Introducing Embroidery Kits and Classes

I recently had the opportunity to teach several embroidery classes, and it was a blast! I thought it would be fun to give you a peek behind the scenes to how I came up with my designs and projects for the classes.

As far back as I can remember, my favorite projects are always accessory-related. I like how things like jewelry and purses are both practical and stylish. I get so much satisfaction when something I make has a functional purpose. Sometimes it’s nice to make an item because it’s pretty or fun, but I almost always prefer when it also doubles as a useable object. It brings me so much joy! There are so many things we use throughout our day, so why not create a handmade version that is beautiful to look at and exciting to use?

I wanted to apply that to my first few embroidery projects. I didn’t want to make something that could only be displayed on a hoop—I wanted to make something I could use and wear! So I decided to start with my TwigBerryStudio roots: jewelry and accessories.

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Embroidered Necklace Pendants

Mountain Sunset Landscape Embroidery Project

The first project I designed features a mountain sunset landscape. I decided to embroider a tiny scene and turn it into a piece of jewelry, so I made an embroidered pendant necklace. It was a bit of an experiment at first since I had to figure out my own techniques as I went. I’m so happy with how it turned out. I gave it to my sister for her birthday, and she loves it!

It was such a fun piece to make, so I decided to teach one of my classes on this project and offer the supplies as a kit since the materials and techniques are specific to it. I designed a pattern template with a color and stitch guide and wrote down each step to create a detailed instruction download to go with it.

I got so much great feedback, so I have re-stocked my shop with new embroidery kits. They make a perfect gift and come with everything you need to make the project.

You can get your own kit below if you would like to make this project too.

Pendant Necklace Embroidery KIT

$29.00

Flower, Leaf, and Twig Embroidery Project

I also designed a flower pendant, and it has quickly become my new favorite piece of jewelry. This is another project that I taught a class on and created a supply kit for. It includes the embroidery pattern, color and stitch guide, as well as simple instructions with all of the steps for embroidering and creating the necklace.

You can get an embroidery kit for this project in my shop if you’d like to make this pendant necklace.

Pendant Necklace Embroidery KIT + VIDEO CLASS

$27.00

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Fading Leaf Boxy Bag Embroidery and Sewing Kit

If you know me, you know I love bags. Project bags, everyday purses, zippered clutch pouches. I love them all. Bags are probably my favorite thing to sew. Over the years, I’ve designed so many different types of bags for my shop.

So of course I had to create an embroidery project that had something to do with a bag. I had this boxy bag that I keep crochet and knitting tools in. Its blank canvas was begging for some handy stitching to add some color and detail, and my next design idea was brewing.

I decided to come up with a technique for embroidering onto an existing bag. I also wanted to include a sewing option so you can make the boxy bag and either embroider before or after your bag is made. The end result is exactly the same either way.

A pretty vine or branch design with a subtle color change is what I had in mind. I ended up drawing out a leaf. Do you see the thread’s ombre fade as you go from one tip of the design to the other? It adds more interest while keeping the stitching simple and clean.

I broke the process down into steps and designed my leaf pattern. Then I wrote out the process and filmed my class as I created the leaf stitching.

Just like the embroidered necklaces, I created an instruction and pattern manual to go along with it. It has a color and stitch guide and walks through the entire process. It also includes the option to make the entire bag from scratch if you’d prefer to sew your own boxy bag too.

And I just had to put together kits for this project either. I created an embroidery kit that includes a premade by that I make for you along with all of the supplies to embroider the leaf design on to it. And I also designed a sewing + embroidery kit where you have everything you need to make the bag as well as embroider the design.

With either option, you will have a perfectly finished bag with no thread ends or unsightly raw edges. Even with the no-sew option that includes a premade bag, I came up with a simple technique for you to embroider and finish the bag so that all of the underside of your embroidery work is hidden and all you see is the nice lining when you look inside. This makes me so satisfied!

You can get these kits in my shop if you would like to embroider and/or sew this fading leaf boxy bag.

Leaf Pouch Embroidery Kit (with Sewing Kit Option)

from $32.00

All three of these projects were so much fun to create, and I hope you enjoy making them too! Which one do you like best? Have you made any of them or attended the classes? I would love to know! Leave a comment below.

Get an Embroidery Kit

Browse the embroidery kits in my shop here.

Take an On-Demand Class

You can also take a look at my embroidery class here.

Happy making!
〰️ Sarah

How to Brand Your Knitwear Shop: Part 1: An Overview of Branding for Makers. Branding 101

Every element and tiny detail of your business adds up to create your brand identity. All of those aspects are powerful opportunities to develop a one-of-a-kind knitwear shop that stands out among the crowd.

It’s easy to overlook most of these branding possibilities because they aren’t talked about much in the maker world, and some of them are tricky concepts to grasp and put a finger on.

That’s why I’m kicking off my new weekly Twigs + Texture Livestream with a series on How to Brand Your Knitwear Shop. Each episode will be followed with a thorough post here on the TwigBerryStudio Blog a few days after the live video.

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WHAT IS BRANDING + WHY IS IT CRITICAL?

Your business is your brand. Each aspect of your business mixes together and creates an overall brand experience and identity. It includes the physical, visual, and emotional elements of your knitwear biz.

When most makers think of branding, they picture the more obvious “important” elements that are often easier and more fun to design, such as products, logo, packaging, and overall style. 

But every element of your business is a crucial avenue for branding possibilities.

This includes the less exciting components and details, like your word-choice, sentence structure, and the way you launch new products. And it includes the concepts that are more difficult to grasp, like the tone and mood your business conveys. 

These facets aren’t the most creative or enjoyable elements of building a knitwear brand, so they’re usually ignored or go unnoticed. (Even though I’m kind of obsessed with them!)

Makers with smaller shops or who are just starting out often feel underqualified to have an epic and strategically designed brand. But that is sooo far from the truth. A quality brand is the number one way to set a business apart from the all others in its industry. And with an industry as over-saturated as knits and cozy things, branding should be at the top of every maker’s list for 2018 goals.

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WHAT DOES A WELL-DESIGNED BRAND LOOK LIKE?

Quality branding is intentional, consistent, strategic, planned, and unified. It showcases the core of your business’s purpose and values in the best presentation possible.

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BENEFITS OF BRANDING YOUR KNITWEAR SHOP

While branding can sometimes sound limiting to your creativity, it’s where all the magic happens for your business. Here are some of my favorite benefits:

1. Professional Appearance

Quality branding gives your knitwear company a professional and polished appearance. You’ll have less of a hobby status, and potential customers will take you more seriously and feel more comfortable making a purchase.

2. Skills + Experience

Even when you continue to explore new ideas, if your brand is established and if you stay true to it, you demonstrate your skills and show that you’re experienced at what you do. Customers are more likely to buy from a maker that looks like she knows what she’s doing. (Think: “master of one” vs. “jack-of-all-trades mentality.)

3. Audience Growth

When your shop is well-branded, you will no longer feel the need to try to appeal to everyone, so you can focus on appealing to your one target market. It allows you to get to know your audience sooo much better, and it will be a breeze to get their attention and interest. 

4. Customer Satisfaction

When you know your customer spot-on, it’s easier to anticipate their questions and needs. You’ll be able to provide answers and options that make sense for your customers, so pleasing them will be easier. And then they’ll come back for more! (Which leads us to the next benefit.)

5. Repeat Customers

When you know your brand through-and-through, customers know what to expect. Next season, they’ll check back in to see what your newest products are. If your shop is always changing, it’ll be less likely to get repeat sales from last year’s ideal customer if what you’re selling no longer relates to them. 

6. Better Products

A well-designed knitwear brand ensures that your products fit your brand and truly feel like they were designed with lots of intention, purpose, and care. You’ll get better and better with each item you make as you hone your skills, and your collections will be intentional and make sense together instead of being all over the place. Plus, branding makes it easier to create products that perfectly fit your ideal customer.

7. Strategic + Consistent Instagram Feed

Ever longed for a more consistent feed for your Instagram page? Branding is just what you need! Once you have a brand identity and strategy in place, you can plan your posts and curate consistent cozy! You can create a collection of branded stock photos. And you’ll know the best type of feed and photos for catching your target customers’ eyes to ensure that each Instagram post is working hard to attract the right followers and ultimately bring in more sales.

8. Captivating Photos

Figuring out your branding helps you create consistent photos that represent you business in the best possible light. A carefully selected style and color palette will create a streamlined look across your pics. You’ll also know what to feature in your product photos to captivate your customers so they click your item to view more. 

9. Compelling Copy

Words are powerful. Branding empowers you to utilize the words you type, from Instagram captions to product descriptions. It guides you through developing a strong written voice so your business can sing a song that speaks directly to your target customer.

10. More Sales + Higher Conversion Rate

A well-designed brand powerfully appeals to your audience and converts those browsers into customers. With photos and copy designed specifically to attract the right shoppers, and products that are spot-on, your customers will be sure to love everything you create from the moment they see it and will be eager to buy. And once it arrives in their hands, they’ll fall even more deeply in love. (Packaging, anyone?)

11. One-of-a-Kind + Unique

Intentional branding helps you create a specialized business that isn’t a copy of another maker’s store. Following through the steps of designing a unique brand ensures you create a shop that doesn’t already exist, challenges you to be unique, and ultimately gives you a one-of-a-kind brand. And that is truly creative.

12. Focus + Productivity

An established brand makes it easier to stay true to your purpose. You won’t have to bounce around from one idea to the next by trying to keep up with everyone else. Use your new focus to increase productivity and to quit feeling like other makers are excelling with new ideas and leaving you in the dust. Because you’ll have a strategic plan with meaningful ideas that help your business grow.

13. Fosters Creative and Original Ideas

Branding means getting to know your business on a whole new level. When you explore your brand to this extent, you reach the deeper surfaces where the best ideas are. Instead of looking around for inspiration and ideas to copy, you begin to tap into the original and unique things you can bring to the maker world.

14. Room to Explore

Once you’ve established a complete brand for your business, you can explore and create countless amazing (and new) things that fit within your brand’s guidelines. This ensures you maintain a consistent identity, and it helps you stay true to the core of your brand.

15. Standing Out

Once you’ve established a one-of-a-kind brand with original ideas, people will begin to take note. Standing out is a natural extension of a brand developed from hard work, brainstorming, and from the heart. Even the smallest of shops is noteworthy and can make a lasting impression when it has something unique and fresh to offer.

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HOW TO CREATE A QUALITY BRAND IDENTITY

Ultimate Branding Goal:

Create and commit to an overall style and voice that is unique, recognizable, and that you can call your own.

Know Your Ideal Customer:

Did you notice how most of the benefits revolve around an “ideal customer?”
That’s because customers are how a shop makes sales. Makes sense, right?

When you do the branding up front by choosing what you want to make, you can figure out how to attract customers who love to buy what you create. This is called marketing. (It’s a fun topic that we’ll talk about in an upcoming post in this series.)

Branding Criteria:

1. Niched. Discover and create your little corner of the maker world. Your niche should be a specific and focused sphere where your expertise and passion combine. Then, you’ll have the framework for developing your brand.
2. Unique. Your brand should be unique and have some sort of USP (Unique Selling Point). Figure out what makes your business different from the other knitwear shops out there. This is where you get really creative and explore how you can stand out and develop a one-of-a-kind brand.
3. Consistent. This is key for making your brand come to life. It’s where the design work comes in. Products, packaging, colors, style, photography, copy etc. all work together to create your unified brand.
4. Committed. Once you have your brand identity solidified, stay true to it. It’s what keeps your brand alive and growing. It allows people to get to know your business and fall in love with your products, which helps them get excited for your next launch and new designs. 

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Your branding is the way your business feels, looks, and breaths. The thoughts and emotions around your business are part of its identity, too. 

It’s your message response rate, your customer service, and the way you do (or don’t do) sales. It’s how often you post on Instagram. Think of any aspect you possibly can about your business; it’s brandable. 

I hope you’re inspired to begin the journey of nurturing your knitwear brand. I’ll be right here along the way to answer any questions you might have.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Branding Series:

Join me on March 12th for Monday’s Twigs + Texture Livestream on Instagram. I’ll be sharing how to create your niche and specialize your shop. I hope to see you there for this 30 minute chat!

How to Find Inspiration and Avoid a Creative Rut

As makers, we’re constantly designing and creating products for our shops. 

Often times, there seems to be no shortage of ideas. But there are also days where we feel uninspired and in a rut.

So here are 9 ways to refresh your creativity.

1 | Avoid doing #allthethings

Can you relate to late-night making and cramming every free moment working on something new?

It’s easy to get caught up with each idea, but when we try to do them all, we can quickly become overwhelmed.

Give yourself room to be creative. It’s okay (and smart) to say “no” to good ideas. 

If you feel overwhelmed by your creative endeavors, try to simplify and find a focus. Choose one to three priorities, and save the rest for another time.

2 | Create thinking-space

This has been one of the best game-changers for TwigBerryStudio:

I keep a long list of ideas in my creative folder. First, I brainstorm and let ideas and thoughts flow so I can jot everything down and free up my mind. Then, I am able to forget about my ideas without the fear of losing them forever. 

When I’m ready to take on something new, I just look back at my list. 

This method gets rid of mind-clutter and frees up space for thinking and creativity.

3 | Try new materials + tools

Umm, yarn haul!

Are your everyday fibers feeling a little drab? Maybe you’re tired of your old hooks and needles?

Consider splurging a little on some extra special fiber or tools, and explore beyond the everyday hobby store supplies.

Working with new, dreamy yarn or special needles and hooks might be just what you need to trigger a creative boost.

Check out some fancy fibers at a local yarn shop, search online boutiques, find a fiber festival, or try a skein from that brand you’ve been admiring on Instagram. 

Unique materials give your hands a new experience and a fresh perspective. And it’s sure to get your creative ideas brewing like your favorite coffee or tea.

Tip: when you buy new material, have a project in mind to be sure you follow through and complete it.

4 | Create an inspiring workspace

Where do you perform most of your creative work? For many makers, it ranges from a comfy couch to a studio area.

Wherever your workspace may be, is it inspiring? 

Do you enjoy working there? Do your surroundings help put you in a creative mood? 

If not, try working in a different spot, or brainstorm ways to perk up the space.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Figure out what you’d like to change about your space, and determine what drags your creativity down.
• If you’re surrounded by clutter, try tidying up.
• For a quick refresher, add inspiring prints and designs to your walls, or frame them on your desk. Try placing some plans (or something that makes you happy) on a nearby table.

When I work in an “ugly” space, it pulls my focus away from my task because I end up thinking of ways to improve the space and make it pretty.

Make the space reflect your style so you enjoy your setting. Aim to create an inspiring work area to foster ideas. You’ll be more productive when you love where you work, too.

5 | Use yourself as inspiration.

When you feel stuck, tap into your story, and use yourself as inspiration.

Do you have a unique skill set, talent, or experience that you can embrace? Is there something different about your process? Your style? Your approach? How did you first come to love crocheting or knitting? What sets you apart from other makers? What other interests do you have outside of knitwear that you can use as fresh inspiration?

Explore the unique things about you, and incorporate them into your ideas to help refresh your creativity.

6 | Take a break from your projects

Although we don’t always realize it, creativity is hard work.

If your mind is worn out from all the creative chugging, take some time to refuel, and give yourself a chance to rest.

Set your projects aside for a day or two, and find other tasks to work on.

Review your listings, and make sure your shop is in tip-top shape. Publish products you’ve been meaning to list. Take photos of items you’ve already made. 

Or take a break from everything.

Once your mind has a little while to rejuvenate, it’ll be ready to bring you fresh, new ideas.

7 | Go for a walk outside + enjoy some fresh air

“Knitflix” and “crochet-all-day” are real life for us maker sometimes. But don’t forget to go outside and get a little exercise, too.

A walk and fresh air are good for our minds. Go somewhere inspiring. Get the blood pumping. 

If you’re in a time crunch and can’t leave your space, try opening a window. Or if it’s too cold for a hike in the woods, how about a drive on a nice, sunny day?

Try to get a little sunlight each day to get that vitamin D. You’ll feel happier and more creative when your brain has what it needs. And you’ll come back to your project feeling refreshed and inspired.

8 | Stay motivated

When we’re working hard day after day, it’s easy to get a bit tired and worn out. We lose sight of that shiny excitement of pursuing something we love and enjoy, and our creative ideas start to drag. 

Sometimes we need a little extra push to get past the not-so-fun parts of running a knitwear shop. Weaving in ends, anyone?

When the boring tasks get you down, it’s helpful to think about what makes you excited.

Try saving your favorite things for last as a reward for working past the tough parts. 

You’ll be glad you did, and it’ll be easier to stay inspired without all those loose ends hanging over your head.

9 | Don’t compare

Sometimes a creative rut can come from comparing yourself someone else’s maker journey. 

Instead, focus on you and your journey.

Don’t try to follow your admirers in their footsteps, 

Focus on your unique maker story and path. You’ll stay inspired, feel more fulfilled, and have creative ideas you can be proud of.

What are some ways you find inspiration and avoid creative ruts? I would love to know! Comment below!