While She Naps

Chick and Egg Reversible Toy Pattern is Now in the Shop!

I have finished the pattern for the egg that turns inside out and becomes a chick and it is now in my pattern shop on Craftsy. This toy comes together in an hour or two, uses very little fabric, and is so cool. I think you're going to really enjoy making it, and just in time for the spring! 

Edited: I just added the pattern to my Etsy shop, too, because I know that is easier for some people!  Thank you!

I made a cool little animated GIF to show the transformation, but sadly I'm having difficulty getting it to format just right.

Edited: I fixed it!  Yay!

In case you couldn't see it properly in my last post, here is the transformation in photos:

Ta da!

Chick and Egg: A Reversible Toy!

I made my very first reversible toy! Making toys that you can turn inside out, that transform themselves, is something I'm really excited to explore. There are so many excellent possibilities. And I find them irresistible. You just have to turn it inside and out and start playing. The very best kind of toy!

Would you like to make one? I hope so! I'm working on the pattern now and I'll add it to my Craftsy pattern shop soon.

Softies For Sale Series: Teaching a Class (in-person)

For today's post in my series focusing on turning sewing into a viable career I want to talk about teaching.

Before I had children and started sewing softies all the time I was a teacher. I worked in education for six years all together: two as a Teach For America corps member teaching middle school French and Social Studies in the Mississippi Delta, two as the Education Director at a non-profit that worked with under-served kids in the Boston public schools, and two as a sixth grade teacher in suburban Newton, Massachusetts. I have a master's degree in education from Harvard. I love teaching.

And I love sewing.

So the idea of teaching sewing sounds just about perfect to me! And maybe to you, too?

I'm teaching a sewing class tomorrow at Sew Easy in Wellesley. I've been teaching adult classes there regularly this year and it is one of my favorite parts of my new career as a sewing professional (I sew professionally! Really? Yep, well that's the goal, at least.)

I'm not going to explore the ins and outs of teaching online because I've never taught an online class. If I was going to pursue that, though, I would start by taking Sister Diane's online class on teaching online classes. That might be one of my future goals.

Today I wanted to talk about what it takes to teach a successful in-person sewing class. I think my classes are effective and run smoothly, but there is always more to learn so please add your thoughts in the comments whether you've been a teacher of sewing, or a student.

Finding a Veneu

When I first decided I wanted to teach sewing I held workshops in my home. I started by just inviting friends over for "craft night", teaching them a simple, hand-sewing project. They didn't pay me for this, it was just for fun and so that I could explore whether or not teaching sewing was something I enjoyed.

Once I realized that I like teaching sewing, I offered a class at my home for just the cost of materials. We sewed sock monkeys by hand and I had several women over who were beginners. From this class I learned something crucial about teaching sewing: everything takes longer than you expect! What you can sew in half an hour will take a class of eight students three hours to complete.

Why?

I think there are two reasons. First, I am very comfortable with the materials. I can  thread a needle and tie a knot in about a minute, for instance. For people who haven't done it in a while that can take ten minutes.

Second, although I take sewing incredibly seriously, for the people in the class this is a leisure activity. They are there to have fun, to relax, to chat, and make something cute. Intense focus on the project or the skill being taught may not be their aim. 

Once I had done these workshops in my home, I wanted to teach a class that involved use of sewing machines. This meant reaching out into the community to find a venue and this brings me to my next point.

Reach Out and Ask for Work

A big part of being self-employed is reaching out and asking people to hire you. You need to get comfortable tooting your own horn! 

There is a quilt shop in Wellesley not far from where I live. It is independently owned and I always enjoyed going in there. In fact, I bought a lot of the fabric I used in The Artful Bird there. I called them and asked to speak to the owner. I explained that I had a book out about sewing birds and asked if I could come by for a few minutes to bring her a copy. She was neutral on the phone and seemed a bit confused by what kind of birds I was describing, thinking at first they were quilt appliques of birds.

Plowing ahead, I went to the shop at the appointed time and gave the owner a copy of the book and I also brought samples. Once she had three birds in her hands, without my even asking for it she started booking dates for a workshop. We decided to hold a five hour workshop and make the lark that is on the cover of my book.

From this workshop I learned about the profiles of various kinds of students. It seems every class has: someone who moves more quickly than everyone else, someone who needs the directions explained again individually after the group instruction, and someone who changes the project and makes something different from what everyone else is making.

Just knowing that these types of students will be in every class helps me to be more patient and prepared to work with each person and further them along in their learning.

Start Class By Establishing Your Legitimacy and Hearing Where Everyone Is Coming From

I begin with a brief story about how I learned to sew and what I love about it. I show my book and talk about the patterns I design and the work I do. I often bring samples so that people can see and touch. This establishes trust. Students see that you know what you're talking about, that you are an expert. 

And guess what? I often sell things to students. Bring extra supplies, especially specialty supplies that may not be available elsewhere. Bring copies of your book, or your patterns. Bring samples of your finished work. Many people want some further connection to you or to the class and they will buy what you brought. You'd be surprised! (If you are teaching at a quilt shop, ask the owner first whether this is okay. You don't want to step on any retail toes.) 

Next I ask everyone to introduce themselves and tell us about their sewing experiences in one or two sentences. I find once their voice is in the room students are more likely to speak up again later. And it is helpful to me to gauge skill levels and learn each person's motivation for signing up for the class. 

And then I explain the goal of the class and the steps we will take to reach that goal. Everyone feels more comfortable when they know where they're headed!

Prepare!

My best words of wisdom are to be prepared. I write a detailed outline for each class and I make step-outs to illustrate each step of the project.

And then a day or two before the class...I sit in my studio and pretend to teach. I know, it sounds strange, but I think it is actually the most important step of all. Keep a notepad next to you and teach to your empty room! Saying everything outloud will make it obvious to you what you know and what you actually don't know and need to research before the class. It will remind you what tools and materials you need to remember to bring. And it will make you less nervous when the day of the class arrives. Make notes on your notepad so that you can add to your outline, or your "to bring" list. 

Create a handout to give students that includes your contact informtion so that they can get back in touch with you, visit your website, and sign up for future classes. I give out step-by-step directions for the project, too, so that they can replicate it at home if they'd like to. People will also take notes on the handout.

Plan to be in the classroom for 10-15 minutes after the class is over so that you can clean up the space, round up all your tools and materials (referring to your "to bring" list helps!), and chat with students who have further questions and or who want to connect with you. 

In addition to group classes, I also teach private classes in people's homes showing them how to use their sewing machines. Both types of classes are lucrative and satisfying. It can be hard to make $200 for two hours of work in this business. Teaching is one way to do this.

If you are considering teaching an in-person class, I recommend giving it a try. And please comment here with any additional thoughts or questions, or just to share your experiences as a teacher or student. Thanks for your awesomeness, as always.

*****

If you find this series helpful to you, I hope you'll consider making a donation to help support it. Each post in this series takes several hours to research and write, and I love doing it! Knowing that you are willing to support it helps me to continue to write in-depth about each of these topics. Thank you!

Octopus Softie Pattern

The idea of making an octopus crossed my mind on Saturday and I quickly became totally obsessed. Once I start down a softie-making road, there is no turning back! And so today I have a new pattern in my Craftsy pattern store!  A fleece octopus that is fun to sew and fun to hug!

I've heard from several people that the idea of stitching, turning, and stuffing eight long legs is really intimidating. In this pattern I show you a neat trick that makes it fast and easy! And you can sell the octopuses you make from this pattern! I hope you'll give it a go. You can purchase the pattern right here.

I couldn't help it, I had to dress this guy as a pirate!

Custom Plush Toy From a Child's Drawing

Send me a drawing made by a special child in your life and I will create a custom softie for you!

This is a project 've been planning for many months and I'm really pleased to say that today the listings are live! I'm only going to take a few at a time (there are three listings right now) so that I can work in small batches and really make something you'll love.

So sort through that overflowing box of artwork and pick a favorite, or have your child draw something this afternoon, send it to me and see it come to life as a huggably soft plush friend!

Softies For Sale Series: Contributing to Sewing Books

For this installment of my series about turning your love of sewing softies into a career I want to talk about contributing projects to sewing books. Over the last few years I have been asked by editors at many different publishing houses to contribute to collective books that feature projects by many different sewists. Just yesterday Seaside Home arrived, a recent release from Stash books that is a collection of sewing projects related to the seaside. I contributed two patterns to this book and I will use it as an example of what a book contribution really entails.

But first, let's face it, when an email comes in from a publishing house asking you to contribute a project to a book, it's flattering! They chose me!  They like what I'm doing! Exciting stuff. So exciting, in fact, that it can put you in a state of emotional decision-making, instead of solid, thoughtful, business-like decision making.

My suggestion is to take a deep breath and force yourself to think like a business person.

My thinking goes something like this:

First, have I really been chosen? Or is this an open call in which crafters are being asked to make a few items that meet the editor's criteria, send in photos, and then the editor will pick who makes the cut. The reality is that I don't have time at this point in my business to audition for a project like this so I decline invitations to audition.

Second, am I excited about the project and are they asking me to make something that I'm good at. I turned down an invitation to contribute to a quilting book not long ago because, as you may have noticed, I'm not a quilter.

If I have really been chosen and I like the project then it is time to begin asking the editor questions.  It is okay to ask questions!  The editor is not going to turn around and say, "Nope, I've changed my mind! I don't want your work because you've dared to ask logical, business-related questions." A company is asking to purchase your intellectual property. They need what you have - good content - and you're now in control of whether or not they'll get it.

First I need to know how I'm going to be compensated for my contribution. This piece of information should have been included in their invitation asking for participation, but if it was not, ask it now. In my opinion, if you are going to create a sewing pattern for a publication, you should get paid for it. Granted, there are exceptions to this rule (you are publicizing your own book, you are doing a favor for a friend, etc.), but I sincerely believe that you should not give a publisher an original sewing pattern in exchange for a future promise of "publicity." Your work is worth real money now. I recently turned down an invitation to contribute to a book of faux taxidermy patterns for this reason.

How much money does a book contribution pay? Stash paid me $200 all together for the fish and starfish pattern that appear in Seaside Home, plus sent me two free copies of the book.  For $200, I made five toys (two fish and three starfish), paid for materials and shipping, created pattern templates and wrote sewing instructions for both patterns. Now that the book is released I have the ability to purchase copies of the book at 50% off the cover price and resell them if I'd like. That's the monetary compensation.

There are no royalties for contributors. This is actually a really important fact that I never hear discussed. That flat fee, plus those extras described above, are it. Whether the book sells a million copies, or 5,000, you aren't going to earn anything more directly from those sales.

Yet when a collective book is released there is an expectation from the publisher that you will promote the book. One of those two copies they sent you is meant to be for a review and giveaway post on your blog. Often they'll give you a special badge promoting the book that they ask you to post on your sidebar. Here is the badge for Seaside Home:

Those are my fish. This badge was sent to all 22 contributors to post on their blogs. My work, without my name, just the name of the book. Like I said, the publishing house purchased my intellectual property and they can and will use it as they see fit. It's in the contract and I signed it. They have already compensated me and credited me in the book.

The only thing to be gained now is publicity. I give kudos to Stash for not only including a brief bio of the contributors next to their projects, but also a head shot. I think that goes a long way to helping readers connect a project with a name and a face. Does contributing a project to a book really gain your publicity? I have no idea. I do know that several people have contacted me saying they've made my patterns from Softies Only a Mother Could Love and More Softies Only a Mother Could Love and now they have become blog readers. Perhaps they are more loyal readers because they have sought me out?

Contributing a project to a book may be an especially good move if you are building your portfolio and resume in an effort to write a book proposal of your own. It's a way to show that you can make an appleaing project with a well-written pattern and well-designed templates on a deadline and that you work well with folks in the publishing industry.

Okay, after I've evaluated the compensatin, there are still more questions to ask. I want to know will I get my work back once the book goes to press. In other words, are they buying just the pattern and instructions and the rights to photograph the work, or are the buying the work outright. I made a mistake when I signed the contract for Kid's Crafternoon: Felting and didnt' read the fine print. That project paid a bit more (about $280), but the publishing house kept the samples. My work was on the cover of the book. I was thrilled, but sad because I didn't realize that the work was now theirs. Lesson learned: read the fine print.

If your work will be returned, when will you get it back? Pin down a date. Usually the publisher pays return shipping, but you can check that, too. See the warm-colored fish with his head sitcking out of the bucket? Stash lost it. I did receive the others back, though, after I asked for them. And when will you get paid? Try to nail down a date for that, too.

There certainly is a thrill when you walk down the craft book aisle at Barnes and Noble and find a book with your project in it. You just want to say to the random lady next to you, "See this project? I designed it!  Read that profile. That's me!"

In the midst of all the blog tours and giveaways and hype for new collective book projects I almost never hear about the real ins and outs of the experience from the contributors. How much did it pay? Was it worth it to you in the end? Were you happy with the final product? Did it bring you any publicity or add to your credentials? These are real business questions and I firmly believe that we should talk openly about them and share information and experiences because then we will be less likely to be flattered into accepting deals that aren't as adventageous as they could be. The power to negotiate should rest with us. 

 *****

If you find this series helpful to you, I hope you'll consider making a donation to help support it. Each post in this series takes several hours to research and write, and I love doing it! Knowing that you are willing to support it helps me to continue to write in-depth about each of these topics. Thank you!

Shark!

I'm working on some fleece sea creatures. This shark, with his big open mouth full of felt teeth, is the first one. Stella is in love with him. And I have to say softies sewn from fleece are so soft! I left this guy squishy so he is awfully huggable, despite his fierce appearance.

 

Softies for Sale Series: Selling Printed Patterns Through Wholesale Distributors

For today's installment of my series on how to turn your love of sewing softies into a career that actually earns you an income I want to explore selling printed patterns through wholesale distributors.

Okay, what does that mean exactly?

Have you ever walked into your local fabric store or quilt shop and seen a display of patterns by indie designers, some of whom you maybe recognize from the online craft community, and wondered how those patterns got there? Maybe you saw a Wee Wonderful's Kit, Chloe and Louise doll pattern (I saw Hillary's patterns for sale at Gather Here in Cambridge), or Heather Bailey's Claira and Clancy Pigs (I saw Heather's patterns for sale at JP Knit and Stitch in Boston), or Zipper Critters by Indygo Junction, or the Isabelle pincusion by BariJ. These designers work with wholesale distributors like Brewer and Checker to get their patterns into stores all over the country.

Cool, right? Design a pattern, write up the instructions, do the page layout, take the beauty shots...and then what? What comes next? I had so many questions!

I found a book, Publish Your Patterns by Nancy Restuccia, that looks like a great resource and I'm going to buy it soon, and this guest post on WhipUp by Meg McElwee from way back in 2007. Ah, we were all so young then. Actually, whileshenaps was already a toddler, but I digress.

I chatted with my friend, Wendi, who is exploring selling her patterns through distributors, and we came up with all sorts of questions including...

-How do you approach a distributor? Do you sign a contract with them or do they place an order with you and then renew as needed? Is this an exclusive thing or can you work with more than one distributor at a time? Can you still sell those same patterns as PDFs directly to customers?

-On average what percentage of the wholesale price does the distributor take? Is there a standard markup from the wholesale price to the retail price. Do you need a bar code on your pattern and if you do, where do you get one?

-If you are just getting started, what would be a sane print run? Who collates and packages the patterns? Are they stored in the distributor's warehouse?

-How many patterns should you start with? Would it benefit you to go to a trade show like Quilt Market to show your patterns, or is that overkill?

We are curious people!

To get all these questions answered I reached out to BariJ, an amazing designer of sewing patterns and fabric.

      

That's Bari on the left and that's me on the right. See, it's like we're in the same room!

BariJ and I met on Twitter a few months ago. I admire her business so much!

Her book, Inspired to Sew, was released the same month as my book. Bari's fifth line of fabric, LillyBelle, will be shipping this June.

And just look at all of these gorgeous sewing patterns she's designed! 

Bari and I talked for about 25 minutes and I recorded our conversation so that you can hear it, too. She generously answered my million questions about selling patterns through distributors. In the talk you'll here her refer to this website for purchasing bar codes and we also refer to Quilt Market and she references the potholder pattern above.

We talk about printing companies and my research points to Tri-State Printers as a business that seems to specialize in the craft and quilting community. I haven't worked with them, but my feeling is that they would do a great job. Other costs would include bags from ClearBags, like these or something similar.

I am forever grateful to BariJ for her generosity in sharing what she knows with us! I love to see members of our online sewing community sharing information openly with one another so that we can all learn and work toward our individual goals more efficiently and successfully.

I hope you'll enjoy listening to our talk and I hope you'll follow BariJ's blog and Twitter feed if you don't already. She's amazing.

 

Conversation with BariJ

And when you're done listening come on back here and let Bari and I know your thoughts. Are you considering working with a distributor? Could it be a future goal? What is standing in your way? Let's chat!

*****

If you find this series helpful to you, I hope you'll consider making a donation to help support it. Each post in this series takes several hours to research and write, and I love doing it! Knowing that you are willing to support it helps me to continue to write in-depth about each of these topics. Thank you!

Plush Rubber Duck Pattern is Now Available on Craftsy

I'm really excited to finally have a pattern available for instant download!  It was one of my goals for 2012 to begin to sell digital patterns and I'm so happy that the plush rubber duck got to go first.  He's a cutie pie and I hope you'll love making him! 

In the pattern you get step-by-step photos and detailed instructions so that you can make this softie with ease. The pattern incorporates a couple of neat construction tricks that I think you'll appreciate and maybe be inspired to use in your own pattern design work, too.

Here is a little sample of one of the photos inside:

I opted to create templates to accessorize your duck separately. I'll post them here periodically in case you want to dress up your duck for Halloween, or give him a birthday hat for a special day. You can come up with your own accessories too, of course. A Google Image search brings up some fantastic themed rubber ducks (Elvis? the Statue of Liberty? a bride and groom?). Go for it!

I opted to open a pattern shop on Craftsy. When you purchase the pattern you'll get the download instantly. I have three kids and my life can get hectic, especially in the afternoons and evenings, but you shouldn't have to wait for me and this way you won't have to. Craftsy makes it free for designers to list patterns and that is awfully nice, too. If you don't already have a Craftsy account, swing on over and get one. It's free and it only takes a minute. There is some great stuff available by some amazing designers including workshops, online classes, and lots of patterns, too.

And, after all of our discussion about cottage industry licenses, I have decided to allow people to sell the items they make from this pattern, and from future pdf patterns. I know when I sew a new toy I love the process so much that I don't want to stop at just one. I want you to feel like once you master this duck you can make many and accessorize them and then sell them at craft fairs or online. I indicate a few regulations in the pattern which include crediting me as the designer and linking back to the listing for the pattern on online sales. I think those simple rules make sense. And I made the pattern $10, which I think is reasonable for what you get.

Thank you for all of your comments and input as I work toward achieving this year's goals. I learn so much from you guys!  I hope this pdf pattern is the first of many!

 

Rubber Duck Softie

I was giving Josephine a bath the other night and while we were playing with rubber duckies in the bubbles it occured to me that I should make a plush rubber duck. I did a quick search and it seems that there aren't very many plush rubber ducks around, but I think there should be! I decided to make one, and to write a pattern for it.

And while I was there, I had to make him a pirate eye patch and a bandana.

The accessory possibilities for rubber ducks are endless. A birthday hat? A bonnet of flower petals? Seriously this could be fun. I'm not sure yet where this pattern will end up. I'd like to put in in my shop on Etsy and make it an instant download (maybe on Craftsy, too? Are you on there yet?). I will make it so that you can sell the ducks you make. And there would be a sheet of patterns for various accessories, too. Yes?