This dress makes me feel like...

This dress makes me feel like...
Originally uploaded by studiocherie

Amazon woman.
I can't believe he just took that picture!
(Secretly glad he did though.)
Now for the pattern review... Simplicity 7707 from 1976. I just read on the SewMamaSew blog, in this great post from Mena Trott, that you want to pay attention to the era when working with vintage patterns. She likes the 1940's patterns for their judicious use of fabric. This dress called for over 3 yards of fabric (I might have been arrested in war time for using that much fabric on myself.) I made it with 2 yards. (Note to self: need older patterns - not more fabric.) The pattern was really easy and I made it in a couple of hours.

Before you try this at home, here are few things to consider:
1. It may look like a sundress, but it's not.
- Your entire waist as well as your thighs (except in Sumo-Mode) will be covered in a double layer of fabric.
-If you make it according to the instructions (which I did not - this will not surprise anyone who knows me) you will also have a double layer of fabric on the entire bodice. This will make the layers on your waist total 4. Not lining the bodice saved me about a yard of fabric.
-It has full coverage on the back as well. Not very sundressy.

2. You will want either a matching bra (because it will show a little on the sides) or you will want to wear a blouse underneath. More layers! I think this is a great dress for a woman who works in an office with the A/C running full blast. You can look breezy while keeping warm.

3. The mid calf length is just too much for all of this fabric. I took 5" off the pattern. I will probably take another couple of inches off to modernize it more.

4. There is a totally unnecessary seam in the middle of the bodice. I set the stitching line on the fold and cut it out on the fold instead.

5. Unless you want to look like a dork, you will have to change the neckline. (Did I just say that? It's the end of the day, and my powers of delicate speech have diminished.)

Overall, I think this dress is a neat idea that I will re-work again soon. Much lighter fabric than this heavy linen blend (I swear it must be linen blended with goose down, it is so hot.) I am on the lookout for cotton lawn with an old fashioned french vibe. Gotta have me some of that je ne sais quois.

CIC Saturday

To find more fun stuff from the Crafting in Color team, type CIC Team in the search bar on Etsy. These items caught my eye this week.

In the company of sweetness

So, yay! I was on Etsy's front page, and I sold a bunch of patterns, but look at how sweet the whole page was. A kitten adopted us a few days ago. Don't you just love that cat photo? We are calling our new cat sweetie. She probably calls us sucka.

Alchemy the meerkat from NiftyKnits

alchemy the meerkat from NiftyKnits
Originally uploaded by studiocherie

The first thing we did when we got Alchemy in the mail was to sit down and watch some Meerkat Manor on YouTube. We were hooked. I finally understood how these nifty knitted meerkats have taken off and become such a huge product and fabulous source of publicity for Nifty Heather. Since we don't have TV, we had never seen Meerkat Manor. YouTube doesn't have full episodes, so we are all dying to know what happened when the Commandos attacked. The second thing we did was to oooh and aaah over all of the cool things he came with from his travels. If you click on the photo, it will take you to Flickr where I have added notes to all of the items showing what they are and who they are from. Nifty will be hosting a big giveaway for the entire package from her traveling meerkat fanpage on Facebook - probably from Twitter too and from her blog. The third thing we did was Gabrielle took Alchemy to school for show and tell. Most of her classmates were already hooked on meerkat manor and thought Alchemy was the bomb. G is really hoping we win the prize so Nifty will have to ship him right back to us. Each of the items in the giveaway has its own charm and personality. Nifty Heather is in for a real treat when she sees this sampler of American Etsy and we were all treated to a little taste of the UK and a nose for viral marketing courtesy of NiftyKnits.

Blue houndstooth skirt

Blue houndstooth skirt
Originally uploaded by studiocherie

I love my patchwork skirt so much I knew I wanted to do more. I did not realize that I would love the next three skirts even better. For the full photo shoot at Manito Park with all three skirts, click on the photo and check them out on Flickr. I am adding them to my shop as made to measure items. I want to get a few satisfied customers of various sizes under my belt before I write up the pattern.

in desperate need of cowgirl boots

back view
Originally uploaded by studiocherie

Unhappy with my choice of foot wear for the photo shoot, Rory chose to hide my feet (and the bottom of the skirt that is finished to sweetly) with lupin and tall grass. I never needed cowgirl boots before. I never had such a kickin' patchwork skirt either.
The project quilting challenge for this week was "road trip." I thought - great! I 'll make a duffle. Then I read, you must use12 fabrics on the top of your quilt. A patchwork duffle sounded great, but I didn't think I would have time to complete it. Then I received an email from one of my customers who had just completed a patchwork duffle from my pattern. It was gorgeous, but I still did not have time. I started the patchwork anyway, not sure what it was going to be. Then I thought how super a comfortable skirt would be for a road trip. I could look great and be comfy for hours on end. Thank you, Kim, for putting on the challenges. I am so glad I made this for myself. My daughter wants one too. Click on the flickr link to see the reverse side. (It is reversible for a completely different look.) I will do more photos when we have time. I was in a rush to enter the contest in time.

Adding Value

I started this topic on Etsy's forum and got some wonderful ideas I want to share.

You start with a great product. I am assuming you use quality materials, so that is not an added value. Offering to customize can add value, PrettyLittlePearl offers to monogram aprons for free. Gift boxes are an added value especially for jewelry. Here is a short list of jewelry sellers that I know of who package in gift boxes: TheApple, NataliaRaya, NicholasandFelice, Lv2Cr8. If you are a blog reader and a jewelry maker who also ships in gift boxes, please leave a comment below to add your name to the list.

When I ordered hair accessories from DahliasForMe, I was pleasantly surprised to find them in a gift box. Here are a few more hair accessory sellers who gift box your purchase: CLineCreations, and MilkMoneyShop. SentimentalStones takes it a step further by offering the gift boxes for sale in her shop and letting people know they get them free with purchase of her magnets and marble coasters. I think that is brilliant! As I was browsing, I noticed that MilkMoneyShop has another added value that she could make more use of and that is she mentions in her listings that the hair accessories can double as brooches. If you have a product with more than one use, that is definately added value. Just be sure to include instructions with the item on how to use it that way.

Speaking of instructions, they can add value too. Xoelle includes instructions for how to tie her bow ties- great! Bijoutery includes care instructions and a polishing cloth with purchases from her shop. Another shop that adds value with a polishing cloth is CoolBeans717, her elecronics cases come with a cloth to keep that ipod clean. I love those ideas of a little something that can be used with your product. I recently added inserts to my luggage tags. They are moo cards with a travel related print on one side and lines for name, address, etc on the other. I am hoping the customers will keep and use the card. I did not want to sew my tag onto that item, so my branding is on the insert. Another adding value idea that is not packaging is small shower scrunchies included with large soap orders. That one comes from the super popular soap seller ABreathofFrenchAir. Jill2Day does something I want to start doing. She packages her sweaters inside reusable cloth bags. I think my bags should come in a dust bag.

Then there are the artsy types...here is an idea that I am sure keeps people coming back to Etsy for more Stokedone adds stories to the back of his artwork and related art original drawings on the packages he sends. How awesome is that? Some artists and photographers (like YannPendaries, CoriD, and ToxicGuineaPigs) include a free postcard print with every purchase. ParkersPrints got creative and added label stickers and seals to her greeting cards. Now she can go wild with the papers she chooses for the envelopes.
If the forum list of ideas grows, I will do another post here. Maybe this gave you some ideas for your own shop, if so, please post here in the comments or on the Etsy Forum link at the top of this article. I would love to hear about it.