Sell your own patterns

I have personally encouraged many of you to sell your own ideas as patterns. Craftsy makes it easy. It is worth the time it takes you to figure out how to teach your process because once it's done, you can move on to the next thing. If you knit, crochet, sew, quilt, paper craft, embroider, or make jewelry, you can be a Craftsy designer! You should be making money from your awesome designs and not worrying about someone else copying you. That is what I think.

How to Add & Sell a Pattern on Craftsy
(This post contains affiliate links which means I will be compensated if you purchase after clicking these links.)

In addition to wonderful online courses and craft supplies, Craftsy also has an independent online pattern store that lets anyone upload and sell downloadable e-patterns with no fee!

How do you add a pattern to Craftsy and start your pattern store? It’s easy!

1. Make sure you have a Paypal account. All pattern transactions happen through Paypal, and Craftsy requires that you have a Student, Premier, or Business account in order to sell patterns.
2. Put your pattern in .pdf format. You can’t upload any patterns to the online pattern store unless they’re a .pdf file format, so if they’re currently saved as a Word doc, .jpg, or other file format, you must convert it to a .pdf before you upload it to Craftsy.
3. Include a photo. All patterns must have at least one photo to accompany them, but you can add up to five photos. Colorful, interesting photos tend to work the best for catching our members’ eyes!
4. Fill out the pattern description. We will ask you some basic questions around your pattern making it easier for Craftsy folk to find your pattern and know what your pattern is for. Make sure you have info about your pattern handy for this step.

For more information on how to sell a pattern through Craftsy, or to get started, visitCraftsy today!

Waterrose Embroidery

Waterrose Embroidery
Originally uploaded by studiocherie

I asked my friend, Rose to make a small embroidery for me to frame and hang on the tree. (A little late for a Christmas post, I know.) Her embroidery is exquisite. My photo certainly doesn't capture it. I think this could be a hot item for her, don't you? What would you embroider to hang on your wall or on your tree? See more of Rose's fine work in her shop.

Embroidery Made Easy

Proving that I really do sew, here is a tip on how I do some fun embroidery work without going blind or poking my fingers. To get the hand sewn look I have created here on your sewing machine is easy.

1. Fill your bobbin with heavy thread, like upholstery thread or, as I used in these examples, denim top-stitching thread.


2. The thread in the top of your machine should match the fibers in your fabric.


3. For free-hand designs like the faux gilding in the banner photo, back the fabric with stabilizer and insert the fabric and stabilizer into an embroidery hoop. (No hoop necessary if you will be using a normal presser foot and feed dogs to make a simple design, like the flower below.) The hoop will give you something to hold onto and "steer" with as you use free-motion stitching to fill in the desired area with your design.


4. Draw your design or, if you like to wing it like I do, draw the borders of your design area on the stabilizer. You will be stitching from the back side, on the stabilizer, (on the inside of the hoop if you are using a hoop.)


5. After you take the first stitch, pull up the bobbin thread through the fabric, so you are not stitching over that tail of thread. Stitch your design, following your drawing or your imagination.


6. After the last stitch, cut the threads and pull the tail of the bobbin thread through the fabric to the back side where you will tie the two threads together. Also tie the beginning stitch. If you have trouble pulling the thread through, thread the bobbin tail thread onto a needle and pass it through the fabric that way.

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