Tula Pink, Nightshade

How awesome is this fabric?  I ask you.  How am I ever going to cut into it?

Red Telephone Box Wristlet - WIP

It's the middle of summer and July has been painfully slow, but instead of freaking out I've decided to use the down time to design some shiny new stuff!

I've got a notebook where I sketch out ideas for new bags, and while I keep putting stuff in it I haven't been creating anything out of it.  Well, that trend broke today.  I started today with this baby, which I'm going to call Red Telephone Box Wristlet.

I had already roughly worked out the dimensions, so I futzed with them some more and made a prototype.  The scale on my first attempt was all wrong, but the second time out I think I got things mostly how I want them.  I made a stamp for the 'telephone' text, but I only used an ink pad to save time and decided to fill it in with black fabric paint afterwards to get a feel for how a real one would look.  I think I'll have to make a stamp for the crown as well.  I painted that one by hand and it shows.

The next version of this will be so much prettier.  Fingers crossed.

Chevron

Look at what they had at JoAnn Fabrics!  Chevron!

I want to put it on everything.

Quilts in Summer

It's steamy outside.  It's been 90 degrees all week, and I've been hiding my head indoors, with the blinds shut and the air conditioning on.  My workspace is like a cool little cave.  I stepped outside just now, and it felt like condensation was building up on my skin.

I haven't noticed the outside world much this week though, because I've been too busy learning how to use my shiny new sewing machine!  I got a Janome DC 2012, and it is a marvel.  There is such a difference between this and what I was using before!  I had no idea.  But now that I've been spoiled, there's no going back for me.  I love it so, so much.

I got all this gorgeous quilting fabric on Monday from an Etsy seller, and I've been making quilts on my new Janome to get used to her.  Piecing is a good way to get a feel for how things operate.  Plus, she came with a quilting foot and a walking foot, and you know I was dying to try that out.  And I actually finished making a quilt yesterday!  I had some... issues with the bias tape, as I usually do - I hate that stuff.  I hate it sooo much - so I just rolled the edges under and sewed them up as I went.  I'm keeping this one for myself, because that was always the plan.  Look at how pretty it turned out!

I made 4x4 inch squares of Tula Pink's Prince Charming in Olive.  It looks pretty with our living room furniture.  I've been hoarding this fabric for almost a year, and it was time to do something with it.

And since that went so well, I couldn't stop there.  So I cut up some of Valori Wells Cocoon in Stone, along with half a dozen fat quarters I got from JoAnn Fabrics in matching colors, and I made up the squares for that quilt yesterday.  I think it's going to be really, really pretty.  Funky, but pretty.  I'm going to get the top done tonight, fingers crossed.

And after I'm done with that, I am going to pour myself a glass of wine, including ice cubes, because I'm classy like that, and I'm going to finish the Eloisa James romance novel I started yesterday.

More Bucket Bags!

 

I am a bucket bag making machine.  My Bucket Bags now come in navy blue, dove gray, and army green.  (Also available in navy and cream ticking stripes, chocolate brown, and jet black.)

These bags are slightly different from the first batch, because I changed the exterior pocket.  These don't have the darts, and I modified the shape of the pocket a little bit.  I think it looks sleek and lovely this way.

I've got three more bags coming up in exciting new colors: royal blue, bright white, and wine red.  They are going to be so pretty!  I thought I would get them made today, but taking photos and updating all my shop things took much longer than I thought it would.  Hopefully I will have photos up by Wednesday/Thursday.

Get one for yourself from my Etsy shop: Rachel White Art.

Clothes Hanger Necklace Organizer

Clothes Hanger Necklace Organizer

 No more tangled up necklaces! Hang your jewelry on these velcro tabs, and stick it in your closet. Instant organization! 

My Clothes Hanger Necklace Organizer is made from black canvas. It slips onto any standard size clothes hanger just like a t-shirt to easily store your necklaces in your closet. It has 14 velcro tabs to hang your large necklaces, bracelets, anklets, belts, etc. Velcro has been fused AND sewn on so they are extra secure. Even your heaviest necklaces won't take them down. The back is plain black canvas.

Get one for yourself at my Etsy Shop: Clothes Hanger Necklace Organizer.

Selling your handmade goods on the internet - a review of sites

I've been selling on Etsy since last August, but I wanted to branch out a little and get some more exposure for my handbags.  So I set up shops and listings at Artfire.com, Bonanza.com, Ebay.com, and Dawanda.com.


Here's my review of each after using them for a week:

Artfire.com
Total Number of item views after 7 days: 4
Total Number of Shop views: 3
Favorites: None
Sales: None

Pros:
Has the best looking shop of these four.
Most customizable shop options with separate pages for a shop blog, biography, policies, gallery. 

Cons:
It took forever to sign up.
Cost for having a shop is $12.95 a month - but has a 2 week free trial.
Stats are very basic, but you can use Google Analytics for more in depth statistics.

Result: I will not be keeping this shop once my two weeks are up.  It's just not worth the time.


Bonanza.com
Total Number of item views after 7 days: 25
Total Number of Shop views: 2
Favorites: None
Sales: None

Pros:
Seems to have a thriving community of sellers.
No listing fees!
Commission charge is 3.5%.

Cons:
Seems more like a place to sell your last season designer clothing/accessories.No search term tags - I have no idea how people are finding my stuff.
Charges monthly for pro shop, but a basic shop is free.
Importing items from eBay or Etsy takes for-ev-er.


Result: I'm undecided about Bonanza.  Let's give it another week.


eBay.com
Total Number of item views after 7 days: 42 - and some of those were me.
Total Number of auction watchers: 2
Sales: None

Pros:
More mainstream customers.

Cons:
Hideous user interface.  Dislike how search results appear.
Listing fees are expensive, and only last a week.
eBay charges a commission fee from 9-13% on sales.  Greedy.
Has a $500/10 item monthly selling limit.
Customers are looking for a bargain.

Result: I renewed my listing, but unless I get a sale this will be the last time I do.


Dawanda.com
Total Number of item views after 7 days: 22
Total Number of Shop views: 12
Favorites: None
Sales: None

Pros:
It's like EuroEtsy!
The user interface is more like Etsy than any of the others, so there's hardly any learning curve.
Free listings!

Cons:
Fewer products for sale in their marketplace than I expected... this could mean fewer sellers and fewer customers.
Charges a 5% commission for every sale - that seems a little high to me, but whatever.


Result: I'll probably keep this one up just because it's access to European customers that I might not see otherwise.