May's Featured Customer - Blossom Vinson of JustBabyz

 Please help me in welcoming
Blossom Vinson of JustBabyz.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.  

I have a e-commerce store that I started named JustBabyz and an Etsy shoppe called JustBabyz. 

Where are you located?

I live on farm in Warner Robins, GA.

  

What was your background prior to starting your business?

Prior to starting this e-commerce store I did affiliate marketing and built a lot of niche websites along with Dog Beds E-commerce store then I did some online, social media and mobile marketing for local businesses. I had couple of e-commerce stores always selling other people's products. I was not passionate about dogs and could not do all the research to blog and local businesses they had hard time understanding online and social media marketing. Currently I just do just Mobile marketing and consulting. 

What got you started in your business?

I had always wanted to have my own product and would always look at someone who can create literally anything with a WOW and I had no idea I was creative until after I had my third child, Anaiah. 

I guess she triggered some part of my brain. After I had my baby I realized fabric relaxed me and every time I saw a piece of fabric I had these ideas.  I sewed my first outfit ever Thanksgiving outfit and then realized that I had found something that I love. 

What inspires you to create?

My inspiration comes from my children. 

Tell us a bit about your drive and purpose, your vision for your business.
My sweet spot is online marketing.  I just love it.  I've always wanted to have my own products, and I did not want to settle.  

What do you feel makes your work unique? 
I combine patterns together with applique.  

What’s your favorite piece from your current inventory? Any all time favorites? 
Some of my favorite inventory is my Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines, & Easter Outfits. 

Where do you see your business in a year? Or where would you like to see it?
In a year I would want people to recognize JustBabyz as a brand.  I would like to see lot of JustBabyz clothes become part of keepsakes in many families.

What words of wisdom do you have for readers who are considering starting their own work at home business?
Find your sweet spot.  Don't give up.  Build on your failures.  Have an accountability partner or join a master mind group. Always do one thing a day that will propel your business.

As a customer of Whimsical Fabric, what is your favorite thing about our store? 
I love the Sew-Alongs at Whimsical Fabric.  I have learned a lot.  I am a silent member.  Even though I don't comment much I read every single post by everyone in the group and make notes of tips and suggestions.  

What is your favorite item purchased from us?
I think I have bought most of the patterns I see in the sew-along group.

Anything else you would like to share?

I will be starting a blog in June for moms just like me who want to see growth.  It will be about marketing, business, and balance.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity.
Blossom

__________________________________

  

Thank you so much for sharing about yourself with us, Blossom.  You will have to make sure to share a link to your new blog on our Facebook page when you have it set up.  

If you too have enjoyed reading about Blossom and her business, please take a minute or two and let her know by liking and leaving a message on her Facebook page.  And don't forget to check out her Etsy store and Website.

PS If you are interested in being featured in one of our future newsletters please send us an email with FEATURE in the title. 

Happy creating!
Danielle Storm

www.whimsicalfabric.com

March's Featured Customer - Jona Lourenco of Nikki's Closet

Please help me in welcoming
Jona Lourenco of Nikki's Closet.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business. 

My name is Jona Lourenco and I have been married to my best friend, Nick, for 6.5 years. We have two children, Nicole, who is 3 years old, and Jonathan, who is 8 months old. I sell homemade items for children. I sew clothes, but am working to focus more on accessories and fun extras that make childhood just a little more fun! My business name is Nikki's Closet and I sell on Facebook and on Etsy.

 

Where are you located?

We live in Lake Elsinore, California. Both my husband and I were born and raised in Southern California and we love living here where we are close to family and get to enjoy wonderful weather all year long!

What was your background prior to starting your business?

I actually spent 7 years in college getting my degree, credential, and M.Ed. in education. I am currently able to stay at home with our children, but will hopefully go back to the classroom once our children start school. I love teaching kindergarten and first grade!

What got you started in your business?

I started my business in 2011, soon after Nicole (Nikki) was born. I found that I had time to craft while she was napping and over time friends and family suggested that I start selling the items that I made. From 2011 to mid 2013, I didn't do much to grow my business, but after the birth of Jonathan, I decided it was time to really work on growing Nikki's Closet. Since then, I have worked to network with other businesses and spend more time engaging with my Facebook fans. 

What choices have you made that helped your business the most?

What really helped me was to stop comparing my success/failure to other businesses. For so long I would watch friends' business pages grow and gain fans while mine seemed to plateau. Once I decided to stop comparing my business to others, I was able to focus on ways to make my business stronger. Another resource that really helped me with my Facebook page was purchasing and using the e-book from The Fashion Business Mentor. She offers suggestions on how to get fans to help me know what they look to purchase from boutiques and to eventually sell more through how I market my items.

What mistakes have you made that others could learn from?

For me, one mistake was to underprice my items. When I first started out, I was quoting prices but hadn't realized that I was quoting way too low. Once I started really doing bookkeeping and recording my money in and out, I realized that there were several custom items that I had actually lost money on! After that, I took a few nights to really research online about how to price my items and I sat and created a spreadsheet that factored in the approximate price per inch for fabric, ribbon, elastic, and the approximate cost of items like buttons, snaps, patterns, thread, and other embellishments. By creating this detailed spreadsheet, I am able to better quote prices and make sure that I am making a profit! 

What do you find the most fun and rewarding about having your own business?

I love the fact that I am able to stay at home with my kids and work my own hours! My work area is right next to the toy room and I have my sewing table positioned so I can watch them play while I work. I also love the fact that I get to be creative and decide what I do/don't want to sell.

Tell us a bit about your drive and purpose, your vision for your business.

I'm not really sure at this point. This is something that I am still working out. 

What inspires you to create?

I love creating because at night it is a great time for me to sit in the quiet and just reflect while I create. It's also just really fun to make items and see them be loved by their new owners.

What do you feel makes your work unique?

I feel like my work is unique because it is fun and well made. I pride myself on using high quality materials and I take the time to make the items as professional looking as possible. Everything that I send out is the same quality that I expect from the items that I want for my family.

What’s your favorite piece from your current inventory? Any all time favorites? 

So, I can't quite share my current favorite because it is from a pattern test that hasn't been released! You will just have to head on over and like my page to find out when it has been released! 

 

My second favorite item in my inventory are the new tooth fairy pillows that I just released. These little plush items are so much fun and can be made with a variety of costumes. I think they are so cute!

Where do you see your business in a year? Or where would you like to see it?

I would love to see my Etsy shop full of fun items and to have booming sales! I would like to be making less custom (one of a kind) orders and have most of my business being done through Etsy or Facebook with items that are set in my inventory. 

Also, in the next year I hope to find a photographer that I can team up with so my items will be more professionally photographed. I feel like many of the details and the "awww" factor is lost on my items because I am not a good photographer.....at all. 

What words of wisdom do you have for readers who are considering starting their own work at home business?

Patience. Lots of patience. It takes time for your name to get out there. When I first started, I envisioned that people would just be lining up to order from me! It took about a year and a half before I had consistent sales from month to month.

As a customer of Whimsical Fabric, what is your favorite thing about our store? 

I love the fabric selection at Whimsical Fabric! They carry so many different cute prints that I haven't seen anywhere else! The prices and sales are also fantastic! I also love how quickly they ship orders. 

What is your favorite item purchased from us?

My favorite item that I have purchased from you is the Costume Clubhouse fabric! I made (and sold) several Halloween treat bags using that fabric! They were so cute and my daughter got several compliments on her bag at our different Halloween festivities!

My second favorite is the Sweetcakes fabric! I mean, seriously, aren't these the cutest mommy and me aprons???

The Sweetcakes will also be featured in my newest product (remember the one I mentioned earlier, that I can't share?)

Anything else you would like to share?

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and my shop! Feel free to come on over and let me know what you would love to see offered in my shop.

 

Everyone has a story and I thank you for sharing yours with us Jona!  I have personally really enjoyed reading your responses and getting to know you better.  I wish you much success!  

If you too have enjoyed reading about Jona and her business, please take a minute or two and let her know by liking and leaving a message on her Facebook page.  And don't forget to check out her Etsy store.

PS If you are interested in being featured in one of our future newsletters please send us an email with FEATURE in the title.

Happy creating!
Danielle Storm

www.whimsicalfabric.com 

February's Featured Customer - Rosemary Gulledge of Applique Cafe

I discovered Rosemary's blog, The Cafe Blog, in 2010.  Whimsical Fabric was just starting out at that time and I was an avid appliquer. (Is that a word?)  I was drawn to Rosemary's teaching technique and wealth of applique knowledge that she shares on her blog.  Then, I discovered her applique design website!  I immediately fell in love with the classic simplicity of her designs.  They are super easy and quick to stitch and yield perfect results every time. And, her prices are amazing!  What more could you ask for?  I was hooked!

Please help me in welcoming Rosemary Gulledge of Applique Cafe.

Where are you located Rosemary?

I am located in Montgomery, Alabama. 

What was your background prior to starting your business?

I graduated from Troy University with a degree in Elementary Education and never taught school! Following college I worked for an investment banking firm for 10 years and LOVED it, but decided to “retire” after having my 2nd child. Having 2 kids at home, I was interested in monogramming, so I talked my husband in to buying me an inexpensive embroidery machine (Brother PE700) and I taught myself how to use it. After I “mastered” monogramming and discovered applique, I started doing embroidery and applique for customers and did this for a couple of years. We (my husband and I) then decided to switch gears and try our hand at digitizing. Applique Café was started in August of 2009. At the time there were only a hand full of applique websites that out there, so it was a great time to start a website and get in to that side of the business. I have continued all these years to monogram and applique for friends, family and a few loyal customers, so technically I’m on both sides of the business! 

What got you started in your business?

After doing applique and embroidery for customers for a couple of years, designing just seemed like the next step and Applique Café was born. Like I said, at the time there weren’t that many websites out there. It’s a different story now, as a new applique website pops up every other day it seems. My husband does the actual digitizing, and he also works full time, so this is “part time” for us. We try to produce 3-5 new designs each week. Why does HE do the digitizing, you ask? At the time, I was monogramming and appliqueing for customers almost full time so when we decided to do this, he agreed to learn how to digitize because I had my hands full. I still monogram for customers and friends during the day in addition to keeping up with the website, my blog and other web business.

What choices have you made that helped your business the most?

Setting limits and realizing I don’t have to be on the computer 24/7. I try to work while the kids are at school and I try NOT to work much on the weekends. Balancing work and family is a must in owning your own business.

What mistakes have you made that others could learn from?

Thinking I had to be on the computer or sewing something 24/7 was a mistake I made early on!! It took me a while to figure out I had to organize my time and that applique wasn’t life or death. It’s also OK to sometimes say “no” to people! I also spend a lot of time on Facebook, and Facebook is a blessing and a curse. While it’s a great marketing tool, it is easy to get sucked in for an hour, or get involved with other groups and pages on Facebook. Another mistake I’ve made is worrying about what everyone else is doing (cue Facebook again). I’ve learned I have to focus on MY business and not how many fans so-and-so has. It’s a very competitive business so it’s easy to get distracted.

What do you find the most fun and rewarding about having your own business?

Flexibility!! I worked “9-5” for 10 years, so having flexibility and working when I want to is awesome! It’s still a balancing act but if I don’t want to turn my machine on for 2 days, then I don’t have to. I can be a working mom, and yet I never miss a field trip or library duty at my kids’ school. I also love being able to turn a $4 t-shirt in to something adorable! I’ve met some amazing people through this business ~ customers and also people across the US whom I’ve never met in person but talk to regularly on the computer! Helping people is also very rewarding. When I got my machine there wasn’t a lot on the internet like blogs or YouTube, so I taught myself everything and learned from trial and error A LOT. Now I try to write blog posts that are helpful and answer questions from people who are frustrated and ready to throw their embroidery machine out the window! 

Tell us a bit about your drive and purpose, your vision for your business.

What drives me is that while this very well may be the most fun “job” I could ever dream of, it’s also my family’s business. I get to work with my husband in our office in the comfort of our home (sometimes with kids spider-man-ing up the doorway in our office). I also get to make people happy with cute new designs, or by monogramming a bib for a new baby, or by helping them figure out what might be wrong with their embroidery technique or machine. I love helping people through my blog, teaching classes, or answering emails or questions about where I got such-and-such fabric. Sometimes it does get daunting and sometimes I do have to deal with unhappy customers, but overall it really is a dream job! As far as my vision, I just want to keep designing great designs and helping people. I need to blog more often, and I’ve love to experiment more with video.  

What inspires you to create?

Having 3 kids inspires me to create! Being surrounded by beautiful fabrics, amazing thread colors and all of the awesome “blanks” as we call them also inspires me to create! We’ve been digitizing for close to 5 years and I get ideas everywhere! I’m always looking around and thinking about that next batch of designs.

What do you feel makes your work unique?

Simple designs! When we started Applique Café, I had been slaving away for 2-3 years doing applique turkeys with 8 fabrics and 38 steps and 14 thread changes. I love to keep things simple and easy for our customers. As I mentioned earlier, there is so much competition out there. It’s hard to be unique! We try to come up with the cutest designs we can, and we try to make them as easy to sew as we can. When we are coming up with new designs to do each week, we also try to look around and make sure no one else has done exactly what we have in mind. I also test and sample each and every design we sell, so I’m able to make changes where needed and “know” how each design sews.

What’s your favorite design from your website? 

It might be hard to pick 1 favorite! I love our Stitch the Dog Designs. Stitch is a simple lab design that has become somewhat of a trademark for Applique Café. We currently have about 40 Stitch designs and they are all cute and great for the many seasons. 

I also love our Owl Applique Designs. Again, we’ve changed the owl for the many seasons. 

My other “favorite” design is our Elephant Applique Design which is one of the first designs we did. I see it a lot on Pinterest and Facebook and other places so I think it’s a customer favorite as well! 

I’m constantly re-sewing old designs and bringing new life to them, so my favorites change!

Where do you see your business in a year? Or where would you like to see it?

We would like to expand our customer base outside of Facebook. Applique Café is also on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and of course there is my blog. I’d love to increase our newsletter subscribers and reach more people. Our goal is to stay competitive, produce as many cute designs as we can come up with and to continue our presence in the applique world! I also want to expand my blog and experiment more with video tutorials.

  
As a customer of Whimsical Fabric, what is your favorite thing about our store?

I love Whimsical Fabric because it’s a one stop shop for fabric, blanks, patterns (for those of you who sew) and even packaging supplies! WF carries the fabrics I love and use a lot ~ ginghams, polka dots, chevrons, etc. ~ in the brands that I love!

What is your favorite item purchased from us?

Fabric! I’m a huge fan of Michael Miller, Riley Blake and Fabric Finders fabrics, which are all fabrics sold at WF. Also, with applique you only use a small amount of fabric on each design. I like that I can buy fat quarters or fabric by the yard if I want to.

  
What words of wisdom do you have for readers who are considering starting their own work at home business?

I think anyone can start their own work at home business, but you have to learn to balance work and family or else you will get burned out quickly. Set a work schedule and try to stick with it. Don’t work so hard that you put your family on the back burner. My daughter was born in 2008 and we started Applique Café in 2009. She’s about to turn 6 and I realize now how much I worked when she was a baby! I should have worked less and enjoyed that time more. Other words of wisdom... remember that there is plenty of business out there for you and everyone else. Be kind and respectful even when you don’t feel like it!

Thank you so much for sharing about your business and yourself Rosemary!   

If you enjoyed reading about Rosemary and her business, please take a minute or two and let her know by leaving a message on her Facebook page.  And don't forget to check out her website, Applique Cafe.  I noticed she is having a great sale right now!

PS If you are interested in being featured in one of our future newsletters please send us an email with FEATURE in the title.

Happy creating!
Danielle Storm
www.whimsicalfabric.com

January's Featured Customer - Lucie Monroe of Lucie's Treasures

We are super excited about all of the new things we are bringing you in 2014. One of those changes is all about you, our customers. On the second Tuesday of each month we will be featuring a work-at-home small business. Today we would like to introduce you to Lucie Monroe.

*Click on the photo's to enlarge*

 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business Lucie.

I am the owner of Lucie's Treasures. I have been married for almost 8 years and have 2 beautiful children - Lexie (almost 4) and Cassian (1.5 years old). I was born in the Czech Republic and after graduating high school there I decided to spend a year in the USA as an au-pair. During that time I started dating my neighbor who soon became my husband. After he joined the Air Force I moved with him to Mississippi for a few months and later on to Oklahoma where we stayed for 3 years. 

*Photo courtesy of HM Photography.

Where are you located? 
I am an Air Force wife and we've been stationed in Spangdahlem AB, Germany since August 2010. We have recently gotten an approval to extend our stay until August 2018. We are very excited to be able to enjoy this beautiful country for another 4 years. 

 *Photo of Spangdahlem AB, Germany.

What was your background prior to starting your business? 
I used to work in a Child development center before my daughter was born - my favorite part about it was obviously all the arts and crafts I got to do with the kids :)

What got you started in your business?
Both my mother and my grandmother are seamstresses and I always used to sew with my mom, but I never considered it as a career option for myself. While working in the day care center I used to make my own scrub tops and before my daughter was born I started making some baby items for her. After about a year, many requests later I decided to buy a bigger stack of fabric, make a bunch of dresses and participate in the first Craft Fair hosted at the local AF base. That's when Lucie's Treasures was born.

 

What choices have you made that helped your business the most?
Working with the best quality materials is a key to my business. I am a perfectionist and everything needs to be done just right. And since I do most of my business online, great photographs are very important as well. By no means I am a professional photographer but I would like to think that if you see one of my items online, you will know I made it.

 

What mistakes have you made that others could learn from?
I am not sure if anybody can learn from this, but taking part in huge fairs/bazaars just isn't for me. I've done it twice, and though I had fun decorating my booth, the experience just wasn't worth the stress. I prefer working with my customers on one on one basis or participating in smaller fairs, where I don't feel like I need hundreds of items in stock. 

  
What do you find the most fun and rewarding about having your own business?
I love it when my customers give me the freedom to create. Say you need a tooth-fairy pillow - tell me your favorite colors and I will make it happen! I love choosing and combining fabrics and creating a special design just for that one item. I know this requires a lot of trust from my customers and I am really blessed to have been able to get to this point in my business. 

  
Tell us a bit about your drive and purpose, your vision for your business.
I love to make people smile and get them excited they got something special for their child or them selves. I don't want them to buy my product because it's cheaper than someones else's. I want them to buy it because they love it. My vision is for my business to become a brand. A brand that represents great quality and something unique made with love. 

  
What inspires you to create?
I love browsing Pinterest and blogs for new ideas, but lot of times my customers come up with some pretty good stuff as well :)

What do you feel makes your work unique?

I believe it is my attention to detail and the shopping experience itself. When you shop Lucie's Treasures you receive an item that is great quality. I take pride in my business and my items and packaging reflect it.

What’s your favorite piece from your current inventory? Any all time favorite(s)? 

My favorite item right now are my owls. We created the design with my husband so that makes them even more special to me and I just love their colors. They're perfect as a toy, room decoration or a little pillow.

And my all time favorite are my Christmas Stockings. They are superior quality and an heirloom that can be treasured forever - you will never need to buy another stocking again and you will look forward to pulling these out season after season just like I do.

*Photo courtesy of HM Photography.

Where do you see your business in a year? Or where would you like to see it?
I would like to start selling my items in a local children's store - that's in the process right now, so hopefully everything works out successfully.

 

What words of wisdom do you have for readers who are considering starting their own work at home business?

Do what you love and it will show. If you don't enjoy making it, quit that product and start fresh with something that's more fun for you to make. And don't be afraid to say no. 

  
As a customer of Whimsical Fabric, what is your favorite thing about our store? 

The customer service is just great. You don't see interaction with customers like this every day. I really enjoy the sew-alongs as well, I think it's a great way for the shop to connect with customers and a nice push for me to make something for my own kids :)

  These gorgeous shorts were created by Lucie during our Class Picnic Sew-Along.

What is your favorite item purchased from us?

I am going to have to say the Bedtime Story Pajamas by Oliver+S. I loved taking part in the sew-along, learned a new trick or two and I've actually made two more bottoms since then and bought fabric for 2 more. Now my husband says we need some pajamas as well :)

If you enjoyed reading about Lucie and her business, please take a minute or two and let her know by leaving a message on her Facebook page.  While you're there you might just want to "Like" her page to see what all she has in store for 2014.  And don't forget to check out her Etsy shop, Lucie's Treasures.  Her shop is full of lots of awesome goodies for the little ones in your life!  

PS If you are interested in being featured in one of our future newsletters please send us an email with FEATURE in the title.

Happy creating!
Danielle Storm
www.whimsicalfabric.com