Sooo, Soo, So, Sew

Sooo, my husband has been out of work for awhile now. When we were still a two income family I used to LOVE to shop. When he lost his job, couldn't find a new one, and the bills were coming in, reality starting hitting me hard. I now HATED shopping. Mostly because all those fancy pretty hand bags that I obsessed over, I could no longer afford. I would walk by my favorite stores and just give a heavy sigh. Knowing all to well that the cost of a new hand bag could feed my family for a week and pay the electric bill to cook that food for a month. Again, heavy sigh.

Soo, I would go home and look in my closet and see if there was something that I hadn't used for awhile that maybe would fill that weird desire I had to have a new designer bag. No, there wasn't. That's just being honest.

So, what do you do? I went into my husbands office and found his mom's old sewing machine. I put it on the table and starred at it. Bobbins and feet and thread and needles all looked pretty intimidating. Not having a clue on what to do was even more intimidating. But I knew I was staring at the answer to how I would get a new purse. Something that no one else had. Something that was mine and something my crafty self made. I knew what I had to do.

Sew.

I went to Walmart and bought my first pattern, some fabric, and some thread. Came home, butchered my pattern, massacred my fabric, and quickly learned that a seam ripper can be the most used tool I ever used. Things were sewn upside down and backwards. (I still say I followed the directions!) Okay, it wasn't a success. But making all those mistakes helped me learn some techniques. They also helped me figure out how to make changes to the patterns that I wanted to make. 

From that "Franken-Purse", I felt challenged and was determined to try again. I bought another pattern. Read online tutorials. Looked for local classes. Researched everything. Got some great pointers. Success! I started making tote bags, wallets, make up bags. I felt confident enough in my sewing that I made Christmas gifts for everyone on my list last year. 

I work on my skills every day. I think because of that, I've been able to start making some really cool things. If nothing else, I know that it's an original that no one else has. 

The "Jessie" purse

I have a friend, her name is Jessie. My best friend. She's so close to me that I call her my sister. She's always been there for me and supported me on all my crazy ideas. When I started designing purses, I couldn't think of a better name then "The Jessie".

I'll have the first one up on Etsy soon!

My first attempt at taking project photos

Okay, so I wouldn't even pretend to think I had a clue when it comes to taking great photos. Since I've decided to start making and selling my projects, I've been trying to do a little research into how to take a good photo.

The one thing that I can say is using a tripod has REALLY helped me. My photos are a lot more clearer. (Duh, I know).

Knowing that I needed something that would compliment my items, I decided to go with a white background. Originally I was going to just do a plain white backdrop. After about 30 or so photos, I felt it was...well...boring. I wouldn't want to buy anything that was boring.

So I did a little looking in my closet and found some neutral items. I think they compliment with distracting from what I'm trying to sell.

I found a sheer top that I found I really liked working with. It's really soft and flowy. It draped really well. I think worked for what I was trying to go for.

I also found a natural canvas tote, a camel color knit hat, and some over sized leopard print sunglasses. I plan on using these to show uses for some flower broaches I made.

Now I just have to work on the image to brighten it up a little. But I think it came out pretty good!

Bringing a little Spring early

So I'm sick and tired of being cold. Being in southern California, we don't get all that beautiful snow like everyone else. We get rain. Lots of rain. Which means dark gloomy cold days. I have to say that I am looking forward to spring and all the pretty colors it brings. I decided to start a little early and bring some spring now! So I made some flowers to cheer myself up.

I'm pretty excited about it. I went to the local fabric store and bought some new fabric and started experimenting. I made a bunch of flowers. They come in 2 sizes. the smaller ones are about 3 inches. The larger ones are 5(ish) inches.

I used hair clips and pins on the backs to make them functional. The centers are made with pearl beads, crystal beads, or sparkley rhinestones!

Tips for making flowers:
1. Use scraps of fabric when ever you can. A lot of sewing projects have a lot of waste. I'm always trying to find new ways to use the scraps. You already have them, so it's free!
2. If you don't have scraps that will work, check out the remenients section of your local fabric store. Sometimes I get lucky and can find great deals in the bin, at 50% off!
3. Different fabric will have different personalities. Some will like to curl more than others.
4. Use as much as you can from your own craft closet. I have a bunch of old rhinestones that sit in a box waiting for me to use them. They make beautiful centers. Also if you have a earring with a missing pair, this is a great way to add a little sparkle to the center.
5. Think of great ways to use flowers. My smaller one I added hair clips too. The larger ones I added both a hair clip and a pin. They can be worn on clothing or added to purses for a little something special.

Etsy here I come!

Been busy making flowers! on Twitpic

Been busy making flowers! on Twitpic

You follow your dreams and I'll follow mine.

I tend to do this a lot. I compare myself to other people. It can be people I admire or people I can't stand. But love or hate, I always look at them and wish that I could be more like them. Mostly this is how I feel when it comes to making money. I have to admit sometimes I look at these people and wonder how in the world do THEY stay in business?

For the last few years, I have ran a few different businesses as side jobs. They never really went anywhere. So I reached out and got advice from a variety of sources, telling me the best way to make my business grow.

I know a few friends that run successful companies that are only a few years old. Some of these friends act like total jack asses in public. Enough that it makes you wonder why people buy from them when their social skills are crap. But it’s kind of their gimmick. Kind of like going to that restaurant, Dick’s Last Resort, and the waiters throw paper napkins at you and make customers where silly hats. People dig it.

I have other friends that are Goths, or rebels, or rockabilly, or geeks. It’s their lifestyle and who they are. They run companies that cater to their lifestyle and are true to their vision. So I wonder, there’s got to be a common thread?

Maybe that’s really what it is. They stay true to themselves. It’s not what gimmicks they bring. Or even if they have some sort of theme. They stay true to who they are first. Then bring that to their business. That’s what transcends to their customers and makes doing business with them special. It makes their business unique.

Every morning I wake up and check out Facebook before I get out of bed. I just like to see what my friends are up to and see if there’s any good gossip from the night before.

Today I woke up and did the same thing. As I was cruising the pages of who’s selling what and what promotions they have it hit me. Every company that I have tried to start always involved someone else influencing me and the vision of what I was trying to do. Guiding me one way or another. But as I look back on all of it, none of them helped me stay focused on what I really wanted my goals to be. Just advising on what works for others and how to make myself more like them.

But I’m not them. I’m not going to change how I do things and produce things because it’s how so and so does it and that works for them. Because as I have learned, that works for them but not for me. I’m going to stay true to myself this time.

So that's why I say, you follow your dreams and I'll follow mine

I was made in America

There's just something I have to get off my chest. As I was eating breakfast this morning, my husband came into the room and said we need to talk. That's never good. He told me that he may but cut off from unemployment on December 11. Merry Christmas.

My husband was laid off in March. He's college educated with a degree in architecture and has worked the last 10 years in civil engineering. Before that he was a general contractor. Before that a carpenter. Before that a motorcycle salesman and mechanic. In other words my husband can design you a house and get the permits for it. Then build it from the foundation up. Oh, and if you need your car fixed, yeah he can do that too. But he's been turned down from every job he has gone after. Including a shoe salesman at REI.

I told him that we'll figure it out. We always do. Then I turned on the TV. There was a report that the US government has agreed to do a $100 million dollar study to research trees in Indonesia. Really? Seriously? We're starving over here and you want to give all that money to another country to research trees??? How many of the research jobs are going to Americans?

I can't tell you how many of my friends are also having a hard time finding a job. I mean a job that you can support your family on. They don't seem to be out there. No one wants to hire full time. Or pay fair wages. So many jobs have been shipped overseas. Cheaper workers equal cheaper prices and lesser quality. Why aren't we producing anything here anymore?

I was made in America. I was well made :)

This time I'm putting myself out there, because I never express my political views. I always keep them to myself. I was also told that you never discuss politics in public. So I never did. Maybe I'm not alone and others feel the same way? So now I'm putting it in writing for everyone who reads this blog to see.

America is a great country. Support the American worker. Put Americans back to work.

As a designer, I have to stand behind my products and my beliefs. I promise to provide as many American made products as possible. Yeah I know, in the end it might cost my customers a little bit more. Yeah I know, it will cut a little bit into my profits. But we need to stand together and support each other. It only benefits ourselves!

I try to figure out where to get my materials. It's near impossible to find anything American made. I now have an account with American Apparel. But I'm having a heck of a time finding American made fabric. If you know any good resources, let me know!

We really need to do something as a country. Put your husband, sisters, and best friend back to work. Support American made products!