Craftybase walk-through part 2

Craftybase walk-through of selling an item

Hopefully you have had some time to use Craftybase and are comfortable entering all your expenses and inventory items! I had to get into a bit of a rhythm when entering my manufactures and my orders and actually had to make myself little notes that I put right next to the computer at first. I had to think of it this way: I am not just taking the fabric and balling it up then sending to my customers, I am actually making a tangible item with it. This is what your manufactures are, that tangible item (my cheat sheet said "I made this!" to help me remember why I am entering my item there).

screen shot of an item in my projects tab- the manufactures tab is circled in blue and this is what you want to update anytime you make an item!

 

I am going to use the example of pants I make for little ones. I buy my fabric and get it all entered as an expense. Then I am going to go in and create a project to let my system know "hey, I will be making these grey pants with a really cute pink airplane on the tush and these are the fabrics I use when making it" that way anytime I make those pants in the future I don't have to remember how much fabric I use for my applique or the pants. If there is a consistent material I use every single time I make these pants then I will add that to the recipe (the tab for this can be seen in the middle-right of your screen once you save the project). However, if the amount of fabric you use changes because you make different sizes/ colors etc. you can leave it out of the recipe OR you can remember to adjust the amount you use when you create a manufacture. Once I actually make those adorable airplane pants I need to let my system know I used a couple squares of fabric, some elastic and some grey interlock knit fabric as well. This is where you can add that great tracking number as well if you are selling children's items! I use it for my batch code under the manufactures tab as well as my order code under my order screen so I can see that tracking number easily on the main orders screen, which is where we will go once our manufacture is created. Add your item to the order and you are set! If you ever forget to enter the manufacture for an item, the system will have a red negative number in the "in stock" column under the main project screen. It's easy to see when you glace at the screen and you can go back and enter it then so your inventory stays up-to-date! I feel like my business information in much more organized now and after the bulk of my items were entered it felt much less daunting to keep up with. If you haven't had a chance to check out Craftybase head over there and take advantage of their 14 day FREE trial. Play around with it and see what you think. it works great for all types of businesses that create items to sell out of different materials (bakers, jewelry makers, wood-workers . . .)

DISCLAMIER: I am in no way affiliated with Craftybase, I am just a happy customer and work-at-home-mama that wants to help others out by making managing this part of your business easier. When you use my referral link, it does give both you and me 10% off our monthly fees so make sure to use it or someone else's that you know and get the discount!

 

My beginning



The first pair of pants I made!



2013 was a year full of changes and new beginnings. I was blessed with my 3rd baby boy in May. He came unexpectedly 3 weeks before he was due, to my surprise. I was in labor at work all day and in total denial, after all he wasn't supposed to come until June! We had a beautiful home birth and it was more than I could have imagined; so much better than the 2 previous inductions I had in the hospital. I planned to quit my job as a nurse for about a year to be home with my kids. With him being my last it was a bittersweet time and I wanted to soak up every moment with my babies while they were still little. I made the decision to cloth diaper, mainly to help save money while I was home from work. At first the cloth didn't work, I had a tiny little 5lb 8oz baby boy and he was swimming in the newborn covers I had. Once he grew enough for the diapers to fit, his clothes didn't. He quickly "outgrew" clothes because of his fluffy bottom and I found myself going through his dresser frequently to put away another stack of clothes that just weren't roomy enough in the tush. About 4 months after my baby boy was born I was again going through his clothes I thought to myself, "I know so many mama's that cloth diaper, why in the world are there not pants that fit over cloth?!". It then struck me I should make some! Now, I have sewn in the past but nothing too hard. I made scrubs when I graduated from nursing school, crib bedding (with my mom's help) before the birth of my first baby, and a few projects in between but that was about it. I got out a few pairs of pants that were different styles, did some reading online and starting cutting. I made a pattern with some freezer paper and then sewed my first pair of pants out of an old t-shirt. I was so excited! They fit great over his huge cloth diaper AND his legs! It's OK if you are looking at them thinking, "those are really terrible looking pants!", I thought the same thing! I was seeing if my design was even going to work, I wasn't going for pretty here guys!



the first REAL pair of pants I made!!



 After what I called success, I went on and finalized the pattern and then started sizing them. That was a loooong process! You can't just add an inch to the waist and the bottom of the legs and think the pants will look right, trust me!! Thankfully I had several mama's who were more than willing to let me use their little ones as models to help me get the fit right. It took a few tries but I finally had my finalized patterns for all the sizes. As I continued to create, my ideas grew. From the beginning I knew I wanted each pair of pants to have a design on the tush. I had no idea how to sew them on but I was determined to figure it out. I read up on the subject and found you could use a regular sewing machine to sew a satin stitch. I was in business! I got to work right away with my trusty machine and sewed an owl on my first pair of pants. I have to say I was pretty surprised that it looked so good for my first try. But, I also knew if I was really going to do this as a business there was no way I could make each pair of pants that way, it was too time consuming.

my first design
 

With the help of my awesome step-mom another idea was born! I was going to get an embroidery machine and appliqué my designs on the clothes!

It's been a fast journey, and one I never imagined I would be on. I definitely had to adjust to being a stay-at-home mom who owns a business making clothes, but I wouldn't change a thing. I love being home with my kids and I truly enjoy being able to create adorable clothes that other people really like. Thank you to all my family and friends who have supported me and helped me along the way! You have made this possible for me.