Shipping Physical Products

It was my first time shipping out a physical product, the Black Walnut Point Turners (which sold out 2 hours after officially putting them up for sale - Thank you to everyone who expressed interest and made a purchase!). I wasn’t sure how the packaging would go at first, but I quickly realized it was a whole new opportunity to hone and define my brand and decide what my brand embodies in a physical way. Until this point it has only embodied a digital, visual presence. The experience kind of took me aback. I really didn’t know what my brand looked like in physical form. I’m still not sure, but it’s fun to be on the discovery process.

I can’t say I have it all figured out yet, but I can say confidently that I’m figuring it out and learning some things on the way. I set my sewing machine on the floor, cleared off my little seamstress table, and gathered up some string, tissue paper, linen fabric scraps, nice paper for handwritten notes, my favorite brown paper envelopes, and set to work.

Before too long I had a big bundle of packages ready to be taken to the post office. Well, actually, being honest, this took me a series of several days from conception of the packaging materials and methods to finally visiting the post office (and holding up the line for 20 minutes while each package was posted. Next time I think I’ll try a home shipping service… ).

This was sort of a test to see how physical products would sell, and how much I enjoyed shipping them. I think it’s always good to have multiple avenues of income as an entrepreneur. This ended up being quite fun, so I’m excited at the possibility of selling more physical products in the future.

They're Here! Handmade Black Walnut Point Turners

They are HERE! I just added a limited quantity of Black Walnut Point Turners to my shop. (See previous post for details and photos of how I made them.)

Click here to shop Black Walnut Point Turners

Point turners are really useful for making corners crisp and sharp after sewing something with a corner or point and turning the fabric right side out. The sharp end of the turner effectively and efficiently forces the stubborn fabric of the seam allowance up against the stitching of the seam and causes the corner to expand to it’s full and intended potential.

In previous years I’ve used pens and accidentally left ink marks on the fabric, pencils with broken tips that never quite got the corner as crisp as I wanted, and the tips of scissors and accidentally cut through the fabric. All horror stories!

Point turners are an excellent addition to your set of sewing tools to keep handy by your sewing machine. Each one is unique and has slightly different color and size variation. If you’d like to grab one for your sewing table, grab one quick! Half of them pre sold before I even posted them for sale!

SHOP Black Walnut Point Turners

Handmade Wooden Point Turners

Isn’t it lovely to surround yourself with handmade things? They feel so special to hold and to use. They have so much more character than store bought items. To that end, I’ve been wanting a point turner for awhile but didn’t want to buy any of the ones I found at local stores.

Rummaging around a stack of salvage lumber in our workroom, I found this beautiful piece of black walnut wood. I asked my parents where it came from and they said they rescued several pieces when a school was disposing of an old piano several years ago. I’m not sure what happened to the rest of the piano, but this wood is just beautiful.

After making myself a point turner, there was enough board left over to make a few more! I’m offering the limited number for sale in the next few days. In the meantime, here’s a photo summary of how I made them.

I used a bandsaw for all the steps above and used a table sander to round all the edges and to carve the tip down to a sharp(ish) point on both the front and back. Having a sharp point is helpful to push out stubborn corners effectively.

There is a very limited quantity of these available if you are interested in snagging one for your sewing table! If you would like to be notified immediately when they are available (verrrry soon! Like, tomorrow!), feel free to sign up for my mailing list!

(SOLD OUT)

The Easiest Way to Sew Zipper Ends

Whether you are using a cut-to-length zipper (my personal favorite) or a regular zipper, the need sometimes arises to sew a nice fabric patch on the end of the zipper. Of all the ways to do this (most are terribly frustrating), this is the best method I’ve used. It’s reliable - works every time. It’s quick - only takes about a minute total. It looks neat - no raw edges which makes it good for a variety of applications. And best of all, it’s the least fussy - it’s easy to get the fabric lined up and sewn straightly.

Here’s how to do it.

1) Cut a rectangle of fabric about 4” (10 cm) long and 1/2” (1.3 cm) wider than the width of the zipper.

2) Fold the rectangle in half with right sides together. Sew both sides with a 1/4” (0.64 cm) seam allowance.

3) Turn the fabric right side out.

4) Fold the top inside the little pouch so that the top of the fabric reaches all the way to the bottom.

5) Make sure the folded edge of the pouch is even all the way around. Insert the zipper inside. (Note: Depending on the application you’re using it for and the type of zipper, you may want to remove some zipper teeth so you don’t sew over them.)

6) Stitch near the top of the pouch through all layers.

That’s it! You’re done.

In my free Pear Pouch Pattern I use a different method, but this would be an excellent alternative. In fact, this is, simply put, a better method. More reliable and less fussy all around.

Getting My Closet Down to 106 Pieces

I recently ran across an infographic on Pinterest. A woman started with 450 items in her closet and pruned it down to 65. It got me thinking… what’s in my closet?

I counted, it was about 200.

It would be a stretch for me to get down to 65 pieces. I need clothes for Iowa summers, winters, springs & falls (if you’re not familiar with Iowa weather, it ranges from humid and hot to bitter cold), clothes for farm work (I live on a sheep farm), clothes for outdoor activities (kayaking, climbing, cycling, running, swimming, hiking, camping, etc), nice clothes for going out and about, clothes for staying home and being cozy. It feels like a lot of targets to hit. Many of the categories overlap though. The clothes I like to take on cycling or climbing trips are similar to what I wear on normal summer days, for example.

With the goal of getting my closet number as low as I could stand, I pulled out clothes:

• I don’t actually like

• I feel obligated to keep

• I like and hope to wear someday but never do

• I used to like but don’t wear anymore

• I don’t feel happy wearing or looking at on my shelves

I was able to purge around 90 pieces and get my wardrobe down to 106.

So, what’s in my closet?

I’ve divided my wardrobe into categories of uses.

Everyday - wearing around the house

Workout - gym, etc.

Adventure - cycling trips, climbing, kayaking, hiking, etc.

Farm - farm work and daily chores (and other messy things like painting, etc.)

Nice - going out with friends, on trips, going for tea or errands, etc.

Here’s what’s in my closet:

• 8 shorts - everyday / workout / adventure / farm / nice

• 11 pants - everyday / workout / adventure / farm / nice

• 7 long sleeve tops - everyday / workout / adventure / farm

• 11 short sleeve tops - everyday / farm / nice

• 7 tank tops - everyday / workout / farm / nice

• 12 button up shirts / jackets - everyday / adventure / farm / nice

• 1 vest - nice

• 9 sweaters - everyday / farm / workout / adventure / nice

• 3 wind breakers - workout

• 2 rain jackets - nice

• 2 winter coats - everyday / nice

• 19 dresses - everyday / nice

• 8 skirts - everyday / nice

• 6 jumpers - everyday

Insights

I’m so glad did this because it give me some valuable insights into my wardrobe. I will quickly outline them here:

1) It helped me realize what I need to work on sewing/adding to build a strong, well rounded closet. I need more nice jeans, more gym clothes.

2) My room is a happier place and I’m a happier person without things I don’t actually like sitting on my shelves.

3) Getting dressed in the morning takes less time and is more (way more) fun.

4) Only 7 pieces in my closet are things I bought new. The rest are sewn, thrifted, or secondhand from family and some friends. I don’t know if that’s good or bad but it’s just interesting!

5) I would like to transition my closet to almost all memade items. It just feels nice to surround yourself with good quality clothes that are made by you.

6) Much of my summer wardrobe is memade and most of my winter wardrobe is not. It would be nice to even the balance.

7) Since I work from home, I tend to not wear my nice clothes around the house in case I want to wear them out in the evenings or weekends. I want to keep them fresh so I have options. My epiphany while cleaning was if I just made myself more nice things (if I had more than 2 pairs of nice jeans) then I could wear nice clothes around the house AND have nice clothes to wear out and about.

8) Echoing #7, I’m happier when I wear nice clothes around the house. They make me feel good.

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With some practice I think I can get my wardrobe number even lower. I already feel myself being more willing to give things up after experiencing a taste of the joy of only having what you really love. I’m so happy I cleared out my closet!

PS - I wasn’t exactly sure where to draw the line on the numbers, so I want to just mention that I also have 6 swimming suits (I do wear them all…), snow pants and jacket for winter sports, 5 pieces for cycling - shorts, jersey, winter leggings, rain jacket, and rain pants, and lastly some insulated winter overalls and a coat both used for farm chores.