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How to turn your $100 of donation into $3500 worth of humanitarian aid!

In light of the horrendous disaster in Japan, I wanted to let you know of a great organization that my husband and I donate to for International tragedies and disasters.

Anyone looking for a great charity?

Here’s the top 3 reasons why you should consider AmeriCares and what I think makes them great:

1.  An astounding 98% of their overall expenses go to support their programs.  Only 2% is for adminstration and fundraising.  –> Your donations are well spent where it belongs!

2. They are an international disaster relief non-profit organization that focuses on providing, first and foremost, the medical care after a disaster strikes.

3.  For every $100 that you donate, AmeriCares is able to provide $3500 worth of humanitarian aid due to in-kind and matching donations from pharmaceutical and medical supplies companies.

So well before other worthy charities are on the ground with food and clothing, AmeriCares has already been there providing emergency medical aid.  They work with many other local organizations to coordinate their efforts as well.

Please go to AmeriCares.org to donate!

Interestingly, this great non-profit was founded in 1975 when a jet carrying Vietnamese orphans crashed and burned in the jungle.  While many perished, there were still survivors but the Pentagon would not have been unable to reach them for another 10 days.  Robert C. Macauley from Connecticut stepped in, chartered a plane, and rescued the young survivors who were safe in California after 48 hours.  He and his wife mortgaged their homes to pay the bills, but this was how AmeriCares was “borne”.

I love a non-profit organization that can run lean and I know that my donation will go directly to help those in need, and not towards paying for a swanky dinner for Hollywood starlets.  And I love that it gets our country’s name exposed positively to many during their times of crisis — it lets people know that Americans care through AmeriCares!  The name is genius!

Please consider this worthy organization for your charitable donation and see your $100 turn into $3500 worth of medical and humanitarian aid!

March 16, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | , | Leave a comment

OSU Buckeyes

I just had to give a shout out to the Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team – the #1 seed in the March Madness that’s going on.  (And a shout out to my Ohio customers as well, especially those in Columbus, Ohio!)

And I should preface it by saying this has nothing to do with making clutches, and I’m not a ball fan of any sort.  I fall in that “mom-demographic” of gymnastics and ice skating … 🙂

But I would be remiss if I didn’t say anything about the #1 team in the country.  Having grown up a large chunk of my life in Columbus, Ohio, you are brain-washed and get an extra credit point for wearing “scarlet and grey” on game days – mainly football.  But with the infractions for Tressel (the high and mighty always fall … how disappointing), this basketball team is really something to root for!

This is a very good article about their #1 player, Jared Sullinger.

And the reasons I am posting this is because of the wonderful family he comes from.  I should know because his father, a life-long teacher, was one of my middle school teachers in Columbus, Ohio!  They are a great example of a tight-knit family who support each other and are just great models in our community.  Mr. Sullinger, the father, was a great teacher:  warm, inviting, kept us kids engaged on learning.

Another tidbit about why I am supporting my home team, and this goes wayyyyy back in the 1980s (Hello, BIG hair!  Hello, mall perms!), is that the former coach of OSU Buckeyes men’s basketball team, Eldon Miller, was my best friend’s dad.  We were in 7th grade and she and I just bonded and she was my best friend for years until she moved to Iowa.  Coincidentally, I would later go to Iowa for college!

GO Sullingers! GO OSU Buckeye basketball!

So as March Madness gets under way, I will be rooting for my “home” team!  And having been to 35 states for business and personal trips, I can’t even list the ones that I’ve been to and which ones I haven’t been to anymore …  But my husband’s been to all 50 states, and our family goal is to take the kids to all 50 states before they head off to college visiting as many family and friends as we can.  We have to shelve that for when we live abroad, but it remains a great goal to strive for, nonetheless.

Along with growing up in middle America of Columbus, Ohio, here are some of my favorites:

*falling asleep reading Glamour on the beach on Amelia Island,

*driving in my Suburban by rolling acres of hay in the Nebraska sunset,

*swimming in the warm natural springs and breathing in the cool mountain air of Colorado Springs,

*listening to Simon & Garfunkel while at the Roosevelt State Park in North Dakota,

*walking among the giant sequoias in California,

*visiting Elvis’s home in Tupelo, Mississippi

*having the experience of the worst motel in the US — the Curve Motel in Oklahoma panhandle — where I was dirtier getting out of the shower than going in!

… These experiences, and many more, were all done on my own … solo.  And I loved it.  I was building my corporate career but made time to enjoy the sites.  I met some amazing people!  I’ve seen gorgeous sunsets and vistas and have had many unforgettable experiences!

If you haven’t made it very far out of your home town or state, I would highly recommend spending your money on experiences, and not on “things”.  You will find that people are people everywhere.  (By that I mean, none of the rhetoric about “small town/big city”, “main street”, etc…  Every town has a main street and all parents want their kids to go to a good school!  Everyone wants their community to be the type of place where they leave their cars unlocked and they have BBQs with their neighbors.)

And you will see that the United States is. simply. amazing.

Enjoy your day!

March 15, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | , , , | 2 Comments

Empowering Women: Why it should matter to you!

International Women’s Day – March 8th.  As someone whose company’s motto is “Putting Women in Business!”, this day of recognition of women on a world-wide level is one I wanted to take time to express my thoughts about.

I have found that by supporting women (from stay-at-home moms, work-at-home moms, unemployed women, college students, part-time graduates, retired grandmas, fully employed women with an corporate job/career, military wives, single moms, and many other women in all kinds as aspects in their personal and professional lives…) I have gained much more in return.  You will never lose by supporting another woman.

I have long advocated and tried to foster this camaraderie.  Instead of seeing other clutch makers as your competition, I have shown you scientific proof that by banding together and taking advantage of consumer behavior of “taste uncertainty”, you will increase your chances of making a sale.  It has been to my heart’s fulfillment that the Facebook fan page for WhileBabyNaps.Etsy.com has been filled with you leaving positive and congratulatory comments about each other’s work.

Here are a few recent ones:

So other than it positively affecting your pocketbook, why else should you support other women?  Because when we help women succeed, all of humanity succeeds.

Some things that bear this out:

1) Educating a girl one year beyond the national average boosts her earning power between 10 and 20 percent.

2) Countries with higher levels of female secondary-school enrollment have lower infant mortality, lower rates of HIV and AIDS infection, and better child nutrition.

3) According to the WEF, the US could boost its GDP by as much as 9 percent by putting more women in leadership positions in business and government and working harder to correct pay inequities.

4) Women still earn 33 cents less per dollar than men.

5) When women earn their own money, they spend on their families at more than twice the rate of men.

6) Worldwide, companies perform better and produce better ides when their highest ranks have gender diversity.

*Source: Newsweek, March 14, 2011. The Gender Metric.

Speaking of women, check out the issue of Newsweek on your newsstand featuring Hillary Clinton on the cover – politics aside – a trailblazer.  It was edited by who else?  Tina Brown!  Go Tina!  I like where Newsweek is headed under your direction.

I want to go back to point #5 above:  When women earn their own money, they spend on their families at more than twice the rate of men.

When women earn their own money …

When women earn their own money …

When women earn their own money …

This is where they can get their power and have control in their lives.

But I know that it takes money to make money.

It takes money to make money.

It takes money to make money.

You cannot start your own business unless you have cash (either a microloan, bank loan, angel investors, family loans or you happen to have a load a cash under your mattress) to buy your materials.  You can have all the bright ideas in the world and not get anything off the ground.

I have helped several women through my Etsy shop by donating frames and greatly discounting slightly marred frames so that they can make clutches for a church sale.    I have not promoted this because I simply cannot do it on a great scale.

Until now …

In the next two weeks, you will be hearing from me about a new launch helping all women.  Over a year of thought has gone into this new arena, tugging at my heartstrings, and I have come up with something that will:

*Give you another product to add to your line of clutches.

*Lower part of your materials cost.

*Lower start-up cost overall.

*Upcycles my slightly marred frames thereby reducing waste and energy by re-melting and re-making them.

*Allows women to start a business at their local school fair, weekend craft shows, church fundraisers and other community initiatives for a much lower cost.

*Easier to make and requires a lower level of skill than my classic clutches.

I am extremely excited about this new venture.  I hope you will be too!  I’ve got a lot to do still before it’s launched, but stay tuned!

Peace and Joy to all you wonderful women ~ Winn and Y.

March 12, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Time saver: International shipping from your desktop printer!

When I started my business years ago, it was truly doing my home-based businesses “while the babies were napping”.  Hence … the name!

But with 3 kids within 4 years apart, it was a drag to go anywhere, especially for errands like the post office.  At one point, I had an baby in an infant carseat/carrier, and 2 boys in carseats.  It took 5 minutes just to buckle and un-buckle …  Now I’m down to 1 carseat and 1 booster!  🙂

So I figured that I could save time and my aching back by printing labels from my desktop printer for shipping most of my packages.  I spend $tens of thousands a year on shipping alone, so this one area has saved me hundreds of hours:  no standing in line, no guessing the shipping cost, no need to run to the post office!  Your mail carrier will pick them up daily when he/she delivers your mail.

For me, my oldest boy can now bring the packages and put them right on the counter while I’m in the minivan with the other two!  The kind folks at my local post office, (Glenn, Maggie and Nalani) sweetly refer to it as “cheap child labor”  🙂  but I think of it as “responsibility”.

The key to being able to do this is having a postal scale. I got mine years ago for about $20:  a desktop 35lb. max postal scale.  Here’s a better version of what I have that weighs packages up to 75lbs. for ~$23 on Amazon:

Postal scale is needed for International shipping and domestic US First Class shipping.

So here’s my step-by-step guide for saving you time for printing labels for International (non-US) shipments.

Step 1: Go to your Paypal account to start the process.  Click “Print Shipping Label”.

Note: I've blacked out a real customer's info. to keep it private, but all screens are actual.

Step 2: Here is the next screen.  Instructions are…

a) Select your service type:  Priority Mail International is the most economical and fastest for International customers.

b) Select package type:  I’m using “small flat rate” for this new customer.

c) Enter the weight of your package.  Even though it is a flat rate, international shipping requires a weight measurement.  Round up:  if it’s 12.5 oz, round up to 13 oz.

d) Select the mailing date that you are shipping – usually that day’s date.

e) Optional: type in a message to your customer if you wish.

f) Click “Continue”

Follow the steps...

This is what appears below once I have made my selections.  Notice the envelope that is required.  You can click on this hyperlink to order or skip if you already have it.  You can also pick one up at your local post office.  (I’ll come back to this at the end of this post.)

Same screen when finished - alerts you about the required envelope.

Step 3: Next screen

a) Enter a description ex. “Clutch handbag”

b) Enter quantity: 1 (*I always enter “1” because the total weight here in “d” has to match the weight that you entered on the previous screen.  Even if you are shipping 2 clutches, you do not need to enter 2 and figure out how much they weigh separately in order to add up to the same weight as the package.  Enter ‘1’ for quantity for the entire package.)

c) Enter value that customer paid for.

d) Re-enter the item weight as you entered on the previous screen.

e) Select Country of Origin.

f) Select your Category of Item as “Commercial Sample”.

g)  Check this box.

h) Click “Continue”.

Only do the lettered steps. Everything else is either not applicable or are optional.

Step 4: Click “Pay and Continue”

Next screen confirms your inputs.

Step 5: My Mac gets this alert pop-up.  If you get it, click “allow”.

You may or may not get this pop-up.

Step 6: Click “Print Label”.  System alerts you to the number of pages that will be printed.

NOTE:  Small flat rate Priority Mail International will always have only 1 page to print.

Medium and large flat rate Priority Mail International will have 2 pages.

If you've never printed a label from your desktop before, you may choose to print a sample label first.

Step 7: Next pop-up.  Click OK when done!

Click only after it has printed out successfully.

Additional hints: This screen appears after everything is done.

If you have any problems with the label not printing, click on the hyperlink “Reprint your label”.  Note there is no charge to reprint your label for up to 24 hours.

You can also void the label via the hyperlink contained below.

You can order FREE shipping supplies including the 2976-E envelope needed to finish your shipping.

Where to order the envelopes needed for international shipping.

When I clicked on the lower hyperlink for “Order free U.S. Postal Service(R) shipping supplies online” in the screen above, it led me directly to usps.com.

I entered in “2976-E in the “Store Search” and got them!

FREE supplies!

Proof that it's FREE!

Step 8: Sign your name and write in the date.

Printed label as it appears.

Step 9: Open your envelope and place in your printed label as such.

Put your printed label in first!

Make sure that it is centered.

Voila!

Step 10:  Remove the strips in the back.

Remove both strips.

Step 11:  Place on package with the label centered on your box.

Label is centered. Overhang of sticky back envelope shown is ideal.

Step 12:  Fold down stick back envelope onto your box.

Fold down the long sides first.

Step 13:  Finish with the other 2 sides.  You’re done!

If under 13 oz., you can drop these packages off in the blue drop boxes. Over 13oz. can be picked up by mail carrier or brought into the counter - no need to stand in line!

Regarding medium and large flat rate Priority Mail International packages:  the steps are the same, except you will have 2 pages printed out.  You will see that there will be 4 “half-pages” that look similar to the one above.  Sign all 4 copies and keep the “Sender’s Copy” for your files.

Hope this helps everyone!

March 10, 2011 Posted by | Helpful Tips | , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Business tips for clutch makers

As I spend 2-3 hours a day answering convos and emails, it’s time to post some of the Q&As.  These are my own opinions based on what I’ve researched and seen what works.  There are always exceptions, especially for those clutch makers who are just exceptional in their craftsmanship, materials used, unique style and such … but these tip will be applicable for most people.  I hope you will find it helpful for your business.

Q: How much inventory would you suggest to get started?
A: “Go big or go home” – minimum 30, but 60 is really ideal.  The tips in this blog post https://clutchme.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/selling-your-clutches-at-arts-and-crafts-fairs/ will really help you regardless of your selling venue, be it on Etsy or at a Spring craft show.  The top 2 tips are especially relevant:

1.  Have plenty in stock to sell. Go into the show knowing that you will not sell out everything (and you shouldn’t):  you should have plenty for customers to pick and choose from.  Make it look like a real shop!  The saddest thing to see is an emaciated booth!  This is also true of an online shop:  unless your work is exceptional, customers perceive a lowly stocked store as more of a “hobby”.

2.  Have differently sized clutches and price points. If all your clutches are cotton in the $65 range, that leaves opportunity on the table for someone who only wants to spend $40 on a gift to her mother-in-law.  If you sell only silk clutches that require a higher price point due to the materials cost, you will take longer to get established.

Q:  How do I accept payment?

A:  I only recommend credit cards for online shops.  For in-person transactions, you can accept checks and cash (of course!) as well.  You can accept up to $500 using squareup.com. This post shows the device that you can plug into your mobile phone to accept credit cards!  https://clutchme.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/selling-your-clutches-at-arts-and-crafts-fairs/.  And one of my favorite articles written on the founder of squareup is here.  Did you know he also founded Twitter??  Amazing guy!  Worth your reading.  http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/03/jack-dorsey.html

Founder to Twitter and Square

Q: What sort of fee does paypal charge?
*2.9% +$.30 per transaction.  There’s a reason Paypal is the worldwide leader for small business owners.  So easy and you don’t need any of the hardware to accept payments.

Q: How much $$ out of pocket does it take to get started?
A:  $500 is a good investment but you can do it for $250 if you are only online. I highly recommend saving up for months and go big. Shops that are wimpy and anemic out of the starting gate usually do not do well.

Q: Is etsy over populated with this type of item?
A:  Hard to say, but I don’t think so. Are black shoes over populated? Blue jeans? You can do so many things within the category. Women will always buy handbags.

Q:  How do I determine my profit?
A:  You’ve got to do your own cost analysis. It depends on your production costs and what you sell your goods for. The difference is profit and that differs with everybody. Figure out how much your material costs in each clutch is roughly. Subtract that from your sales price and that’s your profit. So if it took you 1 hour to make a clutch that cost you $8 in materials, and you sold it for $40. Then your profit is $32. You essentially made $32/hr.  BUT you have to subtract out your Etsy and Paypal fees as well as packaging costs (tissues, boxes, ribbon).

Q:  How do you know what is a fair price?
A:  It’s what the customer will pay for. Clutches run the gamut on style and craftsmanship. So depending on what your clutches will be made of and the style it is, do a search to clutches similar to yours and see what those are priced at. Those clutches are essentially what you are competing with. BUT I always tell my handbag makers: 1) be original and 2) do not compete on price.  These are not mass-produced products so sell and market your style.

Q:  What fabrics would be considered “high end”?
A:  Silk, embroidered fabrics, satins … anything that costs $$$/yd! 🙂

Q:  How often should I relist?
A:  I recommend re-listing your clutches every day.  Budget in $1/day for re-listing.  That gets you 5 clutches to re-list per day.  If you’ve sold a clutch, when you renew the listing, that renewal counts towards that.  The key is to get your goods in the top 4-5 pages of the most recently listed items.  Many people view by “most recently listed”.   The front page of Etsy also shows the most recently listed items, so you’ll get more exposure.

My overall feel on the clutch handbag market are as follows:

*Etsy is not the only venue to sell these. But it is a great venue and provides great exposure.  At $0.20 per listing, it is also a low-cost way to get your products out there.  The Etsy community of hand-made goods is very unique and customers want to buy from you. Great relationships can be established and it’s very rewarding.

*Arts and crafts fairs as a venue for handmade clutches are in its infancy. I have yet to hear from one handbag maker who had any competition with another clutch maker.  In fact, I keep getting comments about how she was the only one at the crafts fair and sold the majority of the clutches.  Make sure you have enough on hand so that the Sunday of the fair does not leave you with less than 10 to sell.  I cannot stress how a well-stocked booth/table is.  Appearance counts!  It forms the shopper’s mind.

*Local boutiques are another venue for your clutches that many have not pursued. Why not?  Talk to the shop owner.  Many shop owners go to tradeshows to look for goods to carry in their shops.  Why not approach them to display your bags to see how it sells?  A lot of local boutiques love showcasing a local artist.  It brings people in and fills their shelves.  No complicated contracts needed:  work with the owner to see how much of a “cut” she would get if your bag sells.  This helps the shop owner as well since she’ll have new merchandise that she would not have had to pay for that inventory.  And if it sells, she’ll get a cut of it for her time of ringing up the sale, packaging it, and promoting it.  I’ve gotten several boutique owners making clutches to sell at their shops, but then finding out that they don’t have the time to do it on top of doing everything else at the store.   Bridal shop owners are finding out the same thing.  So those in the bridal clutch market, I urge you to go to your local bridal shops with your sample stock of bridal clutches to show them.

*Have a clear and distinct style for your clutches and “voice” for your shop. This is especially important when selling on Etsy. How is your shop different from others?  Why would someone want to buy your clutches?  Look at the most successful shops and you will see their distinct style and voice immediately.

*Price it right. If you only have access to Joann Fabrics to make clutches, then do not expect to price and sell any clutches at $60+.  Won’t happen.  But if your clutches are made with vintage Lily Pulitzer reclaimed fabric that no one else has and that is no longer produced en masse, why yes, you can price your cotton clutches made from this in that higher price range.

*Higher priced clutches will have a smaller pool of customers. This is true in every market so it holds true to clutches as well.  For example, a $150,000 home will have a bigger pool of buyers than a $750,000 home.   There’s a lot fewer people with that kind of cash.  Clutches in the $35 range sell every day of the week…

*Silk clutches and other special occasions clutches will have a smaller pool of customers. They are also priced higher so it makes sense!  I’m not using my silk clutches when at the grocery store (With 3 kids, I swear I’m always running out for milk!).

So those are my tips for you on this rainy Sunday.  I know many of you are working on your clutches for the Spring craft shows.  I want to wish you all the best of luck!  May the sun shine on the both of us!  🙂

March 6, 2011 Posted by | Helpful Tips | , , , , , , | 4 Comments

In praise of the neutral rectangular purse frame

I am known for my plain ‘ol rectangular frame.  Nothin’ fancy to look at folks.

But there’s a reason to my madness after all:  it was designed to be neutral so that your art, your creativity, your fabrics and your embellishments can stand out — and not my frames.

I’ve often said that while I think my frames are the best there is, they are designed to be just that – to frame your work.  I do not want to detract from the true part of the clutch and that is the part where your artistry comes in.

I recently did a photo album of red clutches to promote my handbag makers for Valentine’s Day on the Facebook fan page.  All used my fine frames, but look at the variety!

The neutral frame allows your work to stand out!

Just a note on FB’s redesign of fan pages:  it does not allow the wall posts to be listed chronologically.  It’s nonsensical and I hope it will be changed.

But never fear!  Please know that every wall post of a clutch gets hundreds of post views.  It shows up on search engines and a lot of people stumble upon it.  I am happy to have noticed that there have been clutches that have appeared on the wall that have been sold.  Several have been sold many times over.

So keep posting your clutches on the wall at your pleasure.  And I’ll do my best to keep promoting your work!

March 2, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | , , , , , | 2 Comments

Etsy shop update

I wanted to update all of you on what’s happening with the shop, the inventory, and the overall shop transition.

The shop and transition:

As all of you have known, Y has been training with me to take over the packaging and shipping of your orders.  She was here in New Jersey for 3 weeks learning and working. She has been back to her home in Florida for the past 3 weeks getting her office space set up to ship your orders.  Here’s a pic of her studio!

Yes, even our cubbies are green and brown!

With the shop transition happening, I’ve been drawing down on the inventory and shipping orders as per usual from my home in New Jersey while Y has been setting up her office.  This helps in 2 ways:

1.  ZERO disruption to shipping your orders.  There is no OFF day when we do not ship.  We maintain the same Monday – Saturday noon schedule to ship out your orders.  🙂

2.  It minimizes the shipping cost of transferring my inventory to Florida.  Shipping heavy frames is extremely costly!

In addition, many of you took advantage of the great “make good” sale when I ran out of antique brass frames so that helped to draw down some inventory as well.  (It was the one with free nickel-free chains with the same order of frames with loops.)  I am sorry that I cannot extend that offer past the 2 weeks it was on sale.  I hope you all take advantage of sales when they happen.  You are always the first to know here on my blog.

Which leads me to fill you in about the antique brass frames.

First, thank you for your patience.  Those of you who have come to love my antique brass frames and depend on the quality, I hate to say that I have been unable to have a manufacturer who can provide a good finish that I need and prefer.

Y worked with 3 companies in Florida in the past several weeks, and unfortunately, they were charging more than what I can (or want) to sell them for.  They were charging 4 times what my guy in the Mid West was charging!

My antique brass coating is a very labor-intensive process.  It is not just one coat but contains 2 different coats whose application takes longer to perfect.  The second coat gives it some “antiquing” in spots.  And if it’s not done right … it can look really bad.

So I am having samples made by 2 more manufacturers right now and hopefully their batches will be what I’m looking for.  They will be made with the same Perfect Fit 6(TM) u-channel that I designed and the kisslock balls will be solid like before.

Antique br*ss has become a pain in the *ss ... 🙂 haha

So thank you, wholeheartedly, for those who sent convos letting me know that you’ll “wait for (my) frames”.  I urge you to do what is best for your customers, though I truly appreciate your loyalty.  This unfortunate set of circumstances has been beyond my control and both Y and I have been working really hard (and logging miles) to find the right manufacturing partner.

Another update:  Gutermann glue is in!!  My importing costs on this doubled so I will need to raise the prices.  That’s why they have not been re-listed.

I do want to let you know that the price of it will also increase in May — by the manufacturer. So the price of it worldwide will increase.  But I feel they can command the price since it’s such an integral part of making clutches.  It’s d*mn good glue!

However, I’ve been asked to test a new glue made my another manufacturer and submit my feedback.  This glue costs less than Gutermann glue but I’ve not worked with it.  The only reason I would switch is if this new adhesive has better adhesion properties.  That’s the utmost importance!

I’ll keep you guys in the loop as I experiment with it next week.

BUT if you buy glue with my fine frames the price of the glue will be cheaper than buying the glue alone.  I will offer a bundled listing of glue and frames.  These new listings will go up by this weekend so look for it.

1 tube of glue will come bundled with 5 frames.

Well, it’s almost midnight.  I hope you all had a wonderful President’s Day!

February 22, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | , | 5 Comments

The importance of the bottom seam!

Do it right the first time:  make your clutch with a bottom seam.

I am following up on my previous post about squaring off your corners.

For non-directional fabric, it’s easy enough to make your clutch without a seam on the bottom.  How?  Trace your pattern as normal.  Then double up the pattern (the 2 trapezoids) with the bottom edge abutting each other.  (*”Hey Beavis, she said “aBUTTing”  – hehe*”)  🙂

Your new pattern will look like a hexagon.  I’ll make a quick drawing of what I mean:

You are essentially making one big piece of fabric that is hexagonal in shape and revising step #7 and not sewing the bottom seam.

You would then square off your corners just the same as before.
This is a nice shortcut if you have non-directional fabric – those patterns that do not have an upright direction.  Please refer to my previous post to see examples.

However, and it’s a big however, I am a believer in doing things right the first time.  All my clutches are made as per the PDF tutorial:  they are all made with a bottom seam.

Why?

1. structural stability:  it will not roll over and flop over.  The bottom seam anchors the clutch.

2. structural integrity is not compromised by having a bottom seam.  Every handbag makers double stitches or even triple stitches the seams.  These are handbags that you use daily to get your goodies in and out all day.  You sit your clutch on the table while eating lunch, in the passenger seat as you drive, on your closet shelf in a dustbag… you are not using these as punching bags so having a seam does not and will not degrade its structure over time.

You all know I am a believer in taking shortcuts when you can, but I cannot stress enough about the structural function that the bottom seam plays in clutches.

Look at all the top sellers on Etsy.

Janine King Designs is the #1 seller in the Bags & Purses category.  I have one of her bags and her work is top notch.  Even her bags that carry heavy items have a bottom seam.

These sturdy cross-body bags made in cotton are wonderful for leaving you hands-free!

Let’s look at a well-known and well-respected clutch handbag maker, one who is known for her peacock clutches and one-of-a-kind silk clutches.  Red Ruby Rose commands top price for her clutches and you can tell in the craftsmanship, the original silk fabrics, and the loyalty that she has with her customers.

All directional fabrics are made with a bottom seam! These clutches will stand the test of time.

All her clutches are handmade using a wide variety of finishes such as sumptuous cotton velvets!

So, make your shortcuts where needed.  You can now do my shortcut with no seam, but please do not worry about the bottom seam for the integrity of your clutch!

February 17, 2011 Posted by | Helpful Tips | , , , , | 3 Comments

Save time: Shortcut for inserting your fabric into your purse frame!

Though my PDF tutorial shows you the tried-and-true way to finish your purse and making a clutch, I have a shortcut that has worked very well for me.  It saves me time from having to pre-press the clutch prior to inserting it into the purse frame.

Now, I have to admit that I’m not a big ironing person.  In fact, I am quite embarrassed to say that 8 or 9 years ago, I had to ask my husband “Papi, how do you turn the iron on?”  🙂

Yes, for someone who can whip up a Homecoming dress in high school without a pattern, I didn’t always know how to use the iron.  A pre-requisite when shopping for my clothes is:  will it need to be ironed?  Oh, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly would have a field day with me, I’m sure!

So here’s the shortcut.  (BTW, this coordinates with step #13 of my tutorial).

For step #13, I only sew about 1 inch from point E and then stop.  I do not go to the middle of the clutch.

The rest is left unfinished.

See how the 1st inch is nicely sewn as per step #13?  I’ll save the rest unfinished and after I turn it right-side out, I then finish it with a zig-zag stitch.

This helps me in 2 ways:

1) Skips the dreaded ironing step, but more importantly …

2) By sewing it shut in this way, it actually does a better job of compressing the layers thereby allowing the fabric to be inserted into the purse frame really easily.

You will notice that the 1st inch is required because that hinge area is so crucial.  However, the areas above that and around that is hidden when you insert and glue it into the frame.

I am able to make upholstery weight fabric + 4 layers of heavy fusible interface fit into the frame without any problem.  For me, it also saves me time as it’s quicker to sew then it is to fire up the iron and press.

The second tip is the top edge.  Since I only sew 1 inch from point E and S (or the starting points of the hinge area), I leave the rest of the clutch unfinished.

This makes it easier to invert and pull both layers the right-side out.  To finish the top, I use a straight stitch straight across.  You can use zig-zag stitch as well.

The benefit here is the same as the ones above:  it saves me time and it makes inserting bulky fabrics into the purse frame a breeze.

Don't sew too low below the edge or it will be seen.

When I insert this into the frame, you will not see the stitches as I’ve kept it close to the edge.

And by using Gutermann glue for the fabric and frame, you can be assured of its adhesive integrity.

Enjoy your sewing!

February 16, 2011 Posted by | Helpful Tips | , , , , | 2 Comments

Clutches for the lucky one on Valentine’s Day!

Everyone please check out the Facebook fan page!

I just added an album of clutches that are amazing and available for purchase from various artisans for Valentine’s Day.  Spread the love and “like”!  🙂

See the amazing creativity.  I stayed with the tried-and-true reds but these artisans have many more clutches made from my fine purse frames available for sale:  for you, your sweetie, or best gf.

Here’s a small screen capture:

Click on the pic to go directly and see the album.

See what you like?  Each clutch has a direct link to the shop!  These are all lovingly handmade.

And they are one-of-a-kind — just like you!

Happy, happy Valentine’s Day!

xo-Winn

February 14, 2011 Posted by | SALES and PROMOTIONS, WhileBabyNaps General Updates | , , , | Leave a comment

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