Sustainable Sewing and Crafting Newsletter: Thursday, January 23, 2025

If you found this message in a sea of emails vying for your attention, let me reassure you it is my intention to only add value to your life (and mine) with this weekly publication and I thank you for taking this journey with me.  

Inside this Thursday message you will find knowledge, tips, and inspiration surrounding:  

With that methodology in mind, I am working on a Fat Quarter Fireball quilt by Revelation Quilts. I appreciate the versatility of the primary block design and how it can be combined to create a multitude of looks. In keeping the promise I have made to this community, and myself, I selected only fabric I had on hand (Yay ME!). Leave me a comment if you like the peach, grey and black colorway being used in the video below. In anticipation, I have begun researching local longarm quilters. If you are interested in learning more about that process I would be happy to share additional information as it becomes available to me. 

I mentioned in last week's newsletter that I felt my creativity begin to wane upon closing my custom bag making business. After learning more about how the brain works thanks to Martha Beck's newest book, Beyond Anxiety, I can see that choice may have compounded my stress. 

For those of us who are feeling like we have misplaced our SewJo the following takeaway from Beck's book may be a game changer! 

The cool thing about sewing is that it uses both sides of the brain. Our left hemisphere is engaged while we read or listen to instructions, use math to measure and cut, and think critically. While this is an oversimplification, when sewing, our left brain analyzes and our right brain synthesizes to induce a flow state. Depending upon the complexity of the project and the abilities of the sewist, this type of activity could be used to anchor our nervous system and maybe even attain a creative state of bliss. I have had that experience and am wondering if you have too? Just looking at the image below makes me want to drop everything and start sewing! 

Pinterest Project Idea of the Week

For those of us who love the look of denim this week's Pinterest find is an ideal way to repurpose jeans that may be torn, don't fit well, or are no longer in style. It looks perfect for sorting tools, crafting supplies, and other household goods. A smaller version would be handy for an office or even on the back of a door. 

You could easily trim the pocket tops and reinforce the bottoms with scraps of faux vinyl, cork or leather to add a layer of interest and durability to this project. Would love for you to comment with additional ideas related to this project and let me know if you are inspired to make one for yourself. 

Continue reading to see how material costs can make or break a business and why recyling denim might be a good way to increase your profit margin!

A Profitable Etsy Business Model  

The BYOF (Buy Your Own Fabric) Model which I pioneered on Etsy from 2008 - 2012  was by far my most profitable means of selling on that platform and it might surprise you why this was so. 

My niche market was designing and sewing custom bags on Etsy. For many years I had my customers purchase their own fabric and ship it to me. The process was virtually seamless as the Etsy listing clearly outlined the terms of our arrangement and included the quantity of fabric they would need to supply and the specific requirements (ex: cotton, new, no odors). After they had purchased the listing, I would message them with the address to ship the material. 

Why it Worked

This model allowed the customer to get exactly what they wanted and assured me I was not accumulating fabric inventory or wasting money on inbound shipping or over spending on material costs. It was highly profitable and the most successful Etsy business model that I have operated to date.

I began to stray away from this BYOF model when I opened my brick-and-mortar boutique because I didn't have the space to store all the fabric packages. In my hey day, I had an 8-week turnaround time and more than a 100 orders in the queue! That’s a lot of flat rate envelopes and pressure to be under whilst greeting customers at the door. Needless to say, I transitioned to a far less profitable means of doing business and incorporated the cost of the fabric into the price of the bag while looking for other ways to increase my sustainability. Sharing a few of those concepts below.

Tried and True Tips for Makers and Sellers Alike

My top two suggestions for increasing sustainability as a maker or seller are to reduce the time it takes you to: 

It has been my experience that it is just as easy to make two or more of something as it is to make a single. I call this process batch sewing and I used it extensively after I incorporated smaller accessories into my product line. The quantity will depend upon how much workspace you have available to organize your cut material. The process looks like this: cut multiples, press in one sitting, stitch like items (ex: pockets, gussets, straps) and so forth until you have broken the project down to logical sequences that you can complete in one sitting.

In 2023, I dedicated a substantial amount of time to discussing studio organization within our community. I stand by the idea that an organized sewing room is one of the best ways to maximize your time and materials for one simple reason: you can find what you need fast. This week I challenge you to organize one bin, drawer, or surface in your creative space and note how that makes you feel. To circle back to the quilting process which models the concept of sustainable crafting well: one consistent small action, like chain stitching those blocks or clearing one surface per day, has the potential to create something wonderful.   

And that concludes the message for this week. I hope you found some value in the content. Don't forget Studio 365 is a great way to meet new Sewspire friends and set aside some social and creative time for yourself. We meet every Thursday at 7 pm ET in the live room and I'd love to see you there. 

Until next week, sending creative vibes your way.  

Andrea