Kitty Love

I'm taking a chance at being seen as a frumpy old crafter cat lady, but I can't help loving my kitties (I only have 2)! Lots of people write blogs about their pets. I know it can be a bit creepy, but I've been away from them for almost a year and I'm counting the days till I can be with them again. I miss Jody & Maple the most when I'm alone all day in my sewing room. Cats make a big difference in your life when you're alone. I'm terribly glad to have Nick, but he's gone to work about 12 hours a day! If my kitties were here, I wouldn't be lonely, ever!
We had cats when I was growing up & I've really gotten used to having them around. When I first came to the UK, I was a blubbering mess missing my babies. I know they're alright without me, they're cats! It took me a good month away from them before I could stop getting a tear in my eye when I thought of them. Now, I just look forward to having them in the house with me.
So, Jody & Maple, I'll be home soon. Hugs to Uncle David, Aunt Judy & Charlie Brown...Mooshie Mooshie

I saw my blog on Technorati

I was looking online at a web ranker site & typed in Etsy.com When I looked at the sites that link into Etsy, Technorati came up and my blog was the top one on the list related to Etsy. That's so cool! It makes me feel like someone does read my blog. So what if it's just a computer, it's someone.

Technorati Profile

New Bag in Store

I decided that I should make a new Julie bag since I only have one in stock, so here it is... I already had this fabric on hand from my trip to California last September. I think these prints really suit this bag. It's so pretty and bright. Just in time for Spring, as they say.
It's got lots of pockets inside and a cool key clasp, very handy. This bag's washable too, so it works well as an every day type of bag. It's made with a double layer of fleece interlining, so it's extra sturdy & kinda nice to carry on your shoulder because of all the padding. (Makes a great diaper bag too)
Anyway, go check it out on my site & look down at the bottom of the page because I have more fabrics available for the Julie bag. There's more pictures there too. See ya!

Long awaited arrival

Just what I've been waiting for. Thanks Mr. Mailman. I finally got my Dick & Jane fabric in the mail yesterday. I got 9 prints from this collection and I love them all. I can't decide what to make with it. A bib? A diaper bag? That wold be cute. What about a kids' backpack, or a quilt? The possibilites are endless.
I also got a few prints from Amy Butler's Lotus collection. They're great, but Nick (my boyfriend) doesn't agree. He doesn't really get it. That's okay, he's a boy. They'll make a great Julie bag or maybe I'll make a Dolores and use some of the leftovers to make a wallet or a zipper pouch. hmmmmm These are tough decisions for a Tuesday morning. I guess I'll just go for a walk and contemplate the possibilities.

Hold the Phone!

Okay, so I finally got a ding dang Treasury List on Etsy & the whole thing got deleted about 2 hours later. Just my luck that they'd have a snaffoo on my day. Never mind. I still have my shop, and a lovely picture of what my Treasury looked like. sigh

What a Treasure!

I finally got to make a Treasury List on Etsy today. Hooray! "Cuddle Town" is all about soft & cuddly toys. I love them! There are lots of really great handmade toys on Etsy, just waiting to be adopted. Pleeease go check them out. These little guys need a good home.

And I must say thanks to whimsicalities for posting my diaper bags on her Treasury list. I sold the green bag you see here (below), thanks to her. She doesn't have any items in her shop yet, but I have a feeling she's working on something great.

EtsyKids

Good news! I've just become a member of the Yahoo Group EtsyKids! I'm excited to be able to chat with other people doing the same thing as me. It's a lot of work trying to make nice things & keep up with the computer work at the same time, it's great to have a support group.

If you've found me through the EtsyKids Group, then hi! Welcome to my blog. Thanks for stopping by & checking me out. I've got to get back to the sewing machine now. Thanks to EtsyKids for welcoming me into your group. I look forward to being a member.

Newsletter

Coming soon! The first iSew.biz newsletter.

I'm hoping to send out my first newsletter by March 1st, so please stop by the website & sign up for my mailing list. I'll be featuring some of the newest products from my shop and talking about what I've been up to this last year.

And for those of you who have already signed up, sorry it's taking so long. This running an online sewing business is a lot of work but it beats having a real job! I don't miss it for a minute.

What could be better...

than a pair of sock monkey slippers? Seriously. I made these a while back from a pattern I bought from another seller on Etsy, you can get the pattern from her shop. I think this may have been my inspiration to make monkey gadget cozies. Monkeys are the best, admit it. They're funny. Look how happy they are. They make me want to go buy some yarn and crochet something right now.

Grommit Not Included

This cute & cuddly toy is mine, but you can have the bag!
I said I wanted to make a diaper bag with my cool fat quarter set, and I did! I think I used about 9 different fabrics to make this bag. I love how it turned out & now I want to make more. I've got 2 other complete sets of fat quarters to make bags from. I'm all fired up to sew now and am glad to have made something I really like. Thses colors are great too, not so every day for babies. I'm so into the vintage fabrics right now, there are more available all the time. I love it!
I've added this bag to my website, it's called Catie, named after one of my pseudo nieces. It's the same basic bag as Keeley, but I plan to make the Catie version in all cotton and to mix up the fabrics a bit more. The quilted, cotton diaper bags tend to be a bit sturdier as well. Please check out more photos of Caite on my site at www.iSew.biz. Happy Chinese New Year!

Fabric rules!

I'm totally addicted, not that this is a new thing. Why do these companies keep coming up with all of this great stuff? Do they think I'm made of money?

This is my latest "favorite" line of fabric. It's Building Blocks by American Jane for Moda. I love their stuff. I bought the whole fat quarter collection, which isn't cheap. Now I'm just trying to figure out what to do with it. Maybe a couple different zipper pouches or baby bibs. I've been wanting to add floppy hats to my site, you know, for kids? I think these fabrics would be great for kids products, or for teachers. The colors are great and the images too. I happen to have a weakness for vintage so this line is right up my alley. Here's an idea...how about a patchworky diaper bag using a bunch of these prints? I guess I know what I'm going to do today.

Anyway, check out my website to see a ton of fabrics that I have available for special orders. Just look at a product & you'll see the fabric choices.

My friend etsy

Etsy is a great place to "buy and sell all things handmade". I love this website. What a great way to give regular people a way to put their handmade goods on the web without a huge investment. I have a shop on etsy, and to tell you the truth, that's where pretty much all of my sales have come from. They have over 32,000 users on this site. That's a lot of traffic potential.

As for selling things, it's pretty easy. All you do is pay a nominal fee, that lasts for 4 months, for each item you want in your shop. Then you just write a description, add some tags, upload the photos, easy. Especially easy for someone who has already put in a billion hours creating product images. They charge you a small percentage of the profit, but I think it's worth it. This is a great way for the average person to have an online shop. You don't really have to put a lot of work into it, it's great for an "on the side" kind of deal.

So please go check out etsy, support your local crafter, buy something from a real person! In the future, I plan to feature some of my favorite etsy sellers here, so come back often to see some great, original items.

What's a Blog?

"You need a blog". That's what I keep reading in all my books about having an online business. Well, here it is. I don't really have any issues with blogs, I just don't think I have a lot to say. And I hate writing, I'm terrible at it. I guess it's a good way to promote my business, which I need to do badly. I don't know how it works (and probably sound like a real dork right now) but away I go.

The deal is, I have an online business selling my hand sewn stuff. I make

handbags, diaper bags, etc., etc. - iSew...get it? Anyway, I launched my site in November and now I'm just doing all the things you do to get it noticed. I get a fair amount of traffic, but not that much. No one knows I'm there.

My next step into marketing my site is to try getting into some craft shows. Aside from the natural downside of grannies in puff paint sweatshirts, it can be pretty expensive to get into the good ones. However, you have a captive audience that is there to buy. I've been to these things and there are packs of ladies walking out with crafty stuff hanging from their bodies. They bring their husbands just to carry the bags. There seems to be a definite opportunity there. I also think people are more likely to buy a higher priced item from some stranger if they can actually see it in person. I don't blame them.

I guess I plan to use my blog as a way to put my ideas down in writing somewhere. Sort of like when you talk to yourself, it just seems to stick better. I hope it works. Ha Ha

More later,

Kippi

www.iSew.biz