A New Product for my Etsy Shop

After finishing my long list of Christmas Quilts, I was in the mood to try something different - and SMALLER - like placemats!  The perfect small quilting project.

I have a HUGE collection of batiks, so I spent a couple of days cutting some of the smaller pieces up into 5" Charm Squares.  Now I have this wonderful palette to pick from when I am designing each set.  Just like getting a jumbo box of new crayons when I was a kid.  Such fun!

I love the crisp "hand" of the batiks, and the "artsy" look they give to projects.

So far, I have completed two sets and have listed them in my Cotton Cellar Etsy Shop.  Etsy now lets me add 10 pictures for each listing, so if you want to see more, including the gorgeous batik fabric I used for the backs, just Click Here.  They are pretty enough to be reversible!

I tried a new batting for this project, Quilters Dream 80/20 Fusion, and I have to say, this stuff is awesome!  I haven't tried it in a quilt yet, but it's perfect for placemats!  The fusible side is very, very subtle - just looks like a few light strands of spider web - but it holds perfectly.  I used 505 basting spray to secure the tops, and the Fusion is fused to the backs.
Love, Love, Love it!

(note - while their website lists 2 Fusion options, Cotton or Poly, they have recently discontinued them and now offer an 80/20 blend of Fusion, which is what I used.)

Now it's time to step away for a bit and get some of my last minute Christmas prep items done.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Etsy Changes

Have you seen the new look of our Etsy shops?

Yesterday they rolled out some pretty significant changes.  When you visit a shop now, everything is on one page - no more clicking over to other pages to see sellers policies, shop announcements, About page, testimonials, etc.

It's all right there in one place.  And that's just the beginning.

I have been reading, researching, attending webinars - doing my best to learn as much as I can to make my shop better.  I strongly believe that these changes will really enhance the buying/selling experience for everyone.  If you get a chance, pop over and take a look.

Just click HERE.

(and feel free to "share/like/fave/pin/heart" or whatever floats your boat.  Every click helps.)

I would love to hear your comments about the new look!

In addition to re-working my shop layout, I've also been super excited about my newest product.  I showed you a glimpse of some coasters I made in my last post, and I had so much fun making them that I made some more - and more - and more...

(They're addictive, in case you didn't notice.)

I have two listings up now on Etsy, and more coming soon.

Here is a shot of the ones I'm working on now...

I have so many other fabrics lined up, just waiting to be made into these modern Hexagon Coasters - a mix of solids and prints - all framed with Natural Essex Linen.

Can't wait to get started on more Hexies!

New Etsy Listings

Remember the Checkerboard Baby Quilts I blogged about starting in December?

I finally finished 5 of the 6 quilts, and spent the last couple of days taking and editing photos, writing new listings, and generally updating things in my Etsy Shop.

Then I rewarded myself with a walk on this sunny 60 degree February day.  Good for the soul.

As I worked on these quilts, it occured to me that there is nothing that limits them to just baby quilts!

As I wrote in my listing descriptions, they are:

"Perfect on the floor for baby's "tummy-time" play - for a toddler to snuggle under at story time - or for adults who simply want to add a splash of color to a room."

Here is a picture of the five new quilts...

...and a link to the listings in my shop, Cotton Cellar.

Cheers!

Eyeglass Pouches

Just finished up a custom order for some Flex-Frame Eyeglass Pouches.  The order was only for four (all shown on the left), but I figured that it would be more efficient to make a couple more at the same time, so I made six.  I only had one left in stock in my Etsy shop, so I needed some more anyway.  I hope to get these two extra ones (the two on the right) listed in the next couple of days.

Speaking of Etsy - a little while ago they made some changes to the way our Etsy shops look, and I love what they did.  The information is presented much more clearly to the viewer now, and the placement of everything makes so much more sense than it did before.

They also gave us the opportunity to publish an "About" page for our shops, giving the viewer a chance to get a glimpse into our studios and learn a little bit about what we do, and how we do it.  I've been rolling ideas around in my head for the last few months, trying to decide how to present mine.  I don't know about you, but I find it really difficult to write about myself, let alone pick a profile picture that I like!  I know - we're our own worst critic when it comes to pictures of ourselves.

So anyway, I spent several hours yesterday working on my About page, and finally published it.  Done!  It's not perfect, but I'm happy, and now I can get back to my sewing...

If you're interested and want to take a peek, here's a link.  And please, don't be afraid to point out any typos, or anything that doesn't make sense, etc.  Feedback is always appreciated!

New Etsy Listings!

It's been a productive week!  It's been so hot that I don't mind working in my Cotton Cellar.  At least it's cool down there!  I finished the 2 custom cell phone pouches... 

 ...and made 4 zippered cosmetic bags.

The blue and black ones are all ready spoken for, and I've listed the red and tan ones in my Etsy shop.

Click here for the Etsy listing for the red one...

and click here for the Etsy listing for the tan one.

Now I'm headed out for a nice dinner out with my hubby.  Too hot to cook...

Wall Pockets Finished

Thanks to all of you who gave me your opinions on how I should finish these wall pocket blocks. (previous post here).
In the end, I decided to finish them as a series of four individual wall quilts, or wall pockets. Each has a split hanging sleeve on the back, so whoever purchases them can buy one, two, three, or all four, and hang them in whatever configuration fits their space.

You can see the Etsy listings here. The link will take you to the first listing, but that listing is linked to the other three as well.

What is Etsy???

Although I just opened my Etsy shop in January, I've been shopping on Etsy for several years now, and I'm continually amazed at the number of people I run into who have never heard of Etsy.
I meet someone new, and the conversation goes something like this:

She/He: "I love your bags/quilts - Do you have them for sale in a shop somewhere?"
Me: "Yes - I have a shop on Etsy.com called Cotton Cellar."
She/He: "What's Etsy???" (or better yet - ESTY - I think they're confused with the cosmetic giant, Estee Lauder)

If you are one of those people, or you just want to learn more about it, here is an "infographic" (that's a new word for me!) that takes the mystery out of Etsy. I received it via email today from PromotionalCodes.net and while it's a little lengthy, it's done in a graphical format so it's an easy-read.

Etsy is a very large marketplace, so it's really tough for us "newbies" to get started. I've been told it can take several months for a new shop to really get noticed and started selling. I can believe that, because my shop has been open for almost 3 months now and sales are pretty slim. But I'm not complaining - honest! I still believe that if I'm patient, and keep working hard, the sales will come...

So for those of us that are struggling to make our little shops successful, please spread the ETSY word to your friends and family by passing on this infographic.
Enjoy!

Source: PromotionalCodes.net