HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I can't believe it, the end of 2010 is here. What a year it has been!!

I am so looking forward to the year to come, I'm full of new design ideas, and can't wait to start off the year on a good foot.

No New Year's eve plans for me. My husband is working, so the little guy and I will be spending the night building forts in our living room, and I'll probably do some sewing when he falls asleep :)

Our sale is on Today and Tomorrow. Remember those coupon codes (BYE2010 and HELLO2011) for your 10 and 11% discounts!!

Looking forward to the New Year!
Blessings to all you you.

Ringing in the New Year with a SALE!

That's right, another sale :)

On New Year's Eve Day, the code Bye2010 will give you 10% off everything in store.

On New Year's Day, the code Hello2011 will give you 11% off everything in store.

Happy New Year's Everyone!

BOXING DAY SALE!!

For today only, enter BOXING15 at checkout, and get 15% off your entire order, includes custom bedding sets!!

http://susiecues.etsy.com

Merry Christmas!

I know, it's only the 23rd, but I come from a Scandinavian background, and we celebrate the 23rd (lille jule aften), the 24th (jule aften), the 25th (jule dag) and the 26th (? we have a huge left-over smorgasbord). Christmas is a big deal in our household, and this year even moreso, as our son just turned two, and understands everything from celebrating Baby Jesus' birthday, to making sure Santa has lots to eat when he comes to visit - this year, as per Jakob's request, Santa will find soup and a salad at our mantle.

I spend all day, every day linked into the online world, it's what allows me to connect with you, my customers, and make sure that we're active and up to date on everything. I try very hard to reply to all my messages as soon as possible after you send them, but for the next couple days I'll be taking a step back from the computer, to spend time with the people I love.

I'll be back in action on the 27th, and knowing my internet addiction, I will probably be checking in once a day, but if you're trying to reach us and you don't hear anything for a couple days, please know that we'll write you back very soon.

We wish you the absolute BEST of the holiday season, and a merry Christmas. It's too soon to wish you a Happy New Year, we'll definitely be updating again before then, but if you're away, enjoy yourself, enjoy your family, your babies and everything this season has to offer.

All our love,
The SusieCues Family <3

New Fabric Choices!

I've added some new fabrics to the Fabric Options section of my site :) Will be adding a bunch more over the days to come.

Are you looking for something specific? Would LOVE to know what "the people" are looking for!!

Stats that make me happy!

We got our 170th sale yesterday :) WOW.

Reflecting on an incredible year :)

It's 1pm on the Sunday before Christmas, and I'm putting the finishing touches on my last few projects before the holidays. It's funny seeing our house all decorated, while the ironing board is in the middle of the living room, and packages are sitting on the dining table. My son has taken it upon himself to pick up the strings from the floor (yay!) and put them on the tree (?? no tinsle needed over here, people!)

I can't believe how amazing 2010 has been. I had some personal ups and downs, but SusieCues did so much better than I could ever have imagined. I consider myself truly blessed to have stumbled across Etsy, and blogging, and all the wonderful people I`ve met over the past year. All in all, it`s played out to be one of the best years in memory for me.

Running a business, when you have no idea what you`re doing, presents quite the learning curve. I know so, so much more than I did at the beginning of the year, and I`m so looking forward to the new year, to new projects, new plans, and hopefully more customers. If I can beat this year`s 168 sales (almost a sale every two days!!) I will be over the moon.

While the house is still quiet, I`m going to get back to my sewing!!

Fitted Crib Sheets

If there's one thing you absolutely need for your nursery, it's a crib sheet. We have lots of Ready-to-Ship options (cotton, minky dot and smooth minky) as well as custom listings available. If you can dream it - hot pink cheeta print minky, maybe?- we can make it!

SusieCues Crib Sheets measure 52"x28", and accomodate a mattress depth of 6". Elastic is sewn around the entire edge of the sheet, for a secure fit.

If your crib mattress measurements are different from these dimensions, please let me know. It will be no problem at all to make a custom fit for your mattress.

All fabric is prewashed, and shrunk. I recommend machine washing on Hot/Cold, and tumble drying low. Removing from the dryer as soon as the buzzer sounds, means you probably won't have to iron.

SAFETY FIRST!! Fitted crib sheets that are too loose, or that do not fit your mattress properly pose a strangulation hazard. Please ensure the sheet fits properly before letting your child sleep on it.


Here are some of our "Ship Today" Sheets:

3-Piece Sets

So many options, it's a little mind boggling! Here are just some of the 3-Piece Sets offered in our shop:
1. Fitted Sheet, Crib Skirt, Quilt

2. Fitted Sheet, Crib Skirt, Bumper Set



3. Fitted Sheet, Crib Skirt, Blanket


4. Crib Skirt, Bumper Set, Blanket

5. Crib Skirt, Bumper Set, Quilt

4 Piece Bedding

In my shop you can buy items individually, or in any combination you can think of. Here are some examples of 4 piece sets.

These sets can include:
CRIB BUMPER
- four piece crib bumper, 10 " high
- in any fabric of your choice!
- I use Nu-Foam Baby Bumper Pads, which are the idea filler for baby crib bumpers. They are mildew resistant, washable and flame retardant.

CRIB SKIRT
-in any fabric of your choice
-Up to 17 inch drop depending on your crib's measurements
-split corners
-your choice of pleats or no pleats

FITTED CRIB SHEET
-in any fabric of your choice
-with elastic all around, for safe, snug fit on mattress
-double sewn seams, serged for durability, and to ensure the sheet lasts through endless washings

CRIB QUILT
-in any fabrics of your choice
-measures approx. 36"x45"
-topstitched for durability and lightly filled with polyester batting.

**Additional accessories and upgrades also available (valance, blanket/quilts, throw pillows, etc...)

Happy Holidays

My favourite time of year :) Our little boy just turned two, the house is decorated and the tree is up!

Yesterday was a crazy sewing marathon. Today is looking to be more of the same, as I try to get my orders finished and shipped by Tuesday.

We've made some adjustments to our prices, and are planning to update our listing pictures. Our Ready-to-Ship selection is bursting at the seams with crib sheets and changing pad covers.

Soon to be listed in store are Baby Swaddlers/Bundlers, based on the design from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby:

They're going to be listed for $35 a piece, with your choice of cotton fabric on the outside, and soft minky on the inside. Simply delightful :)

So much to sew, so little time. Better get back to the real world.

Happy Holidays!

Had to Scale Back for Bit

I've been dealing with some pretty scary health issues, so we've had to scale back our production. The store is now back up and running as usual, with new custom orders shipping out at the beginning of February.

Work in Progress!

I love the design process, it is so much fun :)

A while back, a lovely lady contacted me about designing a bedroom set for her expected bundle of joy. She sent me these letters, the basis of the whole design.


My customer had a whole bunch of ideas of her own, so I really can't take credit for how it all worked out, but this is what we came up with!
First we thought that maybe we'd do something like this:


but then, she saw this set: http://www.etsy.com/listing/44562175/custom-4-piece-crib-bedding-set-any

And so, we used her colors to come up with this:


My customer liked this, so I ordered swatches, and sent them down to her. Having the actual fabrics on hand, and having ordered her crib, we made a few changes, and now we're good to go, with this design!



Next step, order the rest of the fabric, and get started with the sewing. I'll post my progress pictures as I go :)

How to Fold a Fitted Sheet

I make a LOT of fitted crib sheets, and over the past few months have mastered the art of folding them. I've starting using this method to fold ALL our fitteds (crib through Queen size) and I'm delighted with the amount of room I save in my linen closet, and in the office from having them folded nicely.

So, how do you do it?!

First off, make sure your sheet is clean! I like to fold mine as soon as they come out of the dryer.

You'll need a clean surface to work on, the top of my laundry system seems to work well for me. A table, or even a couch or bed would work equally well!

Now, put both hands inside the sheet, and find the two top corners (I like to work with the narrow length - my arms aren't long enough to work on the wider width!) Make sure that those corners are poked out, completely.

Place the top of the sheet on top of your work surface. Now, reach down for the bottom two corners. This time, you'll want to poke them from the outside, in (the reverse of what you did before).

With your hands still inside the corners, actually, I use my index fingers, put the bottom corners into the top corners. They should fit together perfectly. Now, holding the outside of the corners, shake out the sheet. This should cause all fabric to fall nicely, as it should. Adjust any caught pieces, so you minimize wrinkling.

Next, fold the sheet, from the bottom up, into thirds. This actually depends on the size of the sheet. My queen sheets get folded into quarters, just fits the shelf a little better!

Smooth out any wrinkles. Now, I fold each side in to the middle,and fold once more, so you get a perfect rectangle.

Isn't that pretty?

*Pictures are coming, I promise!

Separating Business from Personal

I overshare, and I don't want to scare away customers. SO, I moved my personal blog over to susiecuespersonal.blogspot.com It's password protected, so I'm going to have to add you to my list. Send me a message with your email address and I'll put you on the list!

Sorry to be high maintenance!

Changes

I'm really excited, my blog is getting a total overhaul! I met a lady on Etsy who does AMAZING blog design work, and we agreed on a trade (bedding for new blog) I had NO idea what blog's could be, so the change is going to be quite startling.

Also in the works, I've talked to a production seamstress in Vancouver, who might be able to help me with my sewing, so that I have more time for Jake, and designing sets, working on merchandising and packaging. Everything will still be handmade, just not all by me!

I really would like my house back! I don't think I would stop sewing completely (although my wrists are brutually painful from overuse, and repitition) but to give the majority up would be great, and I can focus on the part I realllly like!

The Process

I sewed for 6.5 hours straight yesterday, and have a pretty similar day lined up today. Eek.

I was thinking about the whole process of designing a set, and thought it might be interesting to write it all out. Putting everything down in writing validates the amount of work that I do!

So, here goes!

First, someone contacts me about designing a set. They usually find me on Etsy, and send out feeler messages to a bunch of the ladies on Etsy who make custom crib sets. I'm obsessive about checking my inbox about a million times a day, so as soon as I get a message, I reply right away with my price list, and inquire about whether they have specific colours or themes in mind. From there, we back and forth about possible fabric options. I send them a bunch of options, like this :


Then, I start drawing up a mock-up (or several) layout of how the various fabrics could go together. Sometimes it's easy, people know exactly what they want, and it only takes a try or two. Other times, well, it's not so easy, and it takes a hundred emails and dozens of layouts to get the perfect design. It's hard when people don't know what they're looking for! The design process is free...
Here are what some of my layouts look like!




Once we settle on a design, I post a custom listing for them to purchase

THEN, I calculate all the fabric I need, and shop around for the best deal. I get most of my fabrics online, although I have a really great shop that's not too far from us that has an excellent selection (and is where I buy all my notions). I buy all my fabrics at retail prices, with the exception of minky fabrics, which I get wholesale.

Most of the time, I have to go to Point Roberts (just south of the border) to the PO box I have there, to pick up my fabrics. In no way am I trying to evade paying duty on my purchases, I have everything sent there because shipping is cheaper, and WAY faster (read three days versus one month!)

When I get home, I open all the packages - I usually get about a dozen at a time - and sort my fabrics according to color. Everything gets washed in hot water, to ensure it doesn't shrink later on, then ironed (LOTS of ironing), then measured and cut to size.

Once all of that is done, I print out a project plan for each order, and get started sewing. I go in stages. For example, fitted sheets all get done at the same time, I cut all the corners out, sew them all, then serge them, then attach the elastic. If I'm doing bumpers, I cut all the pieces out, sew all the ties at once, then start assembling them. Once they're all sewn, they all get stuffed, and then I sew them closed by hand. When all my sewing is done for the day, or I can't see straight anymore, then I get on to finishing ends. With a serger, you have to finish the ends somehow, otherwise they can unravel, and no one wants that!! My method of choice, is to use a large embroidery needle, and feed the loose end back through the finished part of the seam.

Then, I iron everything again, clip all the loose threads, and fold it all as best I can to avoid too much wrinkling in transit. I package everything in plastic first, then, depending on size, wrap it in kraft paper, or heavy plastic wrap. I include a thank you note, and a business card. Once that's done, I label the packages, and head down to the post office. Everything gets shipped, and most of the time I have a tracking number, so I come home and add the shipping invoice to my massive binder, mark down that the item has been shipped, and try to remember to let my customer know it's on its way to them.

Ah, then I get to clean up my workspace, and get ready to make dinner, do laundry, wash the dishes, clean the house, snuggle my baby, love my husband, and get ready for the next day.

It sure is a lot!

Then end result is definitely worth it, though!

Sewing like CRAZY

I have temporarily put my Etsy shop in vacation mode, so that I can catch up on orders. I just organized all the fabrics for the orders that I'm working on this weekend, and I'm going to be spending a LOT of time in front of that sewing machine.

Can't wait to see how everything comes together, and to get a lot of these big orders out of the way.

The plus side to having to work so much, is that I don't have a moment (okay, not really) to stress about or wonder about where I'm at in my cycle, and if I am or am not pregnant.

:)

Oh, and CONGRATS JODENE!! She had a healthy baby girl this morning, and I'm so excited for her!

A wee bit overwhelmed.

I had to put my store in vacation mode, since I've had so many big sales recently I can barely keep up.

I can't wait for Jay to be off on Sunday so that I can spend the whole day slaving away at my machines. Eek.

I have so much to do!

Oh, and I did ovulate this month! I shouldn't even know that, I wasn't supposed to keep track. Ah well, at least I know :P

Hi :)

I've had the whole day to myself today, thanks to my lovely mother taking Jake for the day! I don't even have to worry about picking him up, since Jay's on day shift and is going to pick him up on his way home!

I dropped 15 orders off at the post office, and now have time to gear up for the next insane amount of sewing. I don't know what's going on this month, I've had a record number of large sales, so I'm pretty excited.

I think it's time that Jake goes into daycare once a week, and we have a friend who has her ece, so I think if we can work out the details, that might work out! Exciting!!

I had a little time to draw up a digital version of my dream girl nursery! Have a look!!


I have all the fabric... it is getting made whether or not we have a girl! LOL

It's Market Day!

Wow, it's beautiful outside, it's hot and absolutely the best weather we could ask for on this fundraising market day!

I have everything ready, all set up in my kitchen waiting to be piled into the van! I even splurged and bought some fabric to make a table cloth for my main display table. It's white satin with white and teal tulle around the outside. Jake walked by it and did a double take saying "Dats NIIIIIIIICE, niiiiiice, oooooh". :D So cute.

I have three toddler bedding sets that I'm looking to part with (take up too much space), so they're going to be clearance priced. I have a bunch of blankets, leg warmers, crib sheets, a couple pairs of Little Shoes, and the dresses! Still have to figure out how to lay everything out, but my lovely mother-in-law gave me a mini bolt of tulle which I think I'll use to hang the dresses up front, and some of the blankets along the sides. I'm also so lucky to have someone lending me a couple extra 6ft tables, so I will have space to lay it all out properly without being too crowded.

I'm going to bring my camera with me this time, so you can see what the booth looks like all put together!

The only thing left is to decide what to wear so that I don't melt in the heat!!

Market Weekend!

I am really excited about my weekend! Jason's not working, and I have two back to back markets :) Tomorrow is the Heart of Ladner Night Market fundraiser for the new Hospice in town. It runs from 4-9pm in the Harbourside complex of downtown Ladner.

Sunday is my regular stint at the Steveston Farmer and Artisan Market at 3rd and Moncton, from 10am til 4pm.

I am quite stoked about the new little girl dresses I'm going to put to market! They're super cute. I have 8, although one sold this afternoon, so down to 7 for the two days. I have the material cut out for another 6, but it's midnight, and I want to sleep tonight. Besides, I have markets until the end of October, I'm sure there's plenty of time left to sell them, and they layer well for fall!

See how cute they are?




Also pretty pleased with how a couple of my bedding sets have turned out, and how they look in the nurseries! This first set was awesome, her color choices were black, white and yellow. We did a crib skirt with this funky hummingbird print, three fitted sheets (black dots, yellow minky and I think a white minky), a blanket, and some changing pad covers. I LOVE the furniture selection, and the choice of colors. Might not work in our small space, but it sure works here!


This one is one that was just delivered today, in time for her shower on Sunday. I LOVE IT. I loved every second of making the set, the colors are so vibrant, and I was amazed at how everything coordinated so well in the finished nursery. She knew exactly what she wanted, and this baby is super lucky to have such a nice room!

Sewing

I do a lot of sewing...a LOT.

It pretty much takes up 99% of my free time (that is, time I don't have maternal obligations!) and as much as it frustrates me at times, when I don't have enough room, or I can't find my scissors for the 54321847th time in a row, it really is a fantastic way for me to spend my time.

I love creating these pieces. You take fabric, sew it in a few places, and POOF, it's something awesome. I love that process.

The other day I bought a TON of different fabrics, just for fun. I'm going to make a bunch of blankets to (hopefully) sell at the markets, along with minky sheets and changing pad covers. I think I'm going to stock a bunch of those things, they seem pretty popular, and make good gifts! I am going to attempt to bring my prop crib to set up an example of what can be custom ordered...

Ah, so many things to plan!

Hey, at least it gives me something to do :)

Still up at midnight

The hubby was cleared to go back to work, and as such, started back on Saturday night. I can easily admit that I'm glad he went back on the 2-12am shift, because for the majority of the day I'm too busy with Jakob to give Jay a second thought. BUT, when Jake's down for the night, and I'm left to my own devices, well, I start to worry.

Ugh, I know that I am completely powerless in preventing him from getting hurt, and I just have to trust that he has the training and everything to be safe, but it's so hard!

I made fourteen pairs of baby shoes tonight, in an attempt to occupy myself. It worked for a bit, but then I started getting too tired to focus.

I really should sleep, he'll be home in an hour.

"Quit Your Day Job"

For as long as I've been on Etsy, they've been running a blog feature called "Quit Your Day Job". When I started selling my goods, I would read the articles, and laugh, and say "There's no way I'll ever be able to do that".

Well, the other day I gave my notice. I only have five more shifts that may or may not involve me getting my butt kicked. I REALLY like the people I work with, so much, but we don't work together regularly, and when it comes down to it, my safety is worth more than what I was making on an hourly basis. LPO's take a lot of shit for what they're paid. Sigh, I hope I can keep up the contacts I've made there, I met some fantastic people. It got to be too much, with Jay getting set to go back to work this week, my parents moving away and constant sewing... The plan now is to devote myself completely to SusieCues and my boys! And hopefully have enough time for friends and fun, and less stress with time management.

I made my 60th sale today. Pretty excited about that! 55 sales since January 5th, which is pretty good for a relatively new seller. The best part is that the majority have come in the last couple months, and have been substantial, "I can live off this" type of sales. Good times.

I had a lunch date with my dad the other day (have to get them in while I can!) and we talked all about setting up a legitimate company, getting a bookkeeper, and all sorts of business stuff. My dad is really smart. I'm glad that he's willing to share his hard earned knowledge with me, even if he thinks I'm crazy for going full bore with this plan.

I don't know what we'll do if sales slow down, or if people all of a sudden decide not to buy from me anymore, but we'll deal with that when we get to it.

With my new availability, I was able to sign up for almost all the dates at the Steveston Farmers and Artisans Summer Market! I have nine dates lined up there, where I'll have the easy-to-sell things, like crib sheets and changing pad covers available, and lots of examples of what I can do for custom work. It would be delightful being able to fill local orders! I even bought myself a 10x10 tent!

Crazy. Life is crazy!

But life is also great.

Lists

My "To-Do" list is two pages long. Writing a blog entry isn't on that list, and there's probably good reason. We had a cleaning lady come the other day, which was fantastic, but honestly, you can't tell she was here. How do people with toddlers keep their houses in order??

The hubby's grandpa is in the process of designing and building me a new sewing centre for the kitchen. I am beyond excited about it, seeing as I'll finally have a place to stash all my fabrics, and tools, and everything that comes with running a small-time custom bedding and accessories company.

I've had a LOT of interest this week in my custom sets. By a lot, I mean about half a dozen people are sending me legitimate inquiries on a daily basis. Pretty cool, so I'll just have to see how that plays out.

Having just returned to work, I have no intentions of quitting my day job. I LOVE getting out of the house, it totally gives me my sanity back. I thought I would appreciate the four days I have off right now, but I sort of wish they were broken up by one day of work. Ah, well... I shouldn't complain. Jakob is really good about going to bed before 8pm, and staying asleep, so I get most of my online work done in the evenings. I try to sew around nap times, and have decided that it is okay to leave a project half way through, to get chores done, and return to it when my obligatory duties are finished.

I've been meaning to re-shoot all the photos on my Etsy site, but haven't found time. Did manage to get a few decent shots of Little Man, modeling legwarmers and little shoes, though. Don't know where he gets his photogenic genes. Definitely not from me.




Isn't he cute?

I ordered packaging for my legwarmers and shoes a while back, and got it in the mail, which was fantastic. Dropped a bunch of pairs of legwarmers at Buttercups today, and they seemed to appreciate the more professional appearance.


I really wish it were easier to edit listings in Etsy! I want to replace all the pictures on the legwarmer listings, but it's so much work, and time flies WAY too quickly.

Okay, off to get something useful done.
Goodnight :)

Back to the Real World

After 15 months out of the work force, I'm back in, albeit part time. I really didn't think I would like going back, but it really helps that I have a wicked job, and I am always in a new place, seeing new things, every work day.
My boss is great for scheduling me around the hubby's days off and on days where the grandparents can look after Jake, too.

Been doing lots of sewing of late. Working on a few custom fitted sheet sets, a whole "big-kid" bedroom set, and also designing and creating some really great 0-6mo baby gowns. Lots on the go!

I'm ready for the Olympics to be over, and for life to return to normal. I wish my hubby had a boring job! Instead, he's worked every day since almost a week before the O games started! Yuck.

New Items

I was at the fabric store the other day, and had a very specific "must-only-buy-these-items" list. Well, I couldn't help myself when I saw this awesome, punk rock, black and white skulls fabric. I didn't need it, but I HAAAAD to buy it.

Got home, and figured I should do something with it, so I made these:


I totally loved them, and showed the hubby, who suggested I try to sell them on Etsy. I posted them, and within half an hour, they sold! Go figure. They're awesome!

So, I made a bunch more, out of fabric scraps that were too small to donate, and not big enough to do anything too exciting with. Ended up with these :





So, we'll see what happens with those. They're super fun to make, although they are a little finicky.

Had a lot of recent interest in my custom bedding, which is always a bonus!

SWAP MEET SATURDAY

I'm going to be at the Cloverdale Swap Meet on Saturday, from 9-1pm! There are going to be tons of people there with everything you can imagine for kids at great prices!!

Come on down :)

NEW Website

I finally launched www.SusieCues.ca It took me forever to figure it out, and I understand fully why people decide to pay other to design sites for them! It's nothing fancy, I'd rather make my bedding sets fancy than spend any more time online!

Hoping to say Bye-Bye to Etsy, and go it alone :)

Wish me luck!

New Directions

I think I'm going to start going to swapmeets... I have heard some really good things about them, and there are some huge ones out in Cloverdale at the Fair Grounds, and they allow people to sell new goods there.

I always do really well with the leg warmers at craft fairs, and now that I have an assortment of items, and about a billion leg warmers, it would be good to market them elsewhere than on etsy. The one downfall is that it costs money to have a table, and you're not always guaranteed to make it back.

But, tables are only $25, that's about three pairs of leggings. Not bad. I bet I could do better than that, especially if it's as busy as people say they get.

Going to sign up for a few, just to see. Bonus is that it's located five minutes away from my sister-in-law's place.

Will have more details as they get closer!

Sew Sew Sew

So... I've been sewing a lot, and it makes me really happy. I love that I can be working AND looking after Jakob. It's pretty phenomenal. Of course, there's a lot to do before people start beating down the door trying to buy things from me ;) BUT, at least I can tell myself it's worth the effort to get the ball rolling.

I've been really good at only spending money on materials from money I've earned through sales, so that's not so bad, especially when I managed to hit a few really awesome sales.

Got permission to use Great-Grandma's (<3) serger, and it's the COOLEST thing I've ever used. Oh my goodness! It makes life so much easier, plus it's an excuse to get out of the house with Jakob and let him have time with his Great-Grandpa!

I have a custom order bedding set that I'm waiting to sew. I ordered the fabric before Christmas, so any day now. I really like what she chose! It's a pretty pink and white damask print. Should be fun to put together.

Other than that, I made almost 30 pairs of leg warmers today, taking my time uploading them to my etsy site, though. Have to space them out so I don't get lost in the crowd.

Ah, market saturation...?

Anyway. It's past my bed time!