RagsReborn's 2018 Review

It is currently 11:35am on Tuesday, January 1st, 2019. Happy New Year, y'all! 🎇🎉(that second emoji is supposed to be a "party popper," but it totally looks like a taco or some sort of food to me, LOL) I decided to use the #2018bestnine app yesterday to generate my highest liked pictures of the year. Some good ones came up - endometriosis awareness, the dress I designed and made for American Sewing Guild contest, the Kesha concert, my drastic haircut, I gained Excel certification, endometriosis awareness (again!), Athena with Santa Paws, Crazy Rich Asians, and sadly, only one craft show picture. And even worse, there weren't any pictures of my sewing process or finished products. Well, that just means I need to work harder this year.

Earlier this morning, I tabulated all of my craft show information (items sold per show, expenses, and all that boring accounting stuff). I only participated in sixteen shows--which is still a lot but I think I did over twenty the year before. I spent most of my time (and money) on growing my sewing skill set. I took a sewing class that spanned several weeks and totally immersed myself in American Sewing Guild. Oh, and I also bought a ton of new stuff for my sewing room. So, 2018 wasn't the best year financially for RagsReborn. That being said, I still had a handful of marvelous craft shows. The top one being The Santa Market, closely followed by Wanderlust and Sleigh Bells Market.

I opened my Etsy store in late November of 2014, just in time for the holiday shopping season. I told myself that I would give it three years to decide if being a small business owner would be a viable option for me. My three years are over and I've decided that nope, being a small business owner is absolutely not a good career choice. Dude, I totally suck at sales! While other vendors are chatting up everyone who walks near their booth and making $500+ at craft shows, I'm over here being socially awkward. That used to make me feel so horrible (and jealous). Something happened last summer... a complete switch in mindset. I was still the quiet girl who politely greeted customers and let them browse while I sat in the corner of my booth and read... but I noticed that I was still making sales. I only gabbed with a few customers per show but I was having real conversations with those that did stop and talk. I made friends and gained repeat customers. Most importantly, I stopped comparing myself to other vendors. I finally realized that RagsReborn Gifts is not a job, and I don't want it to be a job or a career. That's too much pressure.  I will never sell $1,000 at a craft show, like the "successful" vendors do. My products will never be picked up to be sold in local boutiques. And that is just fine. All I want is to create in my sewing room and then show off all my awesome talent. RagsReborn is a hobby, a hobby that I am really passionate about. I'm actually proud of myself and I don't need sales to justify that feeling. All that matters is that I bring top notch quality items to each and every show. For 2018, that is exactly what happened. I hope to keep that positive momentum going for 2019. I'm taking a few months off to experiment with new inventory (I will be sewing unicorn shaped stuffed animals...for all of you who keep asking if I have unicorns 🦄) and restocking everything else. I look forward to putting my spring craft show schedule together... I hope to see you soon!

RagsReborn's Fall Craft Show Schedule

Hello, everyone!! 😃
       Two things... 1. It's craft show season again! 😁 and 2. I just discovered how to add emojis on Blogger. Welcome to 2018, Erica.

I am pretty excited to get back into craft shows again. I've actually had an extremely light craft show schedule this year-- only two shows this past spring and four shows in the summer-- so I'm bit out of practice. But, I've been brainstorming new products and have been working on a couple of new things in my sewing room for you guys. I have finalized five shows for the fall season (September & October) and four for the holiday season (November & December). I'm thinking about maybe doing one more in either November or December but I'm not entirely sure, yet. Part of me likes doing fewer shows but the other part of me knows I need to get out there and hustle. Anyway... here is my fall craft show schedule:

Piedmont Founder's Day
First Baptist Church of Piedmont
15 Jackson Ave NW
Piedmont, OK 73078
(I'll be in booth #23)
Saturday September 8, 2018
10am - 4pm
https://www.facebook.com/evvents/358122104666893/ and https://piedmontokfoundersday.org/

Purchases for a Purpose Craft & Vendor Market
(in conjunction with the Czech Festival in Yukon)
First Baptist Church of Yukon
15 S. 6th Street
Yukon, OK 73099
Saturday October 6, 2018
9am - 3pm

University of Oklahoma's Health Sciences Center Fall Craft Fair
Robert M. Bird Library Lobby
1105 Stonewall Ave (on the corner of 10th & Stonewall)
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Friday October 12, 2018
10am - 2pm
I missed the OUHSC Spring Craft Fair so I'm extra excited to be returning for their fall one. I'll be debuting some new products at this show so you won't want to miss it!

Craft Fair
Quail Springs United Methodist Church
14617 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Saturday October 13, 2018
9am - 3pm

Fall Craft Fair
St. Ann Retirement Center
7501 W. Briton Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
Wednesday October 17, 2018
10am - 2pm
I know most of you don't fancy spending your day at a retirement center but this is such a good show! I've participated in it annually since RagsReborn's inception. Maria, the retirement community's event coordinator really does a splendid job. And, this show is on the same day as St. Ann's open house. I took a tour the first year I participated and I'm pretty sure I'm moving in here when I become old & frail.

I guess I'm returning to my roots by doing these smaller "church shows." The venues may be small but I promise they are definitely worth coming out to (two of them are in connection with awesome family friendly events... Piedmont Founder's Day and Czech Fest!). And I'm not just saying that because I'll be selling there. 😉 LOL In all honesty, I would really appreciate the support because 1. I haven't done a show in a while and the last one I participated in in August went terribly, 2. three out of the five of my fall shows will be new ones for me (oh, the nervousness of doing a show for the first time!) , and 3. I recently applied to have my products sold at a local shop and got immediately rejected. I really hope you guys can come out and lift a girl up, I would REALLY appreciate it!  And its always a good idea to support local!!

RagsReborn is planning for 2018.

Guess what, guys? Spring craft show season will be here before we know it! Shows usually begin in March and run through the summer. I'm still in the process of researching shows that will be a good fit for RagsReborn; I have a couple on my radar but haven't finalized my spring craft show schedule, yet, but I plan to very soon. And when I do, I will have it posted for you guys. I promise!

For 2018, I plan to aim for quality over quantity. My approach when I first started RagsReborn was to participate in whichever show I could get accepted into...which meant sewing up a storm and travelling to craft shows several times per month. I enjoyed staying busy but I believe that by being a little pickier, I can 1) choose to only participate in reputable & well established shows that I know will have an atmosphere that is best for my inventory and 2) spend more time perfecting & improving the quality of  my products. In my last blog post, I mentioned that one of my goals for the year is to become a better sewist. I just registered for a Sewing II (intermediate) course at a local vocational college. Classes don't begin until March but I am already excited to start! I also plan to attend more American Sewing Guild meetings in the upcoming months. Not only are the women in the Oklahoma chapter extremely friendly & welcoming, they also represent a fountain of knowledge and I love picking their brains to get new ideas & advice.

I Googled "color trends 2018," and this is what came up on the image search. Do you agree or disagree?

Another goal I mentioned was to cater my product more toward the general public (but I'm stubborn so I'm not completely getting rid of pattern blocking, for better or worse!). That's where I need your help. All last year, I kept hearing potential clients tell me that they're done decorating with pillows. They either no longer use pillows in their home decor or they have already amassed enough pillows and therefore don't need any new ones. So... if you are a popular blogger or community figure, please bring back pillows. Tell all of your fans that pillows are totally rad and everyone needs more pillows! And new pillows! Please and thank you. LOL All joking aside, I really would like some feedback. Can you please tell me what styles, colors, sizes, and patterns of pillows you'd like to decorate with? Also, what animals are popular with children, babies and new parents? I plan to continue to sew pillows & stuffed animals but plan to toss around some other new ideas. So, what are some other sewn items you'd like to see in my booth? My "vendor category" is sewing and home decor so I would like to stay within those boundaries. I made several flags (wall decor) for friends and family as Christmas gifts. Should I start selling those at craft shows? Any comments, whether negative or positive, are appreciated.

I Googled "fabric trends 2018," and this is what came up on the image search. Do you agree or disagree?

With all that said, I have a lot of work to do... but I'm super excited to see where 2018 takes RagsReborn. Thanks for continuing with me on my journey and I hope to see you at a craft show or two!

And here's an adorable picture of Sadie and Athena to keep you going until my next blog post.

RagsReborn Gifts says goodbye to 2017.

Hello, everyone! I hope we all left our troubles of 2017 behind us and are welcoming 2018 with open arms!

I finished my 2017 craft show year several weeks ago but wanted a little more time for reflection so I'm writing this a bit late. Last year was pretty darn good for RagsReborn over all. My #1 highlight was that I finally got into The Santa Market... and had an awesome time!! The show coordinators and volunteers were great, there was busy traffic all day, my sales were amazing and the show lived up to all its hype; all in all, it was my best show!

This show raises so much money for charity and I love being a part of this kindness!

After reviewing all my craft shows from last year, I would say that 2017 was the year of criticism and the year of risk taking. Both were scary challenges but both also helped me grow as a small business owner and a human being. And that's really what challenges are all about; you cry & have sleepless nights, then you work harder & come out the other end much braver ... and then you take that attitude into the next challenge and do it all over again. I think that actually sums up everything about owning a small business.

I am well aware that shoppers and other vendors gossip behind my back, but I've never had anyone openly share their negative comments to my face... until last year. The bulk of the criticism centered around two things - my items look too handmade and it is evident that I am a self-taught sewist. And because of that I 1) should not be charging so much for my product and 2) do not belong at large professional events. To paraphrase, "If you're going to do arts 'n crafts at home with your grandma, go back to small church craft shows and only charge $3/item." First off, I would like to defend myself and say that I am proud of RagsReborn. I personally feel as if the company has come a long way in three short years. But on the other hand, I know that I don't work out of a professional studio and it is pretty evident that I like to blend loud colors & weird patterns so my pillows don't exactly fit into what's "mainstream," and if I want to actually have customers & make money, maybe its time to be a little more hip and in tune with what shoppers prefer. Hearing other vendors' and shoppers' opinions taught me to stand up for myself but also humbled me. I am obviously biased about my products but it wouldn't hurt to work on my people skills and take a few sewing classes, and I plan to do that this year. Being self-taught will only get me so far and I know I still have a long way to go.

On to risk taking... I've been too afraid to sign up for large craft shows ("artisan pop-up shops," as they are often referred to as). I think its because my first craft show ever was the Indie Trunk Show and it was a complete disaster. The booth rent was entirely out of my price range and I looked completely out of place...talk about items looking "too handmade". LOL Those are still things I struggle with but last year, I decided to give large craft shows another chance and joined the Revolve Productions line-up. I participated in four of their events and guess what, I didn't do too poorly! Everyone measures success a little differently and I'm not ready to share my sales figures publicly but I will say that I was able to hold my own at each one of these larger events. Tobi and Revolve Productions is a delight to work with. Each one of their events was heavily advertised and they carefully selected the vendor line-up to ensure a wide variety of products. I am so glad I participated in their Wanderlust and Sleigh Bells Market shows, and look forward to doing so again. I also took another risk by introducing new items into my product line and that was the best decision I ever made. (Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to do so and sorry I didn't listen to your suggestions sooner.) Stuffed animals-especially the baby elephants-were the best sellers of the year. With that in mind, I plan to go into 2018 with new items & ideas, higher quality products and you'll continue to see RagsReborn at smaller community craft shows as well as high-end pop-up shops.

RagsReborn Gifts' December Craft Shows

What a whirlwind couple of months!! I have been lucky enough to participate in at least one craft show per week since late September. One might think I'd be stressed out, burned out, and ready to quit after so many shows but that is wrong... I absolutely LOVE this!! Holiday craft show season is my absolute favorite. I have worked hard the entire year to be able to showcase my handmade items during these few months. Right now, I am one happy and proud sewist. ("sewist" - combination of the words sew and artist; to describe someone who creates sewn works of art)

And now it's time for my annual plea to shop local. While you're holiday shopping this year, might I suggest visiting a local craft fair? There are so many different local shopping events happening this time of year. I have the ones I will be participating in listed below.  I've been shopping local for my gift list since I started RagsReborn a few years ago and I plan to do so again this year. Please everyone, let's support our local entrepreneurs. (I'm marked as "going" on all of these on Facebook; if you'd like some more details, please let me know and I'll be happy to send you an invite.)

Sleigh Bells Market
Saturday December 3, 2017
12pm - 6pm
Oklahoma City Public Farmers Market 311 S Klein Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

The Heart of Christmas Craft & Vendor Fair
Saturday December 9, 2017
10am - 4pm
Events at Ten West Main 10 West Main Street, Yukon, OK 73099

RagsReborn Gifts' October Craft Shows

Hello, all! *insert waving emoji* Can you believe summer is over and fall is in the air?!? Long time no talk (no write? no read? What is the proper syntax when you're not really talking?) I hope 2017 has been treating you well. Things have been great in RagsReborn-land. Its that time of year again... fall craft show season! I have a TON of craft shows coming up; I'm actually booked each weekend from now until Christmas. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; here is a list of the first wave of shows... (I'm marked as "going" on all of these on Facebook; if you'd like some more details, please let me know and I'll be happy to send you an invite.)

Dream Center Craft Bazaar
Saturday September 30, 2017
9am - 4pm
Inner City Church 2212 SW 55th, Oklahoma City, OK 73119

4th Annual Classic Car Show
Sunday October 1, 2017
1pm - 4pm
Doo-Wop Glam Shop 5581 NW Expressway, Warr Acres, OK 73132

OUHSC Staff Senate Fall Craft Fair
(this craft fair is open to the public... the vendors are mostly staff & faculty so that's why they call it that.)
Friday October 6, 2017
10am - 2pm
Robert M. Bird Library Lobby 1105 Stonewall Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73117

Wanderlust Pop-up Shops
Saturday October 21, 2017
10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel 1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109

Fall Craft Fair and Open House
Wednesday October 25, 2017
10am - 2pm
St. Ann Retirement Center 7501 W. Britton Rd., Oklahoma City, OK 73132

I couldn't find a picture of this craft show but I'm going to be participating with my friend, Elizabeth. She's the owner of Zee & Zeus Studios and that's Zeus up there! @ZeeandZeusStudios)

Fall Festival Craft & Food Fair
Saturday October 28, 2017
9am - 3pm
Moore First United Methoidust Church's Chrisitan Life Center 201 W. Main St., Oklahoma City, OK 73160

RagsReborn Gifts' origin story

One of my favorite podcasts is NPR's How I Build This. On each episode, Guy Raz interviews the creator/CEO of a successful business. He's interviewed the creator/CEO of Instagram, Southwest Airlines, Kate Spade, Zumba and countless others. Throughout the interview, he asks how the idea for the business was conceived, the high and low points of the journey and whether or not the interviewee believes in luck. Its always an interesting conversation and I've learned a lot. The best part is that at the very end, the show chooses a current entrepreneur to interview. They're always asking for idea submissions so I decided to submit for RagsReborn Gifts.

If I was selected to talk about RagsReborn, my origin story would go a little like this...
       RagsReborn Gifts was conceived in the summer of 2014 following two events. The first was my boyfriend (at the time, now husband) moving into my tiny one bedroom apartment with me. We had too many clothes and not enough closet space. We desperately needed to scale down our wardrobe! We both had articles of clothing that we didn't want to toss out but also weren't wearing much anymore. I had an idea to sew the t-shirts into decorative pillows for our couch. They turned out great and I would get compliments from our guests.
       In the following months, I began having problems with my health. I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and rendered infertile. Also around that same time, everyone I knew was getting pregnant and gabbing about how wonderful their life has become because they would soon be parents. I felt as if my life was becoming more and more insignificant compared to those of mothers. After a short battle with depression, I decided that I too would give birth... to a creative small business that I was passionate about. That is when RagsReborn was, well, born.
      No, I absolutely do not believe in luck. No famous artist or successful entrepreneur has ever just become that way because a fortune cookie told them they would. I have never been lucky. Everything I have ever accomplished, I've had to work for. And I think that's the way it should be. You get so much more satisfaction knowing that you built this and you grew that. So if there is such a thing as good luck, then I'm glad I don't have it. I would rather pour my blood, sweat and tears into a project I truly believe in to make it happen.

RagsReborn's 2016 overall craft show year

Let's start with my BEST show of the year... Christmas at the Lodge!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Are we all ready for 2017? I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. I did a little celebrating but I mostly did a lot of math. Exhilarating, I know. LOL My last craft show of the year was a few weeks ago but I've been putting off crunching the numbers for 2016. Mainly for two reasons; I hate math (accounting has got to be my least favorite part of being a small business owner) and I was about 95% sure this year sucked.

Set up at St. Ann's retirement home for the home bound residents to do their Christmas shopping.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Although I had a handful of shows that were absolutely terrible (aka I didn't sell a single thing), my year overall wasn't as bad as I thought it would turn out to be. I'm still not where I want to be-- so I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon-- but RagsReborn is trucking along quite steadily. And that makes it all worthwhile for me!

Set up at the main library at OU Health Science Center campus with my friend and fellow vendor, Nancy. Her granddaughter calls me "the pillow lady" and we share snacks.  

This past year was the first time that I did a full calendar year of craft shows. In 2016, I participated in 29 craft shows (a significant jump from the 6 shows I participated in throughout 2015). That averages out to almost one show every other weekend. Whoa. Also, I connected with 10 people throughout the year to make custom orders. Needless to say, I am 100% completely immersed in RagsReborn and my little passion project is no longer just a hobby. I would say that I work as much at crafting as I do at my full-time paying job. And I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It took a while but, at age 32, I have finally found my calling in life.

Happy selfie with my two favorite children.

So what's my takeaway from the year?  Let's see... this was sort of hard for me but I came up with two things...
       NUMERO UNO- When I first started out the year, I was NOT prepared for the slow Spring & Summer craft show seasons. When things didn't turn out the way I wanted, I blamed the universe. (This is something that I've struggled with my entire life.) It took me a few shows to get over playing the victim. I thought I was putting in 100% effort but I wasn't. My hard work amounted to about 75% but for the other 25%, I was looking for other avenues to blame. I was being lazy and pessimistic.
       Right before the Fall craft show season, I decided that I was going to change my attitude. My husband is always telling me to be optimistic and think positive; after a while, I decided to take his advice.

• I started smiling through each one of my shows, regardless of how awful the show was moving along. 
• Instead of focusing on why I wasn't selling at certain shows, I started taking notes on what works. I started noticing what people were buying and which venues had the best crowd turn out. I basically moved away from zoning in on negativity to zoning in on positives. 
• I started talking to other vendors and noting traits that I admired in them and then applying those traits to my own business approach. 
• I started listening to podcasts about small businesses and reading blogs written by successful businessmen & women. 
• I started branching out and sewing more than just t-shirt pillows. I experimented with different types of fabric and techniques. 
• I started marketing more aggressively and moved out of my comfort zone. I was conquering fears one show at a time and it worked!  

Two of my new found friends: children's book author, Carly Cartmill & Sweet Sparrows owner, Jenifer Walker.

       NUMERO DOS- I found my tribe (squad, sisterhood, whatever you want to call it). This is HUGE for me. I don't have a lot of friends and I never prescribed to a clique. By doing craft shows, I started seeing some of the same vendors over and over again and I discovered where I fit in. I was able to distinguish which ones were genuinely friendly and which ones were the "mean girls". I attentively listened to all the advice I could get. Then I had to separate which was good advice and which wasn't the best for me.  I gravitated toward strong & successful business owners and solidified friendships.
       I no longer feel so much like the young rookie in the craft show world. I am still naive and not as experienced as I could be but I have reached a point where I can be picky. I no longer believe everything I hear (because a lot of what people will tell you is BS. Hahaha!) Next year, I will not be participating in every show that I come across. I can do more research and find the shows worth doing and turn down the ones that aren't a good fit. I finally figured out what "a good fit" is for my product. That is another huge accomplishment. I feel like, going forward, when I am struggling, I know who I can text or which vendors' group I can turn to for advice online.

• There are a handful of peers that I will listen to and apply any & all advice to my business model. 
• There are certain vendors that I will participate in the same shows they're doing and request for my booth to be next to theirs because I know their company will be welcomed throughout the day. 
• There are a few show organizers that I will sign up for whatever show they put on because I know it will be a good experience. 

And that ends 2016. I struggled, I learned and I overcame. RagsReborn is here to stay!! I have some big plans for 2017 and I already have a few spring craft shows in mind. More on that to come next week...