Sari borders! A great way to make your sewing projects look rich and royal!

Vintage sari (saree) border, available on Rayela's Etsy shop.

I just listed several vintage sari borders on Etsy.  Hmmmmm....  Do I really, really want to sell them?  No, no, no!!!!  I want them!  Oh, the difficulty of parting with such gorgeousness!  But, I have my own stash, so I just have to do the right thing and pass them on to others who will also know how to use these wonderful remnants.

These sari borders are all from India, rayon, and commercially manufactured.  At least, I assume that none of them have been hand woven.  They are probably around 20 years old, salvaged from saris that became worn, torn, or stained.  Handwoven saris from the good old days actually included real metal threads in the brocade (silver, copper, brass, and even gold).  Until around the 1970's, those old saris that were damaged were burnt to recover the metal content.  Then, the fiber lovers from the West started buying up vintage textiles in Asia and a new market opened up for salvaged textiles.  Now, there are many cottage industries in India and Pakistan that work solely with these salvaged textiles, making quilts, pillows, bags and other things out of the handmade embroideries and weavings so abundant in their ancestral traditions.

The great thing about these sari borders is the length.  Most of the rolls I listed have around 7 yards of length to them, plenty to work with in any project!  Because of their age, they do have weak spots and small tears.  I usually use a light fusible backing to support those areas.

The rich colors and metallic threads transform plain fabrics and projects into royal beauty!  Those of you who enjoy a Victorian look will especially love what the borders can do for your projects.  Imagine them accenting curtain bottoms in a room that blends old and new....  Ah, yes!

This hat available on 1000 Markets.

Rayela Art hats, using ultrasuede and vintage sari borders.

I've used the sari borders in hats, bags, pillows and in one quilt.  Projects need to take into consideration the fragile nature of the borders.  So, using them on a jean jacket or a purse that will take a beating might not be the best use of the trim.

 Rayela Art evening bag: ultrasuede, sari border, beads and trim.

I had great fun using the borders in a quilt that I made for a friend.  I really need to get a better photo of the quilt, but here is one that will at least give you an idea of how the border was used:

The border frames the top and bottom of the quilt.  You can see the top here.  This is a huge quilt, part of the reason why I haven't gotten a good photo of it yet.  Terribly difficult to display with proper lighting.  It took me nine months and over 1,000 hours to make.  

There.  Now you have an idea of what you can do with these vintage sari rolls.  Click here to see what is available on my Etsy shop.  If I am out of stock, know that I will get more in soon.  Have you used these in your work?  I would love to hear about your ideas on how to use them, too!

Sari borders! A great way to make your sewing projects look rich and royal!

Winter Wear on Etsy (My Wish List!)

 yellowfield7          $370

Yikes!  Winter!  One of the reasons I moved to Kentucky from Chicago is because I HATE winter.  Looks like I didn't move south enough...  We're having an unusual cold front that is snapping water pipes and causing a state emergency.  I'm in that crowd.  My pipes have been frozen for a week and I have had the luxury of two showers at a friend's house.  Fortunately, I have some cold water, so I can heat it up for minor chores and cooking.

When it's this cold, there is nothing better than wool to keep an old body warm.  My friend, Diane Gerlach, is a knitter and has given me wonderful woolies over the years.  They are my staples during these cold months.  My house here is a shack, full of holes.  I've tried to stop them up as best I can and normally, it's quite livable.  But, when the Arctic winds come swooping down on the South, I just want to shrivel up into a ball and hibernate.

So, I thought I would lust after some wool on Etsy.  I picked myself an outfit that I would actually wear.  The hat at the top of this post is one of many gorgeous sculpted felt hats by yellowfield7.  The buttons make it a bit to fancy for me, so I I would take them off and replace them with something ethnic, something more rugged.  Isn't it something like 80% of your body heat leaves through your head?  So, covering it is essential in the business of staying warm, and you might as well cover it with something beautiful.

 olivebrown           $40

Moving on down, we get to the neck.  Gotta have something nice and thick and warm there.  Olivebrown's neckwarmer is 50% alpaca, so it is bound to be nice and soft.  Itchy wool can be tough on the neck and alpaca would certainly be a good choice for gentle warmth!  Olivebrown is having a sale now, so you better dash over there and see what else is reduced in price!

 

duende74      $49

Then we get to the top.  I wanted something simple because I knew I would be looking for a knubby sweater to go over it.  I was surprised to find that it was hard to find a simple gray top like this one on Etsy.  I liked most of the things I saw on duende74's store.  Simple lines, earthy colors and natural fibers, color choices.  With care, all the way from Tel Aviv!

Ah, the knubby look that I wanted!  London based ileaiye had lots of things I liked.  I love texture and am drawn to the collar and loose look this sweater has.  They are calling it a cardigan...  looks like a sweater to me!

 

 ileaiye           $110

We're skipping underwear in this post, although, when it's this cold, I just must have a pair of long johns or tights on, especially if it is a green product and wool!  Stephanieteague gives you size an color options and she (I'm assuming it's a she...) does the dyeing with low impact dyes.  Oh, yes!

 

stepahnieteague      $145

I'll wear some vintage sailor pants over those organic wool tights,  a great find in ericaoblak's shop.  Still functional after 60 years, these are also wool.  Don't forget to look through the vintage stuff on Etsy when you go shopping there!  That's where a lot of my stuff is, too.  Etsy's search constantly defaults back to handmade, so you will be losing out on wonderful finds like Erica and I work so hard to get to market!

 

erikaoblak     $25

Yep, need those legwarmers!  I thought those sailor pants would work well, too, because I could hide these chunky legwarmers under the bell bottoms.  Keep that cold air out!  Legwarmers are just a great accessory to have in a cold climate, and now that I think about it, I don't have any.  Diaaaannnneeee!!!!!  Can you hear me?  (Hint, hint... )

 

talk2thetrees          $15

I like both the seller's name, talk2thetrees, and how she describes the legwarmers: "They are hand knit with soft gray yarn, they are perfect for dog walking, sheep herding and world saving."  Haven't done any sheep herding lately, but I do try for the dog walking and world saving.  I do wish she had said what kind of wool she used though...

 

pawfelts            $50

Feet!  The worst part of cold in my house is at the floor.  When it gets really bad, it feels like the fridge was left open up to my knees.   I layer on the socks and slippers.  I love everything pawfelts has and have lusted for her slippers forever, so I get to have two pairs of her sock/slippers in this post.  I'll layer them and wear them every day until spring.

 

pawfelts      $45

I need something warm around my hands while I am sitting at the computer.  A cup of tea will work here and there, but the best solution is to have a good pair of handwarmers or fingerless gloves.  Gotta be able to keep on typing!  KitMit's designs are fun and you can even buy the pattern to make your own!  I would feel like the Jetsons with one of these on.  Unfortunately, she is offering these in acrylic yarn, which I do not like at all.  It feels like plastic to me.  If she will do a pair in wool, I'll take it.  I picked the long arm version because I am so cold, but the short ones are cute, too.

KitMits     $35

Warm enough?  Sigh....  No, not really.  I need a blanket or something....  A poncho!  Yes!  That will work perfectly!

 

dirtybirdiesvintage     $79

Dirtiebirdiesvintage (cute name!!!) calls this a cape, but it looks like a poncho to me.  I think it would look great with the rest of my outfit, don't you?  I spent one semester in college in Colombia (the country) and they called these "ruanas" there.  Everybody wore them, even men in suits.  They could be hippie looking or of the most elegant wools.  Totally makes sense to wrap yourself in a wearable blanket when it is cold.

I've got my purchases.  Total, please...  Hmmm... let's see..  add it up....  mumble, mumble, calculate.  Eeeee, gads!!!!   $963!!!!!!!  Yikes!  Mama Mia!  Must have good taste, eh?  Well, I guess dreaming was fun....  Oh, wait a minute....  my birthday is coming up!  There we go!  Now I have a wish list all made out.  XL in everything, please!

Now, I hadn't been "shopping" on Etsy in awhile.  I'm on there a lot to stock up my store, but I don't often have enough time to just browse around.  I must say that although it was fun to put this outfit together, I was pretty shocked at how much the quality has gone down from the last time I was there.  There was a lot more of what I consider to be junky stuff and terrible photos.  I know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but at least put some effort to make the junk look good.  Hum it in your mind...  "It's beginning to look a lot like eBay...."  Which is fine.  I sell on eBay, too, and there are a lot of good people there, but then just don't have any illusions about Etsy being a high quality site of hand crafted goods.  There are wonderful things there and lots of gorgeous, expertly crafted clothing, jewelry, art, and everything else.  I love being there, it's a great community, BUT....  (you finish the sentence!)

And, the search system is still crappy in my book.  I know that this is because sellers don't know how to do it right, but if after all this time, people still don't know how to tag things properly, then guess what?  It doesn't work.

Have you been shopping on Etsy lately?  I have a lot of friends who are sellers there and we would all love to hear more about the buyer's perspective.  So, whether you have actually made the purchase or just longed for it, like I do, let us know what you think of being there as either buyer, seller or both.

See a similar post I did on 1000 Markets.

Winter Wear on Etsy (My Wish List!)

Bark Cloth – Sustainable Production in Uganda by Karin Zetterqvist

Message holder made of bark cloth from Uganda

Bark cloth is a unique, non-woven fabric produced from the bark of Ficus Natalensins, a rare and novel fig tree species peculiar to Uganda and locally known as Mutuba.

Since the 13th century, bark cloth has been produced in the Buganda Kingdom, and used commercially, ritually and ceremonially by the Baganda, an ethnic group found in central Uganda. Ranging in texture from the coarse and thick to the finest and light, bark cloth, as an article of clothing was worn sarong style and wrap-around by Baganda men and women respectively.

The bark cloth was used to pay land rates and fines by the peasants to their chiefs, who in turn selected the best for presentation to the king’s courtiers. Other rituals and ceremonies where bark cloth used to play a central role include the initiation of twins into the clan and their protection, child naming ceremonies, payment of dowry and during marriage ceremonies, succession rituals and last funeral rites to identify the heirs, widows, orphans and so on.

Only the best of the cloth, fine and light to touch, a rich garnet red with a shiny sheen, was presented to the king for use as clothing and during coronations, royal weddings and other functions.

A Masterpiece of Indigenous Textile Production Skills

Bark removal of the Mutuba fig tree.

Harvest of bark to be used in Ugandan bark cloth.

Banana leaves offer tree protection

The art of making bark cloth, passed from father to son, involves stripping the particular fig tree trunk of its bark by ringing down. A straight cut is then made and the bark is then carefully stripped off the tree.

The bark is then steamed, spread out on big logs 2-3 meters long and carefully beaten with mallets. As the bark is beaten it gets wider, longer and finer. A piece of bark measuring 75 by 150 cm can produce cloth measuring up to 4 m by 1.8 m.

The stripped part of the tree is wrapped in layers of fresh banana leaves and with careful nurturing a single tree can produce up to 400 sq m of cloth in a period of about 40 years. In this way it is not only a natural fabric, but also eco-friendly.

African Ethnic Designs

Bark cloth bag with coloured raffia decoration

Bark cloth purse with raffia decoration

Business cards case made of bark cloth

Bark cloth coin purse (Uganda)

Today the applications, to which bark cloth is put, are endless. Royal Bark Cloth Designs (RBCD) - with the price winning designer Sara Katebalirwe - is working with village community women using bark and other natural fibres specific to Uganda to make various and beautiful novel products. Aesthetic yet functional, the designs are applied mostly by hand.

The design applications, as well as being aesthetic, also give cover to the cloth, to minimize abrasion/friction, thus giving the product a longer life. The best design application so far in terms of bark protection is the raffia couching.


Preserving the Bark Cloth Production Skills
Uganda’s bark cloth was named as part of the world’s collective heritage recognized by UNESCO November 2005. The global body declared the “art of bark cloth making in Uganda a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.”

Watatu (meaning three in Swahili) is a web shop, owned by three friends (two Tanzanians and one Swede), where you can find more of the products from Royal Bark Cloth Designs. Promoting the bark cloth and its use internationally will assist to preserve the bark cloth production skills.


Written by
Karin Zetterqvist
Watatu Textil
www.watatu.com
©Watatu


Sources:
"Bark Cloth" by Royal Bark Cloth Designs


Karin wrote another article for this blog on Kanga and Kitenge cloths, traditional fabrics used as garments in Tanzania. She is a member of our Fiber Focus Group. Visit her page.


Find more photos like this on Fiber Focus

Bark Cloth – Sustainable Production in Uganda by Karin Zetterqvist

"Traveling This Summer? Sew A Money Belt!" by Donna Hussain

Pickpocket

All travelers worry about the safety of their credit cards, tickets, passports, travelers checks, and cash. Wearing a money belt for valuables under your clothing when traveling is a foil to pickpockets, purse snatchers, and careless loss, like a wallet dropping out of a pocket when you place your jacket in the overhead bin of a plane.

A home-made money belt is easy to sew and inexpensive to make. Surprisingly, it is also comfortable to wear. My husband does not limit the use of his money belt to travel, but wears it daily. He keeps only a few bills in his pockets knowing that he has extra cash and credit cards in his money belt for unexpected expenses.

Money Belt by Donna Hussain
(Zipper open to show possible contents...)

To sew a money belt, follow the directions below.

Supplies:
A 12-inch all purpose non-separating zipper
11½ inches x 18 inches of soft, durable, 100% cotton bottomweight fabric
3/4 yard elastic waistband, 1 to 2 inches wide

Money Belt Supplies

1. Fold the cotton fabric in half lengthwise. Center the zipper on the cut edge. Make a mark on the cut edge of the money belt fabric at the start of the zipper opening and at the end of the zipper opening.

Marking the zipper location.

2. Remove the zipper. Stitch the raw edges of the folded fabric together on your sewing machine. The stitch line should be about ½ inch from the raw edges. Use your regular stitch-length from the fabric edge to the first mark, back stitch ¼ inch, then forward stitch ¼ inch. Stop.
Change the stitch length to long stitches (for later easy removal). Sew to the second mark. Stop.
Change the stitch length back to regular stitch length. Sew ¼ inch forward, ¼ inch backward, then forward again to the fabric edge.
(The backstitching helps lock the seam on each end of the zipper.)

Sewing the seam

3. Press the seam allowance open.

Seam allowance pressed open

4. Place the zipper wrong side up over the sewn seam line using your marks on the fabric as a placement guide. Baste the upper half of the zipper to the upper flap of the open seam allowance. Make sure that your basting stitches penetrate the flap only, not the money belt itself.
Baste the lower half of the zipper to the lower flap of the seam allowance. Check to make sure that your basting stitches do not go into the fabric of the money belt tube.

Baste the zipper to the seam allowance flaps

5. Machine stitch the zipper to the seam allowance (flaps only).

6. Turn the money belt tube inside out. The zipper is now hidden from view. Cut the seam directly over the zipper with sharp scissors or a seam ripper to expose the zipper. Check that the zipper opens and closes with ease.

7. Adjust the money belt tube so that the zipper is aligned near the top. Press the money belt flat.

Pressed money belt

8. Prepare to hem the raw edges at the sides of the money belt. Do so by turning the raw edges of the fabric ½ inch to the inside of the tube for a hem. Press.
Before machine stitching to close the sides of the money belt, insert one inch of the elastic waistband into one end of the money belt at zipper level. When stitching the side seam closed the elastic will be stitched in place. Do not cut the elastic to size or sew the second side seam until the eventual user tries on the money belt to measure the length of elastic needed for comfort.
For durability sew three rows of stitching on the right and left sides of the money belt. A row of stitching is also advisable along the bottom fold. It does not matter that the rows of stitching are visible. After all, the belt will be worn underneath clothing.

Money belt stitching

9. For family travel abroad a money belt made with two pockets joined by elastic, one worn in the back, one covering the belly, is helpful. Items you need infrequently, like passports and tickets, can be stored in the pocket worn in the back. The front pocket is handy for easy access to cash and credit cards.

Happy Travels!

California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles.


The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha.



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"Traveling This Summer? Sew A Money Belt!" by Donna Hussain

Pricing Your Product: Are You Charging Enough?

Olive Cloche by Delightworthyn, $120

Those of us who sell online often have problems figuring out how much to charge for the things we make. If we look around at what others are charging, we might find a huge disparity in price for similar items. There are several factors that come into play in deciding price point:

• Motivation. Is this just a hobby? Do you sit in front of the TV at night and knit like a maniac, decompressing from the day's acivities? Do you end up with too many scarves, mittens, hats and sweaters? Too many to give away at Christmas? Why not sell them and at least pay for the yarn? Or, is this a business? You are your own cottage industry and you want to make a living by working at home, keeping your own hours, owner of your time and your life.

• Cost of Supplies. Fabric, for example, can come cheaply by repurposing, thrift stores or sales. Or, you might pay $10 a yard for designer fabric. Silk and other specialty fabrics can cost $60 a yard or more. If you are producing an item as a business, you include the cost in your price point so that you can buy more supplies.

• Time. How long does it take you to make something? Has some arthiritis slowed you down? Are you learning as you go? Or, are you whipping out several pieces a day? Can you keep up with having new and fresh inventory in stock?

• Uniqueness of Product. You love beads and are stringing them into nice necklaces. Have you taken a look lately at what the competition is for jewelry? Yes, these necklaces may be nice, but how many millions of other people are doing the same thing, buying from similar suppliers, and making your window of opportunity more competitive?

• Branding. You've been around for awhile now. You've worked hard for many years and finally people are buying from you because they want a piece of YOU. Your name has worth and adds value because there is market demand for the reputation you have created.
  

Felted Wool Hat with Roll Brim by Wool Mountain Studio, $30

I was recently accepted as a seller in 1,000 Markets, a new online juried marketplace for artists and crafters who sell quality products. I make hats and am a part of "just hats", a group of fellow vendors on 1,000 Markets who also make hats. The photos in this post are hats made by the members of this group. I thought it would help illustrate the discussion of price by showing different price points, materials and styles chosen by our members. All of these hats are available for sale at the writing of this post. You can visit the listing by clicking on the link in the photo description.

Mixed Rasta Tam by Truly Unique by Elise, $35

So, we all sell hats and we may have different reasons for why we price as we do. Some people try to figure out an hourly wage for themselves. I try to estimate time and hope to make around $15 an hour plus supplies. Can you knit or crochet a hat in under two hours? If so, maybe you can keep your prices at around $30 or $40 a hat. But, some people may not need the money and if they are just selling for fun, as a hobby, they might make something similar to your hat and charge only $15, creating a problem in the market, unintentionally, for those who really depend on their sales to pay their bills.

Painting with Yarn Hat by Wool Mountain Studio, $37

The sari hat below is one of my hats. This one was part of a production run where I made 10 similar hats in about three or four days. The materials were all free except for thread and the vintage sari borders. You can save time by sewing in a production mode where you do all the cutting at once, make stacks of the pieces and sew them in order, work on the finishing steps at the end. Almost everything I make, sells. Eventually. I made this hat two years ago. So, this is another thing to consider: Stock.

Vintage Sari Border Hat by Rayela Art, $40

If you are selling the things you make as a business, you have to have enough stock in hand to give customers choices in what they may want to purchase. Hats also have seasonal looks. A faux-fur hat probably will not sell in the summer to an American audience. Well, someone taking a trip to the North Pole might want it, but a business savvy entrepreneur will want to market their wares to the largest available public within their niche.

Purple Beauty Casual Hat by Marge Rohrer, $75

Figuring Price Out by the Hour

So, we've determined that $15 an hour might be an OK wage for making cool hats. How many hats do you have to make a living? Figure out what income you need to make in a month. Budget it all out. Include your living expenses, food, gas, car repairs, health insurance payments, rent, mortgage, etc. How about your business expenses? Marketing, fees, shipping supplies, and so on. Let's say you do that and figure that you need about $3,000 a month to pay for everything and have a little left over for fun stuff. $3K a month is the goal that I have set for myself, but I have cheap rent, so this might be really low for someone living in a more expensive area. I also don't have kids to support. I need to double my sales to reach my goal, but it is achievable. Remember, this is the worst economy since the Great Depression, so we all have to hang in there and hope that things will get better in time.

Gale's Force by Delightworthyn, $80

If 3K is the goal, how many $30 hats do you have to sell in a month? Well, that would be about 100 hats, or 3 hats a day. This means you also have to make at least 21 hats a week to keep your stock up. And, if you want to give your customers a selection, you need to have that surplus stock, so maybe you should think about making 30 hats a week. Can you do that? Is this a realistic production goal for you?

Prairie Point Crown by Rayela Art, $90

Figuring Price Out by Monthly Goals

Perhaps a better way to look at it is to think about that goal of 3K and work backwards. If you need to make $100 a day, what can you do to increase the value of your product? How can you tweak it so that it is coveted and can be sold for more. If you price your hats at around $50, you would only need to sell two a day. Or, if you are in the $100 range, you would only need to sell 1 a day.

The Carbuncle Hat by Rayela Art, $90

I could make the 21 hats a week if I set my mind to it. I worked this out a couple of years ago for myself and looked at what kind of production I would need to commit to if I wanted my primary income to come from the things I made. My problem is that I get bored with production. I can make a run of ten similar things, but then I want to do something else. There are so many ideas in my head that I don't have time to explore. So, in my business, I have chosen to focus on building the stock for my imported textiles and supplies and have that be my main source of income. My goal is to reach the point where I am replenishing rather than building stock, which will hopefully leave me time to have fun with my sewing. I will still want to sell it, but if I am not under production pressure, I can keep my work fresh for both myself and the customer.

Pillbox Hat by Banner Mountain Textiles, $125

But, for those who are living solely off the the things they make, my suggestion, especially if new to the business, is to have several price points. If you can stomach being in production mode, have a large inventory of products under $50. These are easier to sell, especially to impulse buyers. Then, start building a collection of more interesting work. Explore how you can make a name for yourself, find a niche that feels comfortable for you. Perhaps those hats that are priced over $100 will take longer to sell, but when they do, they will make up for the days with no sales. In the end, you need to find the right balance of products that can bring in the $100 a day that you need to meet your monthly goal.

Fey Series "Sand" by DreamWoven $168

Eggs in a Basket

You know the saying, "Don't keep all of your eggs in one basket." If you trip, fall, the basket crashes and you end up with broken eggs. I sell on Etsy, eBay and 1,000 Markets. I have a booth at Just English's Antiques in downtown Paducah. I also have some things on consignment at HeART of Healing Gallery. I've tried many different online venues over the years and if I had more product, I would be in more places. But, each location also involves a time commitment and record keeping.

Lillith Cloche by Tissage, $170

Figure out how much you can handle and try to find at least three different venues for your places. Markets cycle and when things are slow in one place, they might be better in another. You will also find that different venues support higher or lower price points. 1,000 Markets is still a new venue, but I have a feeling that it will be serious competition for Etsy down the road. Part of the reason is that they jury their stores and keep a high level of quality and originality in their mix. They are positioning themselves to interest people who are mature and have disposable incomes. Etsy has many wonderful qualities, but they have really targetted their audience to the younger indie crowd, creative people who are living on the edge and may not be able to spend as much. I believe that the $30 hats will end up on Etsy and the $100 ones will go over to 1,000 Markets. And, that is fine. If you can sell in both places and can make that $100 a day in combined sales, your goal has been reached!

Hidden Costs

That $15 an hour you are charging to make a product is also covering all the time it takes to photograph the finished product, list it, ship it, and keep track of records. Each venue you sell in most likely has a community that wants some of your time. Then you blog, twitter, network on facebook and so on. These are your hidden costs for marketing those hats you are making. Is $15 an hour really covering your materials, ideas, marketing and running the business? Think about it....

Amelia by DreamWoven, $325

The Final Price

The reality for most of us is that we cannot reach those financial goals we set for ourselves. Most of us need to take on part-time jobs in the "real" world to subsidize our dreams of becoming self-employed. The lucky ones have spouses or other income that support their work so that they are not sales driven. But, whatever the scenario, take a look at what you are making and give yourself an evaluation. Are you charging enough for what you make? Those who underprice their products do a disservice to the rest of us in the art business community. Yes, we all want to sell, but not charging a fair price makes it harder for any of us to succeed. Why? Because those who underprice create the same market for cheap products, side-by-side with sweatshop factories and subsidized imports from China. How we each price our products makes a statement on who we are collectively, as a people. By respecting our own work and the materials that went into them, we extend that respect to the community at large.

Tulip Couture Hat by Tissage, $900

I would love to hear some comments on this. Do you have a formula you use to price your products? As a consumer, how do you look at pricing when you buy something handmade? This is a tough issue on both sides, so I am sure that there are plenty of insights out there to help us all along.

Pricing Your Product: Are You Charging Enough?