a common thread blog

keeping track of your etsy expenses with outright

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:30:00 +0000

if you sell things on etsy, or other handmade/vintage shops, then you're familiar with the one burdensome task of keeping track of your inventory, your expenses and reporting your taxes. i am such a spreadsheet person that the thought of keeping track of everything actually excites me. however, after about a month, i wanted to kill my spreadsheet. after doing a little research, i came across outright, which turns out to be the best thing ever. it's so simple, yet so clever. you just introduce outright to your paypal account, they make friends, and you never have to do anything else ever again.

first, in order for this to work completely automated, i make sure that ONLY my business transactions go through my paypal account. no personal purchases, no personal money in. i use my account to make all of my supply purchases, pay my etsy fees, etc. i also requested a paypal debit card, which i make all of my in-store purchases, post office mailings, etc. you could also have a separate credit card that you make business-only charges to.

second, outright meet paypal. paypal meet outright. login to outright and connect to paypal. every transaction through paypal gets imported into outright and once you define a transaction into a (tax) category, outright learns and then automatically assigns future transactions in the same manner.

that's it! then outright gives you reports, tells you how you're doing in sales (income vs expenses; by customer; by month, etc). and at tax time, they give you a handy printout that has all of your expenses, income, etc, all categorized for you and even tells you how much you owe (quarterly). magic!

one other thing...i also learned about shoeboxed when i signed up for outright. for the 1% of my expenses that i can't buy on my paypal account/debit, i take a picture of the receipt, upload it to shoeboxed, then outright also imports my shoeboxed expenses (and has a link to the receipt). so, if i ever need to pull up the receipt, i have an electronic copy of it.

a few blog favorites

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

recently i've come across some really amazing blogs (and some i've been following for quite a while) and thought it'd be great to share.

off the rack - this blog is a wonderful mix of fashion and a d.i.y. mentality. they have links to great and fashionable products, often featuring smaller shops, and the occassional amazing diy ideas.

fieldguided - after reading just a few posts by anabela, i decided that at some point we were separated at birth. i adore her style, and she loves cats, and she sews! she has the best d.i.y. tutorials (like this miu miu collar!) and is constantly sewing or fashioning new brilliant things. and of course, featuring her cat.

calivintage - erin runs this great style blog and she has the best fashion sense! i adore all of her perfect vintage or vintage-inspired outfits, and i'm constantly learning something new from her. from a new way to tie a headband like a turban, or where to find a cute vintage shoes or purse, i'm constantly amazed.

make something - this blog is such a source of inspiration. i love all of her projects, and am amazed at all of her fabrics she uses. just reading through her wish list makes me want to run out and sew something immediately.

d.i.y. caftan

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

a while back, i participated in a trade on etsy for this lovely red silk caftan dress, which was pretty long and flowy. i liked the flowiness for things like summery outings and cocktails on the beach, but for every day wear in the city, i thought it needed a little makeover.

i didn't want to permanently cut off the dress. so, going from this long length, i folded up the hem a few times, then put a hand slip stitch hem in place.

so, right now it's a nice short frock for city-wear, but i'm planning on pulling the thread and letting loose the long caftan for upcoming beach days.

new project: amish socks

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

a few years ago, i came across a photo in vogue knitting of a pair of wild and crazy-colored socks, reported to be worn underneath the somewhat somber and muted clothing of the amish. i liked the idea that even though no one could see them, some pretty crazy and colorful things were being worn underneath those long skirts.

even though it's in the middle of summer and i'm probably completely crazy for wanting to attempt these at this time, i've finally knit enough (socks, projects in the round, tiny things) that i'm finally putting my own amish sock pattern together. eek! it's very exciting. i'm envisioning crazy things - bright colors, fun design patterns, and textural designs. right now, i have a single half royal blue footie done. posting pictures soon of the progress.

new stuff in shop!

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

i've been working hard and made a few shop updates over the past week. check out the new items!

1. pyrite heart necklace                 2. black knit bowtie necklace
3. white lace crochet necklace     4. smoky quartz necklace
5. zebra necklace                             6. red crochet coiled necklace

crochet pattern: coiled medallion necklace

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

the pattern for this coiled crochet medallion uses the bullion or roll crochet stitch. it's pretty fun to do, but takes a little practice before you can do it in one easy swoop.

the pattern and instructions for the little coiled medallion necklace is below...or if you're not so inclined to crochet, you can find the crochet necklace in the shop.

bullion stitch instructions
the actual bullion stitch is done by wrapping your hook 5-10 times (start small for practice) somewhat loosely, but very evenly. insert into your foundation stitch, wrap once, pull through foundation st. wrap once and pull through all of your loops. wrap once and pull through last loop.

PATTERN

*size C needle
*small thread

you can use any size hook and yarn/thread that you like. the smaller the daintier!

Round 1 - create loop (to knit in round) and dc into loop 10 times
Round 2 - ch 3 st, then into each dc, do 2 bullion 10-loop stitches

tie off end and weave in ends. attach to a chain and you're done!

handmade....shoes!

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

the other day i stumbled upon a blog post that cited an etsy shop who made....handmade shoes. of all things! shoes are one thing i've never dared to try to make, so i'm completely impressed with anyone who can pull this off. at the time, i'd just ordered a pair of little leather oxfords from aldo, but they didn't fit and i was struggling with the whole hassle of exchanging them....only to stumble upon these shoes. with these handmade shoes being $15 LESS EXPENSIVE than the aldo shoes, and probably better constructed, i promptly returned my shoes and bought a pair of these wonderful goldenponies shoes.

i'm so excited about them! they did take a little while to make their way to me...but when i imagine the hard work the handmade shoe elves had to put into them, it's all worth it. they are super soft leather and are so comfortable! someone even commented on them saying they look like the shoes Baby wore in dirty dancing. that could possibly be the best compliment i've ever received!

candy necklace

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

a while back i came across a very bright (and very expensive) mounsser necklace that i decided i could relatively easily make myself. i’ve been forever collecting bright-colored trinkets and hearts, and finally felt like i’d amassed the perfect dangly bits and the best matched gold chain, so it was time to put it all together.

it basically has a million little pieces that took forever to attach. but, i’ve set up my jewelry workspace to watch hulu to pass along the hours while i work. this necklace was happily made while watching episode after episode of 21 jump street (i was running out of tv options), so this necklace will forever conjure up an image of young johnny depp’s face every time i wear it.

crochet necklaces - new colors!

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

i've been adding some new summer colors to the shop!

hot hot heat

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

after picking up wendy mullin's dress making book, i was inspired to pull out this polka dot dress that i started working on, ahem, a year ago, and finish it up.

i made this dress with no pattern (a first for me!). i loosely followed this tutorial and photo by maryy from burdastyle, and sort of made it up as i went along. it has a sort of sweetheart neckline (with a gathered front), and a very full skirt that starts right under the bodice. if you’re feeling fancy though, burdastyle later created this pattern which is similar to the dress, but honestly it’s so simple you could do it without a pattern.

to start, i made the bodice following mary’s tutorial, but only stitching up one side seam, and pinching and sewing the middle to create a sweetheart neckline. i did end up adding in 2 vertical darts to the bust to make the fit a little better. then i made a separate full skirt by sewing 2 really long rectangles of fabric together at the side seam (and adding a pocket). then i gathered it around the waist til it fit me, sewed it to the bodice, then added a long zipper in the side seam, attaching it all together.

and, sewing this dress inspired me to make 13 dresses this summer!

burdastyle d.i.y. summer guide

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

burdastyle is offering up a ultimate d.i.y. summer style guide with tons and tons of summertime patterns including bathing suits, maxi dresses, beach hats, etc.

dainty mitts

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:50:00 +0000

after thinking about these, and plotting the yarn, and finally committing to them, i finally finished these mitts! they were actually very quick, given the tiny, tiny needles and yarn. i love that they have sort of a vintage feel to them. i'd like to think of one day (30 years from now) someone coming across them and getting very excited of such a wonderful, vintage handmade find.

i used Elann Peruvian Pure Alpaca Fina, less than 1 skein on US 4 needles. the pattern is by french kit. you can check out the other projects on ravelry.

a common thread tumblr

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:13:00 +0000

as evidenced by my lack of posting, sometimes it's too much to compose a full post, but i have lots of d.i.y. ideas floating around that need to be chronicled and organized SOMEWHERE. sooo...(even though i really don't need ANOTHER website) i'm very excited about the new d.i.y. inspiration tumblr. with only a handful of projects to start, i have plenty more to add, and will be very soon.

off catching dreams

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:03:00 +0000

my friends, gina and jason of land-rich, have put up gorgeous new DREAM CATCHERS for sale. i love ALL of the colors.

pattern: mesh crochet necklace

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I wanted to put together a simple mesh crochet necklace, almost like a kerchief-style scarf. here's what i came up with. pattern is below, or if you're not so inclined to make your own, check them out in the shop.

Pattern

Materials:

E/4 - 3.4mm crochet hook
DK weight yarn (I used a cotton/linen yarn)
gauge doesn’t really matter.
CH 40 sts
row 1: dc into 4rd ch from hook, *ch1, skip 1 ch, dc into next st*, repeat from * until end of the row (ending with a dc). turn.
row 2: sl st into first st, ch 2, *ch 1, skip dc on previous row, dc into next ch st. repeat from * across row. (always end row with a dc, which will be 1 st shorter than the previous row. you’re decreasing 2 st each row - 1 at the beg and 1 at the end).

repeat row 2 until 1 st remains. bind off.

to make it bigger or smaller, just do your initial chain in any odd number of stitches + 3.

land-rich // beautiful handmade shop

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:24:00 +0000

my friends gina and jason have just opened up a new shop, Land-Rich, with beautiful classic items inspired by raw nature.

the current edition has four amazing ornaments filled with simple, raw elements. my favorites are the reindeer moss (essential food for reindeer) and the tallow bulbs (small versions are just $10!). just in time for the holidays!

sale in the shop

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:02:00 +0000

hey guys, just letting you know that i'm holding a little sale in the etsy shop. everything is marked down 10-20% or has free shipping!

tv dinner time

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

i've always been a fan of tv dinner style trays and decor, and absolutely loved this wallpapered tv tray from design*sponge.

this is such a clever and perfect way to making a vintage item beautiful and modern. i've been a long admirer of this wallpaper and have considered adding it as a touch of color to one wall in my living room. but having it cover something useful, such as this cute little tv tray is perfect.

and a tv tray stand wouldn't be complete with the most adorable tv dinner plate. i love this porcelain version of the old plastic types. and it even keeps your food separated!

then there's also the plastic version of the prison lunch tray. i actually bought a set of these in stainless steel a while back, but it looks like only the plastic version is offered now.

vintage charm jewelry

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

i recently came across some wonderful vintage finds, and created some necklaces featuring them as charms. i love the mix of the gold-tone brassy colored charms mixed with the darker patina chains. now available in the shop.

the lone wolf

a big ole' gold heart

the panda bear eating bamboo (!)

d.i.y. wall decor + organization

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

i've noticed a few ideas and tutorials popping up out there that i'd like to try around my apartment. first there was the most beautiful toilet paper roll decor from design*sponge that i've ever seen. originally designed as "kid art"...hmmmm...

i really liked the idea of it, but something about toilet paper rolls just seemed...not fitting. then i came across this design with cans!

green + sturdier than cardboard rolls + functional! i love that you can actually store things in the cans. maybe this would be the perfect decor/storage in the craft/office room.

in search of the perfect cape

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

ever since the summer, i've been plotting in my head the perfect cape for this fall/winter. it just seems like a much easier thing to make than a full winter coat. and with the ease of making it, comes the ability to make multiples ones. i could see having a new winter cape with every outfit.

originally i was inspired by this beautiful red cloak by the super talented maryy from burdastyle. she makes the most creative and beautiful clothes, all without using a pattern! i'm always envious of all of her creations.

other beautiful capes started popping up, including this plaid version worn by jane from sea of shoes. i love these rich beautiful colors.

so, in searching for a pattern, burdastyle offers this beautiful version, which they've made up in a wonderful gray wool. and no arm holes = super easy.

the cape seems like such an easy thing that it probably doesn't warrant spending the $4 on a circle pattern. so, i searched around and found this easy tutorial for cloak-making, which i'm hoping to test out very soon.

burda fashion: free winter patterns

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

burda has some really great free sewing patterns available right now. i love this tulle skirt! it's so winter wonderlandy.

and this fur vest! such perfect winter wear.

thanksgiving printables

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:24:00 +0000

if you're planning a thanksgiving celebration, LoveObsessInspire has the cutest little thanksgiving invitations, free for the printing.

etsy treasury: the bird girls can fly

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000

i was lucky enough to snag an etsy treasury last night and put together a cozy and warm selection of ruffles and frills, and feathers and fringe.

project: victorian wallpaper skirt

acommonthreadcrafts@gmail.com (acommonthread) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000

my latest project was the revamping of a skirt that i found at a stoop sale a few weeks ago. the fabric was so beautiful, like the wallpaper that would be hung in a very fancy house. unfortunately, this was how the skirt fit...like a big, long, frumpy sack.

to change the fit, i needed to add some darts. i wanted the front of the skirt to remain flat with no darts, and the zipper was in one of the side seams, so all of the fitting had to be done in 2 huge darts in the back. since i was going for the easy-fix on this one, i didn't mind that the side seams no longer are at my sides.

next, i chopped off about 5 inches from the bottom and baby-hemmed the lining and the skirt all at once. yes, not the best, but it was really quick and doesn't look bad.

with the extra fabric i chopped off, i made an extra long tie-belt backed with the extra lining from the skirt. i would have preferred if the belt was wider, but i wouldn't have much of a skirt left.

and here's how it turned out...

overall, i'm pretty happy with the new skirt. but, i have to admit that i did almost all of these alterations late last night half-awake and there's still a bunch of little things left to do (including a gaping hole in my tie-belt! oh no!). but that was no reason to not wear this new skirt today.