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[zafania]

Firstly, I should apologise for having been a bit crap lately - not answering comments and stuff, my only excuse is that stuff is getting me down a lot and I've been quite heartily depressed. And thats all I want to say about it.

ANd now to the main event. Pictures of the christmas presents I made for friends and family

First, one I did for nlvb

Comments

[melusin_79]

I think they look very professional indeed. Not sure what the market for crafting things in the UK is at the moment though. Have you seen the Folksy site? You could test the waters there, perhaps?

[zafania]

I'd been considering etsy, despite the complications of having to work out dollar prices and postage to the states, but i hadn't come across folksy, I'll check it out - thanks.

I'm not sure if theres a niche or not - you see when i look at available embroidery kits they all seem to be either sickeningly cutesey or hopelessly middle aged. i think there has to be a market for something a bit more modern, but i need to find it

[melusin_79]

Yes, I agree about the kits - and they are usually on the expensive side - like Ehrman. You'd have to think about how much sewing would be involved, as I wouldn't like to guess at how many people have the skills these days - or maybe even access to a sewing machine

[zafania]

the idea was to seel them as kits to be handsewn, and provide a brief instruction manual for the two or three basic stitches used (theres mainly a zig zag stitch thats really easy, some blanket stitch and a little chain and satin)

I was planning to provide the cut pieces, tacked into place and ready to sew, with the back and cushion pad, threads, needle and instructions, and was looking at using brown paper carrier bags wiht a nice label to package things.

I want to appeal to the younger crafting market, who i think see needlepoint etc as a bit fuddy duddy, but want to make something achievable, there seems to be a rennaiasance in handicrafts at the moment

[ellid]

Those are lovely, and very professional looking.

Also, lovely kitty! ;)

[zafania]

thanks

his name is branston, and he's exactly seven months old today (No, they aren't very small cushions, thats a ten pound maine coon kitten, am firghtened he's going to eat me out of house and home - why else do you think i need a second income?}

[alienor77310]

Mmm. I don't think Police call boxes are copyrighted, are they? It doesn't say anywhere there's a Tardis inside.

Personally, I've bought my cross-stitch kits both from small craft stores and from Ebay. Also, make yourself known to various embroidery/appliqué/parchwork magazines. They're always looking for subjects for feature articles, and you'd probably qualify for one.

[zafania]

the police box thing has been pointed out to me, and i might consider it eventually, but to be honest that one was the most complicated and I want to keep things simple to start with. am doing him a dalek for his bitrhday next month if i can get the pattern right tho

I had thought about the magazine thing for publicity, it definately needs investigating.

would you be intersted in guinea pigging a prototype kit if I cant get my boyfirends sister to do it?

[alienor77310]

I'd love to, though Shiv's teatowels, which are in progress, will come first :-)

[zafania]

i hope shiv takes better care of her tea towels than i do. i tedn to set fire to mine on a regualr basis - so i buy them in bulk from the pound shop

[magically25]

Darling, these are really fantastic! I'm sure people would pay for the kits. If you were going to do fairs, I'm sure you could sell some completed ones too for much more money.

[zafania]

all the ones in the pictures have homes already, so for every one i do a kit for i have to make a prototype to takes pics of for packaging, and gareths adamant that i puit those on sale for about £80 quid or so, so maybe i'll sell the odd one (tardis would be about 200 - its the only one that took me more than a day)

[junewilliams7]

I really like the snowman scarf best of all. They would all be great kits, but I think the finished or semi-finished items would be more popular as many folks are not crafty enough to follow a kit, or don't have sewing machines. You could limit online sales to eBay and say "shipping available only in UK".

Semi-finished pillows -- I mean you do everything except put the stuffing/pillow in it. They can buy their own standard plain pillow, and your cover would have Velcro or buttons to hold in the pillow.

[zafania]

ah, theres no money in doing all the work yourself though. hence the lit idea - I'd do the odd finsihed one but they'd be in the region of £100 or so. and cushion pads are only about a pound, just selling the cover is self defeating cos people know its going to take them months to get round to buying a pad