At first I was just going to make some basic, unlined shoppers, but thought again. This oilcloth deserved more than that, so I decided to make this great tote - I'm almost tempted to keep it for myself, almost...
What do you think?
A blog about me and my sewing machine and my passion for fabulous fabrics and making beautiful bags..
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Flying the flag
Although my first attempt at using oilcloth for bag making went surprisingly well, I thought it would be quite a while before I'd be using it again...wrong! Whilst in town last week I popped into a fabric store (I can't not go and look, can I?), and saw this great distressed Union Jack oilcloth..I just had to buy it!
At first I was just going to make some basic, unlined shoppers, but thought again. This oilcloth deserved more than that, so I decided to make this great tote - I'm almost tempted to keep it for myself, almost...
What do you think?
At first I was just going to make some basic, unlined shoppers, but thought again. This oilcloth deserved more than that, so I decided to make this great tote - I'm almost tempted to keep it for myself, almost...
What do you think?
Friday, 18 January 2013
My 'must do' list for 2013
Hmm, I've neglected my blog of late, I really must do better...... Note to self, "add to the 'must do' list".
I don't make New Years resolutions, there's no point as I always break them within in few days... I have absolutely zero will power, be it dieting, keeping in touch with people.. anything really! I'm so envious of those who can make up their minds to do something and stick to it! But there are a number of things that I really have to do this year on the business front and my thinking is that if I set them down on virtual paper and publish for the whole world to see, then maybe I can be shamed into doing at least some of them. So I've made a list of things that I must do in order to get my business 'out there' and for it to grow. So here they are in no particular order:
1) Open a twitter account. I've no idea what I should do with it but the general consensus is that you should have one, so I'll do it and figure it out as I go.
2) Do more craft fairs. I did my first in October last year and three more in the run up to Christmas. They weren't super successful, but I think it's good to get out and face the public and get some feedback as to the kind of things that they are buying.
3) Get some of my items into bricks and mortar shops. this is going to be a tricky one as I know that most shops expect a 40-50% discount and my current prices are not high enough to make this a viable proposition. I also find it hard to 'sell' myself.
4) Raise my prices to a level that reflects the amount of work that goes into making them. I think I've spent too much time listening to people who wouldn't pay more than £15 - £20 for a bag.. they're not my target market! So I need to raise my prices and not panic and reduce them when they haven't sold a few days later. I've been known to do this several times over until the bags are about half their original price!
5) Have more selling outlets online. I have my website www.wildrosedesign.co.uk, my Folksy shop www.wildrosedesigns/folksy.com and a neglected shop on Misi and Groovycart. I need to sell on some sites that have a much bigger online presence such as Wow thank you, Swanky Maison or Gift wrapped and gorgeous. I can't afford to even think about Not on the high street!
6) Be more visible. This means spending more time on the forums, on twitter and facebook and blogging more frequently. Time consuming but necessary.
7) Join Pinterest. I've seen mixed reviews for this so it's not a priority at the moment..... unless you know differently????????
8) Paperwork. I must keep proper records and keep them up to date. I also need to do a stock take and properly calculate the costs involved in each item I make.
9) I need to work more efficiently. ie: making some things in batches, even if the fabrics are different.
10) Take some time out now and then. Being at home all day stuck in my workroom is not necessarily a good thing. I need to get out and about sometimes, otherwise I can get a bit obsessive about sewing and not want to do anything else!
Er, that looks like rather a lot so wish me luck and if you've got any better ideas please share..
Linda
I don't make New Years resolutions, there's no point as I always break them within in few days... I have absolutely zero will power, be it dieting, keeping in touch with people.. anything really! I'm so envious of those who can make up their minds to do something and stick to it! But there are a number of things that I really have to do this year on the business front and my thinking is that if I set them down on virtual paper and publish for the whole world to see, then maybe I can be shamed into doing at least some of them. So I've made a list of things that I must do in order to get my business 'out there' and for it to grow. So here they are in no particular order:
1) Open a twitter account. I've no idea what I should do with it but the general consensus is that you should have one, so I'll do it and figure it out as I go.
2) Do more craft fairs. I did my first in October last year and three more in the run up to Christmas. They weren't super successful, but I think it's good to get out and face the public and get some feedback as to the kind of things that they are buying.
3) Get some of my items into bricks and mortar shops. this is going to be a tricky one as I know that most shops expect a 40-50% discount and my current prices are not high enough to make this a viable proposition. I also find it hard to 'sell' myself.
4) Raise my prices to a level that reflects the amount of work that goes into making them. I think I've spent too much time listening to people who wouldn't pay more than £15 - £20 for a bag.. they're not my target market! So I need to raise my prices and not panic and reduce them when they haven't sold a few days later. I've been known to do this several times over until the bags are about half their original price!
5) Have more selling outlets online. I have my website www.wildrosedesign.co.uk, my Folksy shop www.wildrosedesigns/folksy.com and a neglected shop on Misi and Groovycart. I need to sell on some sites that have a much bigger online presence such as Wow thank you, Swanky Maison or Gift wrapped and gorgeous. I can't afford to even think about Not on the high street!
6) Be more visible. This means spending more time on the forums, on twitter and facebook and blogging more frequently. Time consuming but necessary.
7) Join Pinterest. I've seen mixed reviews for this so it's not a priority at the moment..... unless you know differently????????
8) Paperwork. I must keep proper records and keep them up to date. I also need to do a stock take and properly calculate the costs involved in each item I make.
9) I need to work more efficiently. ie: making some things in batches, even if the fabrics are different.
10) Take some time out now and then. Being at home all day stuck in my workroom is not necessarily a good thing. I need to get out and about sometimes, otherwise I can get a bit obsessive about sewing and not want to do anything else!
Er, that looks like rather a lot so wish me luck and if you've got any better ideas please share..
Linda
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
300 likes giveaway!
Happy New Year to you all!
Wow finally made it to 300 likes on my facebook page, so this giveaway blog post is sneaking in before my first proper post of 2013! Now facebook doesn't really like giveaways and such on it's pages (apparently) which is why it's here on my blog.
This time I'm giving away a lovely brocade make up bag and there are two colours to choose from, mauve or green.
All you have to do to enter is like my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MyWildRoseDesigns if you don't already, follow my blog - if you want to, if you don't do blogs, that's fine, and leave a comment here saying which make up bag you'd prefer. Existing followers and likers need only leave a comment here. Simples! The draw will be on Thursday night. Good Luck!
Wow finally made it to 300 likes on my facebook page, so this giveaway blog post is sneaking in before my first proper post of 2013! Now facebook doesn't really like giveaways and such on it's pages (apparently) which is why it's here on my blog.
This time I'm giving away a lovely brocade make up bag and there are two colours to choose from, mauve or green.
All you have to do to enter is like my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MyWildRoseDesigns if you don't already, follow my blog - if you want to, if you don't do blogs, that's fine, and leave a comment here saying which make up bag you'd prefer. Existing followers and likers need only leave a comment here. Simples! The draw will be on Thursday night. Good Luck!
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Folksy Friday - Evening bags
Now that the party season is here I've decided that this weeks theme should be Evening Bags. Evening bags are why Wild Rose Designs exists! They are where I started - I don't really have the kind of social life where I need lots, but I do love them! So here are my choices for this week, enjoy..
Love this pretty knitted clutch from Metamorph
Gorgeous colours in this bag by Busy Blue Cat
Can't resist blue, it's my favourite colour, and this beautiful clutch is from ciesse textiles
This is so pretty! It's by Nancy Said
This lovely pink satin bag is from Velveteen
Love this simple little clutch by Beledien
Who could resist this heart shaped felt bag from Suki Felts
Stunning colour! It's by suzie Q designs
Wow! How long must this have taken to make? It's from Adelaide Pears
And lastly a pink satin bag from me Wild Rose Designs
I hope you enjoyed looking at my selection, and maybe it's given you a few ideas..
Linda
Sunday, 25 November 2012
My first Oilcloth bag!
Helloo!! It's me again! My posts are like buses - you wait ages for one, then two come along together!
I've just finished and photographed my latest commission, it was for an oilcloth messenger/saddle bag and the customer pretty much gave me free rein on it, I just hope that she is as pleased with it as I am. This was my first foray into the world of Oilcloth and it's quite a tricky material to work with. You really have to sew everything right first time, once your sewing machine bites into the fabric, the mark is there for good. If you have to unpick then the only option is to sew again in exactly the same place - I'm sure that there is some sewing machine wiz out there who can do it with ease but I'd rather not have to try! Oilcloth is also hard to manoeuvre through the machine as it is fairly rigid and doesn't squash up as easily as other fabrics and if you are sewing shiny side down, then it will just stick to your sewing machine. The only way round this is to place an off-cut of oilcloth face down on the machine bed in front of the needle - this will stick itself to the machine and enable the piece that you are sewing to move freely over it.
There are two things that I could not have managed without; the first being a Teflon sewing foot. A normal sewing foot will stick to the oilcloth and you will be unable to sew, so a Teflon foot is a must.
The second must have are these little plastic clips. Pins will leave a mark int the laminated cloth if you accidentally place them outside the seam allowance, the clips won't distort the fabric and are great with thick, multiple layers. I must confess that I bought them on a whim thinking that they might come in useful, and they certainly did!
The design is one I've been thinking about for a while but hadn't yet made, it has two pockets on the front, and two pockets inside, one of which is zipped. I will be making more, but probably in regular fabric, though I may be tempted to dabble in laminated fabric again at some point.
I've just finished and photographed my latest commission, it was for an oilcloth messenger/saddle bag and the customer pretty much gave me free rein on it, I just hope that she is as pleased with it as I am. This was my first foray into the world of Oilcloth and it's quite a tricky material to work with. You really have to sew everything right first time, once your sewing machine bites into the fabric, the mark is there for good. If you have to unpick then the only option is to sew again in exactly the same place - I'm sure that there is some sewing machine wiz out there who can do it with ease but I'd rather not have to try! Oilcloth is also hard to manoeuvre through the machine as it is fairly rigid and doesn't squash up as easily as other fabrics and if you are sewing shiny side down, then it will just stick to your sewing machine. The only way round this is to place an off-cut of oilcloth face down on the machine bed in front of the needle - this will stick itself to the machine and enable the piece that you are sewing to move freely over it.
There are two things that I could not have managed without; the first being a Teflon sewing foot. A normal sewing foot will stick to the oilcloth and you will be unable to sew, so a Teflon foot is a must.
The second must have are these little plastic clips. Pins will leave a mark int the laminated cloth if you accidentally place them outside the seam allowance, the clips won't distort the fabric and are great with thick, multiple layers. I must confess that I bought them on a whim thinking that they might come in useful, and they certainly did!
The design is one I've been thinking about for a while but hadn't yet made, it has two pockets on the front, and two pockets inside, one of which is zipped. I will be making more, but probably in regular fabric, though I may be tempted to dabble in laminated fabric again at some point.
The finished bag!
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Folksy Friday - Christmas decorations
I haven't done a Folksy Friday since the beginning of November and now we're only days away from December so I think a theme of Christmas deckies is in order. I love, love, love Christmas and I love to decorate the house. We always have two trees, a real one in the conservatory and an artificial one in the porch. My Granddaughter does the porch tree and we all decorate the one in the conservatory, well apart from my OH who just stands and admires. Oh and we usually have a little drinky poo while we decorate, well it is Christmas!
Here's this weeks selection:
Here's this weeks selection:
These shabby chic Christmas trees are so pretty, they're from PANTSANDPAPER
Love these Santas, they're by Hettie & Mabel
This cute trio of reindeer are from The Dreaming Hare
Even your teapot can look Christmasy, it's from The Crafty Bride
How about this Christmas 'knitiviy' from Wiggys Mum
This cute Santa is by Coggsy Coops Creations
This lovely glass star is from Gooseberry Fool
This pretty Christmas wreath is by Handcrafted Hannah
A stunning heirloom Christmas stocking from Rosie Bears Crafts
And lastly, from me, a Christmas tree garland Wild Rose Designs
Hope you enjoyed my selection, thanks for looking,
Linda
Friday, 2 November 2012
Folksy Friday - Sewing
The theme for this weeks Folksy Friday is Sewing. Sewing has been a part of my life since childhood and I love it! I love everything to do with sewing; the fabric, the trims, buttons, haberdashery, even the gadgets! I dream of a work space filled with rolls of stunning fabrics, reels of ribbon and thread - all neatly displayed. not like the unholy mess that is my workroom most of the time......anyhoo, here is this weeks selection.
Love these tape measure heart brooches, they're by Ruby Bijou
This beautifully detailed print of a Singer sewing machine is by Ink and Stylus
Fabulous pearly pins from the Crafterie
Oooh! buttons, my favourite colour and they're from Gertie & Mabel
As a bag maker I just love this fabric from Koh-I-Noor Quilts
So true! It's by Of Life and Lemons
I'm sure I have this pattern somewhere! This card is by Made at Home by Leigh Clothier
What a great pair of earrings! They're from Lisa's Jewellery & Gifts
What a gorgeous sewing box, I want! It's from MarrianeLeyDesign
These are really unusual, and they're by The Bird & the button
And finally from me, a pin cushion and needle case Wild Rose Designs
Hope you enjoyed my selection, thanks for looking.
Linda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)