Sewing to Sell

October 20, 2014
The author’s expertise in running Gingercake Patterns, an online pattern business, is put to good use in a book that’s half-helpful suggestions for those who want to start a home-based sewing business and half a selection of 16 sewing patterns that can be used to make projects to sell. The first section contains valuable information on everything from identifying potential customers to taking good photos for online sales and setting prices for craft shows. Lindsay doesn’t offer much advice about the less glamorous and more practical aspects of setting up shop, such as incorporating a business or figuring out a profit margin, but there’s enough to be worthwhile. The projects are cute, too, including a simple boxy pincushion and an appealing, reversible grocery tote, all clearly explained with step-by-step diagrams. None of the patterns are revolutionary, but—this is key—Lindsay grants permission for all 16 projects to be sewn and sold, an important consideration for those starting a sewing business, and quite possibly making the book worth the price just for those. Full-color photos, pattern pullouts.

January 1, 2015

Guides to starting a craft-based business are a business in themselves these days. Each seems to have its own focus--e.g., marketing your wares, setting up your space for production sewing, selling on a particular online marketplace. The latest entry comes from blogger and designer Lindsay, who began selling patterns and sewn items in 2008. The author's focus is on the creative process, although she does delve to a lesser extent into the nuts and bolts of operating an online company. Much of the book's content is a series of 16 tried-and-true starter projects that wannabe craft-based business owners can adapt or use--an alluring idea, since Lindsay sells her version of several of the projects in her own online store. Interviews with successful craft-based business owners provide additional perspective on what it takes to be victorious in this increasingly crowded field. VERDICT Most appropriate for crafters who need a very basic guide to selling their handmade goods. Those looking to take their business to the next level will benefit from Kari Chapin's Grow Your Handmade Business and The Handmade Marketplace, which provide a more comprehensive view of operating a craft-based enterprise.

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