Organizing your sewing area will be the biggest victory and frustration at the same time. You need to have an area that can be devoted to your sewing machine, related equipment and supplies. Fabric should be in sealed containers until ready for use. Don't be tempted to hang your fabric in a closet since it will absorb your home's odors. You will not notice the difference in the smell of the fabric but your customers will.

If you can devote a whole room of your house for your sewing business the better. Install cabinets to store your items. Have at least one large work area that you can spread your work out on. Don't be tempted to put your work on the floor or on the kitchen table.

The above photo shows a neat and clean area to work in. It is not what I would call ideal since I see no large table for quilts or blankets to be put together on. The photo below is one of the worse places to work in. If your sewing area looks like this and it doesn't bother you then you might want to re-think the idea about going into business with your sewing hobby. Starting a business takes organization.

Not many people are aware of the fact that the newer sewing machines are capable of making lace. Here is a link for details on what types of thread and stabilizers to use.

Making lace on your sewing machine

With the recent toy recalls coming out of China, there has been a small sales boom in the USA with American made toys. Stuffed animals, teddy bears and dolls made entirely in the USA are now a high demand item. I have found one person that is making the most life like stuff animals you have ever seen. They have a blog called Kay's K9s. Lots of photos that will give you some idea on what a person can accomplish with a needle and some artistic talent.

I came across this video showing a new material with outstanding strength. You would not believe what they do to this stuff. It is currently used for protecting laptops, cellphones and other electronic devices against scratching and damage. I was wondering if this material might be used in crafts and sewing projects. Can you think of a product that you can make using a material like this?

Visit the invisibleSHIELD video on YouTube

Read the article below about how a 14 year old girl started her own sewing business. If she can do it so can you.

So you are pretty good at sewing, or at least your friends tell you that. Are you good at designing items too? Just sewing is great but it won't make you much of a living unless your products are unique, hard to find or no one in your area does custom work. For example if you can sew a dress or top consider making Civil War re-enactment clothing. While the clothing can be found on the internet you might be able to find a local club that wants custom work done.

Another way to advertise your items is to wear them or send your children to school with an unique item to show off to their friends. Get the word out by showing off your work. Forget regular types of advertising in the begining - it is word of mouth and networking with people that will move your sewing business forward. No friends? Then join a sewing club and find out how many women in your local area have started a small sewing business as extra income. Join the local Chamber of Commerce as they will be able to help you will the business end of your business.

Do you like to quilt?

A growing business is a good thing but what about when you start to run out of room to store your finished items. I bet you have thought about renting one of those storage units by the month. If you have items made of fabric, think about the problems of dampness and mold if you plan on going that route. Another alternative is to hire another company to not only store your finished stock but to ship it to your customers as well. There is such a company for small ecommerce businesses. The company is called shipto.com I sincerely hope that your sewing business grows to the point that you have to think about storage and shipping like this. It would be an eye opener to yourself to see how well your business is doing. As an added bonus, this company does international shipping for you if you don't want to handle that side of the business yourself. Wouldn't it be great to put buy and import from U.S.A. on your items?

This blog is dedicated to sewing and showing people how they can profit from their sewing hobby. There will be plenty of links to free patterns and how-to articles. As a gentle reminder, all comments are moderated. This blog has been receiving comments knocking sewing or just to spam this blog with links. Those types of actions will not be tolerated.

This blog also accepts paid advertising in the form of ads. A few blog posts are paid reviews of services or websites. I will not write paid blog posts for websites or products that I do not like. If those products or websites do not offer my readers any benefits I will not write about them.. All opinions are my own and not of the advertisers.