The Sewing Room

Savvy_sewing

I feel so guilty for not getting to the sewing machine. I am never going to be able to make any money out of my skills unless I get my head down and start to work!. Family just keep getting in the way. This new Housing Tax, bedroom tax is going to affect me, as my son has once again moved out. So I will need to find an extra £100 odd a month out of my budget. Which really means that I have to stop buying fabrics for fun and get things made and sold!. If nothing else but to pay the rent to keep the roof over our heads. The housing are talking about moving us. Having only moved here 2 years at Christmas, and this being my 40th house move, I really do not want to move again. So sewing I must do. Rufusdog how do you get your head down and fit it all in??? Help I need proper motivation some how.!

rufusdog52

To be quite honest Mooloo I was getting motivated by having these stalls booked, I wanted to get some more stuff made to take with me. I was expecting to go to another one on Saturday but OH has told me today he wont be taking me after all as he might have to work and I can't find a lift so I am losing the stall money. This would have been my 4th stall, the first no one turned up so lost the stall money there, it just hadnt been advertised at all. The second I made £10 over the stall money (stall was £10) and the one last weekend I made £15 over the stall money (stall was £30). I was counting these ones as practice for the Christmas ones coming up plus some advertising as people were asking about my online shop and also asking if I would be at the next fair etc but tonight I feel so down in the dumps again, makes me wonder whether it is worth carrying on with them. Would be different if I could drive but seeing as I have to rely on lifts all the time its getting awkward.

Savvybunny2009

Hello everyone

I have been in and out this year but thought I best introduce myself as I plan to be posting much more regularly as I have a whole bunch of craft projects planned for Christmas and I hope to start as soon as possible although organisation isn't what I am usually known for!

I have read through the sewing threads over the last few years and decided to bite the bullet and bought a Janome sewing machine earlier this year. I haven't started any sewing projects yet as I have lots I want to do and various materials and fabrics needed. I haven;tt enough knowledge of where to buy lovely Christmas fabrics cheaply but full cotton (I made a mistake of buying jersey cotton which my sewing machine would not feed).

I hope I can join you all, I think you are all mega talented and have inspired me to get back to basics and make my own things, I hope one day to make some girls clothes for my daughter too.

I'm sure I have seen a thread on where the best places to buy fabric from but I cannot for the life of me find it despite searching through the search facility. I am looking to make a christmas elf and am looking for green christmassy fabric and red christmassy fabric (not thin like jersey cotton), twill fabric and felt (various colours). If anyone has any suggestions of the best places to buy at a resonable price, but lovely designs I would be very, very grateful

Savvy_sewing

rufusdog52 wrote: »

To be quite honest Mooloo I was getting motivated by having these stalls booked, I wanted to get some more stuff made to take with me. I was expecting to go to another one on Saturday but OH has told me today he wont be taking me after all as he might have to work and I can't find a lift so I am losing the stall money. This would have been my 4th stall, the first no one turned up so lost the stall money there, it just hadnt been advertised at all. The second I made £10 over the stall money (stall was £10) and the one last weekend I made £15 over the stall money (stall was £30). I was counting these ones as practice for the Christmas ones coming up plus some advertising as people were asking about my online shop and also asking if I would be at the next fair etc but tonight I feel so down in the dumps again, makes me wonder whether it is worth carrying on with them. Would be different if I could drive but seeing as I have to rely on lifts all the time its getting awkward.

I can see your problem. Perhaps focusing on the Online sales would be better? Craft Stalls do get you seen, but often people are just looking!. Not good. Its like doing a leaflet drop, you can jput out thousands and only get one call, if any. Its like fishing in the Atlantic for a mino!.
But you must have faith in your products and put them on line. Then apparantly the way to get there is to Blog, twitter, and facebook, But to be honest I am not very good at those!. However that seems to be the way.
Would it be cost effective to put an advert in a sewing Magazine, or any local magazine?

Savvy_sewing

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3074510
This is the Sewing Room no Chat thread. it has lots of links for sites. projects and suppliers.
Abakhans, seem to supply most things.
I also get Christmas stuff from Croft Mills.
jackies Fabrics and Ebay.
My local market stall holder often has them as well.
Happy sewing!

Savvybunny2009

Thanks Mooloo! That really helps I think my problem is I have several projects I want to complete and I find it difficult working out where to get everything from the cheply with nice designs for fabric. I used to go to hobbycraft and rummage through their half price section but as they are renovating they have got rid of all clearance fabrics.

Thanks again, I know what I will be doing tonight

Rufusdog, I agree online is the way to go. You can reach a large audience, cheaply and effectively and although craft fairs are good it can be difficult to reach a large audience. One of my friends is signed up to various fb sites that promote your products, promote you as a brand, you do need to do a bit of networking but your sales will go up. I will send you a message on fb once I get the links hun x

rufusdog52

Thanks Savvy, I had a few people add me after Sunday's craft fair. They were asking if I was doing one at the same place in November as there is a Christmas do there with winter wonderland etc. Others were saying they would like things I made as presents but hadnt brought enough money out with them. I think I will do the ones coming up to Christmas but don't think its worth doing them after at craft fairs unless there is a big one in the summer I can do somewhere.

I was selling one thing a month on Folksy which is rubbish really but then after feb this year I didnt have a sale at all until last week when I sold a bag through it. There are so many people who have never heard of Folksy, I don't think anyone I spoke to at the weekend had except for a couple of stall holders. I can't afford the fees for Ebay even though it would reach more people. I would have to put the price up to sell on there and then I would be pricing myself out of the market.

ZsaZsa

I've just downloaded a peg bag pattern for my first proper sewing project. Does a pattern include a seam allowance or do I add it on?? Sorry to ask what's probably a really obvious question but I've been lurking here for a while and I've already picked up lots of tips

rufusdog52

Usually it would say on the pattern whether it includes a seam allowance or not. If it doesn't then look at the pattern once printed and see if it looks the right size as it is, if so then add a seam allowance round the edge. If it looks too big then it probably has seam allowances added xx

Keiss_21

pennib wrote: »

I am on the lookout for getting a sewing machine and found the Sewmaster site on the web. Has anybody any dealings with them?
http://www.sewmaster.co.uk/index.html

Not sure, but have a look at the shop where I work and its website, also here - think it has had good reviews and fancy offers. I could always offer to bring your machine up to you...now there's an idea!! :rotfl:
I would recommend looking at the Janomes or the Berninas, great machines.

Right, I need to head to bed, a busy day tomorrow, going to be sewing more of my beginners sampler quilt :j, or at least getting some help to do this!