I've been on a bit of a mission, of sorts, for the past almost three months now.
Over the past 18 months, I've been a busy little beaver doing all kinds of embroidery projects as you may recall. The objective initially in those projects was that I had the items I made in mind to be used as Christmas gifts for my kids -kind of a way to give them something they would be able to keep -and yes, use too -over the years that would be something tangible, from me to them, for long after I have gone on to my just rewards, ya know.
Well, since last fall I have been giving a lot of consideration to perhaps trying to find a way to post the items I have made online and offer them for sale. I've found a couple of places too where I can, in essence, set up a web presence to have my own little venture there then.
Although I have no idea at all if this would actually be something of a most successful home based business type venture of not but sometime in the near future, it is going to be something I have decided I'm going to give a try at any rate.
The problem for me right now is the length of time it takes me to create a finished product of the embroidery items I love to make! I really enjoy making the table toppers -a small tablecloth that measures usually anywhere from 31x31 inches square to 36x36 inches square. Sometimes, I can find one I like and can get it done in under a week. Then there are others -such as the one I am working on now -that take a long time to get them finished! The one I'm doing now is cross stitched (not counted, oh no, no, no, never would I tackle an item this size in counted cross stitch as I would never live long enough to see it completed or I would really go blind in very short order, I'm sure) but anyway, this project involves a lot of stitching and I've been working on it for almost three weeks now. Yeah, I am getting close to finishing it but I don't see anyway I can possibly put a piece like this on a website and offer it for sale as the amount of time I have invested in it, would make it impossible to determine a fair price then for the item.
So, I'm thinking because this particular piece consists of a cardinal (the bird, not a ball player) in each corner, with a bit of greens around it, and because a very dear, good friend of mine dearly loves anything to do with cardinals and also because she has a birthday coming up at the end of this month, I'm considering that this item will never see the "for sale" pile of stuff I have done!
Just as I don't feel I can put a price on this item, I know too that I also can never put a price on the value of the friendship I have with her and I know this is something when I get it done that she would understand the time element involved, she would also know too that I opted to give this to her not just because I know how much she loves cardinals but also, as a way to remember her Mother too -who also loved cardinals so very much.
There will surely be other projects that don't require quite as much time to complete them that I can do and put in my "for sale" stash, don't you agree?
6 comments:
What a wonderful gift for your friend. I hook rugs but am VERY slow at it ~ I have been working on my current rug for three years ~ I work on it, leave it alone for awhile...my goal is to finish it by September so I can enter in our local Fair. Good luck on starting a new venture ~ you are one ambitious lady ! Take care.
I guess it can be difficult to turn a hobby into a business...even a modest business. Just don't let it add to your stress level with your health.
Make it be fun!
I hope you can find enough items - and the time to do them in - to make it a profitable and fun thing. Since I know nothing whatsoever about the type of art you do - and it is art - I can't offer anything other than good luck!
Having seen a few of the items you've created, I have no doubt you could sell them, easily!
I think once you start making things that you love doing for money......... then something of the pleasure dies....
I also think you could never recoup the money that the item is really worth because the time you took to do it, would make it too pricey.
Just my opinion of course.
Nuts in May
I say, stay at it. Side note- my second cousin came to visit this past week and stayed in the guest room. Although I had forgotten about it, there on the bed was a blanket my great grandmother had made for me many many years ago. When my cousin walked in the room and saw it, we both thought of grandma and smiled- all these years later. It was one of the nicest things she could have done for me, 20 years after she passed on.
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