Hi ho everyone!  Had a great few weeks working on some new ideas while I sew up my Fall bags. I seem to have a difficult time sitting still, specially when watching some after-dinner-wind-down-TV.  Always need to have something in my hands that I can whittle away the time with.. cannot be idle for a second – who can when there is so much to create?..

Over the course of the summer I have made quite a few sales with my coffee warmers made from recycled wool sweaters that I shrink up to a felt. They become all stiff and nasty looking.. good thing they don’t belong to me.. Don’t you hate it when you accidentally wash your favourite wool sweater, take it out of the machine and hold it in your hands cringing with anger for having made the mistake?  they get all small and mangled..   anyway.. I digress..    My coffee warmers have sparked many requests for tea cozies so I started to play around with a few ideas.  Here is one of them with a funky crocheted flower to top it off.

This design works for a small tea pot. I need to collect a few more pots from my local second-hand stores to showcase a collection of different sizes and colours. Love making them. For now, I am sewing the blanket stitch myself which takes f o r e v e r..  but will soon have a new machine to take care of that chore..

I also ordered some felted wool for my winter evolution of the tote bag design I currently work with.  It is a great textile.  The felt is rather stiff, but smooth and soft.  I have several new ideas churning in my head for new bags and other gift ideas like laptop bags, cases for reading glasses and pillows.

Have you read about Alabama Chanin?  This sewing style has got my mind swirling with ideas as well.  I love the reverse-appliqué technique used by Natalie Chanin, the designer behind it all.  Loved reading about the history of Florence,  Alabama, where the stitchers in her project have reconnected with the origins of the cotton industry of that region. The work is just beautiful and Natalie Chanin sells her incredible hand made clothing the world over. Check out her web site .  Imagine some felted wool in reverse appliqué?

Here is my latest felted wool creation – still a work in progress. As I said, I love the rigid texture of the felt. It creates a new depth for this design and will make the bag extra strong for carrying a laptop and books.

Will be posting some of my Fall bag designs next week.

Stay tuned!

Happy sewing!   Anne

I sent out my very first wholesale invoice yesterday. Yup. I am so very thrilled needless to say.  It all happened thanks to a lovely lady friend of mine who happened to be in this amazing boutique wearing one of my bags. The shop owner apparently loved it and asked where it was from. And voila, the rest is history now.

If ever you are in the picturesque town of Wakefield, Quebec, (just 30 minutes north of Ottawa) be sure to drop into Burro Borracho on Riverside to see Eva. (No web site just yet) She is amazing. (and not only because she likes my bags!) Her selection of shoes and clothing is enough to make any girl want to just whip out that wallet and splurge on something to make her feel just wonderful all over. Eva has an amazing design sense and will fit you out in something that will make you smile for a week.  I myself picked up a groovy pair of shoes by El Naturalista last Saturday and am still smiling! (OK – it’s been a long time since I bought a pair of shoes, I am a bit over-the-moon about it)

Cute or what?

anyway.. that was my splurge for the summer.. Yay!~

These days I am busy making sure I stay on top of scouting retail opportunities. Last night I composed a long, format letter of introduction that I will email to shops in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto with my wholesale price list attached.  Thanks to my good friend Kelly in Toronto, I have a few stores on my list to contact in that city. Montreal is close by so I can check out the scene with friends there soon enough.  Ottawa is going to be the easiest search since it is in my back yard and I had a list made up a while ago.  Might work on Vancouver this year as well.

The tricky part is learning when retailers place their seasonal orders well in advance of the time of delivery. At least eight months ahead.  I am definitely late on the orders placed for this Fall. But where I think I can have some success is on filling in the merchandise gaps at the end of a season (and hopefully during), with a small selection that is not a huge financial outlay for the boutique owner.  I am working on getting myself into a few wholesale trade shows this year.  That is my target audience. What vbetter a venue that one which brings all the retailers to you?  I am no longer interested in the craft show circuit and will only invest time, energy and finances on the big gift shows at Christmas time or a few well established events that are more than less guaranteed to generate wholesale leads and sales. I decided I can invest in two of these shows per year. It is such a huge time commitment that must be worth my while.

I ordered some amazing felted wool made by  German company and distributed in Boston at FilzFelt. It came in last week. I finally chose a product after receiving samples from a few companies in the US and China.  I will use the few metres of felt for making sample Tote bag sets to present to store owners this Fall. It is amazing fabric. I can think of a multitude of design applications for it. I chose three colours to start. I think it best to keep the selection small to begin with and if I get a positive response, will invest in more colours later on. Can’t wait to get going on this work.

Next on my list of investments: a blanket stitch sewing machine. I was referred to the Merrow sewing machine company by a woolen mill owner I contacted last Winter. (I had purchased a blanket from his store years ago and liked the blanket stitch he uses) Merrow manufactures a seemingly infinite number of sergers for special design applications. I found the one I like but it costs over $3000 US.. ugh..  the representative at Merrow was so very kind enough to connect me with a Canadian company that refurbishes used Merrow machines where I have since found the model I like, for considerably less. I am planning a purchase in late August. Stay tuned!

Some people get a thrill buying a bike (like my husband) or a painting, or a new pair of shoes!  I get my most serious thrills collecting colourful skeins of wool, finding vintage or funky fabric, admiring my button collection and acquiring sewing machines!   Crazy. I know.  (but I bet some of you out there can relate!)

Hi again! Back from Montreal and happy to have some time to catch up on my blog and tackle some office work (my desk is full of papers that need filing!). How did the show go you ask? Well.. it got a fat zero from me I hate to report. And once again, I find myself examining my impulses to attend these affairs.  Grumble grumble…..

Here I am in my booth on St. Catherine Street, Montreal. (I was smiling for the camera, though not terribly thrilled with my results at the show)

I sold two bags, a coffee warmer, a wallet and a cosmetic bag. Abysmal, but I should have known better.  This festival was primarily focused on paintings, with photography and some sculpture mixed in, and about 5 artisan vendors out of 200.  I knew this, and I didn’t think it was ideal, but I signed up anyway. Passers-by were kind of out for a stroll in their neighbourhood and not exactly shopping for tote bags, if you get what I mean.  Some people were put off by my prices as well, and even huffed when they found the price tag. At $95 a-piece, the bags were often just out of affordable range.. “ooooo, not something I can afford, but they are lovely”.   After two days of that kind of reaction, I became a little annoyed with myself for having jumped in to attend this event.   It became quite apparent that this was not my target audience.

Since I don’t have a whole lot of experience in the domain of gift shows, it’s a bit like hedging bets at this stage of the game, but could I have prevented this misguided choice?  I think so.   I had a gut feeling when I first read about the show and thought it was not ideally suited for my products. It was an art show after all.  When I was set up on the street, it was as though my collection of bags were on display in a coffee shop. i.e. most people were buying coffee, and though pleasantly tickled to discover my pretty bags, not in the mindset to buy.   Quite a few passersby were picking up my business card, so who knows, some might end up browsing my etsy shop in the next while.

I hedged my bets when I signed up. I worked so hard to build up an inventory for a four-day show. And in the end, I don’t think it was worth the trouble.
Both Thursday and Friday were quiet during the day as I watched people running errands; doing a grocery shop; stopping into the pharmacy. The evenings also turned into somewhat distressing experiences once the sun set given the number of drunk and wired-out homeless people wondering our block. Some were shouting and weaving in and out of booths, laying on the sidewalks until they were moved along by the police, and not soon enough for my liking. This did nothing but detract from what I think was meant to be an up-scale shopping ambiance.  By the time Saturday rolled around, I had made up my mind that I was leaving the show that night. And though traffic was getting heavier as the day progressed, it was just more of the same for me. I took yet another gamble to pass up on the increased flow of pedestrians, and the very remote possibility of a few more sales Saturday night and Sunday. I was packed up by 6:30 and heading home.  I am not proud of having skipped out early. I don’t normally get so impatient nor irritated. I just decided that I should listen to my gut this time and pass up on the last day instead of sitting there regretting my mistake and wasting time.

Of course there is always a silver lining. I did meet some terrific people. My neighbour / artist was most interesting. We chatted often about her previous enterprise as a production artist in ceramics. She offered me many insights into the gift show and wholesale circuit and we plan to stay in touch.  I met a wonderful portraiture artist from Philadelphia. She and her daughter came round each day to say hi and sit with me for a while. They were accompanying her husband who was exhibiting at the show. We plan to reconnect as well.  I also had the chance to stay with a very old friend whom I had not seen in years. She was a big help tearing down every night and delivering meals (and sitting in for my pee breaks!)  Plus, my lovely sisters dropped by to visit with their kids and deliver lunch on Friday, which was great fun for me and much appreciated.

I can’t say I regret the the experience. Heck, I now have a full and lovely inventory of bags for the summer! It’s just that I have to listen to my gut more often. A bit like what Malcolm Gladwell proposes in his book “Blink”, combined with a bit of rational thinking and doing more research as proposed by Michael LeGault in his book “Think”.  I am already committed to two shows between now and December. One of them I am confident will be more of a success, but the jury is out on the second one.   More research required before I sign up to another show, and am happy to get back on track with my quest to sell to boutiques!      Until next time,   Anne

I will be packing the car this week with my tote bags and accessories and heading to Montreal to attend the FIMA art show from Thursday to Sunday, 8-11 July.   Have been sewing like a maniac for the last three weeks.  I had a decent inventory, but the show runs for four days, so I don’t want to run out of stock in case there is a mad rush on sales!

I’ll be selling my tote bag collection and other accessories such as wallets, cosmetic pouches, recycled wool coffee warmers, cotton headbands and some of my jewelry designs.. a bit of a mélange you could say!

This is my first venture into my home town with Just B which is so very exciting for me. Montreal, a city teaming with creative people and so many fashionistas, is sure to put on a good show! This will be the 11th Festival international Montréal en arts, FIMA event, which is largely an exhibit showcasing painters and photographers, with a smattering of textile artisans, such as myself.

In case you plan to be in the neighbourhood  - The street is closed off to traffic for the show and my booth is number 15, on St Catherine Street, between St Abndré and Rue Tomothé .

Hours are:

Thursday to Saturday (8-10 July): 1pm to 10pm
Sunday (11 July): Noon to 6pm.

www.festivaldesarts.org

Would love to see you!  Anne

Working at the Old Chelsea Market on Saturdays is going really well. Not only am I selling a few bags every weekend, I am meeting some super interesting and engaging people.

On one occasion, a couple who were selling wine, set up next to my booth, which gave us plenty of opportunities to  discuss our respective businesses and for me to sample their product! (www.domainedesmeteores.com). I was inspired by the couple’s exuberance in their decision to venture into the wine industry after an eight-year quest for the ideal geographic location in Quebec. They were after specific soil and climate conditions ideal for grape cultivation.  After taking a gamble on cultivating a variety of grapes that was recently deemed well suited to our northern climate – and several years of hard work -on a harvest worthy of bottling- eureka, a success – a wine worthy of allowing one of the partners to quit her job and switch over full time to production and marketing their cherished recipes.

I resonated with their commitment to attaining a life-long dream and despite the many challenges (in the case of selling wine: a volatile climate, complex government regulation, joining a relatively young wine industry in Quebec, etc) they remained passionate about their products and confident it was their destined path in life.

I’ve also met a terrific group of committed farmers at the Old Chelsea Market who work so very hard selling their harvest at a variety of markets throughout the region.  They leave home at the crack of dawn several times a week, tents, tables, harvest in tow, set up, sell all day, tear it all down and then it’s back home for a night’s rest and to prepare for the next day of running through the whole process once again.  I am impressed with their passion and commitment as well.

Add to this, a few fruitful connections leading to real business opportunities, and the market has proven to be a good investment for Just B.  Two weeks ago, a woman who had been face painting at the market visited my stall to extend me an invitation to showcase JustB at her Spa for a 3rd year anniversary celebration she was planning. (www.dayaspa.ca)  I was there yesterday.  A real storefront, in downtown Ottawa.  People streamed through the Spa front doors from 11am right through to 9pm and later.  I was thrilled to have been affiliated with Dayaspa for this significant date. Linda, the owner, has a dedicated clientele, and she carries the most luscious of organic products. Contrary to what I think she had hoped for me, I didn’t manage to make any sales on the day. I could be disappointed, but on the contrary, it turned out to be a great opportunity for boosting JustB brand awareness by simply connecting with the Spa’s clientele.  I cannot be too surprised that I made no sale, since the primary goal for event was to allow clients to experience the many spa treatments, and then bonus – browse the JustB collection. I was really flattered that Linda liked my style enough to invite me to join in on the action. I appreciate having the chance to be aligned with Dayaspa and to showcase my collection at this venue, a real store, on a busy commercial street, right downtown.

I benefited a great deal from spending eleven hours at Dayaspa.. I  met an interesting woman who works in Pakistan and who offered to connect me with a Canadian-Pakistani businesswoman who owns a textile mill outside Islamabad. I met Kiss FM radio personalities and had a chance to chat with their sales rep about the benefits of radio promotion and exchanged a few ideas for JustB down the road.  I handed out many cards promoting my Home Parties. And such a great chance to speak with the feature guest, Daniel Thompson, who owns the organic make up line sold at DayaSpa.  Daniel was on site offering free two-minute makeovers to clients and promoting his brand (www.danielthompsonbeauty.com). I got to watch a natural entertainer working his magic brush over every single woman who cued up for his treatment during the eleven-hour event! (we’re talking at least a hundred giggling ladies!) ). Our business chat left me feeling encouraged that I am on the right track to achieving my business goals.

Being amongst entrepreneurs like Dan and Linda was truly invigorating.
I can use this kind of inspiration any day!