Selling Your Fabric Designs and Sewing Patterns

Hi there! This is the portfolio that I created and took to Quilt Market in 2009. I worked on the designs in this portfolio for about a year before putting them in the book. The front of the portfolio is a little quilt that I made with my designs and then had printed at Spoonflower. Inside, there were loads of pages with fabric designs. I have never taken pictures or shown this to anyone besides the folks at Quilt Market.

It was a very exciting time in my career. I LOVE my job, I always have. Are you wondering why I am just now getting around to showing you my portfolio from six years ago? I was doing a photo shoot for a new Power Session at BurdaStyle. Wondering what I am talking about, here's the scoop.

If you're thinking you would like to design fabric or sewing patterns for a living, then this might just be what you need to get going on your dreams. Power Sessions are an hour long webinar. In this one I am spilling information on designing for companies, for your self, selling PDFs, paper patterns, and licensing. There's a place for questions, so you can ask me anything during those days that the course runs. The webinar is up for one week only, and you can sign up anytime during that week. You can head over to BurdaStyle and read much, much more information about it. Here's the link and I hope to see you there!

BurdaStyle Power Session
Selling Your Designs: How to turn your fabric and sewing pattern designs in to Profit

Have you always wanted to see your name on the selvage of your fabric? Have you played around with designing fabric but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve got some sewing pattern ideas but don’t have the money for large printed quantities. Licensing could be your answer. Maybe writing a book. Is a good avenue for you to persue. Have you considered PDF patterns or print in demand services? What about art fairs or wholesale markets? 

Sometimes you have to think outside the box to find your place in the fabric world. This webinar will give you more than enough ideas and tools to get you started on your dream of becoming a self supporting designer. This webinar is loaded with resources to get you started, helping you find the right contacts and information. Ask specific questions to help you on the road to success.

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Blog Updates

Good morning! I'm sprucing up the blog today, trying to make things a little cleaner. It's funny, now that I think of it, I started spring cleaning at home this week too. I think it's all the threats of snow and ice that we have been having. Usually, I'm not so crazy about needing some warm weather.

If you aren't actually at my blog, you can click here to get to it. Hopefully, I have made it easier to find what your looking for. 

and while I am here, I just saw this is my 1000th post! I've been blogging since March 26th, 2007. 

I promise my 100th post will be much more exciting!

Ice Cream Bowls are Back and a Weekend Coupon

Ice cream bowls are back in stock! Woohoo! It's been awhile that they've been sold out and it was killing me to not have them in the shop. I like to have everything you ask for, but I just couldn't find the time to get them painted up and in the kiln. It's quite a process like I showed you here the other day.

If you're new around here and are wondering why anyone would want and ice cream bowl, especially this time of the year when it's freezing outside. It's to make these Ice Cream Sundae Pincushions. I have the free pattern here on the blog.

I have also been stocking up on new trims for the pin cushions....if I was going to pick something out to make one today, I think I would build mine like this.

A Cherry for the Top

This Mint Micro Fringe

  With this Plaid Fabric for the top.

For the second layer maybe Blue Baby Pom Poms 

 With the Green Stars for layer two

And, my favorite trim of all Aqua Pom Poms

 with Red and Cream Stripes for the bottom layer.  

Yep, that's what I would do.  I also have a coupon good for this weekend only. 5.00 off any purchase of 25.00 or more. Use the code FIVEDOLLARS in my Etsy Shop or my Jennifer Jangles Shop.

Have a great weekend,

Jennifer

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How to make Ceramic Beads and Buttons

Good morning! I just updated the Jennifer Jangles Shop as well as the Jangles Etsy Shop with all sorts of ceramic goodies. When I was mentioning it on Facebook the other day, someone asked me about the process. I realized these days I talk so much about sewing that there are probably lots of you folks who would like to know about my process of making my ceramic items goes. Here we go, I will walk you through step by step.

I start by rolling out clay to cut out buttons and pendants. The edges are rounded and smoothed by hand so they don't chip once they are out of the kiln. I hand form all of the three dimensional beads as well.

If the beads and buttons are flat, they are sandwiched in-between two plaster boards to prevent warping as they dry.

After a couple days of drying, the beads go into the kiln and are fire to almost 2000 degrees F. This is called the bisque firing.

They come out bright white and no longer brittle. They are ready for glazing.

I used underglazes to paint my beads. They are like paints where they can be layered and they don't move in the firing.

The beads and buttons are out on skewers while I paint them. This way I can get all sides with glaze.

After they are all underglazes. I put a clear coat of glaze on top of the pieces. This is what makes them shiny. But when they go in to the kiln, they are all pink, the glaze isn't clear yet.

This time when the beads and buttons go in to the kiln they can't touch anything. The clear glaze runs and will stick to anything it touches. So everything is suspended on a wire in the firing.

The kiln fires for about seven hours and then it has to cool completely before you can open it. I crack the lid once it's getting to cooler to speed the process up a little.

Now they are all shiny and bright and ready to be unloaded.

I put them on a tray and then they are ready to be sorted, put on cards, and photographed for the shop.

This is my book, Ceramic Bead Jewelry, that teaches you the process in detail if it's something you want to learn. You can find it on Amazon.

Have a great day!

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Beads, Buttons, and Bowls....Coming Soon!

It's been awhile since I have had the clay out because I don't have much time these days for making ceramic items. But last week and this weekend I made all sorts of things. There are a few new items and some of the basics. The plan is (we all know how that goes) that everything will out of the kiln and listed by Friday morning. Woohoo! 

I'll keep you posted.... up to my elbows in glaze today......

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