CPSIA Compliant Labels and Packaging

So I started sewing in the labels that comply with the ruling that puts the labeling into effect in two days. I have also made product cards for everything I make to go inside the packaging. After some thought about my how my competition makes their receiving blankets vs how I do, I have decided that even though theirs may be larger in theory at purchase most will end up being the same size as mine after washing. Since I also do a lot more preparation to make mine I should not lower my prices. As of right now my blankets will be on sale until August 18th along with the bibs and pacifier holders. After that all of my prices will revert back to what they have been. Even when I drop my prices it doesn't seem to bring me any more business. I make great quality baby items and I am tired of running scared because of what my competition does. I don't know who their suppliers are so maybe they are getting great deals which allow them to sell things so cheap. Unfortunately I live in Alaska so I am limited in what is available and what is available here is very expensive. So instead I go through co-ops and spend a fortune shipping fabric up here. Even that way is still cheaper than buying locally, sadly. Add all the costs of trying to comply with the CPSIA , which I know for certain not everyone is doing and that is where my costs add up and get rolled into the price of my items. In reality I should be charging more than I do but I am trying to stay competitive. I may not be able to do that if after the testing stay is lifted and I am forced to test. Why do I keep talking about pricing to everyone (you are probably thinking to yourselves), shouldn't I keeo this to myself? Well if I were the customer and I saw two blankets that were similar and one was slightly smaller yet the same price I would want to know why. At the same time all of this is handmade and I would hope that the customer takes that into consideration. Every seller's cost and time to make their items is different, therefore prices are going to vary even on similarly made items. I guess you can say I have been really overthinking this but I have been baffled at why I can't seem to be as successful as some of the other sellers on Etsy who make baby items. It is very disheartening. Anyhow that's enough for today. Thanks for reading.

New SALE!

Starting today until August 18th all bibs and pacifier holder clips/toy leashes are on SALE! Get your shower gifts now!

Free Gift to the 40th, 50th and 60th Customers!

Since my 40th sale is just one sale away I thought I would offer some free gifts for the 40th, 50th and 60th sale. The gift will be a surprise! I will convo the customer and ask a few questions and then send them a surprise gift with their order. It could be anything I have in my shop! You just never know! :)

Shop update 08/09/09 and new look

So I finally took the time to update the look of my blog and the design on Twitter. I hope to be using both of these tools more often to keep people apprised on what is going on with my shop. So here is my update.

My son is finally mostly sleeping through the night thanks to my mom's visit so now I am getting more sleep and am able to get more work done. I have the Ft.Richardson country fair coming up in November which is a one day craft fair in which I will be taking everything I have made up to that point to sell. I have already cut out about 60 receiving blankets to serge and list to prepare for this event. Of course I precut and then washed them not thinking that I needed to leave a few more inches so they are all slightly shorter than usual. They are all still very big so it really doesn't matter very much. I could do like other shops and just cut and serge straight from the bolt, but I don't like doing that because they will shrink in the wash and then you run the risk of pulling and puckering and I think that takes away from the quality. I'm not saying that always happens, but it can. Especially with flannel and a rolled hem. Plus I think it is false advertising to say a blanket is 36x44 and then the first time they wash it it shrinks to 33x39. I would rather sell it as prehrunk 33x39 so I know the next time it is washed it will look the same and the customer will be pleased. I also like how since it is prewashed the sizing and chemicals are gone so it is very soft to the touch, another selling factor. I get a lot more interest in them locally because people can see first hand how nice they are. Trying to sell them on Etsy or anywhere else is very hard because of the competition and you don't have the opportunity to see and feel it in person.

I plan to have a lot more new items listed in the next month or so. I will finally start listing embellished prefolds and more cloth wipes as well as some new things I have been working on, so be on the lookout for new product reveals! If you have an idea for something you would like to see me make, like a particular item or a character or slogan for a bib or even a specific fabric please contact me! I am always open to suggestions. Thanks for reading.

New items!

Check out all of my new listings! I have all sorts of new embroidered bibs and some new receiving blankets. Many more to come!