6 days to madness

Compare the 6 days of the book of Genesis
to the 4 billion years of geologic time.
On this scale, 1 day equals about 666 billion years.

All day Monday, until Tuesday noon
creation was busy getting the earth going.
Life began on Tuesday noon
and the beautiful organic wholeness of it
developed over the next 4 days.

At 4 P.M. Saturday, the big reptiles came.
5 hours later, when the redwoods appeared
there were no longer big reptiles.

At 3 minutes before midnight, man appeared.
One-fourth of a second before midnight, Christ revolted.
One-fortieth of a second before midnight, the industrial revolution began.

We are surrounded by people who think
that what we have been doing for
one-fortieth of a second can go on indefinitely.
They are considered normal.
But they are stark. raving. mad

Found via the track 6 Days to Madness by Cloud Cult, which Tim showed me the other day. It is adapted from a speech given by the late David Brower, who founded Friends of the Earth and was a very big and important environmentalist. I love it. It always raises new questions in my head. It may be more powerful when you listen to the song. The words aren't lyrics; they're spoken above the music.

David Brower (image source)

I would like to study environmentalism more deeply. There's so much I don't know and so many ideas that would probably change my perspective a bit if I learned them. I suppose, though, I'll mostly have to be satisfied with occasionally coming across gems like this one, because I don't have the time, and probably the patience, to delve headfirst into it all. If only there were a Matrix-style plug in my head to download the information I want to be there...

business plans: simplifying styles

First of all, thank you so very much for all your advice and help in response to my last post. It was a very pleasant surprise and oh-so useful.

A number of recent blog posts from my Google Reader happened to focus on running a business right when I'm more interested in the topic than usual, which is already pretty damn interested. I really like this quote:

People probably think that fashion designers make a ton of money. But in reality, for the majority of us, that couldn't be farther from the truth. (even if we're one of the lucky ones that "makes it" so to speak.) We spend more than we bring in. We're lucky when we break even. And we're one of the select few if and when we turn a profit. I'm still not there yet.

Buy directly from the designer. You'll not only save from the retail mark-up, you'll ensure the designer actually gets compensated for their work. Long live Etsy. Or at least, long live the non-evil retailers. I still realize I have so much to learn about this industry. And I'm learning, one mistake at a time.

From Leanne M of Project Runway America.

The most helpful piece of advice came from The Fashion Incubator, from the first in her series of How to Start and Homebased Handmade Sewing Business:

If you make up one-offs, you won’t get a picture of which styles and sizes hold greater appeal. The way I would do it is to only produce a few styles and make them in different sizes, meaning duplicates. I realize each fabric would be different but the basic lines and shapes of each style could be important indicators. I would keep careful track of which bodies sold first and in which sizes. This will be very useful information in the future.

I could kiss her. In my last post, my main gripe was not really knowing what will sell (i.e. what the market wants), and this is a promising way to rectify that. I've never come across this point and I'm kicking myself for not considering it before because it sounds so simple. I have read every piece of handmade business advice I could get my hands on - Etsy Storque articles, Handmade Business blogs, the Business Topics Etsy forum, the Craft Inc book, and so most advice I feel I've read before. Although, usually it's not directed at people who make one-of-a-kinds or clothing, and certainly not both. There's a lot more advice in the series so I really recommend you read it if you have, or want to start, a sewing business.

I'm going to apply that advice by choosing several favourite styles to focus on that can be made up repeatedly, in different fabrics of course, so everything will still be one of a kind. I'll make several of the styles, in different sizes and colours. This style is one of my favourites, and it seems to be popular so this will be one of The Designated.

I might make up a poll post so you guys can vote for your favourites that you'll be seeing more of if they 'win'.

I don't want everything I make to have to fit within my select group of styles, because that would take some of the fun out of designing, and maybe buying, too. So I'm still going to experiment sometimes as well. And sometimes the materials I use won't necessarily allow replication - I'm not sure to what capacity yet. This change is to give me some more direction, some more market knowledge, and maybe help the issue of people liking stuff that's not in their size.

Oh, the other entrepreneurship article I came across was an interview style post with Xenia from Lime Crime Makeup, which was more interesting (very) than helpful.

P.S. I've changed the logo/header on my blog and Etsy shop. I felt the previous was a bit too clean and 'perfect', so I've grunged it up a little (but kept the cute). What do you think?

frustrations and stepping up my game

I can be a very impatient person. I also have the tendency to want to take on the world. These traits can make me frustrated because a) inevitably, things I want don't happen right away and b) high expectations lead to overwheming feelings.

Tim is returning to study postgrad law in August, which I am utterly proud of him for. Though it means he can only manage three days of work per week after then. He currently manages a bookshop that's so hectic the job can't be done in three days a week. The best offer they could give him instead was a hefty pay cut and a demotion (which, if I may say, I find quite ridiculous given his experience and skill there). In any case, he resigned and will no longer be working there in four weeks time. This is worrying in two ways: what if he can't find another job, and even if he does find one, how will we manage without a steady full-time income?

The best way out is for Heidi & Seek to start earning a steady income to make up the difference. I really don't want to have to start applying for jobs elsewhere, because as bloody difficult as it is to run your own business, at least it's mine and runs on my own terms. It's flexible for when I have to be home for Ellie, and since I work from home I don't need to waste time commuting. I don't want to put it on the backburner, as it inevitably will be if I get another job.

So, I've been trying to figure out how to step up my game. I worked out how much I'd need to sell per week and per month, and honestly, the figure feels so far away it's not funny. I'm half moping at the futility of it all and half planning (and continuing to sew winter stuff in between) because I can't get these issues out of my head. Things I want to do:

• Get to know my market better. This is the one that's troubling me the most, and also what I think is the most important. There is a difference between the things I make and the things people buy, and I have no real idea what that is. I just guess and experiment, and while that's cool some of the time, it's not good enough for every time. I'm not sure how to go about this yet.
  
  The survey I put up a while ago wasn't as helpful as I anticipated, maybe because I didn't ask the right questions. I need to understand the difference between people saying 'that's cool' and people actually buying something. Maybe it would help to study what things of mine have sold quickly and gotten attention, and try to mimic their features in new pieces, but that's harder than it sounds: How do I know if something sold because that one customer liked it a lot but most people wouldn't?
  
  
• Post new listings every day. I've been good with this the past couple of weeks, though to be honest I'm not sure it's helped sales. But I do think in theory it's better to give lots of choice. What do you think?
  
  
• Open up my Made It shop again. I'm trying to make enough winter stock so I can fill my Made It and Etsy shop. I'd like to try Made It again because it's smaller, therefore easier to get seen, plus it's local and I seem to have gotten mostly Aussie sales recently.
  
  
• Start doing a market. This idea freaks me out a little because it's new and I've never done one before. Plus it involves me spending a whole lot of time finding display things, making signs, arranging the stalls, and so on and so on. But, given my previous income calculations, I don't think I can rely solely on online sales.
  
  
• Work on wholesale accounts.
  

Wow, I'm not sure if I feel better for having written that all out or worse for the sheer amount of work I have ahead of me.

P.S. Heidi & Seek is in the new Frankie mag, out tomorrow (squee!). Check it out, there's also details to enter a competition to win one of five Heidi & Seek tops! I don't have a scanner, but I'll try to grab a picture of it soon.

ethical style feature: rejenerate handbags

My ethical style feature has been MIA for a while on my blog, but it's back! If you have no idea what feature I'm on about, it involves me handpicking and interviewing entrepreneurial ladies and lasses with gorgeous products and responsible business practices. This means fair trade, handmade, recycled, organic, second-hand, and vintage galore!

I've chosen reJenerate for this one, which is a handmade handbag label run by Jennie Smith - a fellow Aussie! Each gorgeous piece of hers is made from recycled materials and she's passionate about sustainable fashion.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you make.

Well I'm a self-confessed recycling junkie. I have this uncontrollable need to save things from landfill. I used to love things that were shiny and new, things that had a blank slate but the more I became aware of environmental issues the more I started to lean towards using things that were pre-loved. Now I find these things to be so much more charming, they have a personality and a history of their own that you just don't get with new stuff.

This recycling obsession quickly developed into my label, 'ReJenerate: Vintage & Recycled Creations by Jennie Smith'. Now I spend most of my time saving unloved curtains, clothing, fabrics and linens from their one way trip to landfill and turning them into pretty new things that are handmade and usually one of a kind.

How did you start making bags?

I was inspired by delicate vintage doilies and napkins and was captivated by the thought of transforming them into quirky, girlie clutches. From there I was hooked and handbags became my world! I have lots of different styles now and my bridal clutches, made from divine vintage fabrics, are my most popular items. I've also started moving into homewares lately which I'm finding really fun. Interior design is my latest obsession!

little splash of vintage clutch

Tell us about your materials. What new supplies do you use? What recycled?

I aim to keep things entirely recycled. I do use new cotton thread to make sure that I have a really sturdy, quality product and sometimes I will use new magnetic snaps, rings and zips but often these are recycled too. Absolutely all of my fabrics are vintage, recycled or salvaged.

Why do you use recycled materials?

Well, like I said before...I'm a recycling junkie! Thinking about the amount of waste every human goes through in their lifetime completely freaks me out. My aim in starting ReJenerate was to provide an alternative to fashion accessories that were made off shore from chemically laden fabrics under horrendous conditions. I try to keep my prices accessible to the average Aussie gal...so she has no excuse for not buying sustainable!! ;)

slouchy samara oversized handbag

Which item of yours is your favourite?

My favourite item is always the one I created last! I tend to get a little attached and get a bit sad when I send my creations off to their new home. Crazy I know! But the lovely thing about selling online is that I get to have contact with my customers and many of them keep in touch, updating me on all the fabulous things my handbags have been up to! I have had handbags go to Paris for a holiday, get sent to Iceland as a gift, attend A-list events and lots of other crazy adventures! One of the best things about my job is emailing with all of my gorgeous customers.

But in answer to the original question (!) right now I'm having so much fun working on my bridal range. It makes me so happy seeing so many brides working towards a sustainable wedding.

bridal betty eco-clutch

What advice would you give to designers who want to start working for themselves?

Do it! I have never been happier than I am now. If you really want something then don't give up. Just make sure that you're really self-motivated because you don't have a boss looking over your shoulder making sure you're getting things done! And don't expect to be an overnight success, it takes time for customers to find you. Just make sure you do something every day to get your work out there.

What's your best eco-tip?

Everytime you are tempted by something shiny and new, ask yourself if you could find something similar that is pre-loved. Usually you can find something even better with lots of character and individuality and people will admire your unique style. Pay attention to everything that goes into your bin and assess what you can do next time to avoid creating that waste. No one's perfect, certainly not me, but that doesn't mean you can't try!

What a great response. Thanks Jennie!

Visit rejenerate.com.au to shop (Etsy & Made It) and for more info.