Pip 'n' Milly Creations » crafting

Pricing handmade goods

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:49:12 +0000

Pricing of handmade goods is a serious issue for many, many people. Artists, crafters and customers alike often struggle with this. I know I do find it hard to price my goods to reflect the cost not only of materials, but also to factor in my time, overheads, profit and my skill – not to mention the development and product testing that came before a bag was ready for sale. I came across this fantastic article today and it should be required reading for everyone who makes, sells or buys handmade goods. Please read through the post and the comments that follow. I would be interested to hear what you think.

Happy Birthday, Quinn!

The Winking Frog — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:21:55 +0000

A favourite little boy turns 3 tomorrow, so I had the perfect excuse to make a deluxe grab ‘n’ go placemat!

Birthday gift for Quinn

Grab 'n' Go placemat for Quinn

Fantastic new product

The Winking Frog — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:39:06 +0000

I am always thinking of things to make, as you know. I lean towards items which are practical, functional and fun to sew. If they appeal to other people, so much the better, as selling things means I can fund my fabric habit! With Philippa starting school this week, I have been contemplating items which would be useful for her and, once the art smock was complete, I moved on to lunch time. She has plenty of bags and a perfectly good lunch bag which she used for preschool and does not want to part with. She has always taken a napkin to preschool with her to put her food on, so I decided to upgrade. I have been working on a grab and go placemat that will be useful for school and also for eating out, picnics and the like. I think I have cracked it and I am really pleased with the outcome.

Grab and go placemats

The ultimate placemat

These mats are made with 3-4 coordinating cotton prints and the main body is interlined with fleece. The pocket section is interfaced and holds stainless steel, dishwasher safe cutlery and has a flap to keep it all secure. There is also a pocket behind the cutlery pocket for a napkin – how clever is that! (The napkin can be used to wrap the dirty cutlery in – thanks for that idea, Tracy!) The ties are sturdy and made with one of the fabrics used in the mat, which rolls up neatly for popping into a lunch bag or handbag on the way out. The mats are machine washable and all fabrics have been prewashed and dried to prevent further shrinkage.

Something that will appeal to lots of parents is that this might stop kids putting their food on surfaces which may or may not be clean! We expect children to pick up bugs when they go back to school, but this is one way we can help. It is also an ideal component of a litterless lunch.

I would love to hear what you think!

I made a hat!!

The Winking Frog — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:41:07 +0000

If you have a look over at my Flickr pics, you can see the hat I made for myself this week. It turned out quite well in the end, especially for a first attempt. I will definitely be making variations of this for myself, as I often wear hats and like to have a bit of variety. It will be interesting to see how it washes – most of my other hats are woven paper or straw and I’m not sure what you can do with them once they get dirty, which they inevitably do when you wear them in the garden. Oh, and when you let your children borrow them. And they eat chocolate. And transfer it to your previously pristine white hat…

The pattern I used for the hat was McCall’s M4400. As I made this on a whim, I didn’t have any interfacing handy and just used some muslin I had in stock. I also had to reduce the height of the crown as it was too big for me. The next time I make it, I think I will use medium weight interfacing for the brim and reduce the height of the crown at the pattern stage.

The main issue I had with making this hat was that I broke the needle in my sewing machine, which resulted in an unpleasant and worrisome noise. I took it in to the shop, where they prised the beloved machine from my fingers. It was quite difficult to leave it behind. When I learned that the chap wouldn’t be able to look at it until he returned from holiday some time next week I decided to retrieve it. At least I would have it in my possession. As it turned out, the very, very kind repair man was in the shop at the time and mended it for me while I waited! What an absolute gem! It was just a burr on the bobbin case, so he could do it then and there. I cannot tell you how very happy I was to have my lovely machine back safe and sound and working perfectly again. I felt rather lost without it.

Anyway, all is well now and I have heaps of projects in mind and a few orders to fulfill, too, so it is going to be a fun summer! Crowns, tutus, bedding, another kaftan, lounge pants, handbags, crayon rolls and maybe even some things for me!

Update

The Winking Frog — Sat, 09 May 2009 15:16:00 +0000

It seems likely that I have a herniated disk. The good news is that I don’t have to rest too much, just have to be sensible about what I do. If it hurts, don’t do it! The other good news is that it should get better on its own.

As promised, here is a picture of the needlework frame I found at the Community Market, which raises funds for local causes and sells all manner of things. Pip wanted to try it out, so I bought some muslin for her to practice on. She did really well and it was a few minutes before she decided to move on to something else!

needlework frame

My new baby

A very kind and generous neighbour has given me the most amazing gift. We share a love of Harrowsmith Country Life magazine and we were chatting over the fence about a recent article on spinning, when she suddenly asked if I wanted a loom! We thought about, discussed where it could go and decided that we would find a space for it.

loom

Itn’t she beautiful?! Turns out it is a 4 harness floor loom called Nilus and it was made in Canada by Leclerc. I have been reading the books and magazines that came with it and now at least know the names of some of the parts, but I think I am going to have to find someone to teach me how to use it. All in good time! The weaving that is on it is not mine, but will stay there until I figure out how the whole thing works. I will have a flock of sheep and a spinning wheel before you know it!

What have you been up to lately?

The Winking Frog — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:40:33 +0000

I promised that I would post some pictures of the things I have been making lately, so here goes.

3 pocket lined apron

This is a lined, 3 pocket waist apron with a deep ruffle, made in quilting cotton with a coordinating pink twill on the reverse. Makes a perfect “hostess apron” to change into when your cooking apron is dirty!

Little girl's lined apron

Lined, ruffled apron for little girl, made with a floral print quilting cotton and lining with a coordinating broadcloth. It has a single pocket and long straps for tying front or back.

Reversible food catcher baby bib

Food-catcher baby bib, made with flannel and cotton and interlined with fleece for absorbency and a lovely soft feel. Snap closure.

Tiered twirly skirt

Three-tiered twirly skirt in silver crushed velvet with lilac cotton lining and elasticated waist.

Tiered twirly skirt

Butterfly print twirly skirt with cream cotton lining.

Luggage tags

Business card holder

Business card holder with snap closure and 2 pockets. One pocket holds my “business” card and the other holds my playdate cards.

Last one now, I promise!

Elephant and bib

Stuffed toy elephant and food-catcher baby bib. A very belated gift for Esme.

OK, so just one more….

Hot water bottle cover

New hot water bottle cover.

Phew! So, that is what I have been up to lately!

Save Handmade

The Winking Frog — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:33:03 +0000

Please read and act! Help spread the word.

This refers to legislation in the US, but it will have a huge impact here in Canada too. I presume if you are reading this blog at all you will have some interest in handmade goods, which is where my primary interest lays, but this will affect all manner of items made for children, not just handmade items. We will no longer have the same choice in what we buy for our children. Please read on to find out more and please, spread the word.

As of February 10, Olabelhe and thousands of others in the children’s industry will be deeply affected financially and / or will be out of business.

Remember the outcry last holiday season over lead in imported toys? In order to combat such safety issues, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has passed legislation called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The law sets stringent guidelines for children’s products containing lead and phthalates (a chemical used in some vinyl products).

It is supposed to go into effect February 10th, 2009, and after that date any product intended for children ages 12 and under must meet these guidelines, and have a certificate of compliance from a CPSC-accredited laboratory. This includes not just toys, but clothing, jewelry, blankets, sheets, books, bibs, strollers, carriers, and anything else that a child under 12 might come in contact with. Sounds great, right?

In theory, maybe. But in actuality the law is so far reaching that it may succeed in turning the economy upside down. For starters, the CPSIA requires end unit testing on every product intended for use by children under 12. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to do this testing, regardless of how small the business. That means that manufacturers (like myself ) will have to pay to get every different product they offer tested. These tests have to be done at a CSPC accredited lab, and cost tens of thousands of dollars. For example if you offer 3 different types of dresses. Each dress contains 2 different fabrics, as well as buttons, and thread, so that’s potentially $600 to test one dress. But if you have 3 or more styles, that’s $1800. And when you get a new bolt of fabric, you need to start all over again.

At present, there are no exemptions for small businesses and “micro” manufacturers and most handcraft artisans. There is no exception for quantities made, where the garments/products are made or anything else. Nor is there an exception for unadorned fabric components, unfinished wood components, materials which, by their nature, are free of lead and phthalates.

Also, the Act takes a “guilty until proven innocent” approach, which would treat a handmade, unfinished wooden toy that doesn’t meet the certification deadline of 2/10/09 as a “banned hazardous substance” which would be illegal to distribute in this country. Each infraction carries a $100,000 felony charge. This legislation is also retroactive for any pre-existing inventory as of February 10th, 2009. This means that everything on the shelves in those big (or small) stores will also be “banned, hazardous substances” – contraband.

Larger corporations that can afford testing will incur thousands, maybe millions of dollars in fees, and this expense will be handed down to the consumer, probably making the prices for children’s products go through the roof.

This also means that after that date, even selling your kids old things on eBay or Craigslist will be illegal. Charities will not be able to accept donations without a certificate of compliance either. February 10, 2009 is being dubbed “National Bankruptcy Day” by many people in the apparel and toy industry. If this legislation is not amended, it will affect everyone from port workers to parents looking for legal products. Billions of dollars worth of children’s products will have to be destroyed because they can’t be legally sold, and this will cause major environmental problems.

While I am all for higher safety standards and keeping our kids safe, this law is so overreaching as to put thousands on manufacturers of children’s products out of business -hurting our economy and causing even more loan defaults. Though this legislation was well-intentioned, it cannot be allowed to stand as is.Please help us defend the American dream and our entrepreneurial spirit! This law affects every stay at home mom trying to help put food on the table and every grandmother knitting blankets for the local craft fair. It makes the thousands of us who have found a niche in the burgeoning children’s market have to make a tough decision – continue to produce items illegally and possible incur a $100,000 fine, pay the enormous fees and raise costs of goods sold, or close up shop!

Please help us!Contact your Congressperson using this link: http://capwiz.com/americanapparel/issues/alert/?alertid=12274476

It only takes 30 seconds!If you have an extra minute send a hard copy of the letter as well!To sign the online petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html

Read more about it here: http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

Please copy and paste this on your blogs, we need all the help we can get!

I copied this article from Olabelhe, who copied it from Knuckleheads Clothing.

My sewing space

The Winking Frog — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:55:45 +0000

This is my space. The walls are “Crabapple” by Ralph Lauren, the storage unit is a project organizer by Sauder at Canadian Tire and the shelves are from Ikea (“borrowed” from my husband’s office). The main table is a very sturdy folding banquet table and the cutting table is a stainless steel table from my Mum’s restaurant, which she didn’t need anymore. I have 3 machines: a White machine which I use for sewing on cards now that I have my lovely Janome 4030 QDC. I also have a Janome Harmony 9102D serger. The photo was taken before I had my beautiful Mac.

My sewing / crafting space

The window looks out on to our garden, so I get lots of natural daylight and can watch the birds. I also have those daylight-type energy saver bulbs. My fabric is stored on top of the project organizer, which holds lots and lots of paper, books, office and crafting supplies and bits and bobs for future projects. I also have a small-ish garage organizer that holds all my embellishments and ink pads. My ever-expanding collection means that there are also things under the table, but at least they are stacked neatly on a small shelf and I know where to find just about everything.

I love this space!