Coupons – Buzz Word In This Economy

Sarah J. Doyle | December 14, 2009

If you have a business where you can issue a “coupon”, you’ll be on the road to additional sales! 
A few years ago we sent out “gift certificates” in the amount of $5.00 or $10.00 good on the customers’ next purchase from our catalog, or listing of books in the back cover of a book they’d [...]

Quick And Easy Way To Store Cookies

Sarah J. Doyle | December 8, 2009

Christmas is just two weeks away, and if you’re like me, it feels like it’s beginning to “close” in on me!!  I LOVE to do Christmas baking – cookies, pecan cakes, etc; however with all the last minute sewing and craft items left to make, I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll get everything done!
A few [...]

And The Gingher Scissor Giveaway Winner is…

Sarah J. Doyle | November 30, 2009

We have had soooooo much fun with the “Sarah Series” Gingher Scissor Holiday Giveaway — the comments are all so nice.  It seems that most of the readers are making assorted gifts for friends and relatives – with the most popular item being pajamas!   Others are creating decor items like Christmas wreaths, Holiday table runners, [...]

How To Clean Your House Like The Pros Do

Sarah J. Doyle | October 14, 2009

The first think you’ll think is “how in the world does this relate to a sewing blog?”  Well, I believe it has everything to do with sewing.   All of us in the sewing / crafting “work at home” field STILL are required to do housework.    Sometimes we get so bogged down with projects / alterations / [...]

What Is Niche Marketing?

Sarah J. Doyle | October 5, 2009

What is niche marketing, and how do you make money from it?  A “niche” is a small corner of a specific market.  For example, lots of companies have patterns for children, however our NICHE in that market is patterns for PLUS SIZE children.  Our “niche” would be patterns for those heavy, overweight and obese children [...]

Free Sachet Patterns – Don’t Miss This!

Sarah J. Doyle | September 5, 2009

I love free patterns, but this one is one of the BEST I’ve seen lately!!!  A corset sachet from FeelingStitchy — now does this bring back memories of the “good old days” – or 1880’s days (before our time)!

It’s getting close to Christmas, and I’ll just bet you could make a few of these to [...]

Cut The Cost By Making Your Own “Frills”

Sarah J. Doyle | July 26, 2009

I LOVE to run across ways to do fancy trims and decorations on garments — especially where the “purchased” ones of similar type cost a bundle of money.At the Enchantresses3 blogspot, there is a super tutorial on how to make a corsage decoration on a regular tee.  They say the “real deal” costs $29.95 from J. Crew [...]

REAL Oilcloth Tablecloth

Sarah J. Doyle | July 18, 2009

When was the last time you saw, or used, a real oilcloth tablecloth?  The kind that your Mom and Grandma used to use.  Those things used to clean up like a charm — nothing like the paper kind we get now, or try to use  cotton table cloths that get so stained they are beyond [...]

Crafting For A Cause

Sarah J. Doyle | July 11, 2009

Many of us do sewing and crafting for a certain cause —  house slippers and lap pads for elderly in nursing homes, handmade toys for children’s hospitals, etc.I have run across a great “cause” for your next crafting project — creating handmade butterflies to benefit the Halocaust Museum.  The CraftCritique has begun an effort to [...]

Procrastination…..The Art Of Wasting Time

Sarah J. Doyle | June 1, 2009

WOW!  Did I push a “hot” button here????   How much time is actually “wasted” when we procrastinate?  And why do we procrastinate, anyway?For many folks – me included – it’s just hard to get started on certain projects.  My focus isn’t just “right” or perhaps there’s the “dread” of starting something that appears to be [...]