I'm excited to share with you today my first foray into creating a recorded interview. In my efforts to learn more about ways to make money from sewing softies I wanted to talk with an industry veteran. I figured there must be a lot I could learn from someone who started selling soft toy patterns decades ago and is still at it today.
Searching through McCall's toy patterns from the 1990's I noticed that many of them were designed by Carol's Zoo.
Carol Cruise, the creator of Carol's zoo patterns, agreed to chat with me about her soft toy pattern design business, how she got started, and how its developed over time.
Carol has an online shop where she not only sells her original patterns, she also sells kits that contain everything you'll need to make each toy. In our conversation she talks about how she sources faux fur, her experience at Quilt Market in the 1980's, and meeting legendary doll maker Elinor Peace Bailey.
Conversation With Carol Cruise
Carol also mentions:
-teaching through the American Sewing Guild
-and making toys from minkey
I hope you enjoy my interview with Carol and I hope it will further our thinking about ways to turn softie sewing into a viable business.
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