I've been gone too long! Too busy sewing to be on here! Anyway, here are 3 new buttercup bags I made. Sorry for the poor quality pics. When I've been sewing for days I'm just glad to be done! Don't take the time to make the pics good!
I'd like to make some duffle bags for my boys (ages 2,5, & 7). I've never made one before so I'm not sure what fabrics to use. I'd like to be able to personalize them. Either by using a print fabric (think Spiderman or something like that) or just by putting their names on the outside. I can cut vinyl with my silhouette for names or I can take the fabric somewhere for embroidery. I've made a few bags with quilting cotton and heavy interfacing but I always feel like they wrinkle way too easily and I don't care for that. But something like duckcloth isn't going to come in a cute print for boys. Suggestions? Also suggestions for a good duffle bag pattern or tutorial would be helpful. Thanks!
I'm gearing up to do some craft shows between now and Christmas. I asked a friend if she would be interested in sharing a booth with me and she is. But I'm not sure a fair way to split the booth fee. I'm going to be selling mainly purses and bags. She is going to be selling mainly hair accessories. Since her items are a lot less expensive is it fair to split the booth cost 50/50? If not, what seems fair? 60/40? 70/30? Some type of formula based on each person's profit for the day? Also, I have ideas for a lot of smaller items I'd like to make to sell along with my bags. Would it be better to just choose 2-3 small items and make a wide variety of those? Or lots of different items with only a few of each? For example, lots of coin purses and make up bags? Or a few coin purses, a few makeup bags, some wallets, checkbook covers, etc.
I've decided to do some shows this fall to make a little Christmas money. My main focus will be my bags and purses. However, some of the shows I'd like to do are coming right up and I may not be able to get as many bags done as I'd like. Any ideas on some simple items that I could make to help fill my table? Also, do the smaller (less expensive) items seem to be better sellers since people can afford them more as "impulse" buys? I'm thinking something like bookmarks or magnets. Any suggestions?
I use USPS for all of my shipping. It's closer and in most cases, cheaper since I'm mainly selling jewelry. There may be FedEx or UPS drop boxes close by but no where to take my package in to ship it. I'd have to do it all online. Not a big deal but I'm not familiar with doing that so it makes me nervous. I shipped a necklace last week and the clerk said it would take 2-3 for first class. Cheaper than priority and same ship time so I did that. I did not add insurance or confirmation. I told her it was a necklace that I had made so proof of cost of contents would be difficult. Well, it ended up taking a full week for my customer to get her necklace! I was terrified that it was lost in the mail! My understanding is that delivery confirmation would not have helped me. If it had been lost I could've gotten a refund for the postage but not the lost item. What do you do to protect yourself from things getting lost? If the necklace had been lost, could I have used different receipts for each part of the necklace if I had had insurance?
I'm trying to design and create my own logo to use on tags, avatars, banners, etc. I know exactly what I want it to look like. Just not quite sure how to create it digitally. I might be able to draw it on paper but I want it to look kind of "cartoonish" and I'm not sure I can achieve that on paper. And I wouldn't know how to get it from paper to digital format without it being painfully obvious that it's scanned in. I've drawn most of it digitally but I'm not sure I can finish the details that way. Any suggestions on where to go from here? If anyone is good with graphic design, I'd be willing to work out a deal. My biggest problem is that I'm on a tight budget. My "business" is really not a business at all yet and I'm not sure how much I want to put into it. My main reason for wanting to get a logo is for use on business cards and a facebook page. The few things I've sold, I have not set out to sell. I've been contacted by someone who saw something I made for someone else and wanted one for themselves. So just a few word of mouth sales. Which is probably how I would like to continue for a while. But I think ppl who don't know me would be more likely to contact me if they had a biz card, rather than my mom or friend writing my phone number on a scrap of paper, lol. In other words, I can't really afford a big investment because I'm not likely going to make that money back. Anyone want to help me out? I definitely would not expect anyone to help me for free. I just can't spend a ton. I'd also be willing to exchange your services for something I can make or for some fabric stash. If noone is interested in taking over for me, does anyone have suggestions on how I may be able to figure out how to do this myself? I think what I'm wanting is probably pretty basic for anyone with some artistic/graphic art talent. I just don't have any of that. lol. Thanks in advance.
The first is a Dr. Suess bag I made for my son's teacher. He's in first grade and made great strides in learning to read this year so I really wanted her gift to be a big thank you for teaching him to read. Not to mention that he loves reading! The outside is cotton and fusible fleece. The name is heat transfer I cut out with my silhouette and ironed onto canvas. I erased the last name for posting. The inside is canvas with a pocket and pencil pocket. I also appliqued a note/picture from my son inside. It ties closed with the ribbon. We gave it to her along with his favorite Dr. Suess book. bag by Bethard bag 2 by Bethard Crappy pic but he wrote: "Thank you for an awesome year. You are a star. You are the best teacher in the whole world. Love, Ashton". I forgot to have him write the year so I added that with heat transfer. bag 3 by Bethard Pockets 2011 april & may 225 by Bethard The book 2011 april & may 228 by Bethard Label inside the book that my son wrote a message on. Last names erased. bag 4 by Bethard
I also made this simple tote for my friend's daughter to give her teacher. Wish I would've made this one differently so it held it's shape better but it's canvas so it'll still be sturdy. Last names erased. 2011 april & may 232 by Bethard bag 5 by Bethard Thanks for looking!
I finally got two teacher gifts finished! Still need to do one more and make something for the bus driver before the end of next week. Gotta quit procrastinating! Anyway, here are the totes and snack bags. The totes have fusible fleece for the insulation and are lined with a PEVA shower curtain. I got a silhouette for mother's day so I used that to make heat transfers with their initials. The purple one looks better in person as far as the letter showing up. It does blend more on the black on than I'd like but I was pressed for time so it had to do. The snack bags are not insulated but are lined with PEVA. Next time I will have to do something different. The seam allowance made a little more "bulk" than I'd prefer. Guess I should've trimmed them more. But they're ok and look super cute with the lunch bags. These teachers got theirs today and both loved them! Thanks for looking! 2011 april & may 208 by Bethard, on Flickr 2011 april & may 209 by Bethard, on Flickr 2011 april & may 210 by Bethard, on Flickr 2011 april & may 213 by Bethard, on Flickr
I'm planning on making some reusable snack bags and matching (or at least coordinating) insulated lunch bags for teacher appreciation week. Here's the thing...I really want the inside of the snack bags to be vinyl or something waterproof(ish). I'm thinking if you put something in it like peanuts, and it's all cotton, you're going to get grease stains. I also thought it would be nice to be able to use them for things like carrots or something in it, vinyl or something wipeable would be best. BUT I also want it to be machine washable. And most vinyl I've seen is not. What are my options? PUL? Anything else? Also, I'd like to make the insulated lunch bag with the same lining. But how do I insulate it? Is insul-brite for cold too or just hot? Any other suggestions before I dive in? I've never made either of these things before but I've made tons of bags and purses so I think I can handle the construction once I figure out the right materials. Thanks!
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Anyway, here are 3 new buttercup bags I made. Sorry for the poor quality pics. When I've been sewing for days I'm just glad to be done! Don't take the time to make the pics good! 
so I used that to make heat transfers with their initials. The purple one looks better in person as far as the letter showing up. It does blend more on the black on than I'd like but I was pressed for time so it had to do. 
The snack bags are not insulated but are lined with PEVA. Next time I will have to do something different. The seam allowance made a little more "bulk" than I'd prefer. Guess I should've trimmed them more. But they're ok and look super cute with the lunch bags. These teachers got theirs today and both loved them! Thanks for looking!
