All of us in any type of sewing, crafting or alteration business have SOMETHING that we are “known” for! Do you have a special knack for making children’s painting aprons that every pre-K and Kindergarten parent wants for their children? Perhaps you have a special way of getting more work done than anybody you know! So, how can you capitalize on your special talents and make some extra money? WRITE about it! I’d LOVE to know how you do those painting aprons — I have 5 grandchildren under the age of 6 that have ruined more clothes than you’d want to hear about! Don’t know how to get started? The best place is to look at our book “WriteEbooksThatSell” — which gives all the information on what types of eBooks sell, how to get a topic for YOUR eBook, how to get started, etc.
As an example of “passing along what you know” to others that might need the same information (such as those childs’ painting aprons you specialize in!) — I’d learned the Oriental method of pattern making while my husband was stationed in Taiwan in the early ’70’s. Because the class were all taught in Taiwanese, and an American attending had to have an intrepreter, I was the first and only American woman to attend. It was a novelty for all the “local” Taiwanese girls for me being there, but I was there to LEARN! Later I started writing my own books (and eBooks) about pattern making (you can see some of them at PatternsThatFitYou.com). However the REAL point I want to make is that I learned how to “specialize” my pattern making abilities when I had a plus size (obese) granddaughter and there was literally nothing in the stores that would fit her.
I used my pattern making ability to use HER measurements and made patterns and garments for her. Then we realized that because of the problems she (and by now a friend had also come to me for help with her obese grandson), were having I decided what was really needed were some garment PATTERNS that would fit these children. This is where our Plus Size Children (PSC) patterns idea was born. We gathered actual measurements for plus size and obese children for over a year (requested them from our readers all over the country), THEN set down to put those measurements into a data base so we could make actual patterns that would fit these children. What we NOW have available is a variety of blouses, skirts, pants/shorts, jumpers patterns that have been made according to actual plus size children’s measurements. For example, our patterns at PlusSizeChildren.com use the following measurements:
Size 8 — chest 34″, waist 30″, hip 36″
Size 10 — chest 36″, waist 32″, hip 38″
Size 12 — chest 38″, waist 34″, hip 40″
The size ranges of the patterns at PlusSizeChildren are 4-5-6, 8-10-12 and 14-16, so they cover all ages of plus size/obese children.
Compare those “plus size children’s measurements” up against YOUR plus size/obese child and then compare the “regular” pattern measurements (Simplicity, Butterick, etc) – you’ll see that our year-long effort in accumulating actual data on plus size/obese children’s measurements were put to good use in making actual patterns that are appropriate for the age range of the children.
The whole point of this story is that YOU can do the same thing with YOUR knowledge and what you specialize in! I dare say that every one of us knows SOMETHING that others wish they knew and would be glad to PAY you for that information! I’m back to the great childs’ painting aprons now — please write it up, put it on your website or blog and I’ll be happy to buy that information from you!
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