StudioKat Designs- "A Work in Progress"

Four Ways to Stay on Top of the Yucky Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

As much as I love being in business for myself, and even though I get a kick out of wearing almost ALL of the hats around here, it can sometimes be REALLY tricky wearing all of those hats!

To run my business, I need to obviously be a sewer, a bag designer, and a pattern drafter. But in addition, I also need to be a book keeper, an accountant, a web designer, a writer, a graphic designer, a secretary, a mail clerk and a research analyst, and those are just the hats I wear on a regular basis.

To say some of the hats fit better than others is an understatement. And I can tell you for sure, that I would always choose to be sewing, rather than paying bills, but if I don't put that accounts payable hat on pretty regularly, then it won't be long before my business won't be about sewing anymore.

All this to say... since I can't pass off the jobs I dislike to someone else, it's necessary that I stay on top of EVERYTHING, even the yucky stuff! So without further ado, here's four techniques I use on a regular basis to avoid the pitfalls of procrastination.

1. Make Lists- It's no secret that I'm a huge proponent of a good list. As a matter of fact, the more mundane and unlikeable the task, the MORE it should be on the list. Because after all, I'm not likely to forget to do the things I LIKE to do!

2. Do it First- I can procrastinate with the best of them, so if I force myself to do the unenjoyable task FIRST, chances are good that I'll knuckle down, focus, and get it done so I can move along to the thing I'd really rather do!

3. Give Yourself an Incentive- I don't just dislike wearing the house-cleaning hat, I DESPISE it! That's why Thursdays are the ONE day of the week that I allow myself to have a soda with my lunch. And by soda, I mean of course an ice-cold, full strength, fully caffeinated Coca-Cola. Heck, if it's a particularly rough house-cleaning day (like after a house full of company), I may just allow myself the whole enchilada and make a lunchtime run to McDonald's)!

4. Do it to Music!- Let's face it, music makes almost everything more enjoyable... even filing, which I can't stand. It's distracting enough to keep my mind off how incredibly boring it is to do filing, but not so distracting that it causes me to stop or slow down, in the way TV would.

So... what about you?

Do you use any of these techniques to keep yourself on task?
Or maybe you utilize a different technique? Either way I'd love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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PPC5- Build it YOUR way!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

a slightly different placement of the Insert Connector zippers.
a re-design of the darted area of the Envelope theory.
adding an elastic stay-strap to the Credit Card Caddy to provide more security for credit cards.
finding an upgraded, easy to use spring clasp for keys.

So here's our new sample all dressed up in some of Laurel Burch's "Basics" line for Spring (from Clothworks).

As we've already shown you, each of these insert sizes can actually be used very effectively as a separate, stand-alone insert, but what we haven't shown you as of yet....

is that you can combine any two of these inserts and utilize them as a duo if you prefer.

In this picture, we paired a tall insert with our main unit. (This particular combination is what I have been using for weeks now in my Boho Baguette.)

But depending on the bag we're carrying on another day, we may prefer to combine a thin insert with our tall unit like we have in this example.

This overhead view of the tall/thin duo gives us a chance to show off the partitioned interior of the thin insert, a feature I have REALLY enjoyed!

And here's our main insert zipped up with the thin unit, but in a side-by-side configuration, which is perfect for use in totebag.

We also resolved a few troublesome design issues with this sample.

There's more daylight under the zipped connector between these two units now, which facilitated the stitching process some, but there's still some work to be done on the connectors themselves for next time to make the installation process quicker and easier.

This picture also provides a good look at the redesign of the gusseted pockets (on BOTH units), which is an improvement over the last sample, BUT... and this is a big but... the construction process was a NIGHTMARE, so some modifications are in order for next time.

And as promised, I changed the installation of the elastic so that it's no longer extending out into the side seam and I'm now locating the fabulous little spring-loaded clamp for keys in between the pen holders, and which I like a LOT.

And finally, we added fusible interfacing to both Credit Card Caddy's which will improve the durability & functionality of the slots, AND more importantly, we added a wraparound piece of elastic to provide additional credit card security. I LOVE the elastic and it was easy to install.

I still need to improve the inner structure of the Caddy. It feels a little flimsy on each end.

Here's the smaller Caddy in the Thin Insert. (Same design as it's larger cousin shown above.)

SO..... in conclusion,

let me give you the details about this wonderful fabric, which was provided courtesy of Clothworks.

Except for the pale yellow fabric, which was something I already had, these fabrics are ALL from Laurel Burch's Basics line. I would recommend you first check availability at your local quilt/fabric store.

Basics #90331-1M Stripe
Basics #Y0841-27M Lavender Triangles
Basics #Y0841-40M Coral Triangles

And here's the REALLY BIG news! I decided on a name for this new design at last! Were calling it, the

PortaPocketsPLUS

So there you have it. There's still got a few little modifications to make, but overall I'm pretty happy with the design. So stay tuned my friends, because next up is some simply spectacular fabric from Jane Sassaman. I know you'll flip when you see it!

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Feel free to share them below!

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February 2012 Handbag of the Month Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Our January Handbag of the Month contest was a "Battle of the 2nd's" from 2011 and it was a REAL barnburner! There was an unprecedented number of votes and it was an extremely close race to the end, but our winner was Pat Leask of Munster, Ontario, Canada. She wins a $20 virtual gift certificate and her incredible Baggalista will have a permanent place of honor on our website.

But now, it's time to start a new year of contests, and the lineup we have for you this month is a terrific way to kick it off! And don't forget, if you'd like more info about any particular entry, check out our newsletter (available in our archive on 2/7/12) So...without further delay, here the February entries. When you're ready to vote, click this link, or use the link at the bottom of this post, to be taken to our official voting page!

a graphic Quattro by Laurie Dewey

A Mardi Gras Quattro by Linda Arsement

Gadabout with matching accessories by Delores Kaeser

an Aussie-print Bellagio Bag by Veronica Johnson

a stunning Quattro by Peg Rice of Westport Island, Maine

a tapestry DittyRoo by Mary Jane Hendrickson

a soft, lush DittyRoo by Mary Jane Hendrickson

And last but certainly not least!

a Dr. Seuss inspired Quattro by Christine O'Donnel

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So there you have it...It's gonna be tough, but you can only vote for ONE bag!

Are you ready to cast a vote for YOUR favorite?

Click here to vote.

Do you enjoy our monthly handbag contests?
Please feel free to pass this post on to others at Facebook, Twitter or StumbleUpon,
and if you want to leave a little applause for these ladies in the comments section,
I'm sure it would really make their day!

While I Was Sleeping

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

At the risk of sounding like a complete lunatic, I'm going to share a secret with you...

I solve a LOT of my design problems while I sleep!
(among other things)

OK- for those of you that did NOT hit the delete key, let me explain...

Most of us at some point in our lives have had the experience of going to bed with a problem on our mind, and waking up in the morning with a solution to that problem. That's where the old phrase, "Let me sleep on it." comes from. But here's the deal- I really do believe that the human brain is capable of doing things while we're asleep, that it simply cannot do while we are awake.

I first became aware of this phenomenon in college. I found that no matter what subject I was cramming for, if I could go over my study materials one more time IMMEDIATELY before going to sleep at night, then more times than not, I would wake up in the morning able to recite my notes confidently. It was almost as if sleep was the glue that made stuff stick in my memory.

Over time I perfected this technique almost to a science (my roomate's might disagree, calling it an obsession). My routine was to go over whatever I was studying (or struggling with) one more time just before closing my eyes, so that I literally "primed my brain" as I fell asleep. That meant no chit-chatting in the dark with the roomie, and no drifting off to sleep with music. And the results were nothing short of amazing (unless of course I had TWO tests to study for in the same evening). And you know what? Today there's actually quite a bit of medical evidence to suggest that even though our bodies may be sleeping, our brains continue to "work on" whatever we have "fed it with" prior to falling asleep, kinda like the ultimate multi-tasker!

So here's the deal...even though I'm no longer cramming for exams, I still put my brain to work on a regular basis while I sleep. Whether I'm having trouble resolving a design issue, struggling with the wording in my pattern instructions, or simply trying to come up with a tactful response to a less than tactful email, it's truly amazing how often I get the answers I need after I sleep on it.

And believe it or not, the original ideas for some of my best designs actually came to me in my sleep. As a matter of fact, I keep a pad of paper, a pencil & a flashlight on my nightstand for the express purpose of recording them immediately.

And LOOK! ... I found out that I'm in good company!

In her book, "The Committee of Sleep," dream researcher Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., recounts stories of celebrities and historical figures who've successfully mined their dreams for gold.

Billy Joel: The singer/songwriter says he often dreams musical arrangements; he's gone so far as to say, "I know all the music I've composed has come from a dream."

Frederick Banting: This Canadian doctor dreamed a way to isolate insulin and therefore, make diabetes treatable.

Paul McCartney: In 1965, the 22-year-old Beatle dreamed the melody of the song "Yesterday." Upon waking, he immediately sat down and played it on the piano.

Stephen King: The prolific writer of scary tales admits that he's taken images from his vivid dreams for his novels and short stories, including Salem's Lot and It.

Any thoughts?

If so, I would absolutely LOVE for you to share them below!

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And as usual, if you've enjoyed this post, we invite you to pass it on to others in any way you see fit.

PPC5- A Triple Threat

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)

So... in our last post in this series, we revealed the first usable sample of our new design, and while it certainly wasn't a thing of beauty, we were sufficiently satisfied with the design and construction to move forward with some sample we figure to be keepers.Here's some of the design situations we're still addressing though:

adding a third, even smaller zip on/off unit off to the side.
adding a separating zipper of less than 5" in length to our line.
Changing the zipper configuration in the Envelope feature.
finding an improved, easier to operate key clasp.
adding a flat zippered Pocket option, and

So, in this picture, you can see the third, thinner unit we added off to the side. It zips vertically into place alongside the other two units and is the same height as the main (forward-most) insert, but not as wide (by about a 1/3).

And here's how the fronts of our units look unzipped and separated from each other. Each Insert funtions as a stand-alone unit, or you can choose to make use of any two units as a duo.

Here's how the back side of our inserts look. The unzipped zippers do not interfere with the usage of any of our components and of course will be totally unnoticeable on the inside of our bag.

Now you might be thinking that it would take a HUMONGOUS bag to accommodate all three of these units when they are zipped together, and that's not altogether true, because look how easily it fits inside of our Harmony Handbag... with room to spare!

And here's now the tall and thin inserts look when used in a single-line configuration inside the same Harmony Handbag... as you can see, now one whole side of the bag is free. :)

So let's take in the various Insert features one by one now...

Here's a closeup of one of the connecting zippers, which by the way is a specially-made 4.5" separating zipper (in black & white stripe, my passion!). Although it works very effectively, some modifications will be made to the design of the connecting fabric pieces and the installation in the next round.
First off- the zipper box at the base of the zipper is placed too low on this model and it was quite literally a "pain-in-the-neck" to sew around...
And secondly- the whole installation process was a bit laborious...OK, a LOT laborious, but I'll fix that, I promise. :)

This picture reveals the modifications we made to the Envelope pocket, in particular, to the zipper installation. In this sample, we have changed from using a two-zipper opening to a single-zipper and we moved the location of the zipper down from it's previous location along the top edge of the insert. I like this setup MUCH better, so this feature is a keeper.

What I STILL don't like about this Envelope Pocket is the darts along the bottom edge which give "pointed corners" along the bottom edge, (which is actually more noticeable in the picture above). I would much prefer for the corners to be more rounded and softer in appearance, so that will be my goal in the next sample :)

Here's a good shot of the Credit Card Caddy for the Main Insert. There's actually room for 6 cards on each side of the Caddy for a total of twelve. I LOVE this Caddy, but I do think it will potentially hold up under usage a whole better if I put some interfacing behind those slots. Additionally, I think I'll install a wraparound piece of elastic next time, to provide additional security for the credit cards.

And now, let's take a little peek at the new thin Insert we added off to the side of our original high-low duo. We've purposely fabricated a totally unique interior option for this insert, in this case, a partition which yields 3 distinct storage areas.

Which leads me to the most exciting & revolutionary aspect our new design;
Not only can each one of our Inserts be used as a stand-alone unit, but all of the components are interchangeable between the three Insert sizes. For example, the Credit Card Caddy can easily be made up in a size appropriate for the thin Insert, (ditto for the Elastic Pockets).

And speaking of the Flat Zippered Pocket, here it is, installed in the tall Insert. This particular feature works as an interior or an exterior option in both the Tall and the Main insert (but not the Thin insert).

And just as I promised, I found an extremely cool spring clamp to use for the key clasp. I just love it! But I do not love where it is placed in this sample. I was just testing it out here, but since I'm happy with how it works and how easy it was to install, I'll place it in a better spot next time!

And now, I want to give you the details about the fabulous fabric I used for this sample and where you might be able to find it:

The bold prints (shown here in red & purple) are by Terrie Mangat for Free Spirit as part of her Los Sanctos Collection, (the purple/gold crosses fabric is also part of that collection). Terrie gave these samples to me at the Quilt Market a while back, but I found some for sale here at QuiltHome.Com.

The purple/red dot fabric is part of Terrie's On the Rio Grande Collection, but sadly, I couldn't find it available anywhere. Maybe you'll have better luck than me?

So there you have it. We're still got a little tweaking to do, but we close... very close indeed to a polished design and this sample is good enough indeed to qualify as an official sample for this new design, which I am sorry to say is still at this moment.... NAMELESS (and its driving me crazy!).

So stay tuned my friends, because next time I'm going to use some special fabric I received from Clothworks, which I feel strongly just might wind up on the cover of this new pattern!

And as usual, we relish hearing all thoughts or suggestions you have, especially if any of those suggestions might be a potential name for this new design!

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They're back!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:11:00 +0000

So.... I read the other day that Walmart is going to resume selling fabric and other “heritage” merchandise like craft supplies and fishing tackle again. They're trying to reverse a streak of seven consecutive quarters of declining sales in U.S. stores. Many of you might remember that there was quite a ruckus created when these departments disappeared from most of their stores in 2010.

Some consumers were VERY upset, because Walmart was the only store that sold fabric anywhere near them....

Walmart- good guy or bad guy?
You decide!

And some independent fabric retailers were VERY happy, figuring they would automatically benefit from this vacuum created by Walmart's exit.

So I guess the BIG question is... who were the big winners and losers? Some of the answers just might surprise you!

The Losers

Walmart- The very fact that Walmart is reversing their position so quickly, coupled with their declining sales record automatically puts them in the losers bracket.
Customers in Rural Areas- Some of the loudest protests concerning Walmart's controversial decision, was from the rural areas of our country, where customers often lived 20-30-50-even 100 miles from the nearest fabric store after Walmart stopped selling fabric.
Beginning Sewists- Let's face it, folks that are just learning to sew or quilt probably don't want to spend $8 or more per yard just to try the hobby on for size.
SOME Fabric Manufacturers- What? How can this be? The impact Walmart’s decision has had on fabric makers is actually pretty interesting. Think about it this way. Walmart would order thousands of yards from different companies. Their orders would provide revenue. The revenue would provide the manufacturers more money to in turn re-invest in the development of new designs and products, which it turn would debut at the quilt markets and then sold in independent fabric stores. So.... without the presence of Walmart, many smaller fabric manufacturers had a REALLY big cash flow problem... and eventually, went out of business.

The Winners

JoAnn's- One of the indisputable benefactors of Walmart's controversial decision to stop selling fabric, was JoAnn's, whose sales have literally soared.Whether their store policies make them deserving of this landfall is immaterial. And JoAnn's has made the most of the influx of cash by introducing a few better grade lines of fabric by the likes of quilting legend, Denyse Schmidt, and April Johnston, runner-up in the last Project Runway season.
Some Independent Fabric/Quilting Stores- some forward-thinking owners recognized the resulting "fabric vacuum" as an opportunity to diversify and reach out to this disgruntled customer base with classes for beginners and pre-cut kits. Some especially brave entrepreneurs opened new stores or expanded their current space, even in a very tough economic environment.
Other Chains-such as Michael's and Hobby Lobby began testing the waters, experimenting with pre-cut fabrics in an attempt to provide the former Walmart customers with the products they desired.

So... since Walmart is reversing their stance, now what?

The fact is there will always be a demand for the discounted, lower-quality fabric lines, and these types of fabrics will always dominate the inventory at the chain stores. Like it or not, there IS a demand for these types of fabrics and probably always will be. This is a niche customer, and if Walmart doesn't supply this customer, someone else will. And it goes without saying that this is probably where your newbie sewers are going to go when they're thinking about trying their hand at sewing or quilting as possible.

But by my way of thinking, it really doesn't matter HOW folks are introduced to the world of sewing, only that we bring as many folks to the table as possible! From there, it's up to us, (the independents), to be as fabulous & attractive as possible, so these newcomers might be enticed to sample what we have to offer! In other words, we need to provide something that the chain suppliers can only dream of, or don't care about offering ... and that's excellent service, expertise that we're willing to share, creative innovation and quality that puts their products to shame!

But now I'd like to hear YOUR thoughts!
I'd love for you to share your comments in the space below.

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And per usual, if you've enjoyed this post, we invite you to pass it on to others in any way you see fit.

PPC5- Junk Yard Special

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:52:00 +0000

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)

are you able to see our original inspiration in this sample?

So... in our last post we revealed our original sketch for our new design, and now you know that our next pattern will be our vision of what the NEXT GENERATION of Purse Inserts should look and function like. And if you're a fan of this series, you know that the first working sample that we make of any new design is never a thing of beauty since we always make it up in cast-off fabrics and throw-away notions.

So with that in mind, let me give you a quick tour!

In this first pic, I hope you can see our inspiration starting to come to life. The front insert is made up slightly shorter than the PortaPockets and the back unit is a little over an inch taller. Of course, the final user (you) will determine whether you want two units of the same height, or of two different heights as displayed here. The choice will be YOURS!

Here's a closeup of one of the 2 little zippers that holds our two inserts together. I looked and looked but could not find a tiny separating zipper, and by small I mean under 5 inches. We'll be remedying this by adding a correctly sized zipper to our zipper line, because it was NOT fun cutting this zipper so small and bending the top edges back into the seam with those teeth!

And this picture of course demonstrates the versatility of this new Purse insert, because it's just as easy as pie to zip the two units apart (once the zippered are sewn in).

Once they're separated we can easily use one unit in a much smaller bag yet still remain organized.

Or, we can leave one of the zippers in place and use the units in a side-by-side configuration (for use in a wide tote bag, for example).

And now let's look at a few of the features-

We placed a full-height pocket with a gusset on the tall unit and similar to the Encore Insert, utilized two zippers, facing them toward each other. I loved this feature in the Encore, but upon testing this feature in THIS design, I realized I didn't care for it at all because the pocket itself is just not wide enough to warrant this feature, and because of this, BOTH zippers ALWAYS have to be opened EVERY TIME. It's a nuisance, not a help, so in our next sample, we'll just use one zipper, and place it a tad lower on the exterior rather than along the top edge.

Here's an overhead view of the shorter unit and do you notice what's in the slot pocket?

It's a credit card caddy that can handle 6 cards on each side. I found that I have REALLY enjoyed this feature because I can always find the card I need without removing the caddy or my main wallet from my bag. And because there's so many slots, there's plenty of room to store (and easily find) all my loyalty cards and insurance documentation.

I decided to add a key clasp to this unit, because my keys are the one thing I STILL end up digging for even when I use my PortaPockets. OK- this particular key clasp isn't the one I would choose, but this is a junkyard sample, remember? I'll find a much better looking and functioning clasp for the next sample.

So here's my unit, back in it's zipped-together state. I'm relatively happy with the size and proportions. I think I will make it just a tad wider next time. My wallet seems a bit of a tight fit, so widening it will rectify that issue.

And even though this duo may look bulky and large, it fits just right into a Boho Baguette, which I've been testing it in for over a month now.

Also for next time, I plan on adding a flat zippered pocket option for one of the walls. I always like to have a secure pocket like that to store bank deposits, important papers and such. I also think it would be cool to add a third, smaller unit that can be connected on the side (like in our sketch from our last post) for use either in very large bags, or disconnected totally for use in smaller bags like the Bellagio or the Gadabout.

So there you have it folks. I'm happy enough with this junkyard sample, that I'll be making the next sample up as a 'keeper', which means that I'll be using coordinating fabrics and notions. I'm toying with the idea of making this pattern a "fat quarter friendly" pattern, which would be a first for my line.

So stay tuned for the next post in the Purse Pattern Chronicles series. It's already shaping up to be one of Joba's favorites!

And as usual, we would relish hearing any thoughts or suggestions you might have, especially if any of those suggestions might be a potential name for this new design!

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Do you know someone who would enjoy this series?

If so, please feel free to pass it on to others in any way you see fit!

On Internet Rudeness

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Why is it that folks think it's OK to send rude or hateful emails?

Every now and then I receive a mean-spirited, accusatory email from a customer. It's always upsetting to me because I take my business very seriously and when I receive an email like this it's really hard to not take it personally.

I hadn't been in business very long when I received my first such email. And let me tell you, it was a barn-burner! In retrospect, I'm surprised that there wasn't smoke coming out of the keyboard as I read it It was a 2-page scathing email, chopping me down, calling me a scam artist and other vicious personal insults. This gal said she was going to sue me for everything I was worth and she even had a couple of things to say about my mother!

To say I was devastated was an understatement. I turned off the computer wondering if I should just give up. I hardly slept that night. I spent the better part of the next morning carefully addressing each and every point in the email, and I refunded her money with my deepest apologies.

The next day after sending the email and refund, I called that customer to try to talk through the complaints. She cheerfully took my call saying, "Oh don't worry about that! I wasn't really that upset. I was just in a really crummy mood, and I had had a really horrible day and I was just venting," she laughed. "I really didn't think anyone would read that email anyway!"

I hung up totally dumbstruck.
She was LAUGHING!
I wanted to ask her exactly what there was about her letter that she found so funny,
but I literally couldn't speak.
__________________________

Because here's the deal...when we yell at the coffee or snack machine, it's fine, because they're just mechanical appliances...

And when we talk junk (or worse) about the driver in the car in front of us, it's fine because they can't hear us...

But when we scream at a website or company by way of our computer or phone, it's all too easy to forget that we're no longer dealing with an inanimate object, but a person. For some reason folks feel emboldened by the anonymity they feel sitting behind that computer screen in the privacy of their homes. I guess it's all too easy to forget that at the other end of the line is a real person, a lot like you, whose birthday was last week, who's little girl kept her up half the night with a fever, who's worried about making ends meet AND is personally affected by the things you say.

As you can imagine, I get dozens of emails each day and the overwhelming majority are positive and many are wonderfully written by terrific people across the globe who have been to my site and are in need of assistance or advice. However, for those thankfully few folks who insist upon peppering their accusations, demands or complaints with profanity and other expletives about my character, well... the only response they'll be getting from now on is a swift DELETE!

Any thoughts or comments?

I'd love for you to share them in the space provided below.

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And per usual, if you've enjoyed this post, we invite you to pass it on to others in any way you see fit.

PPC5- Morph-a-Sketch

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)

So, in our last post in this series, we shared with you the inspiration behind our new design, which we described as a "twisted improvement" on an old design. And now, we're ready to share the original sketches with you. (see below)

One quick glance will probably confirm that the old design we're revisiting is none other than our PortaPockets Purse Insert, which is without a doubt our most popular and most successful pattern.

But how does that tie in with our original Legos inspiration?

It's actually quite simple.
I don't know about you, but I change bags frequently and they are all different sizes based entirely on what I'm doing, and where I'm going. Some are quite large, and some are VERY small. Sometimes a PortaPockets Insert is just what I need to organize my bag, but on the days that I switch to a large bag, it just gets swallowed up, so if I want to stay organized, I need to empty everything into the larger Encore Insert. And occasionally the bag I want to use is just too small to accommodate even a small PortaPockets, which I hate, because I feel SO disorganized when I don't have a purse insert in my bag!

But here's the deal, part of the beauty of the original PortaPockets inspiration, was that it would simplify the process of changing handbags', but let's face it, for me (and maybe for you too), that's increasingly only true if I stick to a consistent bag size.

And here's where the Legos come in!

As I snapped the Lego pieces together, I suddenly thought....

"Could a Purse Insert could be made and separated into several components that could easily be either 'snapped on or off' as the "need" arose?"

And now, thanks to the fact that we can now fabricate zippers of any length we need, the answer to that question is a resounding,

YES!

Sooooo..... without further ado, let me show you my vision of what the next generation of Purse Insert will look like and how it should function;

First of all, the main component would be a basic purse insert with a size very similar to our small PortaPockets. It would of course be constructed with Soft & Stable rather than fusible interfacing like the PortaPockets was, (or Peltex like the Encore Insert was), greatly reducing bulk in the seams.

But here's the deal, if I need to carry more stuff tomorrow in a bigger handbag, it won't be a problem for me! I can just zip-on an additional section to my purse insert, and voila, I'm ready to roll. And with our new zip-on/off system, it's easy as pie to add just the components we need... nothing more, nothing less.

And, since we've now included and can utilize components that are both taller and thinner than the basic unit, our new purse insert can morph into virtually any & every size or shape we could need!

And we didn't stop there! We've got some great new interior options to accompany our new purse insert, like

an all-new credit card caddy that you can take partially or completely out of your bag if you want to
an interior partitioning option, which is convenient for taller, thicker items
taller, deeper elasticized pockets in the tall unit
a key snap
and MUCH MORE!

So....

all that's left now if finding out YOUR reaction!

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to share them in the space provided below (and if you come up with a compelling name for this pattern, I'd love to know that as well)!

And Congratulations to"Swakins" for providing the most accurate guess in our Giveaway from our last post. She wins a FREE piece of Soft & Stable. Please contact me via email to discuss the mailing arrangements. :)
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Do you know someone who would enjoy this series?

Please feel free to pass it on to others in any way you see fit!

PPC5- The PortaPockets Purse Insert REvisited

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:28:00 +0000

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)
The Pattern That Almost Wasn't

So in our last post in this series, we showed you the inspiration behind what will be our new design for Spring 2012, and we told you that we're actually revisiting one of our most popular patterns, but with a significant "twist". So now it's with great pleasure that I tell you that the pattern we're revisiting & revamping is none other than our PortaPockets Purse Insert.

Still not seeing it?

Don't worry- It should be very apparent to you when I reveal my original sketches in our next post on Tuesday, Jan17th, but before we do that, I thought it might be a good time to take a look back at how the PortaPockets Purse Insert pattern came about.

For example, did you know that the PortaPockets was originally intended to be a FREE pattern? Yep, that's right. I had just finished the Gadabout pattern and fooling around with the idea of designing a removable purse interior that could be switched from bag to bag. As is my norm, my first prototype was extremely basic and of course I carried it for a couple of weeks to critique it, but the more i used my new accessory, the more features I added to my sketches and soon the pattern was too complex to be a giveaway.

Still, I wasn't convinced that your average woman would be willing to buy a pattern for an item that basically no one would ever see but her. That's when I decided to get an unbiased opinion. Enter Mary, my best friend & the perfect product tester. (Picture a marriage between the infamous Samsonite gorilla who breaks everything & "Mikey", the Life cereal boy who hates everything new.)

So I gave Mary a prototype to carry for a few weeks,and was pretty surprised to hear from her just a few days later. She was effusive with praise! Not only had she enjoyed using her purse insert, but she was enjoying it so much in fact, that she was refusing to give it back, declaring it to eventually be my best-seller. Mary encouraged me in the strongest possible terms to proceed full-steam ahead and given this stellar review I continued developing the PortaPockets Purse Insert, eventually offering it in 2 sizes and to use a cliche... the rest is history. :)

So what's the moral of the story?

"Listen to your instincts"? - Nope, If I had done that I would've been the only carrying a PortaPockets Purse Insert!

"If in doubt, solicit the advice of a trusted friend"? Maybe. Who could argue against that being a good plan? But for me, I thought that the real object lesson from this experience was that ...

"Sometimes the best things in life can take you totally by surprise!"

So... has something like this every happened to you? Has the course of your life ever been altered by a person or an event that was totally unexpected? If so, I would just love it if you shared it in the space provided below!

And now- here's our winner in
the Purse Pattern Chronicles 5 Giveaway -
The person who actually came the closest to guessing which of our patterns we're "revisiting w/a twist" unfortunately did so anonymously. So....join me in congratulating SWAKINS for providing the 2nd most accurate guess in our Giveaway from our last post. She wins a FREE 12" X 29" piece of Soft & Stable.
So Swakins... the ball is in your court now. If you'd like to receive your prize, you're going to need to email me. I've tried a number of ways to contact you, to no avail. :(
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Do you know someone who would enjoy this series?

Please feel free to pass it on to others in any way you see fit!

On Qualifications

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

People often ask me about what qualifications I have to be a pattern designer... a webmaster...a warehouse manager... a blogger... a photographer... or any of the other hats I wear nowadays.

OK, most people aren't quite that blunt when they ask.
They generally veil their question more discreetly,
but no matter how they ask it, it's a fair question
with a very simple answer:

I have none..... Absolutely NONE!

Based on my resume, there's absolutely NO reason I should be doing much of anything that I'm doing now.

I have a BS degree in Chemistry which included one computer course, involving the use of keypunch cards... that's right... keypunch cards! (those of you born after 1975 might need to google this)

I got one C during my entire tenure in college and ironically, it was in a writing course. I never took another....

The first time I ever even sat in front of a computer was when the City installed one in my office in 1998. At the time, it was NOT a welcomed sight because in typical government fashion, I received no training... nothing.... not one course. They just told me to start using it and assumed I'd know how. I struggled with it for a month before I realized it was connected to a network. Up until that time, I had never even seen a website....

Although I've had a lifelong love of sewing, my efforts were limited to clothing and home decorating items until 2003, when I made my first accessory item. It was a wallet from a commercial pattern....and it was so poorly written and the results were so awful, I KNEW I could do better!

All This to Say....

1- No matter what your age, FORGET about what you're actually qualified to do. It's means nothing.

2- Every day that you wake up is a perfect day to learn something new.

3- If I can craft a livelihood in a field that I had absolutely NO prior qualifications for, so can YOU!

4- If you have, or when you do find something that you LOVE to work at, you should be grateful, VERY grateful, each and every day! Whether you're a religious person or not, you should pause every morning and say, "REALLY? I get to do THIS?"

So.... What are you in the process of learning now?
and what would you like to learn next?

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Did you enjoy this post? Please feel free to share this post with your friends

via Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, or other social networks!

PPC5-Purse Pattern Chronicles FIVE with a Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)

Purse Pattern Chronicles- 5th edition

Back to Basics

I can hardly believe that we're ready to start the FIFTH edition of the Purse Pattern Chronicles. Those of you who have followed our Blog for some time know what our "Purse Pattern Chronicles" series is all about, and it’s that time again folks! We’ve been working our butts off on this new design, which is actually a 'twisted improvement' on one of our older designs and now we’re far enough along in the process to begin the gradual unveil.

But first, let me tell you about the inspiration for this twist!

As usual, before doing a whole lot of thinking about the next design we take on, I like to to first take a long hard look at our collection with the following questions in mind;

is there anything that seems to be missing from the collection? Is our collection balanced, or do we need to add another bag of a particular size to even things out?
what trends do we notice on the rise or on the wane in current accessory fashion? Do bags seems to be getting bigger or smaller, etc.?
What have been the "hot" accessory trends on the runways this season? Are we seeing a lot of hardware?...a lot of zippers?

So... I was in the process of considering all these things while I was babysitting my grandson a few weeks ago and we were in the process of enjoying a good ol' Lego session when it hit me!

EUREKA! and just like that, I knew what our next design should be!

and this is the picture I took to document the moment.

SO.... Stay tuned for our next post in this series when we'll reveal our original sketches AND which one of our earlier designs we're "twisting" to a whole new level, but in the meantime...

Is there anyone out there who would care to make a guess as to which pattern we're revisiting and what the big 'twist' is?

And now, for the Giveaway opportunity!

I'll send a 12" X 29"piece of Soft & Stable, (which we're featuring once again in this new design), in your choice of white or black, to the person who in my estimation provides the most accurate guess! Please leave your entry in the comments box below by 10pm (EST) Tuesday evening, Jan 10th in order to be considered for the giveaway.

Won't this be FUN?

(in the unlikely event of a virtual tie, (no pun intended), the winner will be chosen by a flip of a coin.)

*** For those of you who routinely receive our posts by way of email, you must leave your comments here in the comments section of this Blog in order to be considered for the prize. If you send your responses to me via email I'll enjoy reading them, but they will not be considered as a legitimate entry for this give-away.***

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Do you know someone who would enjoy this series?
Please feel free to pass it on to others in any way you see fit!

On Anticipation

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Tomorrow (January 6th) is traditionally known as the Day of the Epiphany, or the twelfth day of Christmas. Legend says that it was on this day that the three Kings (or wise men) visited the baby Jesus.

But nowadays, when we speak of an epiphany, we generally mean that critical moment of realization, when we finally figure something out, an "aha moment" if you will. In our culture, we tend to think of an epiphany as something that we just happen upon, rather than something we seek out.

But here's the deal, I'm not so sure this should be the case. After all, did those three Kings just run into their divine manifestation? Heavens No! They were students of scripture. They were eagerly anticipating the birth of this divine child, and when they stepped out on their journey, they found themselves WAY out of their comfort zone, yet they fully anticipated their epiphany. They kept their eyes on that star in pursuit of a divine manifestation.

So with that in mind, could the reason we don't experience more "aha moments" in our lives be because we do so little to prepare ourselves? It's so much easier to be skeptical than to be expectant... it takes so much less effort to lay back and wait, than to pursue... and let's face it, it's nice and cushy in our comfort zone.

But what if this year could be different? What if we were to finally understand that we might have to actually make the journey in order to receive the epiphany? After all, the three kings knew for certain that the infant child wasn't going to come to them. But they were willing to take the trip to find him, and they set out in full expectation that they'd in fact discover their divine manifestation.

So here's my 2012 challenge to you as well as for me;

Anticipate your epiphany!
PREPARE to receive it!

Sometimes it will in fact just appear seemingly out of the blue, but other times... most of the time in fact, you'll need to do a little leg work to find it.
          So start seeking YOUR "aha moments"...
               Venture out of your little comfort zone this year
                                LOOK for the star,
                                                                        and dare to go after it!

Any thoughts or comments? I'd love for you to share them below!

2011 Battle of the 2nd's

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The holidays are over for another year, so let's get back to business! Last year we used the January Handbag of the Month contest as a "Battle of the 2nd Place Finishers" for the year 2010, and it was such a popular contest, that we're doing it again.

But first, join me in congratulating Diane Rhodes of Monroeville, PA, the winner of our December contest. She wins a $20 virtual gift certificate and her fabulous Baggalista will have a permanent place of honor on our website.

So...scroll down to check out all of our impossibly beautiful 2nd place finishers from 2011 and choose which one YOU love the best, but be fore-warned, this is a difficult, yet delightful task! And when you're ready to vote, just click this link, or use the link at the bottom of this post, to be taken to our official voting page!

This gorgeous Baggalista by Pat Leask of Ontario, Canada

led our December contest for the whole month but lost by a hair at the eleventh hour.

This denim Lollapalooza by Margo Clabo of Cleveland, TN

finished 2nd in November.

This nautical Quattro by Marilyn Langan of Columbia, SC

was our 2nd placer in October.

And our 2nd place finisher for September

was this romantic Quattro/ PortaPockets duo

by Lesa Bame of Bellbrook, OH.

Robin Michaeletz of Columbia, MO was a close 2nd

with this homespun Harmony Handbag in August.

In July, Carol Finck of Astoria, OR

came in 2nd with this lovely Quattro

And Jean Johnson of Lodi, WI almost won

with this perfectly coordinated Quattro.

And in May, Sharon Kendall of Warren, MI came in 2nd

with this embroidered Carolina CarryAll.

And our 2nd place bag for April was this 'pop-art' PortaPockets Insert

created by Alison Eng of Long Island, NY.

Lori Gates of West Henrietta, NY created this flashy Quattro

and it finished in 2nd place in March.

And last, but absolutely not least,

Denise Stahl of Santa Rosa finished 2nd in February

with this colorful and feminine Vervalise!

* * * * * * *

So there you have it...It's gonna be tough, but you can only vote for ONE bag!

Are you ready to cast a vote for YOUR favorite?

Click here to vote.

On Remembering

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:52:00 +0000

I was reminded recently about a project I saw an acquaintance take part in. She was asked to make a list of all the people over the course of her life that had had an affect on her, all the folks with whom she had made a connection. I'm not really sure why she was assigned this project, but I remember thinking that it was such a cool idea... to take the time to remember the folks who in one way or another had had some influence over the person she was now.

And then I thought....
            Hey- Why Not Now?
                            Since this is a traditionally nostalgic time of year, it seems the perfect time to write down the names of all the people who have made a difference in my life - from memory... without using a yearbook... or an address book... and no checking Facebook... or my contact lists...
just from my memory.
I'm going to include- childhood friends, most of whom I haven't seen in... well, for a LONG time,
           and teachers...
             and old crushes...
   and college cronies...
       and co-workers...

college in the seventies!

I did my list chronologically, starting from as far back as I can remember, all the way up to the present. And all I can say, now that I'm done, is WOW, what a trip! And you know what? This exercise was a great way to end the year and it was a gas thinking about these folks, most of whom haven't crossed my mind for years, or even decades. I know some of them are dead now, and some very well might be. Some have changed their names, once, twice or maybe more than that....
(I just typed the name I last remembered it being.)

And to those who find their names listed here: I just want you to know that I remembered you today, and it made me smile. In some instances I thought of something that made me laugh out loud. OK, that felt a little weird, but either way, if someday you just happen upon this list while googling your name or something, please know that I remembered you right off the top of my head, with no prompting, because you permanently affected me... and even though we may not have spoken to each other in a long, long, time, it felt good thinking about you. And, if by chance you'd like to get in touch with me, I'd really like that. You can contact me here.

Cathy Strohm-
Jill Scalpino-
Sharon Rose-
Valeri Barzetti-
Susan Ford-
Joy Finger-
Chris Wagner-
David Taylor-
Brenda & Hank Pickert-
Dagmar Leuze Budd-
Lynn Kellogg-
Mrs. Schnabel-
Beth Mullaney-
Mr. Forster-
Mr. Golob-
Milton & Harold Redlich-
Mrs. Brawley-
Bruce Toher-
Karen Smith Plecity Hanley-
Ron Wood-
Marie Self-
Brenda Wilson-
Barbara Wilson-
George Couch-
Carole Herge-
Kathy Dobbins-
Sylvia Barkley-
Hope Hopkins-
Steve Freeman-
Banks Smith-
Becky Thompson Flowers-
Pam Wilson-
Joyce Lipton-
Susan Lawson Budd-
Julia Lee Hanna Payne-
Mackie Sinclair Price-
Bowen (Snapper) Wakefield-
Betty Sumner-
Clinton & Rachel Hemmings-
Mary Bumgarner-
CD Malone-
Mr Lumley-
Ernie Tompkins-
Philemon Samuels-
Jean Howerton-
Solomon Hanna-
Jane Tesh-
Arthur Murphy-
Larry & Connie Adsit-
Crystal Couch-
Diane Godfrey-
Lee Byerly-
Vinnie Vasser-
Leila Ivey-
Carol Hamilton-
Arlene Roman-
Martie Groom-
Kathryn Maxwell-
Beth Lineberry-
Yvonne Swann Holbrook
Ed & Mary Ellen Jennings
John & Vicky Pruitt-

The 2011 Highlight Reel

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000

It's that time of year.

Time to check out which this year's posts our readers responded to the most.

And there's really two ways to evaluate the response to a blogpost:
one of which is the number of page views
and the other is by the number of comments.

So... up first,

our FIVE most viewed Blogposts from 2011

1) On Competition, published on 8/20/11, currently with over 7100 pageviews

For some reason, I've been getting a lot of questions about competition lately. "Are you worried that "Designer X's" new product will compete too directly with yours? Why would you want to collaborate with "Designer Z"? She's your competition? Questions like this catch me off guard every time. Maybe I'm naive, but I don't tend to view competition as a bad thing, or as something to be feared. Actually, here's FIVE really good things about competition:
click HERE to read more

2) The Wrist-a-Kat, a FREE Pattern Giveaway- published 7/30/11, with over 2000 pageviews

You probably don't know this, but in just a few short weeks, we'll be celebrating the start of our 8th year in business as an independent pattern designer, due in large part to the fact that we have without doubt, the best and most loyal customers in the world. So... to thank you for your support, we have prepared a very special free pattern giveaway for you.
Click here to read more

3) FREE Stuff- published 6/3/11
with over 1990 page views

FREE... It's a powerful word.

Everybody loves to get something for FREE, don't they? And I'm no exception. But let's face it, not all the free stuff you run across on the web is good.

One of the best things we ever did was to put a few free patterns on our website.

Click here to read more.

4) The Problem with Joann's- published 3/13/11

with over 1850 pageviews.

I don't know what the JoAnn's fabric & Craft store near you is like, but the one in Winston-Salem, NC is a total dump. It's filthy, poorly stocked, and the customer service is horrendous. This week I added two more bad JoAnn's experiences to the huge list I already had, and I think I just reached my limit. Click here to read more.

5) PPC3- Fraternal Twins- published on 3/10/11 with over 1600 pageviews

The bags below are fraternal twins. They are NOT identical! Can you see the differences? They're subtle... maybe a little easy to overlook at first... But they definitely have the same roots, in this case... lineage and fabrication.
Click here to read more

Next, our five most commented upon Blogposts (that didn't involve giveaways of some type)

1) The Problem with Joann's, published 3/13/11, with 81 comments so far

This blog obviously touched a raw nerve with our readers, and since the overwhelming tone of the comments was negative, I'd say the good folks over at Joann's corporate headquarters better get their heads out of the sand and start listening to the complaints!

2) PPC4- Kaleida-FUN,
published 7/27/11, with 34 comments so far

So in our last post, we revealed the first working prototype of our new design , and even though we were pretty happy with it, there were quite a few items that needed redesigning & tweaking, most notably in the Flap and Zipper Panel area.
click here to read more

3) What's On My Heart,
published 8/12/11, with 33 comments so far

I was having a great day yesterday. I was working away in my little studio listening to satellite music, insulated and isolated from the outside world. Business was brisk, orders were coming in. I had visited my printer earlier in the day and picked up the new tags for my sew-in magnets, our very first product we're introducing in our own line of sewing notions! It's kind of a big thing to us. A little risky, yes, but a risk we think is worth taking.
click here to read more

4) Inspiration on Paper-
published7/9/11, with 32 comments so far

So in our last post in this series, we explained that the inspiration for our new design was a spectacular trip we're taking to the Canadian Rockies in August. And pictured below, are our original sketches for our 'dream travel bag' to take with us.
click here to read more

5) PPC3- Mad About Mondo-
published 2/24/11 with 27 comments so far

Every once in a while I find fabric that resonates with me on a deep level... The very second i see it, I can instantly envision on a pattern cover... Nicely framed with absolutely perfect accompanying fabrics...
click here to read more

So there you have it.
Our Blog highlights for the year 2011. Did you find YOUR favorite here?
If you've been with us for a while, maybe you remember some or all of the posts listed above, or maybe you're relatively new to us and were reading these for the first time? Either way, we appreciate ALL of our readers and we hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.

Thanks so much for supporting our Blog. We're looking forward to a really BIG 2012! There's some big changes in the works and we can hardly wait to start telling you about them, but in the meantime...

Have a safe and fun holiday week!

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Any thoughts or comments?

Please feel free to share them below.

Merry Christmas from StudioKat Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from StudioKat Designs!

We can't send a card to each and every one of you,

but here's the next best thing!

Thanks for your support over the past year and we hope each and every one of you all have a joyful and safe holiday!

Goals for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:50:00 +0000

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on home-based business startups.)

In our last post in this series, we discussed some of our successes from 2011, as well as some of the things that didn't quite go as well as planned. And so now, with our assessment done, where do we go from here? Here's a sneak peek at what working on for 2012.

1) MORE Purrfect Handbag Notions- We've had a blast getting our new notions line going and you've had some good suggestions for how we should proceed. Stay tuned for our next new notions product AND we're also working on introducing another fun, exciting and "neutral" zipper tape!

2) Twisting an Old Favorite- Our first pattern release of the new year will be a twist on an old favorite. That's the only hint I'm giving you (until we start the Purse Pattern Chronicles series in January) because I want you to be totally blown away when you see it! Bwah-ha-ha!

3) Advertising Modifications- One of our goals for 2011 was to cut our advertising budget by at least 25% in favor of a more vibrant online advertising presence. I've spent the better portion of this year whittling down my advertising contracts to just a few strategic magazines, the result being that our print advertising budget for 2012 will actually be a whopping 50% lower than it was in 2010! While we will always maintain a print marketing presence, I'm still searching for more online opportunities, such as newsletters, blogs, forums and websites.
Got any good suggestions? I've found a few, but I'm up for including a few others in our marketing plan for 2012, so I would welcome your feedback!

4) Fun with QR Codes- And finally, I'm excited about the prospect of incorporating QR codes into our promotional materials and in particular our advertising, especially when I think about how QR Codes will assist in the marketing of our upcoming new pattern, (oops... another clue).
What's a QR code?

Scan this QR code with your smart
phone to get a GREAT discount offer!

QR is short for Quick Response (they can be read quickly by a cell phone). You may soon see QR Codes in magazine advertisements, on business cards or on web pages. Once it's in your cell phone, it can give you details about that business or show you a URL which you can click to see a video demonstration of a product, or it may give you a coupon which you can use while shopping. The other key feature of QR Codes is that instead of requiring a clunky hand-held scanner to read them, many modern cell phones can do this for you.

How does the cell phone read the code?
The cell phone needs a QR code reader, like this one from Beetagg.com. It takes literally 1 minute for someone with an iPhone or Android phone to install the reader and voila, you're in business.
So go ahead! Get the app then try it out on this QR code to the right to get a special discount offer from StudioKat Designs (our last and BEST discount offer of 2011).

Next year at this time, we'll once again analyze how well we met these objectives and share our findings with you here.
(And for those of you without a smartphone- just use the code QRSKD to get $5.00 off your order of $25.00 or more.)

But in the meantime, if you have any thoughts, comments or suggestions, I'd love for you to leave them in the space below!

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And per usual, if you've enjoyed this post, we invite you to pass it on to others in any way you see fit.

2011 - What Worked & What Didn't

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on home-based businesses.)

So as 2011 draws to a close, it's customary for us to do a long, hard assessment of what we did right over the course of the year, as well at what didn't work out quite as good as we had hoped. Here's how it went this year.

First- the Good Stuff

1) Early in the year we bought a tiny portable video camera in order to film video tutorials, interviews and the like for the website and for our Blog. We've had a LOT of fun using it and learning how to use our video-editing software (we use Corel). Our most viewed how-to video to date has been our Bias Tape video, the fan favorite, the Anger Management video, but here's the deal, our videos of my grandson are consistently the most sought after, like this one. Go figure! :)

2) Over the summer we invested in a very small & lightweight computer. I have a wireless network in the house and I love the option of blogging on the back porch if the weather is good, or answering emails at the breakfast table over a 2nd cup of tea on occasion, but my heavy laptop was NOT conducive to these activities. It's heavy, hot, and has a crummy battery life. (It's also a pain-in-the-neck to take thru airport security.) I toyed with the idea of a Ipad but decided instead on little Dell computer in order to have a real keyboard. Slightly larger than a Netbook, it's perfect for my needs. The battery life is great and it's SO easy & convenient to carry & use pretty much anywhere I want to, AND getting thru the airport is SO easy now, that I just leave the big, clunky laptop at home!

3) Probably the biggest & riskiest thing we did this year was to launch our new notions line, Purrfect Handbag Notions. Folks had been urging us to do this for quite some time & since there's an undeniable need for beautiful yet affordable handbag notions in today's market, it just felt like the right time for us. The first product in our new line was our innovative invisible sew-in magnetic snaps. The reaction was immediate, a little surprising and almost overwhelming, so we followed up that release with some beautiful metal hardware. We're marketing the snaps and metals online, directly to retail stores and also thru distribution channels like Checker and United Notions. BUT- we're deliberately NOT using distributors to market our signature black & white (Mondocized) zippers. The reason? Well first off- it's not cheap to get them made and since we love them so much we want everyone to be able to afford them, we're self-distributing them so that we don't have to pass that extra layer of cost on to you! We've gotten some criticism for this, but we're comfortable with our decision.

4) 2011 saw the release of two new bag patterns increasing our pattern line to twenty-five! Who would have thought? We released the Quattro in March and the Baggalista in September, both of which are selling well.

5) In May, we published our very first eBook, RockStar Peacework. This project was VERY enjoyable because most of the samples I constructed to demonstrate the techniques in the book were NOT handbags, and that was fun for a change. I also liked learning how to use the Adobe software to make the dynamic pdf's. But here's the BIG BUT- while the sales of this eBook covered our expenses, and I was immensely proud of the final result, it wasn't exactly what I would call a profitable undertaking. So, the reason our eBook is mentioned last is because it's ALSO item #1 on the list below...

And now, the Disappointing Stuff

1) RockStar Peacework, while a critical success, was just lukewarm at the box office. Sure, it was disheartening, but I still think it was time well spent because the process was a nice respite from our usual routine and we learned a WHOLE LOT! Will we be doing another eBook? Probably... not soon... but yes, I'm sure we will do another at some point! :)

2) I bit the bullet in Salt Lake City at the Spring Quilt Market and tried our hand at teaching a SchoolHouse event. School house sessions are conducted the day before Market opens. They're 30-minute sessions designed to be informative or educational for the retailers that attend, and there's probably about 20-30 sessions going on at the same time, so retailers can choose the topic they want to listen to. The hard part is that there is only FIVE minutes between sessions and the retailers have only that much time to move to the next session. That also means that there's only five minutes for the speakers to get their stuff set up and begin their class. This just adds to the stress, believe me! Here's how it went-
Strike one- public speaking is NOT my forte,so I guess you could say that was my strike one.
I was BEYOND nervous! (It felt like I was back in grade school doing a book report!)
Strike two- I had prepared a PowerPoint presentation to show on that old cumbersome computer of mine (reference above). It worked OK at home, but since I had only 5 minutes to set it up, I was all thumbs, and somehow (don't ask me how), my computer self-booted itself and took what seemed like 18 minutes to come back up. It was only about 4 minutes or so, but by then I was pretty much a TOTAL wreck. I'm not a quitter, so I did the program as best as I could have from there, but it wasn't pretty. For some reason, the projector I rented displayed the colors in my presentation all wrong. The red's were green, and the yellows didn't show up at all. ARGHHHH! The absolutely best part of doing this was when it was OVER!

Yeah, it was discouraging but I promised myself I'd learn from the errors and miscues and do better another time.And lucky for me, Checker Distributors asked me if I wanted to do a schoolhouse under their umbrella for the Fall Market. Needless to say, I ditched the PowerPoint presentation in favor of story boards which solved the set up issues and it went MUCH smoother. (so I avoided strike three) :)

So...there you have it.

The good, the not so good and the just plain ugly from 2011.

Got any comments, or suggestions for improvement?

As usual, I'd love to hear your comments and feedback!

What do YOU think we did well?
and how do YOU think we could improve?

(remember........say it nice!)

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And stay tuned for our next post in this series

when we'll detail a few of our goals and strategies for 2012.

Bank of America- WAKE UP!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Can we talk about banks today?.... Something infuriating happened this week and I just feel like I need to get this off my chest!

Let's face it, the reputation of banking as a profession is probably at an all-time low right now, and rightly so!

The banks used to call it a robbery when bad guys came in and took their money, so what should we call it now that the tables have been reversed and it's the banks that are taking OUR money?

I don't know about you, but I've had it up to my ears with banks. Move over lawyers, bankers are about to usurp your long-standing title of the least respected profession.

They used our money for bailouts when the banks collapsed the industry with predatory lending. The result was that it's harder than ever to borrow money and record profits lie ahead for some banks. Too much is never enough when you're feeding sharks. And right now, the biggest and slimiest shark in the pond seems to be Bank of America, which I am most sorry to say, is where I do my banking, but not by choice.

When my husband & I first got married 35 years ago, we did our banking at North Carolina National Bank (NCNB). It was an enjoyable experience. They were a relatively small regional bank with personable service and we literally had no complaints. But they were gobbled up first by NationsBank (which I didn't enjoy working with) and then ultimately by Bank of America in 1998 (which I detest).

In retrospect, we should have cut our losses and pulled out of Bank of America a long time ago, but here's the deal... there never is a good time to do that, is there? Automatic deposits and transfers can make that process very scary & complicated, and once we started the business in 2004 and opened up a separate Corporate account, the complications became seemingly insurmountable, what with credit card transactions, PayPal payments, internet income, automatic tax payments, payroll issues, etc. etc. In short, we feel trapped. We're stuck with them, or are we?

Something happened this week that made me so mad that I just might be ready to bite the bullet and tell Bank of America to take their bank and SHOVE it!

As you've probably read, Bank of America has led the way in adding new fees & charges of late (which may partially explain why they are the 9th most hated company in the US). And their recent decision to begin charging a $5 monthly debit card fee has been well publicized.

As a longtime debit-card user this disgusted me, but I quit using my debit cards cold turkey, both for our personal & corporate accounts. So no one was more surprised than me when I opened my corporate statement this month, and noticed a $14 service charge. I could see no apparent reason for the charge, so I called the local branch and this is what I was told...

To avoid a monthly service charge, I must satisfy one of the following:
a) maintain an average daily balance of at least $3000, or....

b) use my debit card at least once per month.

Now wait a minute.........
I couldn't believe my ears.

"So let me get this straight", I asked him, "You want to charge me $5/month for using my personal debit card, but on the other hand, you are going to charge me $14/month for NOT using my corporate debit card????."

Am I the only one who finds

this totally sneaky & completely underhanded?

When I posed this question to the branch manager he seemed to be at a loss for words. I'm glad I don't have to make my living defending an idiotic policy like this. In his defense, he refunded the charge, but once again, Bank of America came off looking like charlatans!

I read recently that Bank of America is trying to change their public image with a new advertising campaign, to which I would have to say,

"Get your heads out of that corporate cloud!"

It's going to take a lot more than a stupid ad campaign
to change MY opinion of Bank of America!

But what about YOU?
What do YOU think the banks should do to make amends for the mess they have made?
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On Stockpiling

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:49:00 +0000

Some folks call it hoarding, but stockpiling is a WAY nicer word, don't you think?

Either way, it's thought by many to be one of the primal instincts, like the drive to protect one's young, to procreate, and to survive...

Here's some beautiful African prints I saw at Market!

Experts say that that the hoarding instinct is hidden in the genetic code of all humans, mostly a recessive trait in modern times, but like night blindness or schizophrenia, it can't be ignored when it surfaces. The trick to keeping it dormant they say, is to refrain from activating the gene in the first place. Sometimes it's the uncontrollable circumstances of life that activate the urge to hoard, like the way the Great Depression turned a generation of impressionable children into pathological savers, for example.
But sometimes the urge to accumulate can be triggered by something as benign as....

placing that first batch of home-canned green beans on the storeroom shelves, or...
stashing that first freshly cut cord of wood in the carport, or even....
the perfection of a neatly folded stack of color coordinated batiks.

OK- it's no secret that I LOVE fabric!

(And I'll bet some of you do too!)

If I had to point to that moment in time that triggered MY urge to accumulate fabric, I think it just might have been in the Fall of 2007, the first time I felt the pure adrenaline rush of the Quilt Market. That's when I knew for the first time that I'm not the only one who:

loves getting lost amongst towering rows of bolted cottons.

loves touching fine silks, textured laces, and velvety corduroys.

loves the thrill of a digging through a bargain table of reduced remnants.

loves 'playing' in a stash of fabric, refolding pieces and stacking it according to color.

And here's the deal, don't tell anyone, but I actually have a few pieces of fabric that I love so much, that I don't know if I could ever cut into them, for any reason, or any project!

And I know I'm not the only one who strategically displays my new fabric on my cutting table for days before I cut it, just because I enjoy looking at it that much!.


And surely you know by now That I love EVERYTHING by Laurel Burch

But now, as I sit here surveying my studio, littered with bags of free samples & remnants fresh from the Quilt Market, I simply have no choice! My love of fabric is beginning to overpower the storage units designed to contain it! There's no room for anything else! As much as I hate to admit it, it's time to schedule an intervention with myself because. I've developed a pretty bad case of "fabric creepage", (otherwise known as the slow & steady migration of a fabric stash beyond the boundaries of its designated storage containers). In other words, it's time for a good old fashioned P-U-R-G-E, as painful as it might be!

It's been less than 2 years since my last stash purge (when I moved into this new studio) and what I would love to know is...

Is there any way to avoid "fabric creepage"?
Does anyone out there have a really GREAT system for controlling their fabric stash?

If you have any thoughts or suggestions,
I'd love for you to leave them in the space provided below!

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Join the BlogHop Party Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Welcome to StudioKat Designs!

Quilting Gallery has organized a fabulous BlogHop Party in celebration of their fourth anniversary and we are very pleased to be one of OVER 230 participating Blogs! The Party officially begins on Saturday the 10th of December (shortly after midnight) and ends on Dec 17th.
(A huge thank you to Michelle Foster for organizing this event.)

But first, since for many of you, this is your very first visit to StudioKat Designs...

Here's a brief tour of our website-

Our 25 handbag and purse insert patterns are all designed with oodles of storage options to keep you supremely and stylishly organized.
Our monthly Handbag of the Month contest is a great way to get inspired and win FREE stuff!
Join over 18,500 passionate subscribers who enjoy our FREE monthly newsletter ! Check out our latest newsletter by clicking HERE!
Check out our line of handbag notions and supplies including our red-hot invisible sew-in magnets and our signature black & white mini-stripe zippers!
Download our new eBook, RockStar Peacework, a quick and ultra easy way to make interesting one-of-a-kind handbag exteriors and MORE!
Download our FREE patterns!

And here's what WE'RE giving away!
Our give-away for this BlogHop is a Baggalista Kit, (a $47.00 value), which includes the pattern as well as:
     one 16" separating zipper
     one 12" zipper
     one 9" zipper
     two 7" zippers
     one link/buckle combo
     two invisible sew-in magnetic snaps
     enough Soft & Stable for one Baggalista
     and 63" of nylon webbing (not pictured)

To Enter Our Giveaway-
Simply leave an answer to the following question in the comments section below:

How old were you when you learned how to sew? Who taught you, and what was your very first project?

The winner will be randomly chosen from amongst the posted commentors on December 17th, 2011.

*** For those of you who routinely receive our posts by way of email, you must leave your comments here in the comments section of this Blog in order to be considered for the prize. If you send your responses to me via email, they cannot be considered as an entry for this give-away.***

The Party's Just Beginning!

I think you'll really enjoy meeting all the other Blog participants, ALL of whom are also offering incredible give-aways! I encourage you to visit as many sites as you have time for! Just click HERE to see a list of the participating bloggers. (Available shortly after midnight on the morning of Dec 10th. EST)

Congratulations to OUR winner,

Lisa England of Ashland, KY and thanks again to all of the new friends we met thru this HOP!

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December 2011 Handbag of the Month

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:02:00 +0000

November just flew by and it's time for another 'Handbag of the Month Contest'! But first join me in congratulating Carol Haas of Dexter, MI, the winner of our November contest. She wins a $20 virtual gift certificate and her coordinated Quattro/PortaPocket Purse Insert combo will have a permanent place of honor on our website.

This month's contest features some fantastic & inspiring entries and don't forget, if you'd like more info about any particular entry, check out our newsletter (available in our archive on 12/7/11) So... without further ado, here they are.
When you're ready to vote, click this link, or use the link at the bottom of this post, to be taken to our official voting page!

A fantastic Baggalista

by Pat Leask of Ontario, Canada

A Japanese Indigo Baggalista

by Veronica Johnson of Tasmania, Australia

A Pieced & Quilted DittyRoo

by Sylvia Gerber of New Holland, PA

A Pieced DittyRoo

by Connie Watson of El Dorado, KS

A Rainbow Baggalista

by Diane Rhodes of Monroeville, PA

A Romantic Boho Baguette

by Tina Norton of Ohio

A Picture PURRfect Quattro

by Karen Adams of Harrison, AR

A Hen House Quattro

by Janet Archer of Grafton, NH

* * * * * * *

So there you have it...

Are you ready to cast a vote for your favorite?

Click here to vote.

What We're Not

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:39:00 +0000

So have you ever noticed how sometimes it's easier to describe yourself based on what you're NOT?

Here's some examples....

Question- "I'm a sewing newbie, so which one of your patterns would you recommend for me as a good starter bag?"
Answer- "Our patterns are really NOT for beginners."

Question- I'm looking for a quick and easy project for a Saturday afternoon. Which one of your patterns would you recommend?"
Answer- "Our patterns are really NOT quick and easy projects."

Question- "I'm looking for a basic tote bag with a lot of storage options. Why don't you have a basic tote bag in your line?"
Answer- "The patterns in our line can just NOT be described as basic."

Why would I limit myself this way? It's really pretty simple.

You see, prior to starting my pattern line, I did my due diligence, researching the pattern market as it was in 2004. I wanted to see what already was on the market, but just as important, I wanted to see what was NOT on the market. And what I saw back then, (and now for that matter), was a LOT of bag patterns that were described as quick and easy projects, with silhouettes that for the most part, are all very similar, differentiated mostly by various adornments or embellishing techniques.

So I made the very conscious decision to aim my pattern line at the intermediate sewer, the gal who was ready for a more complicated project that might allow her to stretch her abilities a bit. I decided right from the outset, that my goal would be to create bag designs with unique, fashion-forward silhouettes, loaded with interesting storage options. And we have tried our best to stay true to that end.

But still I get those phone calls... with questions like, "When are you going to add a diaper bag to your line? We'd love to see you give the 'StudioKat treatment' to a diaper bag!"

And the truth is, a while back I buckled and actually did try to do a diaper bag. My grandson had just been born and I guess I thought those grandmotherly juices would be flowing and with my daughter as my muse, the result would be the diaper bag of women's dreams... but it was a total disaster. Because here's the deal...A diaper bag was not my vision, and I felt absolutely no inspiration for the project. And as it turned out, Erica wanted no part of a diaper bag anyway, labeling them as too traditional. She just adapted an old book bag to meet her needs and let it go at that. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

Now don't get me wrong- I love getting suggestions from customers and we've actually used SEVERAL, but this episode just served to confirm my point. I'm just really crummy at trying to do something I'm not committed to or inspired by.

So... if you're looking for a great diaper bag pattern, that's not what we do, but I can probably point you to a few amazing ones. And if a quick and easy weekend project is what you're after, I'll need to refer you to some awesome designers I know who specialize in just such projects!

And as for that perfect tote bag pattern, here's the deal...until the time comes that we feel that we can bring something to a tote bag that just hasn't been imagined or done yet, then tote bag patterns will just not be what we do.

Any thoughts? I'd love for you to leave them in the space below!

Product Review- GREAT cabinet... TERRIBLE packaging!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy Southern) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Most of you are aware of the fact that we have launched our very own line of notions this Fall, and we're really excited about it!

But here's one thing we did not anticipate during the start-up process...

All these magnets and metal findings take up a LOT OF SPACE!

So it wasn't long before I realized I needed MORE specialized storage. Sure, I knew I could get them custom-made, but before I laid out that kind of cash, I went on an internet search to see if what I wanted was already available. Why re-invent the wheel? Right?

And low and behold, I found this fantastic unit at HomeDecorators.Com (a division of Home Depot). This particular unit has 14 drawers, but you can also get them with 10 or less drawers. The size was perfect and the interior dimensions of the drawers would work fine.

So I ordered one....
And so started the saga....

First off- about a week after I placed the order, I was notified that I wouldn't receive shipment for THREE MONTHS!

the frame for this cabinet was totally broken

This was irritating, but since the price was right, I figured I'd just wait it out and hope for an early surprise.

Well- What it is they say about getting what you wish for?

Our unit indeed arrived ahead of schedule, but it was delivered to the BACKDOOR of the house (without notice). I had no clue it was there, so it was left out in the rain for over 24 hours, until I just happened to take the recycling out. I was less than enthused!

And that was just the beginning!

Once we got the soggy box into the garage, (which was no easy thing), and opened it up, it revealed an even worse problem!

The cabinet had evidently been simply wrapped with cellophane (with drawers in place) and then placed inside the box.

There were no packing peanuts...

There was no bubble wrap...

There was absolutely NO cushioning material around the cabinet at ALL!

So that when the box took what looked to be a pretty significant blow to the bottom corner, either in the course of packing or shipment, (who knows), there was of course VERY significant damage done to the cabinet!

ALL of the drawers were located in a jumbled up mess at the bottom of the cabinet, and at first I thought, "How can this be?" "How can they FIT down there?" And that's when I realized that the frame of the cabinet was severely damaged!

It's just the right size for my notions!

So I basically had three choices...
1) return the unit and wait three more months for another potentially poorly packaged cabinet to arrive.

2) return the unit and begin the process of getting a custom-made cabinet made.... or .....

3) take a 20% discount from HomeDecorators.Com and repair it ourselves.

We opted for #3. Since most of the damage was internal, we hammered everything back into place and salvaged it pretty well. OK, the back wall is never going to fit well, but it's never going to be seen by anyone but us, so big deal.

So what's the verdict?
I like this cabinet a lot. It's PERFECT for my needs and I have not really found anything else like it on the market, BUT- it was packaged TERRIBLY and furthermore, when I talked to customer service, my complaints really didn't seem to surprise them. Kinda like they'd heard this same crummy packaging complaint MANY times? So... my advice is to proceed with caution. If you can find something that works for you from any other website than HomeDecorators.com, then buy it elsewhere, but if not, don't be surprised if you find your purchase sitting out in the rain in a beat-up box... and prior to opening it, you might as well have your tool box handy!

So, I would love to hear your thoughts after having read this. Please feel free to reply below.

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