DoubleC

UH TZ? I did some plumbing, well I've done quite a bit and when I couldn't find the shut off valve, I had the water company turn the water off, LOL. Are you SURE you want to try this? Cheryl

I used the same analogy, with me being Lucile Ball :-)

I understand the space issue. With me it's guitar straps and they are 42" long, and only one desk I have is that long so it's constantly piled up with everything from cutting tools to dye. I'd like to have about 3 of the ugly old things, it's an institutional metal desk with a fake wood top. Not pretty but you can find those pretty cheap at school sales, or offices going out of business, etc because that's what it is, a big, ugly, function piece of office furniture. Put 3 of those in an L shape in your space and you could sew the boat, not just the sails :-) Whatever you do Dale, I wish you all the luck in the world. Would still love to see your haybags too. Cheryl

To each his own. I'll stick to the things I'm comfortable with.

Yet the things you come up with are so simple they are absolutely genius. Don't know about the dirt cheap stuff but I am the queen of cheap so I'll have to find out about this!!!!

That far off the ground? ROFL, like space? I tell you if I needed anything, and couldn't figure it out, I know you could. You're just so freakin talented. c

Kevin that is just too clever for words. I never know what you're going to come up with next. I'm surprised you're not running NASA or something. Cheryl

Hey Big. I have better than a line card, I actually have folders made up to give to people when I finally get around to some local cold sales. My VOW worker did them. has a bio of me, the business and an explanation of my major products although as you can see, if someone wants an epi-pen holder, I'll make an epi-pen holder and keep making it until I do it right. I have three orgs. helping me right now, VOW who does everything kinda, and most importantly coordinates with all the other Agencies, BROC (don't ask me what the acronyms mean, after 7 months still don't know :-) who is helping me write my business plan so I can give that to VOC Rehab who is going to give me a grant to really kick things off, but in the meantime I've been making up products and if they sell now, that's great. That's when I'm happy, working on products. sometimes, as important as I know it is, the paperwork side of things make my eyes glaze over, LOL. But my VOW worker made me an excel sheet to keep track of things and I'm about 1/3 successful at doing that now, maybe more. Now that things are finally starting to sell, maybe I'll be more motivated to do it, but usually once a month I look at receipts and paypal to see what I spent, oh and my bank account if I don't have a receipt. I'm not sure I even know how to add the things I sell, LOL. My VOW worker who is a musician actually talked me into pricing my guitar straps lower than I wanted here, and actually that was against the advice of BROC who pointed out you can come down easier than go up. But on Etsy I think I have them priced morel appropriately. I guess time will tell on that. Anyway, it's been a long road starting up. Hopefully I'll have the grant by October which will be almost a year to the day that I decided to do this. And although I've spent a lot of money I shouldn't have and made a lot of mistakes, it's almost like I had to do that so I would be a smarter business person when I actually have all the pieces put together. OH and I'm so excited AGAIN (doesn't take much, LOL) because I'm moving into the apartment across the hall from me that has an extra room that I can use just for the leather work instead of all over the house like here. I'm really tired of taking a running dive at my bed, LOL.

Dale I work from all over my house and it's a pain but I do it. I'm moving across the hall to a bigger apartment for the same reason, but I wouldn't make my first goal a store front unless you have a solid customer base already. The overhead will kill you before you get a chance to start. In the new apartment I'll have a room I can dedicate to just leather and sewing stuff and actually have a place to live where as here it's been dedicated to leather and sewing stuff, and I make a running jump to get to my bed :-) Right across the street from me there's a place for lease I've lusted after just to get this stuff out of my life 24/7 but unless you're independently wealthy I'd keep it at home until you are bringing in enough money you'll break even in a store front. If you already have a place that's 6x11 just to do this you're ahead of the game compared to some of us, and I don't mean just me, I mean most people I talk to on here regularly. Just my advice but the advice that was given me that I'm glad I took. EIN numbers are free so get one of those and then you can get your supplies at most places wholesale. Cheryl

Well Dale you and I have talked before, and share feeling on China products. Yet trying to find USA products can be like a needle in a haystack as we both know. What can we do to help you figure out where to go from here to get a business up and running? Cheryl

Oh I had to show off and use my 28 hand crank for this, should have used the 15-91 but wanted to play with the 28. Yes I have #69 thread and the 15-91 will handle it easier, but the shark should have been saddle stitched, and will be on the next one. Man I'm getting so great ideas for the next one, it's going to be a super duper epi pen holder :-). Thanks, Cheryl Still have my address? keep them molds coming, LOL.

It took me two days to figure out a prototype and make this thing because I had nothing but that black thing he was using to go by, and it took you an hour to make one? That's better? You're breakin my heart here kevin and I even asked you to explain. Seriously, thanks. And nice job....how much would you charge me to make HIM one?

I just told a friend the same thing although the flap has velcro on it too, not just the loop holding it. I'm redoing it, I wasn't happy with it, and I have spent two days trying to get happy with it but it didn't work. Man paid good money for it, and he's going to get the best I can possibly do. This was the best I could do when trying to figure out the prototype, but now I know where the mistakes are, I can do a better job. Good eye CTG and you're quit welcome. Cheryl

My stitching sucks, just not as bad as the man who ordered it, LOL. I'm trying to think about the d ring in my head to figure out how exactly that would work instead of a leather strap. I'm going to put a pic up Kev of the back and maybe you could do some of your drawing magic for me so I understand. Now you have me thinking about doing his over and hand sewing it. A mistake with a machine, and it's over. I redid the back once, but I think I'll do it again, Want to see your D ring idea though.

Guy wanted a shark on it, is going to go and swim with them and dolphins later this year. OH and of course ocean water. It slips over a belt on the back or can be clipped to a belt loop.

You're so welcome. Cheryl

I am so sorry Wiz. I know nothing I say will help but my thoughts will be with you. Cheryl

Bob I think most of us starting out, or maybe always will have a hard time promoting ourselves. We're brought up not to brag, and no matter how you seem to phrase it, it seems like bragging. Yet my life has be physically threaten ed if I give ONE more product away before I sell at least 5 :-) Cheryl

I am still laughing over this. I have introduced my customers to Jack and some like him, some don't and that's the way of sales. I am fairly new at this and I make a quality product that gets a little 'prettier' perhaps every time I make one. I'm not even 'officially' open for business and starting to sell in a small but seemingly steady stream which just tickles me no end, it's a high every-time I make a 25 buck sale where as most people would consider that small potatoes. I am working my tail off (which is good because the tail looked a little funny on me) to get a grant from VOC Rehab and that will go through in October if there aren't any more holdups. so since January I've paid for and built up my product line with my own limited funds, and a LOT of help from people on here from sending me tools and books to just the vast amount of information available here. I actually don't expect etsy to be the market for my guitar straps, but more so for my jewelry. I fill in the shop with other stuff I make so I look like I know what I'm doing. I have two local musicians in this area wearing my straps and handing out business cards. Even the vet on etsy that just bought the jewelry wants some business cards for her clients, and she's in California and I'm in VT so now I'm a national seller :-) A friend of mine from VT went to a conference in VA. and roomed with a man from OH. He came back with an epi-pen holder order for me since everything I do is custom made, he just assumed I could do it. And I did. A mistake here and there, restarting but nothing goes out my door until I'm happy with it even though the customer may never have noticed. This man wants business cards to hand out too in Ohio for when people see his shark inlaid epi-pen holder. I'm happy with my sales and I'm happy with how my marketing is finally kicking off to places I never imagined. I think educating people about guitar straps is going to be more of an up close and personal thing for a while around here. Even the musicians don't seem to know what all goes into one of these. However, my jewelry is one of a kind so it speaks for itself and will do better on the net. I'm just happy to belong to a place like this where discussions can take place and be friendly and enlightening. Cheryl

LOL, Wiz I don't take what you say personally. I just like to let people know when they are starting out there are other options. And I do love the old iron, it's true. And you just made a good point I didn't take into account, I can and DO work on tweak my machines all the time, not afraid of them. Yet I sure see enough questions posted on here about people needing help with their big expensive machines because they don't know how to tweak those either. Now this: Most of the folks who are doing leather sewing on this forum and asking about leather sewing machines, are first time machine sewers. They often have no background in repairing or adjusting sewing machines. When they do invest in a leather stitcher, most want one that will exceed their current requirements, rather than barely meet them. They don't want to have to fight with a feed system, or cut back to a smaller size of thread, because their machine isn't capable of handling the type of leather, thickness, or thread size they prefer to use. They cant be new with no knowledge and have preferences at the same time Wizcrafts. I don't knock the more expensive machines but some folks have forgotten what it's like to not be able to AFFORD 11machines or even like the used Bosses that sell on her over 1000.00. You tell them to save money until they can and not waste time with this, that or another machine. Well it's easier to save money if you have a 200.00 singer sewing things for you to sell so you can save. Most of the time I just post these things to twist your tail a little and get a conversation going though, thus the title. And I don't know what a servo motor is exactly, but if it's really a MOTOR and not a control, you take away everything that makes a Singer 15-91 a 15-91 removing that potted motor. I can almost walk mine now with some practice and still keep all the power it has. Keep writing, seriously, I never get mad or upset with you, just like having these friendly disagreements. Cheryl

LOL, My point is, until I take up saddle making, which I ain't, I'll sit here and use my 28 to sew all this leather you say I can't sew until I pay 2500.00!!!!!

You're an addict just like me Wiz, you just do n't fool me:-) You love that old iron!!!!!

Bill, I'm confused why you think we don't know how to sell on this forum since most of us do it all the time, and also why you think Santa Fe has all the artists? If you sell trees in a rain forest it might be as tough as you say but if you have your own flair you can sell anywhere. We have a ton of artists in the com munity I live in, and I'm sure that's true a lot of places. And I'm HONESTLY confused what that has to do with this thread. I'm not being m ean, I truly am confused. Cheryl

I guess I didn't really address anything but Chiefs work because I was hoping not to have to say what I feel about his pricing. He's trying to cover his costs and kill time. Well I make guitar straps and I'm not trying to do either. Are they exactly like his? Of course not. Does an average buyer understand the difference? Of course not. I love Chiefs work and he can do as he pleases, but I honestly think it would just be 'nicer' to sell his stuff somewhere since he doesn't care about the money, or maybe need it. 20-30-40 bucks an hour? I have to break down my product costs to the penny for the business plan I'm doing for the grant, and last we figured I'm making around 3 bucks an hour for a strap. I'm ok with that because I love doing it, but I at least want a playing field where I CAN make my 3 freakin bucks. I got in this not because I'm gonna go out of business no matter what happens on this thread, but because I know how hard I work and Big you really don't seem to get it. People don't know jack about leather, but they know the difference between a Lamborghini and a Kia. AND i SOLD THREE PIECES OF JEWELRY ON ETSY TODAY AND IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL DAY FOR ME. I hope it is for all you too. Cheryl