I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was looking to interview another sewing or craft blogger and asked for my readers to either suggest a blog or if they had a blog to leave a comment. Well here is our first interview.

Let me introduce you to Jennifer Lethbridge and her blog Rabid Designs.

She is a regular reader of this blog and is a very talented artist. Here is the interview I did with Jen.

When did you start crafting?

I come from a long line of crafters, actually. My grandmother is a quilter, my mother is a seamstress, they're both quite skilled. Though I was exposed to the skills from young childhood, I felt like neither were the perfect fit for me. I could do the motions (and still can) but there was no sense of relaxation and fulfillment.

When I was about 15 my mother handed me a tiny cross stitch kit that she'd gotten for free. I attempted it without reading the instructions, utterly failed it, and was oddly hooked for life.

In about 1996 I started branching out of cross stitch and into other forms of embroidery. That's when I found hardanger, which is my specialty. I still sew and quilt, but I try to put my embroidery in every piece I do.

I guess you could say I was a late bloomer, as I didn't find what type of needle-arts I was good at until long after my mother did, at the least. I'm glad to take my place among the women in my family who can take pride in our work, and I'm glad that I earned it...even though it seemed I'd never find my fit :)

When did you start blogging?

I've kept personal blogs since about 2002 off and on. I started my craft blog last year because I wanted a place to share my work and connect with other crafters. They're where I get some of my best ideas and keep up with trends.

Do you sell your items, if so tell me about when you started to sell, what you sell and where you sell?

I do, actually. I've been selling my work for about 5 years now. It started in spite of me...I couldn't keep up with friends wanting my work, so they started trying to sway me with barter or cash. I honestly love barter (with people I trust)...like my crafts, it's more real and natural to me. I do take custom orders, and people know where to find me if they're in the market for a unique, custom piece of embroidery by someone with experience. I draft many of my own patterns, particularly for hardanger, and am able to work with a client to find exactly the colors they want and what type of design fits their room or personality. I've started doing it with sewing as well...drafting patterns and playing with color to help people get exactly what they're looking for.

As for where I sell, most of my clients come to me because they've seen my work either online or in person. My work itself is honestly my best business card. For people who don't know how to get a hold of me privately, I do take custom orders on Etsy, though this is a new thing. My etsy store (rabid.etsy.com) also has some of my pieces that weren't perfect, or ones I played around with with no buyer in mind. It's not where I do most of my business, but it's a nice back up because it's so well-known.

If you sell, tell me about your biggest obstacle to date that you had to overcome to selling your items. Was it the cost of doing business, marketing your business, juggling a family and a business or ?

I have two large obstacles that I struggle with on a regular basis. The first is that I underestimate how long things will take, so I undervalue my work. This is compounded by the fact that other people charge so little for their work. We're not direct competition, because I'm an artisan and they're crafters, but it's sometimes hard to explain the difference to people when they want one of my pieces but they don't understand the difference between the types of sellers...which brings me to my next difficulty: marketing.

I can't stand a sales pitch. They rub me the wrong way, and I think they probably do other people as well. It's part of the reason I rely so heavily on my work itself to show my skill...it's no longer me speaking, but what I've done. The sales pitch is precise, colorful, and entirely voluntary. I've tried to understand social marketing and forms of advertising on the internet and off...but I can't figure out how to add my personal touch to those things to make them worth peoples' time to read and learn about, so I don't really market. I just share. Perhaps some day I'll find my own way when it comes to marketing so it can be both ethical AND profitable.

Here are links to a few photos of Jen's items:

Garden party
Garden party detail

Now go on over to Jen's blog and maybe you'll become a regular reader.

The last craft fair I was at was just over a few months ago. I had a small line waiting at my table for custom embroidery but next to me was an artist that had a waiting line that was almost 6 people long at all times. What that person was doing was Airbrush Tattoos. If people were not in line for a painted on tattoo then they were there watching. Of course we are all fascinated with artists that do work in front of others, it simply makes for good business. My daughter was with me a begged for a tattoo and I told her only if she paid for it. She asked how much a tattoo was and found out she did not have enough money for one. They were charging $12 and up for a non-permanent tattoo!

It got me to thinking about what that person was doing. I had always been fascinated by airbrush painting and once in awhile I would see an airbrush t-shirt artist at the state fair. So far I had seen airbrush work done on people and T-shirts but no where else. The possibilities I was thinking of were airbrush quilt squares or airbrush decorated dresses.

Of course the paint for fabric would be different from the paint used on people. It would need to be colorfast, non-toxic and non-irritating. Also a person would need to have lots of practice with the airbrush before going public with it but it might be worth a try. Start up costs would be very low on that type of business. If you love to paint and want an outlet for your creative side then airbrush art might be for you.

If you are a regular reader then you would know that I have always advocated the need for your own paid domain name and a hosting company with it's own dedicated server hosting. Why do I put so much importance on those items? Number one is that having your own domain name it is easier to remember than www.somefreehost.yourwebsitename.com and your own domain name is easier to put on business cards and other promotional items. Number 2 is having a reliable hosting company with it's own server units that are always on line. Find out where the servers are located and if they have a backup power supply if the power goes out. The last thing you want is to have a hosting company that has 1 server unit in some guy's back bedroom in hurricane or tornado alley (and yes they do exist). In fact I know several people in California's Silicon Valley that have their own personal servers and don't bother with hosting companies, they host their own website.

Do your research on the company you choose to host your website. Do a search for the companies and add the words "dislike" or "always down" or "like" to your search. What you are looking for is customer feedback on those companies. A company that does not fix technical problems in under 48 hours or does not answer your emails is a company to stay away from.

The domain name you pick for your site is just as important as your business. Stay away from hobby sounding names like Fred's hobby house or Sally little store. If you want to be taken serious then drop your own name from the domain unless you already have a good reputation for your name. If you only sell locally then adding a local sounding name to the domain would be good like, Salem Wedding Gowns or Rocky Mountain hiking coats. Also your domain name does NOT have to be that same name as your business.

I was in our local library just yesterday with my daughter that loves to read. Normally I just drop her off and pick her up about 15 minutes later. This time I went in with her and got a few books myself. I found an interesting one on appliqué and 2 others about marketing your crafts. The one on appliqué was just fine but those other 2 were written in 1998 and were grossly outdated.

I had to laugh when one book had a section on computers and the internet. The author said she felt that the internet would be nothing more than an area for information and she could not see it as becoming a place to sell things. She didn't have the time to "waste" just to answer email and surf. She also advised people not to use a computer for their business because of the "new" windows" thing that she personally did not yet get the hang of and would stick to her DOS computer.

The name of that book was "Creative Cash" by Barbara Brabec. I certainly hope that she has changed her mind in 10 years about the internet and computers.

Here is a lesson for everyone, if you are thinking about getting a book about marketing or the internet, you had better get one that has been released within the past 3 months because technology is changing that fast as well as the way people market on the internet.

I have always lived in an area that has been visited by hummingbirds. This year they even showed up early after their annual migration. They migrate from north America to south America around the equator each year. They usually return in early spring to the Northwest but this year they showed up at the end of February which is almost mid-winter here.

We have big sliding glass doors that overlook our backyard. Right next to the glass doors on the outside I usually hang my prettiest and best hummingbird feeders. I was just a tad late in getting the feeders up. Several hummingbirds hung around the glass doors until I got the message "where's the food?"

This year I plan on making a side drape with hummingbirds either appliquéd or embroidered on it. A side drape is what I describe as a narrow drape that merely frames a window without covering the glass. Since there are a wide variety of different colors of hummingbirds I might either stick with the traditional ruby throated ones or mix up the colors to blend in with the colors in the living room.

How is this for a great idea? A small machine that makes embroidered patches. You can win one from All Brands (one of my favorite online places to shop). They also have weekly drawings for other great stuff so you'll want keep checking out their website for other contests.

I have found that my type of sewing business, machine embroidery, sells better when people are watching the item being sewn. People are fascinated with machines that they do not see everyday. I found this out last Christmas when I took a dozen ready made Christmas stockings to a local craft sale and did on the spot personalization of those stockings by just adding a name to the top cuff. People that would normally be just walking on by my table would now stop and watch. They in turn would end up becoming customers. At one point I had a line of people wanting a stocking.

That worked out great for an indoor craft sale but I am in the Northwest, land of the rain cloud, so when there is an outdoor event I am a bit leary of attending. I would also like to attend outdoor sporting events that would welcome my personalization on items.

A few weeks back I was in Corvallis offering personalized fly masks, embroidered with the horse's or barn name. I was told it would be an indoor event but it ended up being outdoors in the full sun. The event turned out to be a success for me but I had to make sure that my machine was kept cool and the items to be sewn kept clean.

When I got home I decided to try and make it it to more events where I could sew on the spot. Now I am looking into the idea of getting a used travel trailer and converting it to a mobile embroidery shop. I want it to be small trailer, one I can gut the insides to accommodate my machine, items to be sewn and a place for customers to wait and watch. I figure a small bumper pull trailer no longer than 19' would do the job. I don't want to deal with any gooseneck hitches because that would mean changing the bed of our truck.

Who knows, maybe you'll see me at your next event soon with wheels.

I want to do a few blog posts that highlight other sewing blogs. I have discovered a whole online community that is about crafts that the rest of the world needs to know about. Online crafters with amazing stories to tell. I want to tell others about those blogs or website with interviews with the people that created them. The interviews would be done via email.

Your sewing venture does not have to be business related. If you simply sew for fun then I am also interested in YOU. Also you have probably noticed that this blog does not currently have a "blogroll". I plan on adding the blogs or websites of the people I interview for the blog post articles to a blogroll. Only those people that I interview would be on that blogroll. If you or someone you know has a sewing blog or website leave a comment on this post with your email addy. I will not publish the comment but I will contact you via email. I will be contacting you with my business email from designsbyjans.com so you need to unblock your email filter to allow it through. I am finding that way too many businesses and even private people block that addy and I am at loss to know why.

Some of the questions I will ask are:

• When did you start your blog or website?
• Why did you start your blog or website?
• How long have you been sewing?
• What are your goals for the future for your blog or website?

Having a home based business sound great from the planning stage of the game but in reality it is much different. At home you will be dealing with distractions that are not found in the regular working world. You will also deal with self regulation for getting things done.

Speaking from experience there are a few things you should never do with a home business. The main one is working in part of the house that is for another function. Don't start a sewing business on the kitchen table or any other business for that matter. You have to clear the area off each time the family sits down to eat which is not practical. You have to set up you home based business in it's own room with a door you can shut. You need to let yourself know and the rest of the family as well that, that room is for your business only.

The next thing is that you NEED to set regular hours for your business. I don't mean 9-5 like a regular job but hours that everyone else in your family knows are your working hours. That is to let them know you are not "on call" for them at any minute simply because you are home. That is a hard one for stay at home moms trying to start a business. If you are constantly being distracted by your family while you are trying to get something done - it will never get done. Get a babysitter for part of the day when you are working. Just let the babysitter know that you are not to be disturbed and you just need to work otherwise you will be getting bugged by the babysitter.

Spouses are one of the biggest hurdles to overcome when it comes to starting up a home based business. Most of them like the idea but unless they leave you alone to do your work they can be almost like children. They figure you are home so they often want to just talk to you about THEIR day, not realizing you are still AT WORK. This will happen during the start up phase of your business and depending on how you handle the situation you might never get past the start up phase.

So if you keep your business physically separate from the rest of your living area and set business hours and let the rest of the family know that just because you are home does not mean they can just wander in for a chat, you should be fine. Keep in mind that the start up phase of any business is the hardest time. If you can get past that phase you can at least expect a nice income from your business.