Labels

Craft shows, if nothing else, are great for networking.

One of the wonderful people I've met is Laurie Livingston, the owner of StitchWhich. Laurie recently posted on her Facebook wall that a new shipment of garment labels had come in. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I got when I saw that post! I've been toying with the idea of labels, but hadn't had the chance to investigate the matter. Perfect timing!

I commented on her post, asked her if she'd share her contact. She was generous enough to hook me up with John Laidler of Laidler Labels, who made me these:

They're exactly what I wanted. Now, the question is, how should I use them?

Any thoughts?

The Aftermath

Well, after a weekend packed with craft shows, I managed to sell almost all my placemats (I have two sets left) and most of my bookmarks. I do have about six tote bags left and several tooth fairy pillows.

All in all, I think that's not bad. It's what I had hoped for, so I can't complain.

Now, I need to think about things. Think about what I want to focus on, what my new line will include and perhaps change a few patterns.

In the meantime, I noticed today that I am now the proverbial Shoemaker.

I have spent a lot of time, lately, working on my novel. I take advantage of my time on the train and type during my commute to and from work, so I haven't spent much time reading. But I felt that I needed a bit of break, so I bought a book on Monday.

While eating my lunch and reading, I was mortified (and ashamed) when I noticed that I'm using the store receipt as a bookmark. ACK! I make one-of-a-kind bookmarks, for Pete's sake! Why aren't I using one?!

As the saying goes...the Shoemaker's children have no shoes. Though, in my world, it's more...the Owner's novels have no bookmarks.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Things are going to change around here. The Summer Solstice will be the turning point for Urban Contessa.

As of June 24, 2013, Urban Contessa will focus on the heart of the home: The Kitchen. We will continue to carry favourites (like our reversible tote bags and one-of-a-kind bookmarks) but most of our products will be hand-sewn items to decorate your table for every day living, entertaining, and celebrating special occassions.

With this new focus, we need to make room. That means clearing out our inventory.

This is your chance to own Contessa designs for a great price.

This weekend (April 27 and 28, 2013), we are attending back to back craft shows. Visit the Events page at our website to see where we are this weekend.

Come by our booth and help us clear out our inventory!

Re-Organizing

I don't know about you, but for me, the Christmas holidays went by like that! (picture me snapping my fingers.)

I had so many things I wanted to do, none of which I managed to accomplish. Needless to say, a lot of guilt went with that.

But today, I managed to cross something off my to-do list. I desperately wanted to clean up my sewing room. It was out of control. So out of control, in fact, that I didn't take "before" pictures. It was too shameful.

But I feel so much better now!

What I did manage to do over the holidays was get to the Dollar Store and buy a ton of clear boxes and some tiered bins. I may need more, but for now, I'm happy.

The table is cleaned up and organized:

I used some stacking bins to store the few things I need at hand. A mini-tree holds the scissors and rotary cutter I use most often. The others are stored in a cutlery tray. Pins are in magnetic trays on either side of the sewing machine. Wooden point turners and seam rippers are close at hand. Rulers are nested in a file folder tray.

I do need to clean up the cork board, but that's another job for another day. I definitely won't be getting rid of the finger painting. That's something my step-daughter, Cathy, painted when she was four. She's twenty-two now, and probably paints much better, but I still have a soft spot for this one.

There is a useless alcove in this room. I have no idea what the previous owners intended to use it for, but Chris put up shelving when we converted this to my sewing room years ago. There's a VCR, hooked up to the television (did you notice that in the previous picture?). It's a little lonely in the basement and since I tend to spend hours down there, I like to have the t.v. on for company.

And check out the retro phone!

I will clean this up a little more, but for now, this is much better than it was. There are some French and Spanish text books, but most of the literature is sewing, beading and general crafting books and magazines.

Opposite the alcove are two utility shelves. At the top are bags of batting and pillow forms. Smaller boxes have miscellaneous crafting items and thread (one box of white and black, one box of brown/beige and one box with everything else). Larger bins hold ribbon, elastics, glue gun and glue sticks, jewellery supplies, cut bookmarks and cut tooth fairy pillows. There are four baskets of fabric in various stages: uncut metres, cut patterns and scraps (which are eventually cut into bookmarks).

It took me all day to clean it up. I took everything out, then brought it all back in as I found a home for each item. I still have some work to do, but I'm very happy and relieved.

It's late, and I know I have to go to bed now, but all I can think about is going downstairs and sewing.

Do you think the bosses will believe me if I call in sick tomorrow?

Tutorial: Mitred Corners

One of the things I'm most proud of is that Urban Contessa's handmade napkins have mitred corners.

It's much more time-consuming than the corners you see on mass-produced napkins, but the end-result is beautiful and, quite frankly, I'm a firm believer in "if you're going to do something, do it well". And right.

And mitred corners are right.

I brag about my corners all the time, and people who don't understand ask me to explain mitred corners. Their eyes glaze over and it's clear they have no idea. Or interest.

But people who sew, are interested. And they ask me how to sew mitred corners. In the past, I've directed them to various tutorials on the Web, but I think it's time I create my own "how-to" blog post.

A co-worker ordered eight napkins, so I took this as a sign (and the perfect opportunity) to do my tutorial.

So, here we go...

Urban Contessa's napkins are 20" x 20". To yield eight napkins of this size, you will need two and a half metres of fabric. I like to use Galaxy Twill (shown in this post), or broadcloth.

Start by cutting a 21" x 21" square.

Using a 1/2" seam allowance guide, fold over each edge and press.

Fold over the seam allowance once more and press. This leaves a nice clean edge.

Unfold the second pressed seam to the first fold.

Fold down the corner, at the point where the seams meet.
It's not very clear in this photograph, but you can use the pressed lines of the seams and line them up with the cut edge of the first seam allowance fold. Press the corner.

Open the pressed corner, then fold the corner of the napkin, right sides together, into a point. You will see the pressed line from the folded corner.

Sew along the pressed line. I like to place the napkin in the machine with the folded edge toward me.

Cut off the excess fabric.

Turn out the corner using a point turner to get the point nice and sharp.

Press again.

Close the seam with a topstitch.

Look at that. Isn't that pretty?

Press one last time.

And now we're all ready for sale.

As I said, it's time consuming, but the end result is worth it.

Now that you know how to sew mitred corners, you'll become a corner snob. Whenever you're out, and have a meal with a cloth napkin, you'll check the corners. And when you see those cheap folded-over corners, you will snort your derision.

Welcome to the Corner Snob Club. I'm the President.

Bookmarks for Breakfast

Some of you may know that I wear many hats. I have an understated legal assistant fedora for my (paying) day-time job, a very large flamboyant hat for Urban Contessa and, of course, a jaunty beret for writing.

I am a member of the Writer's Community of Durham Region. As I mentioned in my previous post, I agreed to sell my bookmarks at our next breakfast meeting. That would be next Saturday.

It's been stupid busy at my office lately and I'm working fourteen-hour days. I leave home before seven and I don't get home until after nine. Needless to say, I don't have a lot of time to make bookmarks. And yet, somehow, I always mange to make it work.

So, let's get to started.

I gathered the few bookmarks I had already cut out. To the right is a pile of 'scrap' fabric from tote bags and placemats.  As always, I have my self-healing cutting board, ruler and cutter.

Several hours later, I have a very large pile of cut bookmarks and a very small pile of waste.

That's a 14 1/2 " pile of bookmarks!

Now, I have to find the time to sew them all.

The game plan is to dedicate two hours every night to sewing. No matter how late I work. And despite how insane that sounds, I'm actually having a great time. I mean, who wouldn't? I'm sewing, I'm blogging and I'm making money.

It doesn't get much better than this, my friends.

Writers and Bookmarks

I spent the weekend at a writing retreat hosted by Writescape. I thought I would bring along some Urban Contessa bookmarks, give my fellow writers a present and let them pick one for their very own.

I thought it was a good idea. And it still is. But...

All the writers thought the bookmarks were wonderful. And several of them asked if I sold them. Well, of course I said yes.

Yeah, you see where I'm going with this: I'm sold out.

Well, not really.

I have four left.

What's making me panic is the fact that have two craft shows coming up, and the bookmarks are my biggest seller...especially at Christmas. To make matters worse, one of the participants-slash-organizers convinced me to sell the bookmarks at my next writing circle's next breakfast, on December 8. There are a lot of members that attend these breakfasts, and I have to be prepared for all of them to buy three. After all, they sell for $5 each or three for $10. Why wouldn't you buy three, right?

And then she suggested that I contact a couple of local book stores to enquire about selling them retail.

Now, I know it sounds like I'm complaining. I'm not. I swear I'm not!

This is the equivalent of me pinching myself. What I'm doing is trying to convince myself that this is actually happening. I'm feeling very Sally Fields-y right now.

You like me. You really like me!