Today’s tip is no surprise — September is National Sewing Month, and we’d like to encourage all of you to dig into your sewing supplies and get started on sewing something special.  You could also take it upon yourself to teach someone to sew.  In this economy teaching someone, old or young, to sew could make all the difference in whether that person or their family could get some new clothes, toys or home decor items this year!

Many cities and towns don’t have fabric stores and I know that some of you have to travel quite a distance just to get to a fabric store.  We know the feeling because in our town (which is not small, by any means), all the fabric stores except one have closed within the past few years.

Our suggestion to you is to check out the online fabric stores, such as Jo Anns, or Fabric.com — these are the two that we purchase fabric from on a regular basis and have always been very satisfied with the fabrics.  You can also get a variety of fabrics from an assortment of vendors at ebay.

Are you looking to purchase a new sewing machine or serger?  Again, the online store we’d recommend is AllBrands, which carry a wide variety of sewing machines, sergers, notions, etc.

If you already have a sewing machine and/or serger and would like to learn how to repair your sewing machine, or at least keep it running smoothly so it doesn’t “die” in the middle of your sewing project, we’d recommend you check out the book, Sewing Machine Repair For The Home Sewer.

Good luck on your sewing projects!  And remember, we’re looking for some great tips from our readers – you could be first!

         With right sides together (B), match the notches of the sleeve and the armhole opening, and pin in place.  Ease in any slight fullness as you are pinning.  Stitch the sleeve with the sleeve side up.

          Trim or clip (C) the seam allowances, then do a zig zag stitch along the seam allowance to finish the seam. 

          With right sides together (D) match and pin the underarm seam, and all notches on the side seam of the garment and sleeve.  Turn the armhole seam allowances toward the sleeve.  Stitch the garment/ sleeve seam in one continuous seam from the bottom of the garment to the bottom of the sleeve.

            Trim the cross-seam allowances (E) to reduce the bulkiness.  Press the sleeve/garment seam allowances open, and zig zag stitch along the edges to finish the seams. 

            These “how to” tutorials are an excerpt from our book “Basic Clothing Construction”.   This book is a handy addition to have in your sewing room, so you can refer to the various sewing tips and tutorials at any time

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The haut indie online magazine Viva La Moda now has their new issue #10 available for free online.  This edition of the handmade fashion magazine highlights summer fashion and knits in addition to the Project Reconstruction contest where some amazing designers were challenged to reconstruction a mens shirt for the magazine.  Check out all the exciting projects and get a few ideas of your own!

So, HOW do you promote your website or blog to get more traffic, which in turn makes more sales?  And now the next question is how do you promote your website or blog without going into debt or having to pay every bit of your profit back into promotions?

One of the quickest ways to get the word out about your website or blog is to make some 2″x4″ label type flyers.  We made flyers giving information about what’s on our website and list the URL.  These flyers can be made very quickly using Microsoft Office Publisher, or a similar program that you may have on your computer.  Once you’ve made the small flyer, print a few sheets of Avery 2×4 labels AND print some of the sheets on plain white paper.   The plain paper ones I cut apart and stick one into every bill or envelope that we mail out.  The labels we stick on every package that we mail out.  You’ll be surprised at how many postal employees between your house and the package destination will be seeing the label, and perhaps making a mental note of the website address.

A very important method of getting word out about your website/blog is to make it part of your email “signature”.  When it’s part of your email signature every time you send an email the recipient will see the link and may even click on it to see what your site is all about.

You will also be able to build links back to your site whenever you visit other sites that are similar to yours and perhaps make appropriate comments on posts within that blog.

You can of course do the advertising with online website directories.  Some of the online website directories may be free, but of course they’re also in business to make money, so there may be strings attached to their offers.  Check them out carefully to see what the final cost would be.

The main thing to remember about promoting your website or blog is that the success will NOT happen overnight.  You must have patience and you must be willing to constantly be doing “something” to promote the website.  Don’t just do ONE thing, such as email signature, and figure that is enough.  We are constantly  promoting our blogs and websites in one way or another, and you should make up your mind that you will stick with the website promotions as long as you have those sites or blogs.

          Sew a row of “ease stitching” between the notches of the sleeve (A), to prevent stretching as well as to help ease the fabric into the armhole.  With right sides together (B), pin baste then sew the underarm seam of the sleeve.  Press the seam open.  Sew the side seam of the garment and press the seam open.

          Insert the sleeve into the armhole with right sides together.  Pin at all notched markings and at the underarm seam line (C).  Pull the bobbin thread ends from the “ease stitching” line to gather the excess fullness.  Hold the sleeve in position and pin the fullness across the cap of the sleeve/shoulder line.   Starting at the underarm seam (D) sew the sleeve in place.  Remove all pins and ease stitching threads.

          These “how to” tutorials are an excerpt from our book “Basic Clothing Construction”.   This book is a handy addition to have in your sewing room, so you can refer to the various sewing tips and tutorials at any time

When my quads started pre-k last week I had visions of buying dozens of boxes of Ziploc bags for their daily snacks (in quadruplicate!) so I started checking all the local stores for some reusable snack bags.  I had absolutely no luck locally and then was shocked to find that these simple bags range from about $6 to $12 each online.  I wanted something similar to the foldover style baggies with the flap that we used when I was young (if you don’t remember those – don’t tell me about it )  The kids decided to “help” me with the project so we somehow ended up cutting out a few dozen and we serged up some extras that we gave to all of the kids in the class.  I found this rip stop nylon on the bargain fabric table at WalMart for $1.50/yard and you can get enough for 24 bags from one yard of fabric, so they cost six cents each to make.

To make some of your own reusable snack bags just print this pattern, cut out pieces A and B and tape them together at the fold, then cut one piece (or however many you want to make) from a water resistant type of fabric.  Use a serger or the zigzag stitch on your sewing machine to finish the short straight edge. 

Make the flap by folding the short edge over one inch as shown by the “fold line” on the pattern, fold in half at the centerline and serge or zigzag all the way around starting at one corner and ending at the other.  These are super quick and easy to make and the kids love them!  I’m going to have to keep looking for some more nylon in a “girly” print or color before I make the next round.

What type of business do you have?  Sewing? Crafting? Alterations?  That’s the easy question.  Now think about what it is that you do that people can say “you’re the only person I know that makes these” or “you’re the first one I’ve seen that has this or that”.  The “niche” in your business would be that service or those crafts that nobody else is doing or making.  The step to take next is to expand on that particular product or service.  You may have the “corner on the market” with Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls, or with the particular type of purses that you make, etc.

Once you’ve figured out that particular product or service that you have that very few or nobody else is doing, make a variety of styles or sizes, or personalize the products for customers, then promote them in as many places as you can.  If you’re online, see about linking your website / blog to other websites that would compliment what you have in order to increase your sales.  If you do craft fairs, highlight those items that only you have available – make sure they are visible from all sides of your booth.

As a couple of examples of finding a niche and following through with it, I will have to add my own “niche” website, PlusSizeChildren, which was started because of a friend’s very overweight and obese child that my friend could never find clothes that fit.  By making a series of patterns for this child, word got out about the patterns I was making and immediately I got the “you’re the only place that has patterns using actual plus size children’s measurements”.  There you go – the answer then was to expand on what I had that nobody else offered.

A second example would have to be my own daughter, whose love of sewing, crafting and designing found herself “thrown into” a niche of making designer coupon totes when she and her husband lost their “day” jobs due to the economy.

What do you do or make that nobody else does, or that nobody else does as well as you do?  Now think about where you could do some marketing of that product or service.  If you have a hometown newspaper, you might talk to some folks there as they are always looking for things to write special articles about — you could be the next featured article in the paper.  Write to a few websites that are in a similar marketing area as what you have and ask about doing a “giveaway” of one of your special products.  This could lead to quite a few sales once all those people who have entered the “giveaway” go to your site and check out those special items.

Don’t let your special sewing or crafting talent just go by the wayside — get it into the public eye and watch your sales increase!

If you don’t have all of your back to school sewing finished yet, or if you’re ready to get past that and finally sew something up for yourself, you may want to take advantage of this deal from Joann Fabric and Craft Stores!  Through September 15th you can use promo code AE258 to get 40% off of any one regular price item, you can also get free standard shipping on all orders of $40 or more through 8/28 with promo code WSF240.  I’ve looked everywhere locally for reusable snack bags for the kids for school and haven’t been able to find ANY, so I checked around online and found that the prices vary wildly from around $6 to $12 a piece.  I think that’s a little steep for around a square foot of fabric and one seam so I’ve drawn up a pattern and I’m getting ready to make my own – I’m looking for some fabric to use for those and as soon as I have a few made I’ll post the directions and the pattern here.

“Today my granddaughter called me from OK.  She was crying.  She said that they had gone school shopping and there wasn’t anything except one pair of women’s size 6 pants that she could wear.  She said “Grandma, I have nothing!”  I talked to her mom and she told me that her daughter’s measurements are chest 38; waist 38; hips 38; pant length from the hip to the hem is 38.    Tonight I scoured the net looking for patterns that were something a 12 year old would like in a size that I could adapt to fit her.  It is now after 10 pm…I couldn’t find anything that met that criteria and would go together quickly so I could get some clothes to her by the time school starts….then I found your site.  God Bless You for understanding that plus sized children want to look good, too.  This grandma has tears in her eyes.  Thank you, thank you!” Grandma in Montana.

That story is just soooooo sad, and unfortunately is too commonplace.  If you have extra time in your sewing business, why don’t you consider doing some sewing for these very hard to fit plus size children.  At PlusSizeChildren.com we have both pattern making classes where you can make patterns according to the specific measurements of the child, OR you can choose from a selection of ready made patterns that were designed specifically for plus size children’s measurements.  These children need all the help they can get for great fitting clothes.