

Hello, my name is Fiona and I am the person behind PatchworkDelights, although I should give a mention to my hubby (aka the Creative Designer).  I am a mummy to two gorgeous boys (3.5 and 8.5) and work in an office 4 days a week.

My first experience with patchwork was in primary school when we made a cushion and on the front of it was a Grandmother’s Garden, it was a pink and blue cushion I recall.  Years later my mother showed me how to make a pin cushion and the bug took hold again. I went to some great classes in London, but then work got in the way and I had son #1 so it fell to the wayside. 

Skip along several years I made friends again with my hobby.  In part through necessity.  We suffered job losses and pay cuts and I was looking at different ways of bringing in extra money.  I started making little things like, cafetiere cosies, mobile phone cases and what not and showing them to my friends.  

 

Some of my friends at work really liked them and starting buying.  They are still loyal and regular customers and I am always grateful to them for this.  This was the beginning of PatchworkDelights!  I often ask them for their feedback, only yesterday one of my customers gave me some feedback.  It’s really important to listen to your customers!

Then one of my friends introduced me to Etsy.  

I love it. I love the simplicity of listing your items.  The only thing is that you are a teensy bit invisible.  I quickly became addicted to every morning checking the following:

1. Did I sell anything?

2. Does anyone like my shop i.e. have they added my shop to their favourites?

3. Has anyone favourited any of my items?  

 

I soon learnt that you need to stop looking at this, in an addictive way, and concentrate on making stuff.  Not only that but start getting your name out there.  I went on the forums and hung around them for a while but soon realised I wasn’t getting any sales from this, but plenty of hearts.  Hearts are good but you really want sales.

Blogland

I started up my own blog called PatchworkDelights.  I think if you have the time this is very important, it’s another way of showcasing your items.  Blogs can take a life of their own too!  Remember with your blog, people want to know a bit about the person behind the name too!  

Facebook

I also set up my own Facebook page.  This is great publicity.  You are reaching a huge audience and it’s free!  

Soon I started improving my designs and this came about through trial and error and listening to my customers.  They often come up with new suggestions which is great too.  I politely asked my friends to buy off my online shop where possible and I would chase them for feedback.  This I felt was very important.  No-one knows me from Adam so potential customers really are relying on what other people have to say about you.  

Markets

I participated in a couple of markets this summer.  They were great fun.  I did well the first time and made the mistake of not giving myself enough time to replenish my stock the following month.  I broke even but I won’t make that mistake again.  I won’t go unless I have plenty of stock to choose from.  

 

I loved the face to face contact, and I made a couple of connections through this and a like minded friend who is also a crafter but it’s not her main job.  But wow her stuff is amazing, I am going to help her with her Etsy shop shortly.

What I liked was the personal touch, you could tell people how you made the item, tell them about its selling points, the quality and instead of looking at a photo they can touch the item.  Much better!

Business Experience

I do not have any business experience, I am still learning.  At this point I am still trying to square away my presentation and packaging.  I think the latter is very important.  Of course having a quality item is extremely important and it shouldn’t fall down at the presentation stage.  A local coffee shop has said they will stock my cafetiere cosies so I am working on how to present them to the customer through a shop.  

I really would love to have a mentor, and this is my problem. I don’t have anyone that can give me guidance.  I am unsure what to do about registering my shop etc.  Someone mentioned Enterprise Ireland, so I guess they will be my next stop!

When I am at work my mind is usually drifting off to patchwork and Etsy, I would love to concentrate on my patchwork business and give up my day job but I read somewhere that you should only really do this when your hobby is generating an equivalent income to your day job so er I have a fair bit to go then!  I am afraid to take the leap, particularly in the current climate.  On top of that I have two young children, the youngest will only start going to school next year, so realistically speaking I would not be able to do any “work” as I would also need to tend to his needs and I would feel incredibly guilty “ignoring” him to do some work. At the moment I feel guilty enough as it is and that’s in the evenings when everyone is in bed!  So I now while I have kids at home I cannot do this full time, I would like to review it when he goes to school next year that way I would have free time in the mornings.  

The Future and Expansion

Finally I am also in the process of supplying quality threads. I guess this is an example of where one shop has led to another shop whereby I plan on supplying an intermediary product.  I, and loads of other sewers, am always flabbergasted at the price of thread here, so I have sourced quality cotton threads and plan on selling them through my sister shop which is called Threads2000.   

Thank you Cindy for inviting me to participate on your blog series.  

Fi

 

Start Your Own....with Pippablue

This is the first in a series of Start Your Own posts.  Start your own what?  Start your own business, silly!  I have planned a line up of guest bloggers who have successfully started their own quilt or craft business including shop owners, online fabric vendors, a pattern designer, two long arm quilters and a entrepreneur selling her handmade goods.  There will be a new blogger every Thursday for the next few weeks, so keep checking back! 

As you know, economically it has been a roller coaster here in Ireland.  Still, the Irish are completely innovative and resilient.  I see new cottage ventures jumping up, started by folks who found themselves unexpectedly unemployed.  It's inspiring.  Fabric shops and shows are busy and guild meetings are full.  Apparently, crafting knows no downturn.  In fact, I see more handmade gifts and local than ever before!  I thought with the start of September and school going back into session, its a good time to have a little "how to" on the blog giving those on the craft-business fence a little push to start something new.  

Our first guest blogger is my friend Eva of Pippablue.  Eva, and her business partner Ger, own a unique fabric, ribbon, yarn, general cuteness and craft shop here in lovely Galway.  More information on Pippablue can be found on their website and their blog.  Most importantly, though, you can shop online too!  They have sewing and knitting supplies as well as a class schedule.    Head over and have a look...then come right back here to hear more about their experience opening a shop and their advice for the new business owner.  Thank you, Eva, for writing such a fantastic post! 

Our original shop, called Yarn, was opened by Ger when she realised how difficult it was to source

quality crafting supplies in Ireland. Ger had come to Galway as a student studying art at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, after which she sold her handmade quilts and baby blankets at St. Nicolas Market in Galway.  I (Eva) was also working out of the Market, selling handmade children's clothing, a business I started after the birth of my daughter.  I am completely self taught, and have always enjoyed crafts since I was a little girl.  It was not until having children that I realised how much I loved sewing!  After two name changes, and a move to a more central location in Galway, Pippablue was born.  We are very happy to be where we are now!

Both Ger and I tend to dabble in many different sewing projects. Besides sewing items for the shop, like baby blankets and bibs, we like create clothes, bags, toys, home accessories, etc. In the past year or so I have become more interested in patchwork and quilting and have been really inspired by all the fantastic blogs out there.

Pippablue is a collaboration between Ger and myself.  Neither of us have a background in business.  As we came from different individual ventures, we now prefer having a business partner to working individually.    It is reassuring to have someone to bounce ideas off of, to keep motivated and to share responsibilities.  At the minute, Ger is at the shop most days.  I primarily contribute from home, but come to the shop a couple of days a week.  This collaboration works well for us, as my youngest is not at school yet and it would be difficult and costly to arrange childcare.

I think if you are interested in working for yourself, it's always a good idea to do something that you love. Running a business successfully is hard work and it is most definitely going to eat into your family time, as well as your creative time. We do a lot of sewing for the shop, and it can sometimes feel a bit repetitive and limiting. Unfortunately personal projects often get pushed to the back of the line!

Pippablue has both an online presence as well as a shop in the centre of Galway.  Having a shop front is very expensive with rent and insurance, making it very hard to survive especially in these times. However, we work hard to make our shop unique and inviting to customers.  Online shops might not have these expenses, but it is very hard to build an on-line presence and there are so many other competitors out there.  

I would always say, start small and work your way up. It is better to make your mistakes when not much is at stake, rather than when you have huge investment on the line.  Etsy, Folksy and other similar sites, as well as local markets and craft fairs are a great way to test your products and gauge interest without shelling out a fortune.

Always do something that you are passionate and knowledgeable about. This will help you through the tough times.  Find your own style and unique selling point; this is what will set you apart from other similar businesses.  Be patient and realistic. It takes years to create a sustainable business!

Good Luck!!!