Getting into the Swing of Things

After making three bears (as you can see in my Etsy shop) I've started to get into a groove. It's the same pattern each time, though I make little tweaks here and there. Last night, I was able to zip though this bear much quicker, and with much more skill, I might add. I've figured out how to get the ears, legs and tail sewn into the seams of the body, rather than stitching them in afterward, which speeds up the process, and makes the bears a little less delicate. I do need to go get some more buttons though. I've started really trusting myself and my sewing machine, which means I don't have to use pins really...I find they get in my way mostly.

I spent quite a bit of time on Etsy.com yesterday, trying to figure out the site, spending some time in the virtual labs. It was interesting and overwhelming. Being new at this and realizing how much work really goes into marketing your product. Whoa! But I had a great idea today. I spend a lot of time checking out the animals that are available at my local animal shelter, where we adopted my cat. They are a really great organization and even though we really can't get a second cat right now, I always find myself going back to their site. Well, I had the idea to make a line of cats and dogs, sort of a variation off my bear model, and donate a portion of the proceeds to the shelter. They do a lot of work through facebook, and have a decent following, so I think it would be a great way to get myself out there and also help out my favorite charity. What do you guys think?