6/13/2018

Well it has been a adventurous year in the shop, we now have trademark licensing for US Air Force, US Marines and US Navy. Sale are on track seeing as the Navy is a new addition, we are still struggling to get out items found on Etsy especially with their new changes.

The web site has been updated with the newest craft fairs to date, these can be found under the craft fairs 2018 tab.

We are trying to make new items as time allows but with upcoming Craft Fairs on the list and guaranteed sales for some of the items I make through that avenue not a lot of new items are being posted in the Etsy Shops. I try as new items are created to add them to my Instagram feed, if you are not already following me follow this link: https://www.instagram.com/gabbysquilts/
and check out to see what is new, all items can be available to purchase just by emailing me if it is a item that I don't clearly mark as being put in one of the Etsy shops, if it is marked as a new Etsy item you can just check my profile for the Etsy link and follow that to make your purchase.

I am in love with this new shop I found on Etsy, I just love her items and I am sure quite a few people have already found her as well, her patterns for baby, kids and adult sweaters are very well written and easy to follow, can't wait to try out some more of her patterns, I have to finish the one I have started first thou, LOL, so because it isn't finished we can't post any pictures yet.

This has been completed just recently and will be relisted in the handmade shop as soon as time allows:

Well we have to sign off for today, I have to check orders and return emails. I will be back as soon as time allows, til then have a good start to summer and remember the sunscreen :)

7/10/2017

Finished the second quarter USO donation tally and sent the check out in todays mail.

Aprils total- $18.30
Mays total- $9.50
and June- $14.20

Total check amount $42.00

Sales were down for Military as well as for everything else in the shop, Etsy has been ramming through some very massive changes to how the customers put items into their carts to how they view our items, which now show our competitors items when a person is viewing our item that they might have followed back from a link or social media site.

A lot of shops have closed down and moved off site, but there are always new ones opening so I don't think etsy is going to go anywhere anytime soon. In order to bump sales I have even found it necessary myself to move off site. I still have both shops on Etsy with items in both but have found it necessary to "spread" the wealth to other sites to see if we can bump up sales.

My primary web site which has the links to each of the separate selling shops that I operate:
www.GabbysQuilts.com

Etsy custom military shop with sewing and craft supplies:
www.GabbysQuiltsNSupply.etsy.com

Etsy handmade shop with military baby , crochet and lanyards:
www.GabbysQuilts.etsy.com

Ebay with precut cotton fabrics for quilting sewing and craft uses:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/gabbysquilts518/m.html

Artyah with my husbands handmade wood items and the rest of my handmade items that I make as time allows:
https://www.artyah.com/seller/gabbysquilts

We are also getting ready for Craft Fair season and listings for the local sites we are vending can be found on my web site under the tab craft fairs 2017, my husband will be bringing his new wood items to display as well. Hoping for a good season this year as we have added a few new venues that we haven't participated in before so we shall see.

I'll leave you with this cute pattern I found for those of you into sewing :)

http://www.handmadiya.com/2015/09/zipper-wallet-diy-tutorial.html

Til next time have a good summer and I will be back soon with any new updates.

First Quarter Shop News

January and February donation tallys have been done, yes you read that right, both months, this is how far behind I am falling as I try and juggle the two Etsy shops and a part time job :)

January total was $11.50
February was $29.10

Numbers are lower then last year but still respectable given the economy.

New inventory is arriving to be loaded into the etsy shops and the craft fairs have begun for the year so we are making items for them as well. The ones that have sent confirmation have been loaded to the web site under the tab labeled Craft Fairs 2017, www.GabbysQuilts.com, we have a bunch of new ones coming up but no confirmation on them yet so they have not been listed, yet :)

Eagerly awaiting spring and some warm weather so that we can start turning the garden and got a phone call from my son the other day that he is attempting to come home for a visit soon so that is something we are very much looking forward to, it has been another 18 month separation other then the trip we took to the airport when he came home from the last deployment and between lack of sleep and jet lag the poor kid slept the whole visit :)

I will leave you with some pictures of some of the new patterns coming to the shop soon and will hopefully be back next month with the first quarter donation total to be sent to the USO.

Delayed Shop News

Why do I always seem to be running behind when it comes to posting updates ? Let me tell you one reason, a outside job that takes me away from my business !!
On to the updates, donation was made to the USO for the first quarter of the year, yep I know, we are already into the second quarter, see, told you I was seriously running behind, but it was made when it was suppose to be just forgot to update the tally on my blog.

New fabrics and patterns have been loaded into the web site; http://www.GabbysQuilts.com and we are currently moving some of my handmade items into there as well, having a bit of a issue trying to find a way to separate the handmade from the supply items in case people only want to see one or the other, it is definitely a work in progress and sooner then later we will get it figured out so that it is a smoother transition so anybody visiting I ask for your patience as we get it figured out.
Craft show applications are being sent in and some have sent confirmation for attendance, as they arrive I will be sure to update the web site, the listing location and times can be found under the tab craft fairs, hope to see some local customers visiting and getting to finally meet you.
I apologize for this being so short but I have to get some more items moved onto the web site before having to do everything else on the to do list today.
Thank you very much for your time and patience and I will hopefully be back again soon;)

In the meantime anyone looking for some really cute baby photo props and they can crochet, be sure to check out this web site, she has a bunch listed with tutorials and pictures:
crochet baby photo props

I did it !!!

I have slowly started getting back into crochet and knitting, well I found this pattern on the internet for a basic crocheted dishcloth, which was fine and dandy, and I went a made a few. My problem was that even though I was using some really cute cotton yarns they were just well rather hum drum, I was looking for something that would pop, a repeated search on the internet was NOT bringing up anything that I thought had some POP to it, so after much undoing and repeated doing over I finally came up with something, I think, a little different then just regular crocheted dish clothes. It took some doing in finding the right number of rows necessary to do the scallop edge correctly, and the hardest part was getting the number of scallops to work out evenly all the way around the edges. I am sure it isn't the biggest accomplishment in the world but given it has been 25 years since I have crocheted or knitted anything, quilting kind of butt it's head in, I am pretty proud of my accomplishment. Now a experienced crocheter can probably look at these and redo them in a heart beat but I am hoping that I can continue on and come up with some other different variations on these, and they are a really good project to do in front of the TV at night when the work day is over with, like that is ever a possibility when you own your own business :)

I have also just placed a restock order with the supplier for Wash a day Clothepin bag pattern from Darlene Zimmerman and the Look Who's Sleeping in my Bed baby quilt pattern by Susie C Shore designs, which will be reloaded into my supply shop, they are scheduled to arrive sometime next week and those on the waiting list will get their notification that they have arrived for purchase as soon as I verify them in the shipping box. I also have a few new items that the supplier loaded onto the web site since the last time I checked, but I won't say yet til I make sure that they are actually going to send them to me. I will update on here when they do arrive :)
Well off to get ready for a new work day, hope everyone has a good day and you can bet I will be making some more of these for the upcoming craft fairs this season, they just might be a good seller :) Til next time

February shop News

Finally finished the books for January, working a part time job now so it is a little bit more difficult to get the time to close the months books, but I guess NY state won't really care as long as they receive their sales tax payments on time, LOL

My military customers made a sizable contribution to the USO pot for the beginning of the first quarter, 2 more months to go and we will submit the donation. January s figure was $55.80, which is a really good figure for the beginning of the year.

I have been working on double sided embroidery for the embroidered wrist lanyards, US Marines are done and are on the table waiting to be sewn and have the hardware attached, I am still working on the positioning of the US Air Force ones but am hoping to have them done by the middle of the month, they are actually on the table for tomorrow but we will have to see how many orders come in for custom orders first before we make definite plans on doing them. Orders come before play in my shop, hahaha.

Found a really cute tutorial online for a rip + strip placemat tutorial, I am hoping to find time to give it a try, if you want to give it a go here is the link to follow to do your own:

Rip + Strip Placemat Tutorial


Well that's it for now, I promise I will return soon with any new things I find and worse case scenario it will be to update the running total for the USO donation for the Military, til then happy sewing :)

Shop News for the New Year

Hi Folks,

Well 2016 is off and running, most of the tax paperwork is done, final Military donation for the year was made and for the last quarter , with sales contributions of $69.90 from my military customers and I pitched in a final amount to get us to the $100 level. With the total donation for the year coming in at $598.00 my Military customers rocked the USO this year, hoping that 2016 we can do it again.

Looking at some different variations on what we are already carrying, with lanyard machine issues constantly cropping up I am forced to keep what we can make on the small side, so look for some new mini key fobs for the different branches with dual branch embroidery on both sides of the fob, I am going to see about making some small size quilts with coordinating fabric for the different branches and their logos and maybe if we have the time I can introduce personalized Christmas stockings this year.

We start this year off participating in a Team Event on Etsy, the Quiltsy Destash Party, please if you have the time and either sew or craft some real bargains can be had by shopping the stores participating, some are just cleaning their sewing rooms and others, like me, have had to down size to fit into smaller places when we moved over the past year.
Check it out here:

The Great Quiltsy Destash Party

Starting Date: January 15th, 2016

The party ends when its all gone!

Place: The Quiltsy Team Pages on Etsy

We are a team of quilting entrepreneurs dedicated to making quality products, advancing our love of quilting, and supporting each other. In 2016 we will be working to showcase new products and ideas, promoting our shops, and changing the way you think about quilting! All this creativity means we are opening our quilting studios up to you. Fabrics, Patterns, Quilt Books, and Kits are all available for the taking. We welcome you to start your shopping and browsing at any time by clicking on the links below.

https://www.etsy.com/pages/quiltsyteam/destash-quilt-books

https://www.etsy.com/pages/quiltsyteam/destash-patterns-and-kits

https://www.etsy.com/pages/quiltsyteam/destash-fabric

https://www.etsy.com/pages/quiltsyteam/exciting-new-fabrics-patterns-and-tools

https://www.etsy.com/pages/quiltsyteam/gifts-for-sewing-enthusiasts

Please also feel free to browse our handmade items as well at:

https://www.etsy.com/pages/quiltsyteam

Find us on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/QuiltsyTeam

Thanks for stopping by and giving us a look. Happy Shopping!

IBH shop of the Week

My spotlight shop this week is ; http://www.etsy.com/shop/YankeeBurrowCreation

This shop carries a variety of different items, from traditional crocheted items for adults and children, to vintage and wedding items. With this much diversity there has got to be something that you just have to have.

I particularly love these; they would be a really cute addition to your summer closet.

And this would be appropriate for the cool weather that is starting to descend on those of us who live in the northern hemisphere; With the cool weather today, I am definitely feeling the need for one of these, Brrrrr !!!!!

If you get a chance, be sure to check out Debbi and Amanda's shop, it could be well worth your time :)

It's Better Handmade Artist Spotlight

My spotlight shop this week is ;
It is owned by Samantha Sawtelle, her shop is full of some very unique handmade items that she has added her own little flourish to, she turns a simple wallet into a work of art by adding hand painted script and  filigree to it;
http://www.etsy.com/listing/94778369/one-of-a-kind-hand-painted-script-and

She also makes the cutest evening bags :
http://www.etsy.com/listing/98346408/small-fantasy-multi-colored-asian-flower



Which has her own personal touch with the cute little ribbon tassel on the bottom of the bag.
These and more can be found in her shop;
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MidniteHollow
Be sure to pay her a visit and tell her Ruth sent you :)