New Project, Another Book For Cats

New Project This Week – 

At the JoAnn Fabrics Store I ran across some really soft fake leather on the discount rack that looks and feels like aged brown leather.  But it’s fabric and it can be easily sewn on the machine without straining the needle or the feed dogs.  It was, how do they say it, BUTTER SOFT.  And $9 a yard.  

So I got a yard of it, and a yard of tan felt for the inside, to do a project of ‘books for cats’.  On the outside the sewn on title will say ‘The Medieval Book Of Cat Tales’, and on the inside will be 4 cut out tails, a white, brown, orange and black one applique sewn on the felt, with the text “featuring the awesome tails of Fluffy, Clawdine, Mouse Breath & Socks”.  

I don’t even have to sew it with right sides together and turn it right side out since none of the inner/outer book fabrics can fray, so these should go together quickly, a LOT quicker than the other types of books for cats that I do.  All I'll need to do is trim the edges close to the sewing line.  I LOVE this fabric!

I also want to make one called “The Big Book Of Mice” with an appliqued mouse on the cover with loose tail hanging, plus three more mice inside with tails that can flip around when the book is open.  All the mice will be flat and appliqued down.  

Making Money.....

One thing every crafter/artist should be doing is making sure to strike up conversations with other crafters and artists.  Casual talk with others whether at the craft store, fabric store, craft/art events, etc. can yield you a ton of information and make your life easier as well as give you a springboard of clues to niche markets you may be missing out on. 

In the past I've gotten into conversations with a lady who made a living doing doggie coats for greyhounds, with someont buying up 20 yards of polar fleece at a time to make lap quilts that she sold on eBay, with another cat toy maker who designed for a company that was 30 miles north of where I live, with people who sell at farmers markets, with sewers/jewelry makers who were selling at some of the comic conventions in the city, etc.

Sharing information is always a benefit. I've rarely come across someone who wasn't interested in talking about what they made.  You DON'T ask them what they take in, cash-wise, of course, but yes you CAN ask where they've found the best range of supplies, how they solved a manufacturing issue, what events they could recommend to stay away from, and so on.

And SHARE.  It's not going to cut into YOUR sales if you let someone know where to find the lowest cost silk rattail cording online.  Especially when it's less than 1/5th the price of what it sells for retail at the local craft store.  The free exchange of info benefits everyone.