Quiltsy Feature of Sewupscale



My block taken at the Catawba River Greenway Park in Morganton,NC 

I'm so excited for SewUpscale to be featured on the Etsy Quiltsy Team Blog.   The Quiltsy Team is making a traveling quilt.  The quilt is made up of log cabin blocks that are going from city to city.  Each quilter adds their block to the row.  Sewupscale participated in the Southeast row.  After the row is completed, it will be sent to a quilter to sew the rows together and then to someone to quilt the whole thing. After finishing, it will be offered for sell on the team shop.

We were all supposed to take a picture of our block somewhere in our community.  I chose the Catawba River Greenway Park since it is so beautiful even in the winter.

Here is picture of the row after adding my block.  As you can see, the quilt is made of blue, green and purple.

Painting with Thread

I recently posted a blog where I talked about drawing with scissors.  Today I am going to talk about painting with thread.  Do you know anyone who loves thread?  They must be weird, huh?  Ok, so I love thread.  Some people are obsessed with buying jewelry or shoes or clothes but I am obsessed with  buying thread (and fabric but that's a whole other article).  My thread holders are full and have overflowed to a box.   See--

Does anyone think this is too much thread? I've even overflowed to my sewing table but all this thread is actually very necessary to create the effect.  Take a look at the final result.

Here is an example of using thread to make the picture:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/70502741/sky-burst-landscape-quilted-fabric
and another http://www.etsy.com/transaction/45292652

Drawing With Scissors

I've never considered myself to be an artist.  I can't really draw anything with a pencil or paint a picture.  But put a pair of scissors in my hand and I can make fabric come to life.  Then give me a sewing machine and it's like having a paint brush in my hand.

I make quilted fabric postcards that are either 4" by 6" or 5" by 7".  Mostly I make landscapes but also enjoy any kind of nature theme.  I can even create hstorical buildings too.   It has become my passion.  I also make landscape wall hangings but I'm not as obsessed with making them. 

Selling my postcards on Etsy is a way to be able to make more.  If you don't buy them, I can't make more.  I've already given gifts to all my friends and relatives.  What would I do with them?  They would run me out of house and home! 

Thank you to everyone who appreciates my art.  Hope to be able to bring more of these postcards to life.

From A Buyer's Perspective

Although I sell on Etsy at http://sewupscale.etsy.com (have to get a plug in for my shop!), I am also a buyer of handmade.  If I can buy handmade, I will.  Here are some things I look for in a shop (or don't look for) when I am shopping handmade.

1.  I know you hear this over and over but pictures ARE important. To get me to buy, they don't have to look like the front page Etsy pictures but they do need to be clear.  Also, in most cases, you need to use all 5 spaces. Take a picture of all angles. Take a picture of  the front of the item and the back. I usually won't buy from someone that only has one picture. Makes me think they don't think enough of what they're selling to take the time to add these shots. 

2.  Give a good description.  You may know what it looks like but I don't. Can't talk to you about SEO or any of those things but if I don't see a good description, I won't buy. Look at your product and just talk it out and write down what you are saying. What is it? Make sure you add the dimensions and specific colors.

3.  How can your product be used?  Who needs it?  For example, I sell quilted fabric postcards. They can be sent to a friend as a greeting and when received, they can be framed.  The perfect card and gift all in one.

4.  Proofread. Make sure you have used correct grammar (or at least close), have no spelling errors, and no typing errors. This may not make a difference to some people but it may to others so cover yourself. 

5.  Your shop needs to look like it is in business. Maybe you haven't sold anything yet and have almost given up but if your shop is still open, it needs to look like you're still around to ship what I've bought. Keep adding products or renew occasionally.  Also keep your shop announcement up to date. For example, it's now September and you still have a notice about a spring sale, I'm going to wonder if I'm going to receive my purchase.

These may be simple things. Attention to detail is crucial. And yes, I know, as an artist, this is the part that is so hard to do.