Road trip!

I had the pleasure of taking a mini road trip last week with my friend Jen Kahn last week. I've never visited many of the stores I sell to around the country and it's always
such a fun experience when I get to check one out after having sold there for a while.  Revolution in White River Junction, VT is one of the first shops that carried my line when I moved to Vermont and I finally found time to go visit. Nearby is Jen's old stomping grounds from when she was an apprentice with Celie Fago. So we decided to make a day of it. Jen was kind enough to show me around all of the funky parts of the Upper Valley. I'll be splitting it into two separate trips because the visit to Celie's studio deserves a spotlight post of its own.

Kim Souza and Jen Kahn with my pile of clothes! 

Revolution is a great shopping experience with a lovely combination of vintage clothing and handmade. They have a lovely selection of jewelry as well! I was delighted to bump into Philly artist Heidi Roland's line. I had to buy a pair of those beaded chevron earrings. (pictured above)

So much fun handmade clothing by local artists! I spotted Sarah's skirts from Mountain Ash Design (her skirts pictured all the way to the left), Thimble and Acorn, Salaam and many more!

Cute and colorful upcycled sweater skirts by Where Designs. 

It was so much fun to see all of the talented artists that are spreading their wares all over! 

We also happened to check out a thrift shop where I scored this amazing Kevin Bacon t-shirt for $1. Sweet! 

Later on today or sometime this weekend I'll continue with another post about the inspiring trip to Celie's studio! 

Giveaway time!

I wanted to celebrate my new packaging by giving a set of bobbi pins of your choice!

There are four ways to enter, and each way gets you an extra chance at winning.

1.Like my facebook business page here.

2. Share my facebook page by copying and pasting this address: http://www.facebook.com/NicolesThreads

3. Add me to your circle on etsy

4. Include your e-mail with an asterisk (*) to be added to the e-mail list. 

I will pick a winner at random on February 25th at 10pm EST! 

Inspired by this cold...

Holy crow! It is cold out there. I was inspired by my friend Erica and this weather to create some new ear warmer headbands. I made three prototypes that I may list on etsy, but I make keep myself. I think these will be around $28. They are made from vintage & reclaimed sweaters!

Some new things...

stocking up for the holidays & applique frenzy

I have been having too much fun doing applique on everything blank that I own.  No more plain hoodies, t-shirts or yoga pants for that matter will be left in my closet for very long.  I started this for fun, but meanwhile trying to figure out how I could come up with enough inventory for the holidays and the ridiculous amount of shows I signed myself up for.  I just don't have the time to stock all of the shops I sell in, keep things rolling on etsy and prepare for shows with all one-of-a-kind made-from-scratch pieces.  I took a little poll on facebook and it seemed that there would be interest in some of these designs on some more simple pieces.  I also think this is a more affordable approach for some people who were interested in my designs but couldn't necessarily afford the one-of-a-kinds.



After buying a few sample hoodies, yoga pants, and t-shirts I've come up with some really cute designs that I hope to have photographed over the next week or so but meanwhile, I want to know:What colors would you like to see in terms of hoodies & tees? I'm thinking mainly long sleeved tee's? I can be swayed.

Please help! What would YOU like to see? :) I'm not sure if I'll be putting these on etsy, or just taking them to some shows and putting in some shops. I'm also not sure if I'll continue them after the holidays. It all depends on how they go over. I'd love opinions!

Renegade Chicago + New button necklaces

I'll be listing these pretties throughout the day today in my etsy shop. I've made about 15 or so new ones and love them!

I am also so super excited to say that I've been accepted as a vendor at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago this upcoming September! More details to follow. YAY!

Summer is here!

Woohoo! I have been trying my hardest to do any little task usually done in the studio outside. Which really means, making jewelry & sewing on buttons.

Aside from that, I have been vending at the BCA Market every Saturday (weather pending). So if you are in Burlington this Saturday or any Saturday until the end of October, come by and say hi!

Above are some new necklaces that I just listed in my etsy shop here. Get them now before they're gone!

new studio and high speed! woohoo

Woohoo! We finally moved almost everything in. It seems those little odds and ends turn into a lot of car trips. My new studio is located in our new apartment. It's twice the size of the last second bedroom I was using and it has TONS of light, which is so very important to me. I can't believe we didn't take before pictures. This place was SO much work! The floors all were repainted with a shiny white porch paint. I can't tell you how much white floors really brightens a place up. It may not turn out to be that great during this great mud season here in Johnson, VT.

I can't tell you how much I missed being able to do simple things like walk to the post office, coffee shop, use high speed internet and such. My boyfriend and I used to go on dates to the laundromat 30 minutes from where we lived to use their wifi and do laundry. Ridiculous, I know.

There are downfalls of not living in the middle of nowhere, though. For example, our walls are pretty thin, we don't have a yard to let the doggies run free in and the bathroom....I mean.. the toilet chamber.. see for yourself

Another thing I thought I wouldn't get sick of was our wood stove. While it feels so, so nice and I love the idea of using a renewable resource, it dried me out like crazy, from my hands to my throat. It was also all we used for heat, so on those -20 degree nights, our room was pretty cold!

I have a lot of unpacking, sorting and organizing to do. Then comes the fun part: decorating!

While I am super pumped to get all of this done, it's also just before craft fair season starts and I am about to gear up to have lots of merchandise. I'm coming up with fun new designs for spring + summer.

Here are some of the shows I'll have a booth at in the coming months. Come see me!

Craft Show @ Parker Pie/161 County Road West Glover, VT from 11am-3pm contact milkbottlestories@gmail.com for more info

May 6 & 7 Twist Craft Show in Northampton, MA

May 14 & 15 Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia, PA

May 19 Trunk Show @ Fancy Tiger in Denver,CO

May 28 & 29 River Arts Open Studios in Morrisville, VT

June 4 @ Queen City Craft in Burlington, VT

consignment. to be or not to be.

I'm thinking spring. It's been a long, cold and snowy winter. The holiday season was great. I made money doing what I love to do. I saved it too! In late November through early January, when all of the sales started to roll in, I thought there might be an end to the madness. And there was. And it wasn't much fun. It is so much easier to spend the little extra money you make instead of saving it. There are so many little things you may think you 'need'. I am so grateful to have had such a successful holiday season. It was the first year I didn't have a "day job" to steal all of my time away. I was able to see what was selling and make more of it. I was able to keep all of the boutiques that carry my line stocked. I had time to scout out new wholesale accounts.

I want to start a weekly post focusing on advice for my fellow crafters. When I first started my line, I had no idea how to approach a boutique or other brick and mortar store. I finally got the courage to go into one store and bring a few shirts to see if the buyer would be interested in carrying them. There are many little handmade shops all over the country waiting to have your handmade goods to sell and each has their way of finding new talent.

Lots of the stores that carry my wares also seek out merchandise by attending big trade shows that happen once or twice a year (i.e. Pool Trade Show, New York Gift Show, Craft Council) . Many have websites requesting that you fill out an application. Often times they will review and get back to you only if they are interested. Some buyers are really busy and only like to look at new designer requests by appointment only.

When I was just starting out, I was so excited to have my line anywhere that it didn't matter if it was consignment. I didn't care if the split was 50/50. It didn't matter if I wouldn't be paid without having to ask.

I have now been selling my clothing and jewelry for years and I still have a hard time deciding on whether to keep consignment as an option for my line. For those of you who don't sell yet, or only sell online, consignment is a lot of work both for the artist and the shop owner. It's a lot to keep track of. Before I seem negative about it, I want to say there ARE some shops impeccable about paying on time, each month, sending out a list of what sold, etc. But there are a lot of shops that don't do this. I'm not a bill collector, I'm a clothing designer. I hate having to badger people for money. It's okay though, you have to decide if it's worth it for you.

Here are some things to consider

• wholesale or consignment? After much trial and error, I decided to be picky about consignment. I stuck to just a few boutiques and pushed for wholesale. I only consign my clothing locally, where I can go in and check on it or if I've already been selling smaller accessories and I am 100% sure it will sell. Shipping is too costly and the items are too valuable to lose if a place doesn't have their act together. Some places just don't do wholesale but they may be a great outlet for you to sell your goods. Don't totally rule out consignment.
• ask the potential boutique for references. If someone isn't willing to provide you references of fellow crafters, they may not have a great track record and therefore, I'd skip it.
• start small. think ahead. After a lot of trial and error, I decided that if I was consigning with a new account, I would send out 10 pairs of button earrings. This way it's not a TON of stock, if something goes terribly wrong but it's enough to tell whether things will go over well or not. Things sell better in groups. Look at the pictures below and notice which stands out more.

Consignment Agreement Before you decide yes or no, ask the potential store to send you their consignment agreement. Read it over. Are you paid monthly or quarterly? On the 1st or 15th? If things don't sell, who pays return shipping? Are things donated if you lose touch within 3 months? Are your tags cut off and removed so that no one knows who made the item? All of these things are fair game if you sign a contract stating so. **MAKE SURE YOU GET A COPY SIGNED BY THE PERSON IN CHARGE** A contract is null and void unless it's signed. Some, few, but some stores don't have contracts. You have the option of writing your own. Be sure that the store signs it and returns it to you.
• percentages and dolla, dolla bills. How much does the store take? What is fair? Some stores take 40% and give you 60%. I think this is a fair amount. It allows you to make more than a wholesale cut and gives the store a decent cut also. Some take an even lower 30% and give you 70%, great for you but the store doesn't make much. Some places do 50/50. I've noticed that MOST of the places that are 50/50 are in bigger cities, with higher rent and expenses. This can work and does work for me in a few spots. The downside of a 50/50 consignment rate is that sometimes it's nicer to have the extra 10-20% because you are doing more work (double checking sales, inventory and paying for shipping). If your items are making the higher 60-70%, and things sell well, there's always the option to ask the store to start on a wholesale basis.
sales and special orders. If it doesn't detail sale information in the contract, ask. Some places will run sales and they should take the cut out of their end. I have also been asked if I'd like to participate in sales (a percentage coming out of my end and the shops end). You have every right to not agree to a sale price. After all, you are already only making a % of the retail price. Some places may ask you to make a special order for a customer. Sometimes their percentage will be a bit lower, sometimes not.
pricing and other notes Whether you sell your items in a few different retail venues, they should be priced the same. I know that if you sell on Etsy, you make 100% of the profit and you will only make a fraction selling in someone else's venue. Price your work at a fair price so that you can knock 50% off and still be making a fair wage. Evaluate your pricing and don't try to be cheaper than everyone else. Handmade is worth the extra money. I will write a blog post on pricing in the near future.

I hope this is clear and helps! I'm sure I left some out and please ask questions in the comments section if you have them.

I also wanted to say thank you to all of the boutiques that I deal with that are wonderful. You know who you are :)

designer's block!

I'm having a bad case of designers block for my spring line. It's time to put away the wool and heavy fabrics and get to work on spring clothing. It's just that this time of year I have a hard time believing it will actually be spring and summer again. What do YOU plan on wearing this spring and summer? What kind of designs would you like to see?

I am excited to announce that i'll be taking part in this year's beCAUSE show. It's a show where each artist donates a percentage of their proceeds toward a certain charity or foundation. This year I chose Pete's Greens after their devastating loss in the barn fire. Come support some local artists and tons of great causes!

Also in the works, I am moving. Again. I know, I know. I just moved 6 months ago. While I do love it out here for some reasons and love my roommate(s) but it's just too far. An hour round trip driving to and fro the post office isn't helping me with time management and I just can't deal with this slow satellite internet. It takes 10X as long to get things done and some things I can't get done. I have to wait until we go on our weekly dates to the laundromat to use their awesome high speed internet.

Valentine's Day Goodies

pink patchwork dress. $82 available here

This is the second to last week of my big new year's sale. This week select clothing from last year are marked down 20%. Next week they will be marked down 15% and after that they'll be back to full price. Here are some items that I made this week. It's been a pink week and i'm trying to stick to Valentine's day themed items!

pink snowflake leggings. $20 available here

cute little heart earrings.$10 available here

weather pending!

We're currently being hit with a big snowstorm. This means two things for me today: 1. Way too gloomy to take product photos and 2. Too dangerous to get to the post office. While I have lots and lots to mail out and lots to take photos of, I'll have to postpone.

My second week of sale has continued, this week select handmade clothing is marked down 30%, the week after it will be 20% and then 15%.

I've added another goal to my new years resolution. To make a physical product catalogue. While I like the idea of just being able to e-mail businesses and stores, a lot ask for a catalogue to be mailed. I may be missing out on great opportunities until I am able to mail one of these out.

happy new year

Happy new year ya'll! It feels good to be back in Vermont after being away for a week and a half. The time away has given me time to think of new ideas for the new year. This year is my first year starting out Nicole's Threads as a full-time gig. I had a job waitressing but it was so very part time and I wasn't quite ready to let go of a semi-stable income. It feels great, overwhelming and scary but most of all, exciting! In order to keep things rolling, I have to work long, hard hours between sewing, fulfilling orders, scouting out new places to carry my line and keeping up with the web stuff. Also, here in rural Vermont we got ourselves into a situation of having satellite internet... which totally sucks. I enjoy my big day out to the laundromat to use their high speed internet [note sarcasm]. Living here has been an experience in many ways.

Some of my business goals for 2011 are:

*create a limited edition line using sustainable organic fibers. While I have ordered some organic cotton blends, I will continue using my original fabric sources too. All fabric that I use is sourced from places that either have so much that they are getting rid of extra, there is a little blip every so often that I work around, remnant or vintage. I'm going to expand into a line of organic fibers and will also be using wool blends made by a local company based out of Vermont!

*develop a printed catalogue to send to brick & mortar shops.

*get a website (about time!)

*more craft shows. While I currently vend at a few local Vermont craft shows (Queen City Craft, BCA Holiday Market, and some further away (Art Star Craft Bazaar, Bust Craftacular @ World Maker Faire, Craftland) this year I'll be scouting out & applying to other shows (Renegade Craft, Bazaar Bizarre, SOWA Holiday Market)

*prepare ahead of time & set deadlines! This is something that I don't do every year! In the clothing world, you should be preparing your clothing way in advance. Instead of making clothing for winter, I should be making clothing for Spring & Summer right now.

*keep up new etsy shops. While I haven't been working another job, I've found the time to reopen my other etsy shops.

http://potterylottery.etsy.com - you'll find handmade stoneware & porcelain jewelry

http://grannysthreads.etsy.com - vintage finds (mostly clothing)

*blog more often! I find that most successful bloggers blog EVERY DAY! While I know I can't set a daily blog goal out for myself, I can set a goal of at least one post per week.

Some personal goals for 2011 are to start a garden, learn how to can, paint more, learn to snowshoe and or ski and to find out what it would take of me to buy a house.

What are your goals for 2011?

cozy on up!

Just wanted to share a few items that are super warm + great for this time of year! This cowl is available in my etsy shop. I also have a bunch of smaller ones, button up, + one for the dudes.

Legwarmers made from recycled sweaters! This is a new item in my shop. Find this one + more here.

it's the bee's knees

bees knees. morrisville, vermont

Pictured above are some of my skirts and patchwork scarves (inspired by the women of Gee's Bend). Those scarves took forever to make but are SO MUCH FUN. To the right is some art by local artist Jess Graham. As I've mentioned before, I'm really excited to be gearing up for this weekend's holiday show Queen City Craft Bazaar. Here are some sneak previews of artists that will be there!

the candy thief bathilde band

subsixstudios fabric earrings

robot dinosaur fiddlehead

skateboard heart pendant by cooboriginals

Like what you see? Come by the Queen City Craft Bazaar!

the swing of things

My iron bit the dust today! It was a super cheap one from a big box store that I bought after I started sewing. It's probably a good 5 years old. It was a really heavy one and got super hot. Although I understand WHY irons have automatic shut-offs after 8 minutes, it is very inconvenient for me. Enough about that.

I've been photographing and listing so much on etsy. This satellite internet makes it take twice as long to get anything done on here, but while I'm living five miles up a dirt road I've got plenty of time! Hope you enjoy the recent listings and revamped photographs. Reminder that Queen City is this Saturday and I am very excited about it! I also dropped off some new jewelry at Bella Boutique in Burlington, VT and the Clothing Line in Burlington. Stop in to give them some love!

Also if you'd like to see Nicole's Threads in a store near you, recommend them here!

dangly button earrings

new item! available on my etsy shop here.

DIY Brick & Mortar.. meet Sally & Mud Season sale!!

I recently took a trip to Maine to play music. First stop was the Dogfish Bar and Grille. One thing that made me fall in love with New England when first coming to Vermont was how hospitable and open the community members seemed to be to people traveling through. We had two great shows, the second was at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's in Lewiston. I can't wait to make another trip again. While I was in Maine, I was up to my multi-tasking ways, trying to find local boutiques to carry Nicole's Threads. To the left is Sally of Eli-phant. Eli-phant is a super unique boutique which carries lots of handmade designer goods. I also dropped some things off at Material Objects. Both are located in Portland, ME but I am looking to get some things to Kennebunkport as well. Check out my etsy shop for tons of spring tops and jewelry all 20% off until May 1st.

organic fabric or remnants that would have been thrown away?

First off.. I'd like to introduce the first item that I'll be making in small batches.. the Vermont Skirt.

A versatile skirt, similar to my one of a kind patchworks. I have been debating for a while whether it's better to use fabrics that are remnants, factory blips, and vintage (making pockets out of old lady nightgowns, etc.... or to start a line using all environmentally sound materials organic cotton, hemp, etc. with soy based, plant based, low impact dyes... The process would be much longer, but definitely rewarding, and I've even found a Vermont based company that supplies organic cotton jersey material. The cost of my items would double if not triple, as the cost of organic cotton and hemp per yard could easily be 10x the amount of my fabric cost now. What I mostly charge for now with clothing is labor. I'd love thoughts and/or comments. I also thought this would be a good post to clear up any fogginess reguarding where my materials come from.. it takes lots and lots of energy to create new fabric, 99% of this fabric would have been trashed if it weren't for scavengers picking apart to look for the quality parts and making do with what you have to work with. Another option for me is to have a small organic line and keep making things with the end of the bolt/blip fabrics that I create things with now. Please notice that I do not use materials that have anything wrong with them, I cut around those parts to create a quality piece. I hope you enjoy the Vermont skirt as much as I do! I'll be doing custom orders for this skirt in different colors and sizes. It's super comfy and versatile!

spring!

Vermont's spring tease has been reminding me to start making spring tops! I can't believe how mild this winter has been... although I think I've been withstanding the very cold days with help of lots and lots of layers and down coats.. the snow hasn't been falling much.. infact I have heard a record has been set here for the least amount of snow and in Philadelphia for the most amount of snow. so HA to all of you who said I wasn't going to be able to take it...have fun snowshoeing down broad st. ;) Anyway, check out my etsy site here for tons of new tops and jewelry

I also joined a pottery co-op, so as soon as the first glaze firing happens, I'll be adding lots of jewelry to the pottery lottery etsy site.

P.S. I live in this pink house in the background! I think Burlington is the only neighborhood where you'd need to ask "Which hot pink house do you live in? The one with red trim, bright orange trim, or lime green trim?"