Friday, January 31, 2014

Sales on the increase at the Etsy Textile Trolley Shop

Just thought I'd give you a little update with the sales situation at my Etsy shop.
(hoping I don't jinx myself with this post)

So I officially opened my Etsy shop on March 16 2012.  By opening it I mean this is when I registered the name of the shop with Etsy I didn't actually have any merchandise for sale in there until December 8th 2012.
I'm happy to say that on my first day of having items for sale (when I really opened my shop in my eyes) I sold an item!

Star of David Heart Ornament A little blue handmade felt heart for Hanukkah.....I think in recognition of my first sale I should always have that item for sale...what do you think?  It was made in Super Storm Sandy when we lost power for 3 weeks....2 weeks....I can't remember now!

Anyway as any new Etsian does...I was hoping and dreaming of mega sales in a short period of time.  Didn't happen!!!!  I would scan shops similar to mine and see that they were easily selling 1,000 a year and wondered why I wasn't at that stage!!!  I wanted too much too soon I think.  I didn't appreciate all the hard work that goes in to establishing your Etsy shop with so much competition around you!

So I set my sights on selling my first 100 items and hoped and prayed it would be within my first year selling, thankfully I managed to accomplish that goal by August of 2013, so around 9 months!  When would I hit the next 100....another 9 months?  I hoped it would move faster and it did!!!  By January 1st 2014 I had made another 100 sales, so that took me around 4 months.

So what's my new goal?  Well in January alone I have sold 49 items!!!  So my new goal is to sell 50 before the end of January!!!  I have 15 hrs to go (as I write this). 

Keep your fingers crossed!!!!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Patchwork Blanket from a Charm Pack



So what's a charm pack?  Well basically it's a bunch of pre-cut patchwork squares so you don't have to cut them yourself!!!! You can buy just the one pack to make a blanket or a few and mix and match til you get the desired patchwork.

I have never done one of these until now!!!  I bought my charm pack last year at the
Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck.  It's been sitting around for a few months and one day I thought....why not put that thing together! 

I do like patchwork blankets, and the one thing I love about them is the individuality, choosing the fabrics and putting them together but it is A LOT OF WORK!  Coordinating fabrics, cutting them to the right size and then assembling them so that the same fabrics or colours aren't touching!!!!!  It can be exhausting and I know myself...I'm definitely more or a quick project kinda gal!  So this charm pack idea seemed like a good solution!



Wish I'd taken a before picture but here's a link to another charm pack at the
Fresh Modern Fabric shop on Etsy charm pack

The one thing I learned that you DO NOT DO with a charm pack is pre-wash it!  So I obeyed directions, took an agonizing 30 mins on the kitchen table to lay it out the way I wanted it and then assembled it.  If you want directions on how to put together a patchwork blanket check this post out http://textiletrolley.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-make-patchwork-blanket-no.html

And if you don't have the desire to make one yourself you can buy this at my Etsy shop.
Click here to buy this blanket



Friday, January 10, 2014

Do you use a mesh sponge to wash your children?

Use one of these to wash your children?  
Do you know how often you should replace it?




When I was young we always used a facecloth/washcloth in the bath to wash ourselves!  Nowadays I think most people and children I know use these mesh nylon sponges!

I know Ms. I. (the 7 year old I nanny for) has 2 in her shower and I was curious to see how often you should replace them as I think it's been a while since I bought her new ones!

After a good google search the general consensus is every 2 months!  I was WAY overdue with my own so quickly bought new ones and will do so for Ms. I  
I think it's a good idea to do it at the start of the year as it's easier to remember when you need to replace it.

Because these sponges are wet on (usually) a daily basis they harbor bacteria and mold!  Imagine scrubbing that all over your children!  In some cases it can lead to rashes and infections.

Some people claim they wash them in the washing machine with bleach to kill some of the bacteria, others say they pour peroxide on them after they wash, but shaking them vigorously and hanging them in a well ventilated place to dry after using them is usually enough until it's time to replace them.

I usually buy the smaller travel ones for children, it's easier for them to handle and they end up being cheaper too.

What are you waiting for?  Isn't it time you went shopping?  :o)

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Tutorial: How to make a Tag Blanket / Lovie / Security Blanket

So there are lots of different names for this item that I will make today....and I'm going to add a new name to the mix just because....introducing the Nuzzle Blankie.



Many babies and toddlers like to have something to hold on to.  Babies first begin to explore with their eyes and hands being that they can't quite move around yet, this is why hand-eye coordination is a vital part of  learning for the young. This tactile blanket is especially attractive to babies, they love the feel and colour of all the different ribbons and an eye catching print.  The back of this blanket is a soft pink polka dot flannel, something nice and warm to snuggle up to.

This is a great gift for a new baby, no two need ever be the same!


How to make a Nuzzle Blankie

What you will need

2 pieces of fabric, 1 patterned, 1 soft
Ribbon cuts
Sewing machine
Scissors
Pins
Candle and something to light it with  :o)
Tape

Cut out a template 10 3/4" x 10 3/4"  Cut 2 squares of fabric slightly bigger than the template





 Place template on top layer of fabric and mark around the edges on the WRONG SIDE of fabric





 Cut lots of coordinating ribbon, make one side vertical the other a slight diagonal, not too sharp.  This is so you can easily tell apart which side is sealed and goes on the outside of the blankie and which end goes inside.





 Cut ribbon of various colours, patterns, widths etc.  I cut mine approx 3" to 4" long






 And I cut a lot ahead of time and colour sorted them, makes it easier when you are making a few at a time.







 To seal the ends of the ribbon so they don't fray put the diagonal end of the ribbon close to the flame of a candle, watch carefully and in a split second the end of the ribbon will melt ever so slightly.....that's all you need to seal it.  If you run your fingers over the end of the ribbon a few seconds after you will feel that it is a little hardened.  Please take great care not to set the ribbon on fire, it doesn't need to go in the flame just close.  If you have a ribbon sealer you can also use that.  I would not recommend a child using this technique.






Make sure you have the patterned fabric right side up and lay the ribbons around the edge with the diagonal sealed end of the ribbon going towards the centre of the square and the vertical cut just crossing over the marking that you made earlier.  Make sure that any print on the ribbon is facing down like the green ribbon above.





 Find a wide piece of ribbon, slightly longer than the others and fold it in half then lay it down and pin it 1/2" back from the drawn line.  This will be the tag that you can attach a link through.  Only make the loop as long as you need it.  Folded loops can be hazardous to babies if they put their finger through it and twist it round and round, it can cut off circulation and leave the baby in tremendous pain and very scared.  For this reason I cut all the ribbons not loop them.






 I like to tape the rest of the ribbon in place instead of pinning it makes it easier when turning right side out and cuts down on tacking the ribbon in place.  Make sure tape is set back far enough that you don't sew it into the seam...an inch back from line should work fine.





It should look like this when they are all in place....make sure you are happy with placement and all ribbons have the sealed side facing in not out!  You can see that I have not attached ribbons on the lower right side, this is where I plan to leave the blankie open so I can turn it right side out after stitching.  I will add a couple of ribbons later when stitching opening closed.






Place other fabric right side down on top of ribbon clad fabric.  Make sure that the fabric extends beyond the marked line on all 4 sides.






  Flip the fabrics over so that you can see your markings and pin the edges to hold in place when you sew.






Stitch around the inside of the line.  I used the edge of my sewing foot for guidance.  To secure the ribbons as effectively as possible I stitched, then back stitched then stitched again where all ribbons were.  This means they were stitched 3 times in the sealing of the 2 fabrics.  Don't forget to leave an opening to turn the whole thing right side out!






 Trim edges, I used pinking shears to prevent fraying.  Cut close to the stitches, but when approaching the opening cut wider as you need to be able to press edges in when stitching the gap closed.






 Turn right side out and remove pin from ribbon loop.  Remove tape from ribbon, if you plan to make more blankies you can use it again.





Insert knitting needle or chopstick and gently urge the corners out.






Gently pull on ribbons to make sure they are attached and to ease the seam out.






 
 Place a light piece of fabric over the blankie and iron it flat make sure seams are even.  The fabric will protect the ribbons from the iron.  NEVER iron the ribbons directly they could melt.






 Be careful in pressing a seam in on both fabrics where the opening is.







 Place any other ribbon or tag inside the seam when top stitching and sewing the blanket closed.  I top stitched all the way around the edge of the blanket which adds a fourth level of stitching on each ribbon making it very secure.  Trim threads when complete.





Add a link into the looped ribbon and you are ready to give or use your blankie!





A perfect gift for any new baby!!!  Of course if you want to just buy one you can stop in at Textile Trolley on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TextileTrolley



Here are some others I made.  I especially love the patchwork ones....for these I cut 2 1/2" squares from scrap fabric and assembled the patchwork first, then made the blankie in the same way as above!!!


Click here to see in the shop



Click here to see in the shop


Tag Blanket /  Lovie Blanket /  Sensory Ribbon Blanket / NYC Baby Gift / Sensory Toy / Ribbon Tag Toy
Click here to see in the shop

 HAPPY SEWING!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

I trust everyone had a great holiday season and I trust everyone is more than ready to welcome the new year and get back to a normal schedule!

Everyone I talked to doesn't seem to know what day it is....we had a couple of whacky weeks here what with the holidays and the snow storms and I haven't worked a regular week for a while.....NO COMPLAINTS!!!!

It is nice to get back into the swing of things though (I feel that will come on Monday), to start a new, make resolutions etc.  I can't just leave it up to a new year to make resolutions I am constantly making (and breaking) them!  And so my decision this week is to be more organized in my studio/home, to put myself on more of a routine, to go back to the gym (I had taken a leave of absence due to injuries....for the past 3 years!!!!)...and I think that's enough for now!

OK off to organize!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Louise